November 16 – December 31

We left Mendocino and drove back to Fort Bragg and with a few moments to kill, parked on the main drag of town (Highway 1) and did some shopping at the excellent outdoor store there (The Outdoor Store) and at Fort Bragg Cyclery as I needed to replace the CO2 inflator I was using for flat tires, the current one having failed me when I addressed my flat tire the day before.  We were successful in this pursuit and soon had parked at the depot for the Skunk Train and quickly located Mary and Norm, who had already checked into their Airbnb, just a few blocks away. 

It’s been over a year since we’d last seen these two and each visit is a joy as I’ve known Norm since junior high school, having met in church, played basketball together, and shared a brief tenure with the Boy Scouts. 

For our afternoons outing we’d chosen the Pudding Creek excursion, a 7-mile 75-minuted round trip along Pudding Creek estuary with a stop to turn around at the Glen, where one is able to stretch one’s legs while checking out the native redwoods spread throughout the area.  More formally known as the California Western Railroad, the Skunk runs steam and diesel-powered trains and rail motor cars along Pudding Creek and the Noyo River.  Along the way, the tracks cross some 30 single bridges and trestles and pass through two deep mountain tunnels.

The railroad was originally built by the Fort Bragg Redwood Company as the Fort Bragg Railroad in 1885 to carry coast redwood logs from the dense forests at Glenela (Glen Blair) to a newly built lumber mill located 6.6 miles to the west at coastal Fort Bragg.  In 1905, the railroad was renamed the California Western Railroad & Navigation Company and shipped lumber on a fleet of steam schooners, first with wooden hulls and later with steel, until shipboard transportation of lumber ended in 1940.  Railroad ownership remained with the parent lumber company until 1969.  

In the late 1980s, the railroad’s freight redwood lumber traffic rapidly declined, and lumber shipments gradually shifted to more flexible highway trucks.  By 1996, lumber shipments were less than 500 cars per year and passenger service became the line’s main source of revenue.

Gas-powered, self-propelled, passenger railcars were added in 1925; and, after Pullman service was discontinued, steam passenger trains ran only when the motorcars were out of service for maintenance.  The motorcars were nicknamed “Skunks” because people said, “You can smell ’em before you can see ’em.”  In 1965 the line reintroduced summer steam passenger service between Fort Bragg and Willits with “Super Skunk” Baldwin-built steam locomotive No.45 pulling four former Erie Lackawanna Railway 72-foot Stillwell coaches built in 1926.

And that brought us to our round trip, a fun but short journey up and back, although somewhat of a blessing as the seats were hard and the unheated coaches meant we were only slightly more comfortable than riding in the open-air ones that were interspersed along the line of cars.  Once back at the depot and now, while a bit early, we moved our cars to the parking lot of the North Coast Brewing tap room and repaired to the bar to await a table while imbibing a refreshing beverage. 

Soon enough we were seated under a tent outdoors and ordered food to go along with our beers, starting with an order to share of the flash fried Brussels Sprouts (in an anchovy vinaigrette) and then quite hungry, Joanna ordered the Scrimshaw Fish and Chips (local rock cod and Scrimshaw beer batter) while I doubled down on the Jagerschnitzel.  In the end, it was way too much food but with a refrigerator back at the Emerald Dolphin at our disposal it meant we could take what was left of the schnitzel with us for consumption further down the road. 

Finished with our meal, we repaired to Mary and Norm’s nearby Airbnb to finish the evening with more conversation and a large bottle or two of North Coast special brews we’d purchased at their retail store.  The next morning, before leaving town, we met for breakfast at Egghead’s on Highway 1.  Operating for 45 years in this location we were seated inside the small storefront in a cozy booth. 

Joanna and I split an omelet with local Roundman’s smoked ham, avocado, green onions, mushrooms and jack and cheddar cheese along with an order of organic whole-wheat pastry flour griddle cakes topped with bananas and served with real maple syrup.  The food was delicious, and it was hard to determine which of the two breakfasts we enjoyed the last two mornings was the best.  Not a bad decision to have to make. 

Glad to have been able to spend yet more time with Mary and Norm, we bade farewell as they made their way home to Lower Lake and we took off for Oakland.  We decided to take a less direct route back, driving down Highway 1 to just above Point Arena when we turned inland on Highway 128 (which had been closed on our way into town a few days earlier due to flooding along the Navarro River) for thirty miles to stop in at Anderson Valley Brewing. 

Founded in 1987 in Boonville, Its name is derived from its Anderson Valley location in Mendocino County.  At the time, it was one of just 20 craft breweries in the United States. The original 10-barrel brewhouse was designed and installed by owner and original brewer David Norfleet (and the 10-barrel brewery is still used for R&D brewing today) and was located in the lower level of the Buckhorn Saloon brewpub, in downtown Boonville.

In 1996 when the demand for their beers exceeded the capacity of the 10-barrel brewery below the pub, a 30-barrel facility was installed just a mile from downtown Boonville at the corner of Highways 128 and 253, the current location.  The brewery continued to expand production with two vintage brewhouses a 100-barrel and an 85-barrel that had been rescued from two defunct German breweries during a trip to Europe in 1995.

We stopped for a beer apiece, for me their flagship Boont Amber and for Joanna a bourbon barrel stout.  Finished, we picked up a couple of six packs of some seasonal brews and completed our journey to Oakland.  Back at the house, New Year’s weekend came and we planned to stay in that Eve night when fate intervened.  California had been recording historically high levels of rain and combined with heavy winds, as we were beginning to think about starting dinner, the power went out and would stay off for 2-3 hours. 

Jessica quickly did some searching online and determining that one of their favorite downtown Oakland eating spots, Calavera, ad openings this early in the evening, we set out to eat there.  We would be served by a delightful woman, who truly made the experience memorable as we ordered drinks all around (Kris’ younger brother Simon was with us from his home in Florida) and in addition to the regular menu, a special holiday menu was available from which Joanna ordered the Callos de Hacha (Roasted Sea Scallops, mole verde, wood fired yams, and shredded brussels sprouts) while I opted for a trio of soft tacos. 

The scallops were incredible, and none of the dishes disappointed.  For dessert, we went for broke ordering donut style churros, a fantastic flan and bread pudding.  It was a meal to remember and doubly so as we had faced eating cold food in a dark house an hour or so earlier.  By the time we returned home the power was back on and most of us made it to the bewitching hour of mid-night.  I won’t say who to protect the less than innocent.  And that finished up our holiday months of 2022. 

Links

The Outdoor Store: https://www.facebook.com/theoutdoorstorefb/

Fort Bragg Cyclery: http://fortbraggcyclery.com/

Skunk Railroad: https://www.skunktrain.com/

North Coast Brewing: https://northcoastbrewing.com/

Eggheads: https://www.facebook.com/eggheadsrestaurant/

Anderson Valley Brewing: https://avbc.com/

Calavera: https://calaveraoakland.com/