The Trip That Changed Our Lives
In June 2021, we traveled to Northern California for a weeklong “Lost Coast” road trip to celebrate Rebecca’s birthday. One week simply isn’t enough time to see all of Northern California, but we were able to sample its rocky coasts, redwoods, and red wine.
Loran’s dad, who lives in Santa Rosa, likes to tell the story about the “bottle that did it for him”. It’s a concept among wine enthusiasts and refers to the specific bottle of wine that sparked an individual’s passion for vino. In fact, he told Loran this story on the first night of this trip.
Loran’s dad’s story that night must have foreshadowed something good that was to come in the following week. This was the trip that did it for us—the one that caused us to fall in love with the region and inspired us to start this travel blog!
While we’ve moved away from the narrative storytelling that defined these first eight posts, they serve as a reminder of how and why Poseys Go Places began.
If you’re interested, you can read about each day of our NorCal trip below.
NorCal Road Trip 2021
NorCal Road Trip Day 1: Is my Wife About to Die?
The first day of our Northern California road trip taught us a lot about our own physical limitations and things to do differently next time. But at the end of the night, there was hope.
NorCal Road Trip Day 2: An Elephant Tree, a Romantic Photoshoot and a Skunk
We spent our first full day admiring a unique redwood tree, exploring our hotel’s on-site offerings and driving to the coast for a photoshoot. A surprise dinner guest capped off an incredible day.
NorCal Road Trip Day 3: When Life Gives You Apples, Make Apple Wine
It was her birthday and things did not go as planned. But between the apple orchard picnic, seal sightings and beach squirrels, we learned that the unplanned parts of life can end up being the best.
NorCal Road Trip Day 4: The Tallest Trees on Earth
From our historic hotel in Eureka, we went to Redwood National Park for an exclusive hike. But, were we able to make it to the gift shop in time? Learn from our successes (and our failures) on Day 4!
NorCal Road Trip Day 5: Charming Towns, Free Bouquets & Our Leisurely Journey to Wine Country
The southbound drive from Eureka to Santa Rosa is a scenic one … if you know where to stop. Small town charm, summer wildflowers and redwood trees guided us as we left Humboldt County.
NorCal Road Trip Day 6: Two Low-Key Sonoma Wineries to Visit
With over 400 wineries in Sonoma County alone, how do you decide which to visit? Here are 2 low-key wineries where you’ll find both good zen and Zinfandel.
NorCal Road Trip Day 7: The Scenic Route to San Francisco
As we left Santa Rosa, we went way out of our way to hit Shoreline Highway and take the scenic route south to San Francisco. We were not disappointed!
NorCal Road Trip Day 8: Leaving San(s) Francisco
Our weeklong road trip made us feel connected with the landscape and people of the North Coast. But as we left San Francisco, the city still felt like a stranger we just met.