On the Road Spring 2025–Sonoma County to Monterey

Like Icarus who flew too close to the sun, I let an excess of bliss make me unconscious enough to forget  for a moment where I put our $350 cost-to-replace key fob for our Toyota Highlander.

After an evening concert with our Glen Ellen friends Margie and Ritch Foster, we rose early the next morning to hike at Jenner Headlands in west Sonoma County. We love the wild feeling of Jenner–where the Russian River meets the Sea–so much that we named our son Raymond’s middle name after this place. Afterward, high from our blustery hike and look out over the Pacific, we traveled back to Occidental to get some good food at The Altamont General Store.

Their food is delicious–Bill enjoyed a warmed brie/Asian pear/carmelized onion focaccia, and I ordered chocolate and vanilla soft ice cream with a green tea latte. We swooned over the flavors that greeted our palette. A red-haired woman of interest came into view. She is older than we are and long and angular. I simply had to talk with her. So full of bliss was I as I peppered her with questions while she tried to eat. I learned that her daughter teaches at the Sacramento Waldorf School where our friends Laura Berkley, Kat and Chris McFee work. So juiced was I on the good vibes, I forgot my phone case containing the Toyota key fob that I had carried with me while hiking at Jenner headlands. It wasn’t until the following morning I realized it was missing.

On our way out of town heading for Monterey Bill and I stopped in at the Altamont, where I’m 100% sure I left my case and key, to ask if anyone returned it. No. Calling today, and checking in, the story is still the same: no key fob. I learned an expensive lesson in being present when feeling good and making sure I check my belongings.

Friday May 23 we headed toward Monterey, caught in dense traffic from Richland through San Jose to our campground at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. I was feeling down due to my expensive mistake and as we pulled in to camp, we found the campground full due to a Cali Roots and Arts festival nearby. Plus it was the start of Memorial Day weekend.

The next day we breakfasted at Kathy’s Little Kitchen in Carmel Valley, which serves local workers, and features consistently excellent Mexican Food. A wildflower tour we signed up for was not happening. We drove up the coast past the tiny dot of a town Davenport to a remote canyon. Our friends Jacob Pollock and his partner Eva Wax are part of a farm/orchard cooperative. The place is magical and Bill and I helped thin apples just fruiting so that the tree would produce the best fruit. I told Bob, one of the residents there, that I felt born to do this work. I found it mesmerizing to look along a branch, find apple clusters or flower clusters with just forming buds, ‘ask’ which ones should be clipped and move to the next cluster. Afterward, we enjoyed a farm fresh potluck at a table underneath a venerable Black walnut tree.

Filled with the appreciation of being among good people who care for their land, which grows bounties each year, we said our goodbyes, stopped at Mission BBQ for brisket, and took our picnic to world famous Steamer Lane to watch surfers catch the last waves before sunset.

The following day we met our friend Sheila Gibbons-Heibert at her church St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church in Carmel Valley. The community is warm and loving, its priest gives heartfelt sermons. This was our first time at an Episcopal service and, being raised Catholic, noticed many similarities. Especially interesting here was meeting Fred Burgomaster, the church’s music director. He’s also a world renowned classic organist. The church has a real beauty in its. “…Petite Grand-Orgue,” meaning, “a big organ on a small scale,” appropriate to the size of our worship space. Although the organ’s stoplist nomenclature is inspired by French 19^th-century organs, it “speaks” with a French-American accent, needed for our Anglo-American style worship…” our friend Sheila notes in a newsletter for the church written last fall.

I was impressed watching Fred play the organ with his back to the choir, playing with one hand and directing with the other. The organ, with more than 1,000 pipes, is a celebrity, it seems, according to St. Dunstan’s webpage about it, which Sheila forwarded to us: “…Visually and aurally beautiful, Op. 94 was honored in the 2016 International Awards Program for Religious Art & Architecture, sponsored by the Interfaith Forum on Religion, Art & Architecture. The organ’s stoplist is inspired by 19th-century choir organs found in the chancels of the larger French churches and cathedrals, with warm principals and flutes along with bright reeds.”

Well, after the service finished, we stayed to listen to a piece Fred composed himself. I was raised Catholic and recall St. Mary’s Catholic Church and school in Buffalo Grove, IL, where I attended from 1960-1968. Until middle school, we attended mass in the old church which housed a beautiful pipe organ in the choir loft. I remember feeling teared up when the choir sang and the organ played. Now at 70, I am glad to see that this form of music, dating back to at least the 1500’s, is still appreciated.

Later, Sheila took us back to meet Fred and the organ. Chatting with Fred’s wife Mary Ellen, I learned that their daughter lives in Freeland on Whidbey Island. Their grandson attends Woodhaven High School in Langley. I’ve written stories about this school whose students love to learn. The grandson is pictured in the article wearing a shirt with a blue rabbit. Small world! Marli Jenkins, Woodhaven’s founder and former administrator emailed: “A small world, indeed! How wonderful to be on the road doing interesting things and meeting interesting people. Cormac is a gem and comes from a very musical family. Thanks for your sweet note, I’ll share with him!”

Afterwards, Sheila treated us to lunch at a beautiful favorite restaurant of hers: Cafe Rustica. 

Sheila ordered butternut squash ravioli, Bill ordered a lovely woodfired pizza, and I ordered salmon with German potato salad and butter lettuce in a light vinaigrette. Wonderful conversation while enjoying delicious food outside. Later Sheila offered her washer/dryer for our use. We visited on the patio by the pool. Bill chased a woodrat away from her front door flower pots.

This morning Bill and I visited Sunny Bakery Cafe in Carmel Valley, where I enjoyed an artichoke/goat cheese fritatta, Bill a robust breakfast burrito. Unable to decide what to get pastry-wise, he bought a cinnamon roll, fresh warm slice of lemon cake, and a croissant for today’s lunch. We fell in love with this cozy neighborhood cafe last December.

Time to go. We’re meeting our friend of 52 years, Bridget Maloney, for a walk. I’m sitting at the Aptos New Leaf grocery typing this story. Adios for now, and remember to check for your car keys before you leave.