morning walk in Sonoma

It was a Tuesday morning in Sonoma.  Early, or earlyish.  Van was still asleep, as you might have assumed.  I headed out from the room into the courtyard of the hotel grounds,

then out to the street and east into the fog. 

I passed a cemetery,

I passed into the outskirts of Sonoma (not a very big town), I passed a small vineyard or two. 

I came upon a community garden/park

situated on a street with a green canopy. 

I had a lovely morning walk.

I walked every morning in Sonoma, alone and early.  Nice quiet time.  A sunny morning on the Wednesday when I went out.

Crossing through the town's center square and past the old Carnegie library building,

exploring another direction in the city from the previous mornings.

Another glimpse of spring break before I turn out my light here in Chicago.  Enjoy!

Hey!

I’m in Chicago for meetings.  Got here last Wednesday, home on Thursday.  Busy busy days.  But, look:  Chicago!

I’ll check in at length again soon.  I promise that a lot lately, I know.

fried chicken

So good, we went twice!

I'll blog other Sonoma meals soon enough, but this was lunch on the day we left Sonoma and headed to the coast.  Van and Conrad had been to Lou's Luncheonette

on a previous trip, and Van

was keen to take me there.  The fried chicken was pretty darn good, hot out of the fryer. 

The biscuits? 

God, yes!  Mmmmmm...

We went back for lunch two days later on our way to the airport.  A fried chicken sandwich for me that day.  I may have liked it even better.  Honestly?  I hope I get back there again some time.

spa day in Sonoma

Here, let's do some short Sonoma vignettes over the days ahead.  I'll mix in Chicago if and when I can!

A spa day on our first full day in Sonoma - that was part of the plan for the trip.  Massages for each of us at the hotel spa.  My massage therapist was not able to work that day, and so I had a facial instead. 

I was done before Van, and took the opportunity to relax in the spa hot tub. 

I also got into the hotel pool,

and I would have insisted Van join me, but nope, that water was not as warm as my delicate self wanted.

I confess, I very much like treating myself well.  You can tell that by the food and drink.  But spas are a great example of that as well!

this past weekend

Alright, I am pretty much all packed here for my trip.  I've written scripts, I've been reading documents while laundry has been on the go.  I've been responding to emails and phone calls from the library.  Busy day!  So while I wait for the last of the laundry and before I head to Van's, let's check in on the weekend that was...

Friday:  Maestro!  Long overdue.  Van and I enjoyed a corner of the bar for dinner.  Nice to be back there.  And mmmm... carnitas!

Saturday:  I got up did a long walk back to the condo, then headed to Amara for breakfast.  My usual arepa,

a decaf latte

- a good start to the day.  Later that afternoon, Van and I headed to Eataly to do some shopping and to meet Heath and Nicole for dinner at Terra.  A nice cocktail to start with,

then the pasta special for my dinner. 

It was lovely sitting outside and great to catch up with them.

Sunday:  a very long walk Sunday morning, almost 6.5 miles.  I swung by Bristol Farms to get some ingredients to make brodo for the tortellini we picked up the day before at Eataly. 

I've been wanting to enjoy that with the Lambrusco that we brought back from Italy last year.  Easter dinner at the condo, a simple little meal.  Nice.

I can't believe that I am off tomorrow for eight days in Chicago.  I can't believe that I still have nine days until I see Conrad.  It will be good when we're all home together.

Sonoma wildlife

If I can do a post on the flora we encountered on our Sonoma trip, then why not do one on the fauna?  Fair is fair, right?

Deer! 

So many deer.  I think we counted 15 of them across a handful of sightings.  Fantastic to see them all, including this pair grazing on low branches of trees in the yard of a home at Sea Ranch.

Turkeys! 

I told Van that I was amazed the first time I saw wild turkeys (in the UP, years ago).  They really are huge birds.  Dinosaurs!

Seals! 

Or are they sea lions?  I don't know which, or what type, but there were a number of them in the river mouth and on the sandy banks. 

I couldn't figure out why more people weren't stopping out of curiosity or to admire them.

And, saving the best for last, this beauty:  a banana slug! 

Cool!  The mascot of UC Santa Cruz.  Neat to see one making its way across some wet grass at Timber Cove.

Sonoma flowers

Rather than write about the Sonoma spring break trip in a strictly chronological manner, let me instead draw out certain things that I want to spotlight.  And let's start easy:  flowers.

It's spring in California, and in Sonoma as in Pasadena, gardens are abundant with blooms.  And fragrance!  Out on the Sonoma Coast, though, there were plenty of flowers lining roads and hillsides and shores.  That was a nice change from SoCal.

So, for example, our Sonoma hotel (MacArthur Place Hotel and Spa) had some beautiful wisteria in bloom. 

I've seen plenty of homes with wisteria, but I've never gotten close to it and understood what a delicious scent it has. 

Sort of wintergreen, but sweeter, not so fresh.  The gardens and lawns around the hotel and town had another surprise:  dogwoods.  What a delight seeing them - I can't recall seeing them down south here.  Pink ones, too!

(And no, not flowers, but look at these figs on a tree in a community garden park!)

There was more in bloom as we headed up the coast.  Ice plants were all about as we got to the coast. 

I have been told they are terrible and invasive, but I have also read that they help prevent erosion.  They are vibrant and pretty, though.  I think this was a profusion spotted from a distance up at Sea Ranch a day later.

Scraggly flag irises were here and there, including these growing near our hotel (Timber Cove Resort, north of Jenner).

A morning walk around the Timber Cove property revealed riches.  Seaside daisy! 

Calla lily! 

Castilleja! 

Checkerbloom! 

Lupin! 

Fig buttercup! 

Dewberry! 

Poppies! 

Sea pink! 

Footsteps of spring! 

So much, not all of them native.  All of them pretty, though!

Oh, did I mention that I needed to take Allegra whilst away?  😉