Tiny Towns: Georgetown, CA

This is the first post to answer the question posed by the title of the blog, left, right, or straight? To which I say: depends on when you ask! (*Asterisk indicates related photo below the post!)

A couple of random turns put us on Hwy 49 South out of Auburn (towards Placerville), with the goal of finding other towns in the same area, but that require getting away from 49. (Don't get me wrong, 49 South from Auburn to Placerburgville is a lovely drive. Coloma is home to Marshall Gold Discovery blah blah Park, a nifty little place.) But for that particular route, been there, done that. So we veered onto Hwy 193 in Cool (yes, there's a place called Cool, California), and off we went.

Some day we'll have to repeat this trip and continue on 193, but when we saw the Main Street area of Georgetown, we had to stop. The first thing of particular note was that there are parking spaces down the center of the roadway. I've only seen this once before, in a small Mississippi town, and find it quite amusing! We parked (not in the center) and went in Frog Pond Antiques & Gifts*, a nice place with a varied collection. Not too much junk, not too much fancy-pants overpriced stuff. Across the street is the small but well-kept Worton's Market (basic groceries, full service food/deli counter, and a mish-mash of gifts and collectibles thrown in the mix). Next to the Market is the Georgetown Hotel and Saloon*, which has been updated over the years, but with a notable effort to retain an old West feel. We hoped to peek into the hotel area, after we gave the saloon a quick try, but either went to the wrong door (though it had the word "HOTEL" in the window above, so...) or else they don't unlock the front door before a certain time. There is also a small dining area, with something like 8 tables available. The last place we peeked around was across from the GH&S (and thereby completing the four corners of our wandering in the area) was the Corner Kitchen*. Maybe we will go back when they're open and give it a whirl!

There is actually a bit more to see and do in Georgetown, and I hope to go back and wander around more, but maybe when it isn't in the high 90s... Had we stuck to our "plan" (follow the highway), we would have found ourselves in Placerville more quickly, but the lady working in the antique store mentioned a beautiful reservoir further out Main Street-turned-Wentworth Springs Road, and some place called Uncle Tom's Cabin*. Well...how can you pass on such a thing?

Off we went and, if you decide to check out UTC yourself, be ready for the uneven (LOL) dirt road that you have to follow to reach it and choose your mode of transport accordingly! It is a self-styled bar, which is to say there is a bar with a handful of stools, as well as a couch and recliners and such. The bar offers canned beer from the fridge, as well as sodas and water. Their Facebook page indicates candy and chips, coffee and hot cocoa, though the old guy that was in charge when we went was what you might call "the silent type," so a can of beer and a can of soda did us just fine! There is more to the property, and one notable aspect of their decor is the hundreds of $1.00 bills stapled to or hanging from the ceiling* and just about every surface. If you go, be sure you have at least a single dollar bill and add yours to the stash.

Back on the main road, we continued the scenic drive through the foothills* until we were deposited onto Highway 50, just east of Bridal Veil Falls and Fresh Pond, CA. From there, it was the usual drive back into well-traveled areas as we made our way home.

I'll give you this little extra part for free: somewhere along Wentworth Springs Road, we passed Camp Chiquita which inspired one of our not-really-famous made-up songs, to the tune of the Piña Colada Song:

If you like Chiquita Bananas...
And wearing fruit on your head.
You might be Carmen Miranda...

(Sorry, that's all I remember. Feel free to ad lib from there!)

First stop in Georgetown: the antiques store!

The most adorbs Georgetown Hotel & Saloon

Corner Kitchen (awesome car was incidental)

Uncle Tom's Cabin (non-Harriet Beecher Stowe)

Dollars and hats and bras, oh my! (The ceiling of UTC)

The lovely foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains,
just northeast of the Pollock Pines area.

Camping to Chill Out (or How NOT to Get to CA Hwy 1)

Once again, we happened to have planned to get out of town for the weekend when - as fate (or Mother Nature) would have it, the temps were going up to triple digits, nearing 110. Since we'd been planning this weekend in advance (celebrating the fourth anniversary of our first date ❤), we decided to go camping. And to get out of the heat, that means camping by the coast.

Don't tell anyone I told you this, because it doesn't seem to be on as many radars as other places, but the little campground at Manchester State Park (CA) is awesome! They have something like 40 camp sites, basic use stuff: a few "toilets" (see: outhouses) scattered about, though no sinks or showers, fire pits and a parking space per campsite, with a water spigot between every other campsite (give or take), and ample space for a large multi-person tent (or more than one, depending). You can't camp on the beach, but it's less than a half mile from the coast, so you get all the cool breezes and you can hear the water. #perfect

We got the best campsite (sorry, not telling which one that is...you'll have to sleuth your way into finding it!), and just had a chill couple of days (literally and figuratively). Temps ranged from 50-65, it didn't rain while we were there, and was overcast the whole time (bleh), but still amazing compared to the heatwave we'd run away from. While camping isn't a "do nothing" endeavor, we largely stayed at our campsite and just enjoyed each other's company. Our venturing out largely amounted to going to a local grocery-and-hardware store, and doing a small bit of back road driving. (See also: an hour or so sitting on the beach and just watching the ocean.)

Hot, freshly cooked food was enjoyed at all meals (he is a whiz even over a campfire), along with snacks and some adult beverages. (If you've never eaten a baked potato that was baked via rolling it in aluminum foil and letting it sit in hot coals for the afternoon, you do. not. know. what you're missing. Not even kidding.)

The trip was lovely...with one notable exception. The quote-unquote "short cut" we took from Boonville to Manchester, via Mountain View Road. Hey, Google maps: bite me.

I've driven up and down Highway 1, so believe me when I say, I know from switchbacks and sharp turns, hilly roads and driving s l o o o o o o w. But shoot me in the face, there's just something about Might Vomit Road that makes you question your entire need to travel. Or breathe. Never again, I say, NEVAH! (No, seriously. Unless the next-best option is impassable due to washout? Neh. Verr.)

So, Manchester State Park Campground? GO!
Mountain View Road shortcut? Have you not READ the paragraph above this?

#campfire

Home away from home

Lovebirds

Happy California cows

Father's Day Weekend 2017

This trip wasn’t exactly of the “Left, Right, or Straight” variety, though it had its moments. The week prior, I had been out of town for work. I was off Saturday (which I normally am not) and he was off Monday (which he normally is not), so we knew we wanted to get out and go exploring with all our time off together. That weekend, the temp was expected to hit 109 or higher, as well as the week following. We decided very last minute that we would try to find a cheap place to stay and get out of town for a couple of days, as our usual wanderings would not remove us from the ridiculous heat.

Thankfully, we are not too terribly far removed from the Pacific, and when you are in Northern California, time spent at the coast usually means enjoying cooler climes. This cut-and-run took us to Mendocino County in general, with a cheap-but-decent hotel rented for about $225 (for the weekend!) in Fort Bragg. By the time we packed, topped off the gas tank, grabbed lunch and some travel snacks, plus a couple of other miscellaneous stops, plus the time invested in driving the every-curvy, often-hilly Highway 20 and Highway 1, we arrived at our swanky digs around 7:30 PM. But given the drop in temperature from the high 90s when we began our escapade to the low 60s upon arrival, the late start was a non-issue for the both of us.

We had dinner at our favorite Mendocino restaurant, Patterson’s Pub (the best clam chowder, seriously) and wandered (well, drove slowly) through a little fishing village, Noyo. You might not even notice it below you as you drive over it on Highway 1 going north into Fort Bragg, but it is completely worth the extra few minutes. Take the side road that winds down into the village and you’ll find a few fresh fish markets, restaurants, bars, and some very cute mobile homes-cum-vacation rentals. It is especially adorable at night, thanks to the prevalence of café and Christmas lights strung up here and there! Post-Noyo, we waved our white flag and turned in early. 

Sunday morning, we stumbled our way back to a place we’d had breakfast on a previous trip, David’s. We both had a vague idea of where it was and what we were looking for, though neither could recall the name, so it took a little doing to locate it! With our bellies (over) full, we hit the road, Jack! To stay in the cooler areas and get out of town means sticking to Highway 1. A quick glance at a map showed us that going north of Fort Bragg would take us to largely uninhabited areas, so south it was. 

First stop, a quick loop through Caspar, a tiny little CDP (census designated place) that is just adorable, but you’ll miss the turn if you blink, so EYES WIDE OPEN! There are countless ‘vista points’ (or as we call them in the South, overlooks) along the way and it’s hard to not stop at every single one. The views of the Pacific and the jagged coastline are truly breathtaking, and as one who could be fully content to merely sit near moving water for extended periods of time, once I stop, it’s hard to get me back on the road.

Over the course of the day, we followed Hwy 1 south as far as Gualala, with stops along the way including: 

• Van Damme State Park       
• Navarro Beach Road (don’t be surprised if you see me on the news, being arrested for squatting in that house, I’m just saying…)
• Elk
• Manchester (I’m sure the KOA is lovely, but I want to camp at the state park over the cliffs!)
• Gualala, with a stop in the toy store, because…toy store, as well as wandering onto the St. Orres property, thinking we might snag a drink. Sadly, they were not open just yet, but the innkeeper gave us a quick glance around the restaurant and bar and some info on their lodging options. Quite the nifty little place. We may well go back and stay!

When we left Gualala, we decided it was time to return north, and somewhere along the return route, we pulled off at a larger overlook and had a little snack-food picnic and saw (what a guy with binoculars said was) whales off in the distance! When the road took us through Point Arena, we stopped at another favorite from previous travels, the Pier Chowder House and Tap Room, for a shared bowl o’clam chowder (get it while the gettin’ is good, people!). We also wandered into the Point Arena General Store and Arena Market and Café where, as of this writing, neither sunblock nor aloe vera lotion was to be found. (Free tip: even when it’s cool out, the sun is still smacking you around, so slather up.)

There are several lovely little towns (probably also CDPs) along the route, but we were both getting to be road- and sunburn-weary, so after putting Point Arena in the rearview, we made our way back to Fort Bragg.

  

After the previous evening’s wandering through Noyo Village (Harbor?), we decided to have dinner at one of their three or four establishments. Of the limited options, we chose the Noyo River Grille, and boy, did we miss the boat! I had the sirloin, and he had the house smoked St. Louis ribs. My sirloin was overcooked (medium means “leave some pink”) and the sauce on his ribs was…odd. Maybe it was an off night, because it got reasonable reviews online, but I believe we will try something else in the future.

From there, we took the suggestion of a friend and went for ice cream at Cowlick’s Hand Made Ice Cream. I don’t know that I trust the idea of mushroom ice cream (yes, that’s a thing) but one of their special flavors was “Candy Store Floor” and it was fabulous. Can’t decide if you want ice cream with this candy bar, that one, or maybe the third? No worries; this has bits of all of them. Long line (though short by typical standards, per the local we chatted with while we waited), and completely worth it.

Monday morning, we packed our bags and hit the road. Fast food breakfast (fancy, no?) and off we went. Highway 128 took us through more small towns (though I don’t recall stopping) and to our first destination: Booneville. And more specifically, Anderson Valley Brewing, one of his favorites. Fast forward a few beers and a growler-to-go and we were on the road again. 128 took a brief detour down Highway 101 (or, to Californians, The 101) and we jumped off in Healdsburg, where we had lunch at Bear Republic Brewing. I must say, the $10 burger, fries, and beer was a steal and the food was fabulous! Don’t let the price tag fool you; you just never know! The rest of our drive was largely uneventful (other than the fact that we find ourselves to be hilarious and require no additional entertainment). As for the drive, we returned to 128 and wound our way around to Winters, then across into Davis and back home from there.

(And, for those in the know, the Kid is out of town for the summer. She'll factor back into our wanderings soon!)

That view though...

The "Where Should We Go?" Blog

While some of our outings are planned or in some way intentional, often we head out with a general direction in mind ("Let's go up past XYZ Town" or "Have you been beyond XYZ Town on Hwy 123 South?"), and the rest of our day is determined by one simple question: Left, right, or straight? We take turns answering this when we arrive at a possible turning point (or "Left or right?" when we come to a "T" in the road), and off we go into the world around us. In doing this, we have come across funky little stores, hole-in-the-wall restaurants, and locals-only bars where we've met interesting people and seen unusual things.

We will do our best to retrace our steps to the places we go on our various Left Right or Straight journeys, and document with photos when they are worth sharing. Regardless, we'll keep you in the loop for the adventures we take together, one random turn at a time!