California Coast

Gratitude for California Living Whenever I travel the coast I feel lucky to live in California.  It is spectacular from Humboldt county in the north to San Diego County in the south.  About 12 years ago, my husband and I travelled from San Francisco to Los Angeles with some friends on bicycles.  Some of us rode, some of us drove the mor home/support vehicle.  We alternated sleeping in sleeping bags and tents with staying in hotels with hot showers and swimming pools.  It was most memorable because of the gorgeous coast and whenever we wanted to see something, over we pulled on our bikes and within minutes were basking in the beauty.  No worries about finding just the right spot....there are so many right spots.  We rode through strawberry fields and broccoli packing trucks with workers hanging off the backs, knife in hand, tossing them up one at a time into the truck for someone else to catch and wrap, right there while it was moving slowly through the field.  It was an eye opening experience that I appreciate to this day.  Since we all eat produce grown in California, it behoves us all to make a quiet nod of thanks to all the workers who made it possible to eat what is put in front of us on a daily basis.  When I see workers pruning grapes, clearing fields for the next crop and harvesting, I feel gratitude for the time and back breaking work that these men and women put in.  I don't know how hard it is to plow a field or pick produce day in and day out, I do know, that I am grateful.

We have been going to the Tomales Bay/ Point Reyes area as long as I have lived in California, about 29 years and it is a favorite spot for my family.  It is where our kids spent many long days at the beach with delicious food that we made at home and/or gathered in town.  Go there when you have time to gather ingredients and take a picnic out to Shell or Heart's Desire Beaches in Inverness.  Bring a warm jacket for when the fog rolls in.   

When travelling to the coast, a couple weekends ago, I introduced  Cowgirl Creamery to my mother-in-law who was visiting from the east coast.  Cowgirl Creamery has been in Point Reyes since 1997 and their artisanal cheeses have grown from one store to three, with shipping all over the world and more recently they added farm tours. They have a nice grassy spot to relax outside their modern barn-like store, with dogs and children running aound, coffee and pastry in hand.  It doesn't get any better than this!