to cartierland and back again

Fifteen hours was all it took us to travel to the family reunion in Santa Rosa, CA!  Our route was along hwy 5 through central California and so it wasn't a preview of our upcoming bike adventure like I was hoping.  It would have taken us many more hours by the coast roads, but fortunately there was plenty of beauty still to be viewed.  Especially noteworthy was the Mt. Shasta area, quite dramatic.  My love of ruins was satisfied by the trip--many decaying resorts lined our route, including an abandoned water park!  

The reunion was fun--total headcount was 65!  By the end I had finally gotten all of the aunts and uncles straight, but the rest are still a little hazy.  Matt's dad has 8 brothers and sisters that live all over the world.  The farthest travelled were from Zimbabwe!  We gathered in that particular spot because of a cousin that runs a winery, a rather large operation called Clos de Bois.  Of course we had a lovely behind-the-scenes tour--in two weeks or so the first of the grapes will be ripe and the facility will be in full swing.  I would love to see that action!  40 of us also went on a tour bus to 3 other wineries.  The grape yards are lush and full of ripe fruit.  The house we stayed at was right along the Russian River and came with kayaks for leisurely paddling--a nice option to visit one of the other 3 houses that the family rented.  I should be able to post some photos soon.