Through the Avenue of the Giants, Into Wine Country, Down to San Rafael

Today we drove from Humboldt County, through Mendocino and into Marin. 

The redwoods were cool, dark and pungent in the early morning air. 

In Mendocino there was nothing cool anymore. It was HOT and we turned on the air conditioning for the first time on our trip.

Vineyards marched in lines across every hillside, some right  up to the highway. This one could almost fool you into thinking you were in Italy: 

The hills are all soft and rolling dotted with oaks.  We saw big masses of mistletoe hanging from branches of many trees.

Tonight we heard MANY coyotes calling to each other in the hills around us in San Rafael.