Benbow, California: After one last run on the fabulous trails at Kennedy Park - we cleaned-up, picked-up, hitched-up and headed north - in the rain. Twelve nights in Napa. DT ran every day. I ran ten days. We each gained a few pounds. Time to get out of town. As we drove past Domaine Chandon, DT said, "Goodbye, champagne. Goodbye, white wine. Goodbye, red wine. Hello, microbrews".
We drove north on Highway 101 and had a fairly uneventful day - which is always a good thing if you are driving a 45-foot bus. Several (very wet) deer were spotted on our drive today and at one point a hawk swooped-down in front of the windscreen. The bird realized his mistake immediately and took a sharp turn away from us and actually flew a few feet in front of the window for a few seconds before finishing his impressively quick U-turn. The incident certainly made our hearts race a bit - not to mention what that intense workout did to the poor hawk.
I put a pot of the lovely cannellini beans (we purchased from Rancho Gordo in Napa) in the crock pot this morning before we left town (I place the crock pot in the kitchen sink while we are traveling, by the way) and the beans were finished cooking by the time we made lunch camp at a roadside rest area.
Around 4p, we pulled into the Benbow RV Resort, in the middle of the beautiful California Redwoods. We really like it here and try to stop often. (Don't forget, this the Deja Vu All Over Again Tour!) The Benbow RV Resort is very nice! Full service sites with wifi, pool, hot tub, cable - plus the resort is part of the Benbow Inn complex, which includes a nine-hole regulation golf course and the fabulous historic Benbow Inn.
As soon as we were settled-in, the skies opened up with a huge storm... so we decided to call it a day. I started cooking - I caramelized an onion and roasted tomatoes in preparation for dinner tonight. The plan was to fry the cooled cannellini beans in a little olive oil with garlic, toss-in the caramelized onions, arugula and radicchio, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper and serve with a spoonful of the roast tomatoes.
Or... beans and greens.It was a lot of work for a bit of a bland dinner. Dang. It wasn't bad. It wasn't good. It needed salt and I don't usually use much salt. Maybe I should have cooked the beans in veggie stock? The tomato topping was DIVINE.
Maybe I haven't cooked in so long, I have forgotten how to cook?
However, I served the beans & greens with an avocado salad and the rest of that fabulous green onion bread baked by Acme Bread in San Francisco (from our freezer), so not all was lost.
Except the Mariners. They lost. Again.
We have no cell service.
Our satellite internet goes on and off between rain storms.
Otherwise, it has been a lovely evening.
Until my next update, I remain, your Redwoods correspondent.
RV Park: Benbow RV Resort. Exit 636, Highway 101, just south of Garberville, California. 100 paved sites with full-hookups, 50/30 amps, pull-through and back-ins. Wifi, pool, hot tub, bathhouse, laundry and cable television. 9-hole regulation golf course. Walk a few steps to the historic Benbow Inn for a cocktail or gourmet meal. Several "prime" sites available (nearly a must for big rigs) also include a newspaper delivered to your RV each morning, and tea & scones each afternoon at the Benbow Inn.