Sidebar: Mendocino with Camille

Every year, for the past four years, Camille and I have been taking a mother-daughter vacation together.  We both prefer to be in the country rather than the city -- last year we went to Yosemite.  This year we went to Mendocino, a small town perched on the rugged northern California coastal cliffs.  Mendocino is a magnet for artists and the restaurants are renowned.  There are a few hotels south of town, but almost all of the lodging is in small bed & breakfasts, painted sunny yellow or pale blue with white shutters and porch railings.  Camille and I stayed in the attic room of a B & B, at the top of a steep narrow set of stairs.  Our beds were snugged underneath the sloping walls and our window was open to the sound and scent of the ocean.

Our drive to Mendocino took an entire afternoon; we drove west from Sacramento to the coast.  We drove through the northern perimeter of the Rocky fire, which was 85% contained at the time we went through.  Fire crews walked across the road and disappeared into the smoke, which was choking us despite the windows being closed up tight.

We checked into our room and then went down to the restaurant for a drink before going for a walk along the bluffs.  Camille is 21 now so having a drink together (in public) was a new twist.  My elderflower martini was outstanding and Camille enjoyed her drink as well.

We walked along the bluff until the sun set into the fog hanging on the horizon.  We took a set of steep stairs down into one of the small coves and explored.

When we weren't eating, or getting a massage, we were walking on the bluffs or the beach.

Other than getting a massage, our itinerary was short.  We wanted to go to Glass Beach.  At one time a dump, the waves over time crushed and polished glass bottles and depostited them on the beach.  We read that much of the glass has been taken as souvenirs by people hauling bags and buckets.  We made a point of going early in the morning, while the tide was still out, to see what remained.  We were pleasantly surprised to find there was still quite a bit of glass on the beach; especially below the high tide mark.

It collected in crevices of the rocks and spilled into the water.

We looked for small, heart-shaped pieces.

At night, we sat on my bed with a glass of champagne and played Crazy Eights.

We laughed and talked; we ate fresh seafood; we explored beaches.  We had a great time.