Jodi warned us that the Cowboy Camp would be too hot and primitive with 90 degree temperatures predicted, so we opted to spend a couple of days at Lake County Fairgrounds in Lakeport, CA. There isn’t a lot happening in that area, so we mostly hung out at the fairgrounds. The horses got enclosed box stalls and we got water/electric hook-up. There was an RV dump we were able to use before we moved on.
Our next stop was the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa. This fairgrounds was pretty expensive - $510 for two RV slots with full hook-up and three enclosed box stalls for three nights.
Here are our fees:
RV Fee - $56.25/night
Stall (straw used) 1st Day Fee - $27.50
Stall (straw used) 2nd Day Fee - $15.00
This pricing was confusing to me. I assumed that they were providing straw bedding, but no, they were expecting us to provide the straw bedding. When we got there, one of the maintenance guys was able to show us where the full hook-up area was as it was not obvious. There were some workers who were living in an RV which had been set up with small compartments - each compartment about the size of a closet with bunk beds and one end compartment with a bathroom with shower. There were 8-10 people living in the RV and all sharing the bathroom. They were a little noisy leaving for work in the morning and coming back at night, but otherwise not a bother.
The big plus was the location. Ari and Elaine trailered out using Elaine’s horse box. The hope was that they could ride in nearby Armstrong Redwoods Forest, but they still haven’t opened the equestrian trails. Those trails have been closed for almost three years now. I would have hoped they would have opened them by now. So, the ranger recommended they go to Bodega Bay. They did and had a fabulous time riding on the beach.
Elaine was quite impressed by how well Lennox did riding in the horse box. In order to load, horses have to back in and it is a straight load. It might have helped that Lennox and Chuck, Elaine’s horse, have become quite fond of each other.
We arrived on a Saturday night. I am returning to work as a contractor at Google. Google had shipped a laptop for me to our son in Roseville. Our son didn’t feel comfortable forwarding the laptop to me, so we negotiated a midway point for us to meet.
I opted for us to meet in Winters, CA which was roughly equidistant for both of us. There is a Haunted Forest there that looked like a cool thing to do to make it worth the drive. I had hoped Benjamin and his family would join us, but Benjamin wasn’t feeling well and apparently none of them are keen on haunted houses or forests.
The three of us had a blast, however. There was a DJ with a dance floor, games and activities, a taco bar, a regular bar, lots of places to sit and just a fun atmosphere. The Haunted Forest was extremely well done and quite spooky. Elaine is from Germany originally and they don’t do Haunted Houses in Germany, so she is new to the whole Halloween experience the way we do it in California.
We were only ten minutes from the Charles Schulz Museum as this is where the creator of the comic strip, Peanuts, lived and worked.
It turns out that Elaine and I share an affection for the Peanuts comic strip.
The museum is lovely with lots of exhibits that allow you to immerse yourself in the world of Charlie Brown.
There are oversized statues as well as various installations.
They have done a wonderful job of creating an experience for visitors.
Following our museum visit, the three of us went up to Calistoga to visit Dr Wilkinsons Hot Springs. Dr Wilkinsons is something of a landmark because the place has been around for more than fifty years.
You can purchase a day pass for $80 which gives you access to their mineral pools.
There is a lovely snack bar that will deliver food and drink to you poolside. Yes, it’s expensive, but all three of us felt so relaxed after our visit.
We have moved on to Five Brooks Horse Camp in Olema, CA, a little south of Point Reyes and about an hour north of San Francisco.
Now that I have my laptop I have been attending team meetings remotely and trying to install all the necessary software so I can do my work. Additionally, I have to watch an assortment of “on-boarding” videos on safety, security, company policies, etc. It has been challenging juggling work and traveling, but so far it is working out.