Petaluma, Sonoma, Reno (part 1) – 7/25-7/31

As you all know, wildfires are raging in CA, OR, and WA.  We are now in Reno, after canceling all our reservations north of Petaluma.   Below are two pix, one from a few minutes ago, and one from our earlier visit in June.  It is very smoky here today!

Today’s sky (7/31/24)
The sky in Reno on 6/10/24

We are going to travel east as quickly as we can until we find good air quality.  That being said, our camper is currently in the repair shop, after we experienced bearing and brake problems while on I-80 coming from Donner Pass to Reno. 

We were only four miles from the exit for our campground, so we were fortunate that this happened where it did, although it was quite frightening to have smoke coming out of our camper with a very narrow shoulder alongside the highway.  We finally came to a full stop where the shoulder opened up, and Doug then called Route 66 Roadside Assistance, with whom we have a travel policy.  We had to wait about two hours before a towing company could be found, and that was nerve-wracking to say the least, with cars and tractor trailers zooming past us at 80 mph.  We spent the night at a hotel, and today (Wednesday the 31st) we wait for repairs to be made.  The diagnostics indicated 3 out of the 4 seals for the wheel bearings were improperly installed before we left on this trip, and the camper brake for the one bearing that completely failed needs to be replaced. 

On a much lighter note, the pictures that follow are from our relaxing stay in Petaluma and day trips to Sonoma wine country.

Our pretty campsite at the Petaluma KOA
We drove into the historic district of Petaluma on Saturday and stopped at Brewster’s for lunch.
The LoWatters trio was playing some excellent music.
On Sunday, we drove through part of Sonoma, stopping at Imagery Winery.
It’s beautifully landscaped
Their art gallery features artists who have submitted their work for consideration on future wine labels.
Driving onward, we stopped at Kenwood Winery.
We figured out that we can order one glass of wine and share it, although they don’t tell you that on the tasting menu.  🙂

On Monday, we drove further north in Sonoma, taking the back roads into Healdsburg and the Russian River Valley.

This is the elegant tasting room at J Winery.  We looked around their gift shop and walked around the grounds.
Lunchtime in the water lily pond
Next door to J Winery is Rodney Strong Winery
This blurry shot was taken from the truck while driving over to Monte Rio on the coast.
Lunchtime again
The Russian River was heavily dotted all along our drive with kayakers, paddlers, and people cooling off.  Notice the marine layer drifting over the treetops.  We’re headed in that direction next.
The temperature was in the 50’s here.
Doug got a close-up of this brave kayaker.
The Russian River flows out to the Pacific.
(thus this sign)
Driving back to our campsite, we stopped to take this picture.

Starting on Tuesday, we’ll drive east, with stops in Reno, Winnemucca, and Salt Lake City.

6 thoughts on “Petaluma, Sonoma, Reno (part 1) – 7/25-7/31”

  1. So sorry to hear of brake/seal problems!! Hope all has been repaired so you can continue your journey & get away from the smoke. The news shows some scary & depressing pictures of the fires continued damage. Take care & continue to be safe!

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    1. Thanks, Laurie. Yesterday was a scary day. I have the name of the mechanics you used awhile ago – we need to find a wheel and tire place that knows what they’re doing. For now, we’re just anxious to get to safer places. 🙂

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  2. Wow… you two never leave the suspense behind! I remember when you were on your sailboat and trying to get home when Covid shut things down and then the hurricane season hit! Wait I’m not supposed to remind you of that!!!! Hopefully everything will be smooth sailing now and you’ll be home safe and sound! All of the magnificent photos will remind you of how you are amazing adventurers! We hope to see you soon!

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  3. Donner pass is not where you want to be and have brakes fail.  The travels gods are trying to tell you th

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    1. Ohhh, you are quite right about that! We finally got on the road around 9:45, after yet another stop at the repair shop for a faulty electrical breaker that shut down around 2 am early this morning. We’re driving through lots of smoke, but so far the air is OK where we’ll be tonight (Winnemucca, NV). Thanks for your comment! 💜

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