Coastal highway highlights - our way to Santa Rosa

Both Sophia and Alfie have finally stopped saying, 'Are we there yet?'. They've realized we're never going to be THERE. The journey continues each day, and with it brings more fun. Many stops along the way make for more opportunities to charm people, try new foods, pet new dogs and uncover surprises.

I'm addicted to General Stores. Each one is a gem in its own right.

The Cali selection still blows me away. Equal parts booze, candy and health snacks.

Charlie gasped when he saw these old, knackered windows.

Cruising the coast. On our way to the sweet town of Jenner.

Roadside massage in Jenner.

Petting pooch.

Looking down at the water from the town of Jenner. This is where the river meets the sea. And where the sea lions go to avoid the Great Whites. Seriously! Check out the line of seals on the bottom right. I can't believe surfers still venture these waters.

Slo Mo Spirit

California is literally loaded with spirit. It's like a spigot has poured high intensity spirit, light and energy all over this state from soil to sky.  Everything grows. (Most) people are supremely friendly and self-aware. And it's hard not to pick up on the easy breezy vibe that catches hold of you. We love it. Can you tell?

Mila and Sophia already have spirit to spare. At 3 and 5 - their big personalities are filling whatever space they find.

Sea Ranch Chapel

This wonky chapel captivated us. It looked like it had landed from somewhere else. Another universe!? Turns out Sea Ranch Association has promoted 10 miles of this distinct style of architecture.

The Sea Ranch chapel - a sight only in California. Roadside meditation anyone?

Wee tree houses

Tree houses are a big thing here. Alfie's favourite part was climbing up and down and doing sky pees! But first...breakfast.

Raw milk is legal in NorCal! Loving it.

The kids made french toast fingers before they made the wee tree house expedition.

Membership cards

La treehouse!

The road to Oooh La Gualala

Getting to our beach house in Gualala was a trip in itself. We dabbled here and there. The drive through the red woods was cool and crisp, if not one of the most windy roads I've ever experienced (cue: nausea). We resurfaced in Healdsburg. Lets just say they don't call it well heel'ds burg for nuthin. It was jammed full of fancy shops, stellar food stops and super friendly NorCal peeps.

The Oakville Grocery Store. A killer lunch spot and picnic supplies stop.

Waiting for lunch at the Oakville Grocery. Sipping a glass of local Sonoma Chardonnay by the fire. It's still a bit nippy outside.

La Crema - one of our fav wineries. Gillian is giving Charlie the tasting highlights while the kidlets colour in the background.

Monkeys in the Healdsburg park. Check out our new shoes! Yes - same size.

By 4pm we arrived at our beach destination - Gualala (meaning 'where river meets the sea').  The tiny logging town was brimming with character. A perfect intersection of thick woods and epic stretches of beach, and tons to explore. 

Our abode in Gualala. Many decks make hard play. The kitchen was the best equipped that I'd ever seen.

Trekking to the beach. Worth every step.

Mila, Sophia and Alfie setting up camp.

Los banditos gearing up for a walk.

Mustache Mulla resurfaces

Back after 3 days with no Wifi.  We've been living the fully-stached life in the wilds of Gualala (Wallala).

Alfa-tron digging around looking for 'Bruce the Great White Shark'.

CALI-stoga nights

No, we’re not staying in Talladega. But both Calistoga and Talladega have the same playful ring. I want to keep uttering them in different accents. Mr. Osh - can you hear me?  Calistoga is like the lovechild of New Hampshire and Tuscany with a smattering of palm trees. Odd, but it works?

We’re staying at the Calistoga Spa Hot Springs.  Charlie’s piggy nose dug this gem out of the bunch. Our hotel has all the elements of a perfect 2 night stay: multiple steaming pools right outside our door, nearby markets and restaurants of epic proportion (French Laundry is just down the road if that says anything..), picturesque landscapes and tons of things to do and see.

April is the time to visit this region. The hills are busting with green. The roads are empty and the air has a sweet freshness.  Only set back...yeesh the wine is $!

Wakey wakey. Open the door and here's the view. A dip in these steamy pools launched us into Wednesday.

Our first stop was Chateau.Montelena. Remember the movie 'Bottle Shock'? Charlie and I swept through an insanely tasty flight of wines, while Sophia tugged on my arm asking (in a very loud voice) 'when can I drink the wine mummy?'.

Matching Montelena markings.

Just driving along...

Alf hitchhiking, again.

Flower sniffing is one of Sophia's full time occupations.

Day 1 - Napa-licious

Our first day whizzed by in a flash. No complaints. Lots of love. Good eats and 'sploring. We're slipping into bed with our tummies full of Napa vino and bums red from the hot springs.

The sibs could hardly contain themselves at the airport. Hand holding all the way!

TV on tap made the 5.5 hr journey a dream. Even if the earphones were broken.

Alfie looks dead. He's not, but man is he tired. Check out our mountain of bags + car seats behind me!!

When he finally woke, he demanded hot dogs. We found Gott's Roadside, the BEST spot in St. Helena, Napa for all-natural ho-do's. Alfie plowed through his mammoth mouthful in 5 secs flat.

Charlie gets the kids set up for their daily diary. Our pre-bed, wild kids made some art magic in their moleskins.

Alfie essentials

We're all packing light for our multi-month adventure. Charlie takes first place with his incy wincy bag of bare minimum. Alfie and Sophia have two tiny bags of clothes and few chosen things to play with on the road. Alfie's collection includes: harmonica, binoculars (thx uncle Greg!), mini figures, cars of two sizes, red mask (never know when you need to go incognito), calculator and mesh bag for beach collection. Strangely missing is Georgia, his well-used stuffie, and his pink gardening glove (the left hand only). I'm sure they will both make the final cut. Sophia has a few more hours to make her collection.

The Road More Fajondilized

I get kicks from stealing words from different cultures/languages. When I find a word that really stands out (Hindi and Maori are two of my favs) I jangle it for my own lexicon. My favourite word of all, a defining word for my life, is Fajondilizer. I’m not sure where Fajondilizer (noun), or to Fajondilize (verb) came from exactly? Perhaps my brother? Anyways, as soon as I heard the fanciful word, it stuck.  My definition: Fajondilizer - one who rolls up their sleeves and plunges into life. Fajondilizers act now and ask questions later. They’re not afraid of getting their hands dirty. They don’t flinch at taking risks. I like to think I’m a full-force Fajondilizer.
As young as I can remember, I’ve loved to roll up my sleeves (metaphorically) to explore and dig deep into new experiences. Trips to a new place, meeting new people, smelling new surroundings, sensing new rhythms - all give me energy. My lust for travel is always thumping in the background. It’s part of who I am.  Luckily I married a fellow Fajondilizer and we have two little Fajondilizers. The four of us are about to embark on a huge travel adventure….starting now! Follow along with us if you’d like.