Spend a couple days surrounded by Sequoia and Redwood trees and you realize how small we are in the big picture.

It also makes you think how our lives impact their continued existence.    Absolutely stunning to walk through the forest.

Linda always loved the hot chocolate at Caribou more than Starbucks, so when we were coming through Oregon, I was able to stop at the Caribou.

The air was finally clear for a couple of days, and then we looked ahead.  Fortunately, it was small by comparison and resources were deployed in short order.  Planes, helicopters, trucks and lots of brave firefighters tackled it quickly.  If only all fires were within a mile of the highway!

Spent last night in the Sonoma region of the wine country – right by the Russian River. Found a great cottage in Guerneville for $100/night where every other one was at least 3 to 4 times that cost!  Lovely place / host and even sat around the fire pit with peeps from all around the world making s’mores.  Side note – since arriving in California, we have had some of the worst service in coffee shops and restaurants.  The food and beverage is great, but the service is so unprofessional and lacking any personality.  It’s as if the interview rejects got the jobs that were customer facing!

One of the special treats of the trip was arriving in the Bay Area today in time to have dinner with Steph and Jared.  Steph is our daughter Becca’s best friend and lives in Oakland with Jared, her husband of almost a year and their dog Ryder.  They’ve both been involved in the inner-city education system and do really great work…hopefully reaching many young kids through their commitment and dedication.  Steph recently got her Master’s Degree and is working toward a license in family and marriage therapy.  They live in a carriage-type house above Oakland on the property of a woman, who was quite the Bay Area lawyer, working on the Pentagon Papers as part of her very illustrious career.

Extending one more day in SF tomorrow and hope to hit the road Friday (after another oil change and valve adjustment) for Chico, Susanville (where I spent 3 years at a 2-year college) and Reno, where Linda will hop a flight back home.  This leaves me with 1,700 miles in 7 days…a manageable time frame, but still about 250 miles per day.

Upcoming – the story about building the bus, but I’ve put it off as it might be the kiss of death if I praise the team that worked on the bus before I make it all the way back!