Since we went south for our last California vacation, we decided to go north. Our first stop was the Petrified Forest, between Santa Rosa and Calistoga. We took two guided hikes, the Meadow Walk and a walk to see redwoods in a nearby ravine.
The log in the picture below is not petrified, though its gray cast makes it look like chalcedony fossils. The 'logs' lying on the red gravel, though, are fossilized.
Then, because we were so close, we went to see the "utterly amazing" Old Faithful Geyser.
This is what it does. Ta da. Now that you've seen it here, you can save yourself a trip and a fair amount of pocket change. The web site's information page is more interesting than the actual exhibit.
At the same location it's possible to pay a quarter and feed a goat. What a pen of goats has to do with a geyser is anyone's guess, though the goats definitely like to be fed.
We also visited the Charles M. Schulz Museum and stayed in Santa Rosa. We all liked the inked cartoons.
The next day we went past Mt. Saint Helena (not Mt. Saint Helens) to Clearlake. The lake attracts serious bass fishers and in August there are fishing contests every weekend.
Garrett checks wi fi spots along our route.
Representing the casual fishers, we were there during the middle of the week and stayed onshore. This wasn't because we didn't want to get a boat but because it was HOT!!! It's easier to bake along the shore, closer to air conditioning and a refrigerator of cold drinks.
The ducks were happy and didn't seem to mind the heat.
