Ontheroad-Northern CA

David and I left Redwood City, CA yesterday August 3. We took 280 thru San Fran and got over to coastal Rte when we could. We met cousin Janet in Jenner for a few minutes in a town called Jenner on the Russian River. I knew this river to have wineries connected with it but I did not know where it got its name.

The Russians who had colonies in Alaska came down to Sonoma county to set up an outpost in effort to grow crops to feed their Alaskan people and to hunt the rich pelts of the river otter. They brought `14 cannons and some Aleuts(mixed race native and Caucasian were called Creoles)and with other native peoples built a very impressive early 19th century fortress (fort for short). At caddy-corner ends were lookout towers so that attackers by land or sea cdould be easily spotted. I believe that neither the Spanish or the Indians tried tdo attack them. They did well with furs but could not make a go of agriculture.

We stopped for lunch at Timber Cove Inn which is on the water and pretty but the food is mediocre. Amzingly we met friends Sue and Ken as we pulled into the parking lot so our lunch was made special by their company.

In our Silicon Valley area this place called Sea Ranch is known as a big vacation spot so I wanted to stop and see it alon rat1. We did not see all that much. There are private roads off of rte 1 that lead down to homes on the water. Occassionally, tahere is a road down to a public access beach. For miles and miles this is it--houses on the beach and nothing else. At last we came to a town where one could buy something.

By now it was getting late so we skipped seeing Mendocino yesterday and came straight to our Best Western in Fort Bragg. This Fort Bragg was an army fort that was set here to keep an eye on the Indian reserfvation. The commanding officer named it after his former commander whose name was Bragg. They have a redwood tree slice. The tree was felled in 1942 and germinated in 190(the sign said) so it is quite big. The rest of the town looks poorish with lots of biker types. We ate in the leading Pizza bar--piachis, a place that is mobbed with drinkers and served us some poor pizzas.