Mendocino Holiday - Day 2

 

June 26, Monday 

Point Reyes National Seashore - Sebastopol - Healdsburg

Traveled 80 miles today 

Bear Valley is the main Point Reyes visitor center - there are three smaller ones further in the park. This was not an "explore Point Reyes top to bottom" trip, but nice to at least touch base after quite a few years. Really nice visitor center - lots to see and very informative.

Cricket is fascinated with the deer:

These alcohol abstinence folks pop up everywhere. Talk to the hand.

Right way to spend tax dollars. If you can't go to the trees, the trees come indoors to you.

This photo is not out of sequence - we took it over our shoulder as we were leaving. Leaving, coming...who's to know?

In Point Reyes, Toby's Coffee Barn provides fine art slathered across its front for the enjoyment of gasping cyclists. Pam loves the artsy vibe:

We stopped to visit the local bakery in Point Reyes Station and took this selfie before we started munching on their front deck. Norm's scruffy look is because "she who must be obeyed" thinks it looks   

savoire, or something. Others think it's because he uses dull razor blades. 

Honey Bucket? It pulled in as we were finishing our pastries. Norm asked the driver if his cargo was honey from clover or some other flower. Whatever it was, it didn't smell like roses.

In Sebastopol we visited Florence Ave - a residential street of quirky junk sculptures by Patrick Amio and Brigitte Laurent.   Norm read about these sculptures in Top 10 Things to do in Sebastopol in Trip Advisor.  They have 100's of their sculptures throughout Sebastopol.  They live on Florence Ave and almost every house has one or two sculptures on the lawn.  Their house stands out because it is loaded with their art and has a brochure available for tourists (like us). These objects d'art speak for themselves and need no added witticisms.

The homes on this street are in genteel condition and have much to be modest about. Nevertheless, one home on the street just sold for $880,000 - 1809 sq ft.  3 bed/3 bath

We figure that $700,000 of it was probably for the sculpture in the front yard.

This is the artist in front of his house. And no, he didn't come out and pose for us.

This is the cover of their brochure.  His name is listed all through it yet he says his art is a collaboration with Brigitte.

For an Alice in Wonderland fan: You know who you are...

Here we are in front of Patrick and Brigitte Amio's house. Our new Honda Fit, at two weeks in residence with the Trumps, does not yet have its transferred "SEABEAD" license plates. This 'Aegean Blue' Fit now becomes SEABEAD 3, a worthy successor to our 2013 and 2015 Fits. Many miles yet to go.

Pam just collected the brochure.

For many of the sculptures the fun is in the details. In this huge T-Rex sculpture such a detail is the expression on the face of the man in the car. Holy s**t!!!

The artist's colorful porch:

This would fit right in our backyard - a brilliantly red-haired, 7-foot-long, 6-foot-high mermaid, whose scales were once applesauce lids, reclining on the grass at 444 Florence.

We saw one for the A's so we figured this one must be for the Giants.

Norm also read about Sebastopol's The Barlow online and we headed there in search of a brewery - and art.

For some history of The Barlow...By the beginning of the 20th century, apple production surged alongside wine-grape growing across Sonoma County. Prohibition crippled wine making and apple production surged well into the 1950’s as one of the county’s largest and most important industries.  

By 2005 the cannery operation had closed and sold.  Within a year, the new owner developed the area into a 4 block artsy area featuring local food, wine, beer, spirits and crafts made onsite by Sonoma County artisans.  It's quite the happening place!

Patrick Amio sculptures....

We couldn't pass up this brewery:

The glasses below are special in they only hold 10 ounces rather than 12. They are for the high alcohol content beers, so you pay more but get less. But hey, after just one of these each together with a passel of super salty pretzels, set 'em up again. And who was it who's driving?

Another of Patrick Amio's sculptures

Just kneeling in the heather...