Mendocino We Love You

Our holiday within a holiday was the last week, we headed up to Mendocino about 150 miles North of SF no highway 1.

Its a tiny arty town on a very wild coastline nestled amongst the Redwoods. We used www.airbnb.com again to find an amazing house owned by the wonderful Marilyn, so surrounded by trees that it only gets sun a few hours a day.

Took Matilda to her first 3d movie 'Megamind' which we both loved. Check the specs on the pics.

We whiled away our days in the woods and on the beaches just going very slowly and wishing we could stay forever. Two hour naps evry day and time spent on lovely evening meals.
The nightly entertainment was the sunsets at 5pm and the stars once they came out.

Bought a lovely painting for the house and again resolved to aspire to live a slower and more peaceful life.

If you ever get the chance forget big Californian attractions and head for Mendocino it is a real treasure to be found. Thanks for the tip Petra and John.

Mendocino We Love You

Stinson on Sea

Stinson beach is the primary surf spot in Marin and is a broad sweeping sandy beach with perfect rollers and multi million dollar houses on the beach itself.
We head down there with my sister Petra and he two woofers with a picnic ready to get sand in and a Matilda who wants to swim swim swim. I have boogie boarded here before and point out the sign to Caitlyn that states that " great white attacks have happened on the beach in less than 6 feet of water" so we resolve to stay in our depth and in we go. It's an amazing day in yet another truly idyllic place. In contrast tue Mountians only hours away will be open to skiers soon whilst people here will be sunbathing and surfing. California is a blessed land indeed.

A day jumping waves is topped off with ice creams and sand it bits you don't want it.

Stinson On Sea

Farewell Quincy

So the day we arrived in my Aunt Anne's house she told me the upstairs (where we were staying) was haunted. Not by anything nasty but haunted, so much so that she lives entirely downstairs. " but don't mention it to the girls "
The first night Matilda wakes up and I take her to the other spare room downstairs where Matilda and I sleep for the rest of the stay. The next day Matilda comes and takes me to the upstairs room and points to the large bare walk in wardrobe and tells me " that's where the dark people live". It turns out that anyone who has experienced the ghost reports it to be in the same place, that night Matilda wakes screaming in the middle of the night and once I calm her down I sat in the dark 4 in the morning and felt ice cold with all my hairs stood on end as it feels like something passes by me.
Two days before we leave Caitlyn, who still knows nothing about the history, suddenly feels he house is haunted whilst having a shower in the house alone. Who knows, but I can tell you that was the spookiest Halloween I ever, and I am sure will ever spend!
All in all we loved the high sierra's and it was great to see my aunt and cousin. The drive back to San Francisco was a five hour blast with happy kids singing along to Disney songs all the way (I literally have the alley cats and jungle book soundtrack on repeat in my head all day every day from The girls insistence on its repeated playing)

After staying in spacious houses surronded by trees Caitlyn and I resolve to aim for the countywide at some point in the future. Its such a relief after busy towns and cities.

Farewell Quincy