My Vacation in California

Finally .... some time for vacation!! Starting in 2007, I now have six (6) weeks of vacation time from my employer! However, this past trip to Northern California (Sonoma County) marks the first time I managed to use any of my 2008 allotment of vacation time!! Still it was a fun time marred only by Hurricane Ike. I toyed with the thought of returning home to 'protect' my apartment but decided against that and just stayed in California throughout Houston's ordeal. Thankfully, I returned home yesterday (Sept. 17) to an apartment where not a single window had been broken and the power and water had already been restored (as of last Monday, Sept. 15).

Thanks to the generosity of a relative, I had the high privilege to spend the eight days in a nice private home in Sebastopol (Sonoma County) - a small town located about a one hour's drive (50 miles) north of San Francisco.

I had an opportunity to visit: a winery (Benziger's winery in Glen Ellen), Jack London's museum and burial site, Sonoma Lake, Bodega Bay, and Armstrong Redwood State park. I also had a great time searching for one of nature's finest apples - the Gravenstein apple!! The weather was fantastic (daily temps in the 70's) and the food was superb. The only problem was all the worrying I did during the Hurricane. Otherwise I had a thoroughly splendid time.