My love of wine country remains constant no matter how old I become, no matter what the state. Rolling hills covered with elegant rows of vines, stretched out in wait, each season of growth bringing an array of natural beauty. California is epic in staging and selection of varietals.
Settled in at the Ukiah Elks Lodge, plans are to spend the next two nights relaxing, sleeping late each morning and exploring a few hours each day.
Our first venture, The City of Ten Thousand Buddha’s, the Buddhist University. We had planned to have lunch but the restaurant is closed on Tuesdays, as are many of the restaurants in the city of Ukiah. Walking through the university was peaceful with passing Monks smiling and nodding. The sound of mini voices caught our attention and we watched children at the lower school play as we made our way to the Temple.
We were invited in by several Monks and sat listening to foreign chanting and tinkling chimes before exiting the side door to watch the ostentation of peacocks presenting themselves to possible mates outside the Temple.
Back to the registration office where the museum is located, a peek at the gift shop to purchase an eternal luck talisman and home to LilyPad.
Real Goods, a solar living hands on workshop and sustainability specialty store, was a second visit for me. Daughter and I shopped at this little hippie haven when we drove up the coast several years ago. Full of original handmade items and unusual natural products, it is a relaxed shopping experience and one that even John enjoyed.
Weird reclaimed pill bottle bathroom enclosures and reclaimed toilet tank top walls
Tiny house model
Artistically fashioned drinking fountains
We stopped in at the Sho Ka Wah Casino to try our luck. Five dollars in The Wizard of Oz interactive slot machine and without even having two ruby red shoes to click together, after 20 minutes, I left with twenty dollars.
The long and winding road that led to the Montgomery Woods State Reserve, with its hairpin turns and camel hump bumps, ended in disappointment. Upon arrival multiple signs stated “no dogs on trails” and KatieBug came along with us so we got out, stretched our legs, took one picture and slowly made our way back to civilization.
I took a breather from the bouncing twisting road at the top of the mountain, excellent Kodak moment opportunity.
Luckily we were traveling leisurely down the road when wild turkeys popped out of the brush and dashed across. A no traffic roadway, I stood on the middle yellow line to capture the gobblers.
Ever expanding along highway 101 are the wineries. Saracina Winery, our sample sip choice, is a certified organic winery. It was named after a centuries old farmhouse and vineyards in Tuscany where the owners spent their honeymoon in late 1990’s. It also produces olive oil and 100 year old olive trees mark the path to the entrance walk as we made our way to the tasting room.
Paula, our wine guide, poured our sips and chatted sociably while we tasted. She let us peek into the mountain cave where the barrels of wine are stored. After we picked a wine and olive oil to take with us, we paused under the weeping willows to enjoy the view.
The remarkable orangey flaming branches flavoring the scenic view are Italian Weeping Willows.
At the Elks Lodge RV site, just outside our door, California was erecting a cell phone tower tree. We watched them put limb after limb in place, like one does with a fake Christmas tree. Does California think people are fooled into believing they are real trees? Seems like a lot of money to spend on appearances and wishful thinking when the state is near bankrupt.
