Road trip! We left the ranch in the dark of night, soon to be daylight but the need to get on the road before the commuter traffic was the goal. We had a long drive ahead of us, over 630 miles to deliver Misty and Bambi to their new adoptive homes in the wine country of Lake County, just north of Napa valley.
We were all still half asleep when the trailer loading started. Bambi, at only six months old, is the more seasoned traveler of the two horses and she walked right into the trailer and stood, tied eating hay while we brought Misty over and loaded her.
Only her second trailer ride and she walked right in too. I have to give Debbie Steglic credit for that. She volunteered many hours working with Misty to give her the confidence to follow our lead. Rewarding as it is that they walked so trustingly into the trailer, it’s also a little sad they won’t be returning with us. Knowing they are headed for people who are impatiently waiting their arrival makes this departure easier.
Travel was fabulous, we ran into hardly any traffic and when we got up to Woodland, north of the bay area, we had enough day light left that we chose the scenic route to get us to our cut-off highway. So we took highway 16 from Woodland north through the small turn of the century towns with tiny populations on a two lane road leading us nostalgically back in time. After 500+ miles of interstate this was just the picture we needed to see out the windows. We went through a beautiful gorge along a creek with several parks for hiking, picnicking and even a cowboy camp.
Tall, steep rock formations with outcroppings of trees just reaching for the heavens and perfect with the shadows of the sun as it was starting to set in the west, bright shafts of sun splashing through the branches making the leaves and pines vivid colors of greens and golds warmly pop against cold, dark rock. Rolling around one of the many sharp turns in this windy road we opened up to a rolling glen and one of the biggest herd of Elk I have ever seen in my life. There were over 40 sprinkled throughout the glen grazing on the lush, green grasses as though there was no one in sight. The leader regally lifted his head and I swear he looked right at us, considered us and then went back to grazing realizing we were no harm to the herd. Takes your breath away, seriously, I am sure I held my breath when he looked at us hoping they wouldn’t all turn and run.
It was dark by the time we pulled into A Gift Horse Rescue in Kelseyville and a group of the volunteers, young, teenage girls, giddy with excitement that we had finally arrived with new horses for them to care for and love on board, met us at the road and showed us how to get to the barn through the walnut tree grove. Bambi will be part of the rescues program for children to learn horse husbandry and training and she will thrive in their loving care. I suspect she will be groomed and dressed up in ribbons and bows in no time. Misty will belong to CC and her son and stay boarded there with CC’s other adopted horse.
No drama with the unloading or settling into the round-pen for the evening. The girls were more interested in the food (though they had plenty in the trailer) than they were with their new surroundings and the resident horses didn’t even acknowledge them with a nicker or whinny. Misty warmed right up to Valarie as she got a big hug after her halter came off. Misty seemed very confident that she was in a safe place as did Bambi. Makes it so much easier to drive off when you see the horses have no concern over their new digs.
Misty walking out of the trailer
Clearly there is lots of love to go around at A Gift Horse rescue and these well-loved horses are being left in very capable hands. CC texted that she was doing a ‘happy dance’, knowing the horses had arrived safely and could hardly wait to meet them.
Our stay was short, but we did learn that there were several vineyards in the area and some of the other fun touristy things to do like bass fishing, seeing the tall Redwoods, horse camping, and wine tasting. Which as long as we were so close to Napa valley was definitely something we wanted to do on our way home with an overnight stay at the Twin Pines Casino & Hotel en route. First casino we have been to that offered wine tasting. What a great way to relieve the muscle strain from hours in the truck.
We woke to a foggy morning as we could see from our window that the local mountains were partially covered with the low clouds. The trip down the mountain side was reminiscent of the drive from Julian to Santa Ysabel or the tight turned road from Flagstaff to Sedona. Two lanes with no shoulder much of the windy way. Not a road for those in a hurry. Tucked in the hills between the trees and rock formations were turn of the century cabins mixed in a with a new home here or there and a few ‘view points’, where you could see the valley below.
We came around one sharp curve to see a fawn standing in the on-coming lane, I yelled, “Bambi, Bambi” to Lary so he would see her – though in afterthought the Bambi we had dropped off last night was much cuter than this fawn. We slowed way down and she eventually went prancing off into the hills and as I watched her, a car sped around that corner and had it been a moment earlier or if we had not come when we had, the outcome would have been tragic for sure. Timing – God puts us in the needed place once again….
As we descended the mountain side and looking out over the valley heading into Calistoga and on to Napa, I was struck by the wisps of clouds like fingers reaching through the trees as the sun rose making the fog look like angles hair draped over the boughs of a Christmas tree. Prisms of light reflected off the clouds making it look so serene and magical. We stopped for me to take a picture, but I know it doesn’t do justice to the quiet beauty of the morning but the memory of it will always be there.
What a cute place Calistoga is, a blend of old and new and vineyards for miles and miles. Ramona has some relatively new vineyards and I enjoy looking at the rows of vines gracing our local road ways, but these were vines that have been producing delectable grapes for decades I am sure. The trunk of the vines had such character, thick, nobby and rich in deep color rising to new vines that stretch each season to bring a new crop of fruit for the bottle.
The valley moves on to St. Helena and that is where we found a sit in bakery called, Model Bakery, where there was just too much to choose from without making a pig of yourself. Rows of glass display cases showed off the biggest selection of fresh baked, hot out of the oven, breakfast pastries I have seen in a long time, not to mention fashionable cupcakes, pies and artisan style fresh breads. I’m talking nose to the glass good…..
I opted for an Apricot croissant and a Bear Claw and Lary a sticky roll and chocolate cookie, some to eat now and some to take on the road for later. A freshly brewed cup of Peets coffee and the fresh ground almond paste in the Bear Claw about had me moaning like Med Ryan in ‘When Harry Met Sally”. Yummm, doesn't even begin to describe their pastries.
Wishing we had a place like this in Ramona, I was memorizing the set up and décor of the place and heard a little girls squeal of delight, "look mama, a huge gingerbread house", and turned to see a beautifully hand crafted house that no doubt was built in the bakery in the back just for this holiday season. When we left, we stopped to take a look and it was even decorated on the inside. I’m wondering after New Year’s do they all sit down with a huge pot of coffee and start eating this masterpiece? Seems like the best way to honor such a beautiful and no doubt, labor of love.
St. Helena is collection of boutique stores, chocolatiers, niche restaurants, art galleries, Bed & Breakfast Inns and spa’s, even the hardware store looked unique. As you leave town the vineyards continue with tasting rooms to show off their wares. Some old, some new and trendy, Tuscan, Tudor, architecturally modern, great diversity as you probably see in the wines themselves.
I was telling Lary about a trip I had made over a dozen years ago up here and a happenstance stop at a vineyard called Sequoia Grove, where I tasted my all-time favorite Chardonnay which was smooth, oaky with a buttery finish that was so creamy going down. I have never seen Sequoia Grove in wine shops in the San Diego area until a few days before Christmas we stopped at the Major Market in Fallbrook and they had a bottle of their Cabernet there. I scanned the shelves for their Chardonnay, but they didn’t have it. I was so bummed.
But here we are in Napa Valley and the winery is on our way home. While we were talking about it, we actually drove right passed it. In this part of Napa they have a center lane so people can pull to the center to make left hand turns without impeding traffic. Passed it, not a problem for my husband who is highly skilled at the task of backing a trailer, he pulled in the center lane, checked the other lanes of traffic and backed us up right to the driveway. That’s it, the cute ‘A’ frame building sitting in the middle of towering Sequoia trees and the sign says they are closed……
We pulled in the driveway and we tried to figure out where to put this compact little F350 Dually with a three horse stock trailer in tow (bet they don’t get many of these pulling up) so I could at least get a picture after all these years. Lary dropped me off while he turned the truck around and I headed for the door, just a peek inside, what could that hurt. I cupped my hands to the side of my face so I could get a good look just as someone opens the door – OH! Hi!
“We are closed and don’t open for another hour”, the man says.. “I know”, I said and told him how it had been over a decade since I was here last and we were headed all the way to San Diego and I just had to stop and see the place again and show my hubby… Silence, then he looks at me and smiles, “oh, come on in, but we are just setting up so don’t mind us while we get ready for the day”. I squealed just like the little girl seeing the Gingerbread house and started waving my arms to Lary….come on – they are gonna let us in!!!!
Much to my delight it was as I had remembered, beautiful wood bar, tall windows of the ‘A’ frame, big beautiful bottles with gold etched Sequoia’s on them. We started talking and the man, I didn’t even get his name, told me what had changed since last being there and told me their Chardonnay is still made with the same process as back then and as a special treat set out a wine glass and poured a glass for Lary and I to share. Drinking this early? Was it even 9am, oh heck, who cares! All this way from home and I was getting a chance to see if the wine was as good as I remembered and yes, yes it was. I savored my first taste as it graced my mouth with a softness I had thought about for years.
Lary is not a Chardonnay drinker, but even he had to admit it was nummy. I know that’s not a wine snob way to describe fruit of the vine, but we’ve never aspired to be snobs, so nummy it is! We tried the reds too and knowing we had a long way to travel yet today, we bought one of each and headed on our way. Thanking him for making our short lived trip to Napa such a brief but fun memory.
Thinking of the horses and missing them already, knowing they won't be there in the morning, nickering for attention when we go out to feed I will always remember this as our Misty trip. Bringing Misty up to her new mom, CC, in wine country, waking up to a misty mountain top in the morning as we looked out our hotel window and our drive down to Napa valley as the fog laid on the rolling hills like mist on the vines. What a great way to spend a couple of days during the holidays!
Every mile a memory......
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| Add captionBambi & Misty the next morning |
Bambi with one of her new friends
