A once in a lifetime event is happening today! Summer Solstice melding with the Strawberry Moon…a full moon on the longest day of the year is only to happen once every 70 years and we get to experience it!
Not only do I love the summer solstice and full moons but it is also my birthday week so it’s even better! The hubs and I had an amazing weekend here in wine country beginning with some amazing weather and people watching at Funky Fridays on the grounds of Hood Mansion at the base of the Mayacamas. What better way to start off the weekend than a picnic in on the grass with live music, delicious food and good company? Saturday we attempted to catch the Windsor Hot Air Balloons but were too late (probably due to having too much fun the night before) so we decided to play tourist in our own town and headed up the 128 through Alexander Valley all they way through Dry Creek Valley and on to the lookout at Lake Sonoma. Absolutely gorgeous day! Then lunch at Jimtown’s, a local favorite, then up Pine Flat Road to capture the most amazing views of the Alexander Valley below.
Seriously can’t explain how much we enjoy living here! There’s always something to do outside and explore here in Northern California. We had tickets for a guided sunset / full moon hike at SugarLoaf. I had been looking forward to this all week! We met up with a group of 33 with 2 volunteer guides ready to wrangle up the diverse group they were about to hike with. We started at the historic white barn toward the observatory and up Lower Bald Mountain to Bald Mountain trail. All of us excited to see the moon rise and the sun set. The energy was great the first 1/2 of the way up then the hill became steeper and the group started to split…the ones that were somewhat seasoned hikers and the ones that just wanted to get out and enjoy the park. The hubs and I were somewhere in the middle. Just before the trail ducked under a canopy of oak trees we caught a glimpse of the moon rising over the Mayacamas to the east and the sun just starting to fall into the horizon in the west.
We turned onto Vista Trail and kept going to Indian Rock to chill and watch the moon rise up in the beautiful glow of the setting sun. Seriously magical and so amazing this happens and not everyone gets out to enjoy it or know that there is something so glorious in their backyard.
Now that I have probably bored you or inspired you with these photos, I’ll wrap up this short post about an amazing weekend! Check out the stuff to do in your own hometown and go be a tourist! Sunday we walked through a beautiful lavender field that is only open 2 weekends a year with a ton of other people and dined at our local pub…life is truly wonderful in Sonoma County. I can’t wait for this weekend! How will you explore like a tourist in your own town?