Day 27--NAPA VALLEY

October 1, 2000
Drive Willits to Inverness

I had barely sent my update when Jess pulled into the drive. We packed up and got off in short order, stopping only briefly at the Mariposa to say our final good-bye to Sarah and to show her the exalted location of the disco ball she had given Jess—hanging from the rearview mirror.

Since Jessica's car has no air-conditioning, we had to ride with the windows open. This creates a lot of wind and wind noise at high speeds. I couldn't find a scrunchie for my hair, so donned a little white t-shirt and then pulled it back off my face like a nun's headdress. Crazy looking, but at least I could see and hear—a little.

We took 101 south to 20 east at Calpella and cut over the mountains to 29, which we took to Kelseyville. This would have been our first stop had we taken this route on our bikes as originally planned. It was approx. 57 miles from Sarah's house. However, when we camped with Jim the night before Leggett Hill, he showed us a much more reasonable way to get south to Jess's house without riding too much on Coast 1. We had intended to take his route, which he had cycled several times. His route change would have paid off because the route I had tentatively mapped out that we traveled today required crossing several mountain ranges and was very HOT and dry. The scenery changed from cool, tall redwoods and fir to sueded hills folded like a shar-pei's skin; tall, shaggy eucalyptus trees; bush manzanita and Crayola burnt sienna madrone trees.

Web photos of the route from Sarah’s house through Napa Valley. Top left is Route 20; top right is a typical vineyard; bottom shot is of the road to Napa and Old Faithful at Calistoga

Calistoga was full of "tourista," so we drove through and did not stop until we got deep into the Napa Valley and the Grgich [pronounced Grrr-gich] Hill Winery, where we stopped for some sampling. It was too hot for more stops at wineries and Jess had to work at 4:30, so we motored home via Sonoma and Petaluma.

Jess's place is tiny and tres California. The main part consists of a small room and sleeping loft. One does hotplate and toaster oven "cooking" on a little shelf over a half refrig partially under the loft stairs, and one uses a front corner desk and shelves for writing. The opposite front corner has a small wood stove in it. Tomales Bay is directly east at the windowed front of the house. Had Jess not had to go to work, we would have taken a little kayak tour. Step through the front double-windowed door to the deck and take a right and there one finds a small closet. Take a left and go down a couple of stairs and then up to another little house with a deck, and one finds oneself in the kitchen/bath/shower area. In other words, this is where the running water is for the toilet, shower, and a sink to wash dishes.

Jessica's house in Inverness, CA

Now that Jess has gone to work, I am enjoying the first time to myself in a month. I'm taking advantage of it as I know that tomorrow we'll be on the move again.

Route: Willits to Inverness; 101 south to 20 east at Calpella , over the mountains to 29, which we took to Kelseyville.