Russian settlement – OsteoPraxis on the road

One of the best benefits of being in Santa Rosa was the chance to spend some time with a long time friends who have made this area their home.

On this day it was a trip to the seaside with my good friend Paul, who knows the area so well, and the roads. (The roads in these parts are not for the feint of heart..!!) While we were away for the day our truck was being dismantled, repaired and rebuilt just in time for our return.

With Paul driving us to one of his favourite spots it was an opportunity for both of us to sight see…..and this was such a great road for sight seeing. (Editor. Being chauffeured around is rather rare for me and the world is fascinating out of the side windows)

The first stop was a long drag up a very windy hill to reach a fabulous lookout point with a view down into the reservoir at Lake Sonoma overlook.

It’s quite sobering to see the black from previous years wildfires.

From there we followed the Pacific Coast Highway, No 1 up to Salt Point State Park…all the while feeling very glad we were not towing.

Salt Point State Park is a little piece of heaven on earth.

There is something about being by the ocean that is simply good for the soul.

The power and random beauty of waves crashing on the rocks just never loses its thrall.

Looking south…the rock outcrop you see may be familiar to anyone who was a fan of ‘The Goonies’ . The sandbar gave us a spectacle of a sealion colony. This is the mouth of the Russian River which drains 1500 Sq miles of Sonoma and Mendocino Counties in Northern California.

For us, after the last months of being boiled alive, the coolness of the ocean breeze had an extra special delight.

We walked the cliff path through the park with many stops to examine almost alien looking rock formations, watch the birds….or just simply stare at the crashing surf.

In our youth Paul and I were part of a group who often hiked seashore paths or forest trails. It was a joy to be able to lapse back into such easy company.

It would be easy to spend a lot of time here……a comfy chair, a flask of tea and a good book…!!

Following the coastline south again…the next stop on the agenda was Fort Ross.

Fort Ross is an intriguing place to say the least…..and we don’t usually do the selfies….but here goes…!!!

Russian ships came down from the Alaskan colonies in 1803 and settled at Fort Ross from 1812 to 1841. It is a very well preserved site, has a fascinating history and is well worth the visit. The aforementioned Russian River is named for Ivan Kuskov of The Russian-American Company who established the Fort Ross Colony.