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Wesley & Brittany Six Nights: 1st in Lake County, 2 nights in Mendocino, then 3 in Sausalito Highlights: Tandem Massages in a Yurt, D'Aurello Pizza [Fort Bragg], Finding old coastal barn wood to decorate kitchen, "Wicked" play, Fine French dining, Academy of Sciences, DeYoung Museum with King Tut, Sushi in Japan Town, & Being Married! Driving Stats: About 600 miles & 20 hours of driving. Averaged 14.5 MPG. Pictures: All Honeymoon Photos Story: We made our exit in Debbie's convertible red Corvette, then parked it a block away at Wes's old apartment & walked to Clear Lake Bed & Breakfast [our review] on 16th street. Wes already had his car parked there... but his car keys were still at the Mills, along with his cameras & clothes bag, plus the tux needed to be returned. So, we stayed the night at the beautiful B&B, then in the morning, after having breakfast delivered to our room, we walked back to the Mill's, changed, got gear, & walked again to the B&B. From there we made a quick stop at Starbucks in Lakeport Safeway, then drove West. |
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We took the Boonville direction to Highway 1, winding through the redwood trees. We arrived to the coast well before the 3pm check in time, so stopped at the first beach we came to- Navarro Beach. This is where we collected most of the driftwood for the wedding centerpieces, but today we were there to relax... actually Brittany brought her biology book & studied for her big test, while Wes buried her feet in the sand. Next we explored the town of Mendocino, where we found a hat store & lunch. We also shopped at Anderson's Alternatives Eco Lumber, & bought some bamboo polls (they have up to 6 inch diameter) to decorate & trim our bathroom. We checked into The Inn at Schoolhouse Creek [our review], Pomo cottage, & to Brittany's surprise there was a message in a bottle on the bed, with a large dragonfly balloon tied to it. After fighting to keep the sand & shells in the bottle while extracting the message, she was delighted to read that Wes surprised her with tandem massages, there at the inn for the following day. Dinner was at our favorite spot D'Aurelio & Son's Italian Dinner & Pizza. Thick & amazing as always. |
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MONDAY we enjoyed an amazing fresh breakfast at the Schoolhouse common area. Followed by a walk through Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens [link], trying to capture a great picture of the two of us, then hurried back to make our massage appointment. This was the first relaxing massage either of us had experienced. There were two tables in the yurt, & two female massage therapists with fun Swedish accents. One very comfortable & restful hour. We were relaxed, but hungry, so again we went out to dinner, this time to Viraporn's Thai Cafe. We considered sea food, but settled on getting a fish dish at the Thai restaurant. Following dinner we played checkers on the 8 foot outdoor set at the inn. See play-by-play video below for outcome:
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TUESDAY started with another yummy breakfast, then checked out, to move on with our new beginnings. Before we left the Mendocino coast we took a nice hike along the forest & ocean cliffs in Russian Gulch State Park. GOD's beautiful creation. Our break from the heat continued in Sausalito where it was often about 57 degrees F. After checking in at Hotel Sausalito [our review], while bringing bags up, Brittany again discovered a message in a bottle with a dragonfly balloon. This time it revealed dinner reservations to a fine French restaurant for the following evening. We did not stay long as we were off to enjoy San Francisco. Our evening started with dinner at the Rainforest Cafe, then to the Orpheum Theater for the 8:00pm showing of "Wicked". It is as good as everyone says! Very entertaining & funny. Attention to detail was noticed, even from the upper balcony. This ended past our bed time & we still had to get out of the city & cross the bridge- thank GOD for GPS! |
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WEDNESDAY morning we exchanged our 'breakfast' coupons for a coffee, a lemonade, & two Costco pastries. Then after a short walk through town, we paid another $6 bridge toll & got lost on the way to CA Academy of Sciences. We visited the rainforest dome first, then did it again later in the day just to stay warm, as we did not bring coats in. The all digital planetarium was impressive; it was the last week for them showing that presentation [after playing it for a year]. Wes's favorite part is probably the adult albino crocodile. Cold & tired & having seen about everything, we started the long drive across town to Jeanne D'Arc French Restaurant [link]. What a treat! Four French courses times two people equals a lot a good food! See menu [our choices have purple arrows]. Everything we ate was great [we did not eat the mushroom stuffed tomato]. It is located in the basement of a French hotel, with wall to wall medievel & stone decor, yet up scale & formal enough for any occasion. The chef was definitely a jolly Frenchman, & the broken english of the Asian waiter was the next best thing. It was a splendid evening! | |
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THURSDAY began with another disappointing 'breakfast' from the cafe below the hotel & our third & final venture into SF. We visited De Young museum, & since it shares the same parking lot as the Academy of Sciences, we only got half as lost finding it. Here we were transported over 3,000 years back & halfway around the world to the Egyptian tomb of King Tut. This was also a delight! Wes was amazed at how well preserved the artifacts are, while Brittany recalled her 6th grade science project when she dressed as an Egyptian Queen. The rest of the De Young showcased some fascinating early American art, & some not so interesting or pleasing modern art. However there was one noteworthy modern piece: a large church cathedral model that is made entirely of gun parts & ammo. Very well crafted & detailed. | |
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Surviving only off the morning Danish, & having skipped lunch, we were ready for our next treat: sushi in Japan Town. Brittany ordered several rolls to share, & Wes tried a noodle soup dish. Just ok noodles, but great sushi. Then we walked around lil' Japan for a bit, finding a paper store with an origami [paper folding] display- amazing things can be done with one uncut square of paper! Wes found some Japanese candy he needed to try- was good. At this point we were done with San Francisco & returned to Sausalito. Agreeing to having a real breakfast we cashed in our last two coupons for one ice cream in waffle cone. Then walked around town. | |
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FRIDAY was the end of the beginning. We had a tasty & overpriced breakfast at the Bridgeway Cafe. Then took the cute newlywed photo that Wes was longing for; setting on the fountain in the Sausalito park that our room overlooked. After our self portrait, we headed back to Lake County, with a quick stop in Santa Rosa to visit Wes's Dad's new apartment. We opened presents that night. Thank you to all you gift givers! We appreciate every one. SATURDAY we sold 'Wes Photos' for half price at the Pear Festival in Kelseyville. SUNDAY we visited both our "home" churches, then cleaned Wes's old apartment & returned the keys. MONDAY we traveled to our new home in Woodland [pictures].
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Reviews: As seen on TripAdvisor.com. Writen by Wes. My wife & I stayed here for the first night of our honeymoon. We chose it for the location, just two blocks from her childhood home where we wed in her backyard. Yet we were still able to keep it a secret to avoid surprises. We were also surprised how captivating the lakefront was, even though we both grew up blocks from it. We love Lake County. The B&B is run by the owner/builder & his wife, both very friendly & accommodating. We received a complementary bottle of Sparkling Apple Cider, in congratulations of our wedding. As you enter the house, it opens to a large dining room that has 180 degree views of Clear Lake. Then a few stairs up puts you in the theater room. They are happy to show you any movie on the 14 foot screen with 29 speakers. Blu-ray & Wii ready. Their house is yours. A few more stairs up takes you to the only three rooms. We stayed in the “George Washington Suite”- this is the one facing the lake. All have private deck. Ours had a hot tub on it- hot & ready to go. Large carpeted bathroom includes Jacuzzi tub/shower. Breakfast is your choice: Pick any local restaurant, & any menu item, then have it delivered to your room at the time you pick, or eat in the common room, or they will give you each a coupon to go out & enjoy the restaurant experience! We chose our dishes the night before & asked for room delivery at 7:00am. Not just was our meal as ordered, but he delivered it in a warming box & set the small table in our room for us. We ate off the restaurant plates with supplied metal forks (no to-go boxes). The syrup (& food) was still warm & he brought us a bottle of ketchup upon our request. A+ service. Rates vary between $135-$250 as of fall 2009. We Paid $195 for our one night. It was worth it. Everything is new & clean & in great condition. We felt comfortable & relaxed. We highly recommend this small yet grand B&B to everyone! |
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My wife & I stayed here for the second & third nights of our honeymoon. Loved it. We received a complementary bottle of Sparkling Pomegranate Juice, in congratulations of our wedding. We stayed both nights in the “Pomo” cottage. Private stand-alone building with private fenced back yard, including charcoal BBQ. The hot tub in the back yard is the nicest I have used yet- fits two comfortably, formed to the human body, working jets & bubbles, & multi-color LED light [you choose any one color or random fade]. Pomo shows its age in some parts, but has been remodeled [probably several times] & is in fully working order. Large living room is open to the full kitchen- dishes & drinking water included. No bath tub, & the one person shower is small, but plenty of hot water. King bed was comfortable. Pomo does not have an ocean view, but was not a problem for us. If you want a good view, try the “Water Tower” cottage, where the top of the tower is your own viewing deck, & the bottom of tower is your private hot tub. Water Tower Cottage is a tiny stand-alone with queen bed. The tower itself is disconnected from the cottage part but both share your small fenced yard. Water Tower & Pomo same price, we are happy with our decision. Each cottage is different than the other, small/big, connected/alone,
old/new, etc. Most have ocean views. Property is well taken care of
with an abundance of blooming flowers [mid September]. Each cottage
seems to have a designated parking space, plus a few extra at the entrance.
The nice little town of Mendocino is a short scenic drive North. Included entertainment: 8x8 foot outdoor chess/checkers board in garden with oversized pieces; free VHS movie library in office, many titles [Pomo has two old TVs & VCRs]; various board games in cottage & more in office. Breakfast was fantastic! You choose one of three times to come together in the office/common room. Kitchen is attached & there is one busy chef making your breakfast. There is small, but more than you need or want, self serve buffet including, but not limited to: several toast options with toaster, fancy jams & jellies, oatmeal, cereals, two juices, coffee, & teas. Now the best part: fresh made [warm] scones & muffins (hand made & different each day), plus one fresh egg entrée. No choice on the entrée, so if you have diet restrictions you may be out of luck. First morning was an egg scramble with two fancy cheeses, tomato, garden fresh herbs, & avocado, stuffed in & overflowing from a slice of bread that was toasted in a cup shape - yummy! Morning two was more an egg casserole - also delicious. Rates vary between $195-$525 as of fall 2009. We Paid $235 each night. It was worth it. We felt comfortable & relaxed. We highly recommend this cozy & classy B&B to everyone! |
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My wife & I stayed here for the last three nights of our honeymoon. It served our purpose. It is a nice old building that is in new condition. There were paint samples on the building, should have fresh coat by now. The bathroom has new tile floor & shower. Our park-view room had one queen bed- comfortable with lots of pillows. Small flat-screen TV, DVD player, & cable box in closet- all cheap. We tried to watch a new store-bought DVD & it could not read disk. Right next to ferry & parking lot [although we braved the bridge
toll & parking all three days]. Easy access to 101/Golden Gate Bridge.
Parking is flat rate $10 per day, all prepaid at check-in, with in &
out privileges- they validate your ticket before you leave lot each
time. During both of the two full days there [3 nights], I put the “Do not disturb” hanger on the door while we played in SF, & both days housekeeping came in & cleaned the room. Nothing was missing, & the fresh towels were nice, but it is annoying & wasteful to unwrap a new bar of soap for the sink & shower everyday. The self-serve fresh apples & bottled water in the hallway were appreciated. Rates vary between $155-$285 as of fall 2009. We Paid $195 each night, plus parking. We felt comfortable, safe, & relaxed in the room & town as a whole. |
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| www.WesleyBrittany.com HOME |
CONTACT: Brittany: bmmills@ucdavis.edu Wesley: wes@wesphotos.com |
to GOD be the glory