Anderson Valley Camping Trip

Several weeks ago, our good friend Matt wanted to make full use of his temporary funemployment to go camping during the week. The thing about camping in California is that we're kind of an outdoorsy bunch, and despite the huge number of state-run campgrounds, it is nigh to impossible to get a spot at a good campground on a weekend in summer unless you reserve it months in advance. We're not so good with planning but one of the many, many benefits of unemployment is that you're not tied into the Man's concepts of "weekdays" and "weekends". So we started our adventure on Monday morning, making good time to Hendy Woods State Park, where we'd reserved a cabin on short notice. Easiest camping trip ever!


































The Anderson Valley is in eastern Mendocino county, a valley of deep redwoods forests on one side, and grassy oak and chapparal hills on the other, with the Navarro river running through the center and out to the Pacific Ocean. It's a fertile and temperate area, and has been prized farmland for over a century, and since the 70's, California's best winemaking region.








I'm sure some other winos might disagree, but at the very least as a wine tourist, the Anderson Valley is the place to be. It's far enough from the Bay Area (2 1/2 to 3 hour drive) that the wine traffic is super-light. It's gorgeous. The wineries there are causal and unpretentious, yet incredibly serious about making amazing wine, particularly the more difficult varietals that thrive off the sunny days and cool foggy evenings and mornings: Pinot Noir and Gewurztraminer in particular, but all major white varietals do well here. The Anderson Valley is what I imagine Napa and Sonoma Valleys used to be like 30 years ago - half the time, you're talking to the winemaker directly, there are no tasting fees (or you might be asked to pay $3, waived if you buy a bottle, of course). And most importantly, everything is delicious!

Unfortunately for Chris, he started feeling ill nearly as soon as we arrived.  He refused that we drive back home, so Matt and I left him in the cabin (I'm a terrible girlfriend) and started exploring.  We spent the next few days hiking, tasting some of the best pinot noirs we've EVER had, splashing around in the local swimming hole, eating orchard-fresh apples, quaffing beers at the Anderson Valley Brewing Company and generally having a fantastic time, all while poor Chris shivered with fever from apparently having strep throat.  Karma got me in the end - I picked it up when we got home, and it was the sickest I've been in my adult life.  But what a fun trip!