Wandering

Lake Merced, CA 

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We left Palm Springs, the desert and (most of) the freeways behind. There was a light rain as we snaked our way through the Morongo Valley to the eastern side of the San Bernardino Mountains and headed north into California’s Central Valley. As we crossed the Tehachape Mountains the rains abated and the landscape exploded in greens! Such a beautiful and welcoming sight.

Orange and lemon trees laden with fruit, nut trees in full blossom, busy farmlands and cattle ranches dotted the landscape for as far as you could see. We stopped in Edison, CA, just south of Bakersfield, at a favorite fruit stand to buy Cara Cara Oranges and Meyer Lemons…… California dreamin’!

I had plotted a “scenic” route north that would take us along the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas. At first we traveled on farm roads in between fruit groves; which meant drive for 3 miles, turn left, drive for 3 miles, turn right, repeat…….Luckily, by the time Tim mentioned that he thought we had probably seen enough orange trees we hit state road 49 and began our climb into the foothills.

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Many mountain lakes are still in dire need of water.

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We drove up, down and around hairpin turns discovering new vistas all around us. This area is filled with tiny enclaves that once were old mining towns - Coarsegold, Chinese Camp, Mariposa, Coulterville, Bootjack.  Some still had remnants of the old downtown structures and some had refurbished and repurposed them. All were beautiful. 

Mountain lakes and rivers rushing down the hillsides poked through to greet us at every turn. The roads were inviting, the sky was open and each town gave us fodder for conversation. And, yeah, we did find a brewery in Andreas. 

Somewhere in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas

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After two days of wandering the hills we arrived in Davis, CA to visit friends. Davis is home to the University of California-Davis.  It is a small city that truly feels like a town; quiet, walkable and surrounded by farms. The large student population makes the city vibrant and fosters many cultural attractions. 

Beautiful sidewalks in Davis, CA

We walked the neighborhood daily and spring was blooming all around us - daffodils, hyacinth, bottle brush and so much more. I swear every yard had at least one lemon or orange tree! Glorious!! 

The “Groto” 

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One day we walked to the downtown farmers market and bought local eggs, olives and cheese. 

Davis Farmer’s Market

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Barn Owl at UC Davis Raptor Center

One morning we had an amazing tour of the UC Davis Raptor Recovery Center. The tour was led by a terrific young person who volunteers there. The center, part of the veterinary school, takes in wounded or abandoned raptors in the hope of recovery and eventual release back into the wild. The center takes in approximately 100 birds a year! Unfortunately, some of the birds cannot be released because their injuries will not allow it (they would not survive). We met 2 Great Horned Owls, a couple of Barn Owls, a Red Tailed Hawk, a Golden Eagle, 3 Turkey Vultures, a Bald Eagle, and a few raptors that were totally new to me. 

Spectacular! 

The Barn Owl in the pic above is being glove trained. The trainer, who works with the owl daily, brought the bird outside and fed it with a large pair of tweezers and answered all our questions. You can see how one wing is limp and sits away from the body. This bird will never be released. 

Great Horned Owls at UC Davis Raptor Center

And, as an aside, my entire opinion of Turkey Vultures changed after this visit! They are very social creatures and have strong group dynamics. We learned sooooo much about all the raptors - our guide was a fountain of knowledge. Hats off to the staff and volunteers here. 

FYI, They take donations. 

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Ruhstaller Farm, Dixon, CA

On a perfectly perfect  California Saturday afternoon we drove 30 min to 

Ruhstaller Farm, a hop farm that…. You guessed it, has a brewery on site! 

It was incredible! 

The parking lot, basically spots among rows of nut trees, was packed. I wondered if there was some big event happening and would we be able to get in. We walked through the gates and were greeted by chickens, ducks, cats, dogs and all manner of humans - babies and up.  The barn was huge and open to the fields laying before it. Stacks of hay bales, leather sofas, old chairs, and farm equipment were all sit-ables. 

Children were cracking black walnuts to feed the chickens that were roaming everywhere and playing in a small water feature that ran through the middle of the yard. Everyone was relaxed and simply enjoying the amazing day and their surroundings. There must have been 300 or more people there. 

The beer was really good and It was really fun to enjoy the energy and vibe of the place. They have music on Fridays…. Sad to say that we will be moving on before that.

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Friends enjoying the brews and the sun

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 Outside, inside - a place to settle.

So many kids having so much fun!

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Tim and the visiting chicken

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Sun slowly setting at the farm

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We have a few more days here in Davis with our friends and then we’ll head NW to the coast around Mendocino and Fort Bragg. I’m looking forward to wandering along the beach and, hopefully, some big wave sounds!