A Saturday in Mendocino

Usually I don't do hiking, but one day Seth came home from work and told me about how one of his co-workers went hiking in Mendocino and saw this place called the "Pygmy Forest" where the trees were dwarfed because of the acidity of the soil. This sounded like something neat to see, so I immediately looked it up online.

The Pygmy Forest is located in Van Damme State Park, which is in Mendocino County, California. The park's website said it would be a seven-mile hike, roundtrip. Still, I was intrigued, so last weekend we went out to Mendocino.

The hike itself is really pretty, especially if you like trees and ferns. The trail splits off about a mile in and you can take a path that's about 1.2 miles to the Pygmy Forest, or you can take a 2.3 mile hike on the Fern Canyon Trail. Since both trails lead to the same spot, we ended up taking the shorter route in, and then the longer route out. The shorter trail is steeper, while the longer trail has more bridges and stairs (yes, stairs in a forest). The trees are dense and tall and block out most of the sun, until you get to the Pygmy Forest. Then all of a sudden you can clearly see the sky, and there is just a different kind of foliage.


The forest itself is a bit of a letdown. I think we were both expecting smaller trees covering a large mass of land. Don't get me wrong, the trees are small and skinny, but my mind processes them as just being young trees. It helps to read the posted signs which talk about how tall Bishop Pines normally grow, and just how old the trees are (some of them have been around for a century). The Pygmy Forest does not cover a huge tract of land, and apparently other such forests existed in the area, but we humans have destroyed them.


All-in-all, it's a great way to get some exercise and see part of the California coast. After you finish the hike (it took us about three and a half hours), you can drive to Mendocino or Fort Bragg and enjoy a nice lunch. We ended up grabbing a quick bite at the Mendocino Bakery & Cafe (try the clam chowder, but skip the deep dish pizza), and then drove back on the 128 to Handley Cellars for some wine tasting.

They were having a wine and food pairing that day, so it was too bad we had just eaten a late lunch. We did enjoy the wine tasting part (it's free by the way), and we ended up picking up a bottle of their Riesling to take home. The tasting room has a neat atmosphere, and you should definitely ask about the decor (a nice story, and a bit of family history I think).

After Handley, we stopped at Meyer Family Cellars and tried their Syrah and Port. The 2004 Syrah was nice, and we came home with a bottle of that as well. By now we were ready for a shower and a relaxing dinner, so we tried Healdsburg. Unfortunately, everyone else was staying in Healdsburg last weekend, and the only rooms available were $250+, and we ended up driving back to the East Bay. Maybe next time we'll stay out in Mendocino and Fort Bragg and visit their breweries.

Mindy Metivier Photography

My sister has done something I am too much of a chicken to do. She started her own business, Mindy Metivier Photography. She has always loved being behind the camera, and she's finally taken a break from her job as a teacher and gone all-in!

Mainly she plans to focus on photo sessions for babies, kids and families, but she does have a fine art collection. I am totally biased, but I love her work, and a canvas print of the Golden Bridge photo hangs in my home.

Her website and blog will soon go live, but for now you can find her on Facebook or send her an email for her prices.

Congratulations Min! I'm proud and I'm jealous. Ganbatte!

For My Summer Vacation I Went to Pennsylvania

Part of my summer vacation was spent in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mainly, the trip was for Seth's cousin's wedding, but we also squeezed in a day trip to Bernville so that I could meet my paternal grandfather's niece.

Prior to last week, I have never had the chance to meet someone from that side of my family since my grandpa was from Reading and no one ever came out to Hawaii while I was growing up. It was a very cool experience, and we actually spent six hours at their house! Hopefully they didn't mind that we stayed so long. Because Mr. and Mrs. G. live in Bernville, Seth and I were able to drive through a part of the state we would have otherwise never seen. We also got to see what a farmhouse from the 1700s looks like since Mr. G. restored it when they moved in decades ago.

Mr. and Mrs. G. generously shared with us tickets to the Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square. It was amazing! The grounds are beautiful, and it was a nice way to spend the afternoon. The Conservatory was my favorite part of Longwood, but I also enjoyed the Idea Garden and the Italian Water Garden. It doesn't seem like you can walk through the Italian Water Garden, but it's quite an amazing sight from the bridge.

Now for the important part of the trip: the wedding. This was not your usual hotel ballroom type of wedding; rather it was a camping wedding! Seth's cousins were married at the Brandywine Picnic Park in Coatesville, and after the ceremony and reception, everyone was invited to camp overnight. We hardly knew what to expect, and I think it's fair to say we were all pleasantly surprised. It was a beautiful, outdoor setting, and they had tents set-up in case of rain. Dinner was served family-style, and it was delicious! The camping part was okay, but anyone who knows me knows that I am not an outdoor kind of girl, so my take on the camping (especially when there's no running water) is always skewed negative. All-in-all, it was a great experience. I think what I liked best is that because this was not your usual wedding, and it was a little difficult to get to, you knew what everyone there have a special love for Seth's cousin and his wife.

Three final things about this trip:

1. I had my most intimidating dining experience ever when I learned how to order a cheesesteak properly at Pat's King of Steaks. You don't say "Can I please get..."; you say "Whiz wit" if you want onions or "whiz witout" if you don't want onions. You pay quickly, and the short way of ordering keeps the long line moving and the cheesesteaks coming.


2. The beers were excellent. My favorite was probably the Victory HopDevil.


3. If you're wondering how the Eagles quilt was received, the bride and groom loved it. They had the best reaction ever, and I am so glad I took the time to make them a quilt.

A Quilt for a Wedding

I honestly thought I would not make this deadline, but somehow I did; and I just finished making this quilt. The quilt is a wedding gift, and amazingly, I cut the fabric, sewed the squares, and stitched-in-the-ditch by hand in a matter of two weeks.

There was a slight break in the action because of Comic-Con. The basted version came to San Diego with me, but I was too exhausted every night and just could not work on the quilting. As a result, my fingers are a bit numb and slightly callused after some mad sewing over the past two days!


As you can tell, the bride and groom are Eagles fans and like beer and music. Picking out the fabric was a little difficult, since I was trying to steer away from anything to feminine. Then there was the beer fabric. It was difficult finding something, but I searched online and found The Craft Connection. They are a great online source for fabric, and they have reasonable shipping prices!

Linger

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Oh my.

That was intense.

And now I have to wait for what seems like forever for Forever.

I don't even know what to say right now. Except that the intensity I felt when I read Shiver is completely different from the intensity I felt while I read Linger. This was definitely a darker, more roiling story than Shiver; and my brain is just humming, no thoughts, just buzzing.

I was able to meet the author, Maggie Stiefvater, yesterday during her book event at Barnes and Noble, and she said "I hope you cry." Well, Maggie, cry I did.

View all my reviews >>

Linger at a Bookstore Near You

Holy cannoli, what a day! Usually my brain is in a constant state of thought. The mental hamster runs and runs while thoughts mill around in my head. But today is not a usual day, and right now my brain is spewing a steady stream of "!!!!!!!"

Giddy is what I am. Giddy, because this morning, I drove back from Orange County to get back to the Bay in time for an appearance at Barnes and Noble by Maggie Stiefvater. Her newest book, Linger, was released earlier this month, so she's on tour. The drive took me six hours and 45 minutes, and I arrived 30 minutes late; but I was able to hear some of the question-answer session, listen to her read a chapter from Linger, and get my book signed.

I actually wasn't sure what to expect with this event, and I was pleasantly surprised. Maggie is a great storyteller, and very funny. She is also friendly, and took the time to talk to each one of us who stood in line for her autograph; she even asked us questions! She thought I looked familiar, and asked if I have ever attended a convention. Unfortunately, this is when I had an attack of nerves, and I think I accidentally cut her off. At least we got to talk about which book of hers is my favorite (Ballad), and she took a picture with me.


This was a wonderful experience, and a great way to end my Comic-Con trip. If Maggie happens to be touring in a town near you, and you enjoy her books, make the trip to see her! She truly has an endearing personality, and I laughed at her stories. The crowd is also more than manageable, and actually quite intimate in size. Perhaps due to the size of the group, Maggie was willing to sign more than one copy of her books per person. The greedy part of me wishes I thought to bring Shiver with me, but really, having Linger signed is enough.

Thank you Maggie!

30th Birthday Blanket

This blanket has been a few years in the making. I have been meaning to make Mr. U. a blanket for a few years, but never got around to it, and since he turned 30 this year, I made it a priority. As you might guess, he likes sports, so it has football, baseball and golf on it. There's also some dart-beer-themed fabric.


I hand-tacked with embroidery stitches. The main body of the fabric is stitched with a fly stitch.


The border is stitched with a knot-stitch, but I forgot what it's called; and I can't refer to my book as I am writing this from Comic-Con.

Here's a full picture of the quilt, and you can even see our freshly stained deck. Next time I'll take this picture earlier in the day when the deck's not shaded.