Doris moved to an apartment in a senior living facility in San Rafael a few months ago after living in L.A. for her adult life. It was a very big move for her but she decided that she needed to be near her "boys", Harvey and Ron now that her husband, Harry's dad, is gone.
After years of visiting in LA, this is new territory for us and really fun to explore somewhere new. Ron and Harvey (Harry's step-brothers) were incredible tour guides. Harvey took us into the Napa Valley and in the town of Napa we had a fantastic lunch at a restaurant in Napa named La Tra Vigne. The food and surroundings reminded me so much of my walking trip in Tuscany. We stopped at wineries and also did a wine tasting. I could even sort of taste some of the descriptions of wines, (dusty?) although there is a haughtiness that is somewhat amusing to me about the 
whole process. To me, if it tastes good, it is good. The valley is so picturesque, with rolling hills covered in grape vines and charming, rustic and Victorian architecture. I felt drawn to the area and could easily imagine being a farmer there in a former life.
Harry and I also visited Muir Woods National Park. Harry was so proud to use his senior pass that gets us in for free at all NP's. What an amazing and prehistoric-feeling environment. Chilly, damp, silent with thousand year old towering Redwoods (sequoia sempervirons) looming over us. And in other parts of California, there are the Giant Sequoia which are around 3000 years old! We got a bit lost getting there and the ride on a hairpin curved road with no guard rails was like my nightmare that accompanies the one I have of driving over bridges. I was almost in Harry's lap since I was on the cliff side.Doris's other son, Ron, took us on the city tour. The view of the Golden Gate bridge was taken from the Presidio area and next to a Civil War fort. I
have to look that up because I cannot understand why there would have been a fort there. Who would they have been defending against? I wanted to jump out of the car over and over in the city and explore, but unfortunately, Doris's bad knee is limiting her mobility so our activities are getting more and more limited, and we did most of that days sightseeing on our bums. I mean, the most activity we had was limited to non-stop restaurant decisions and eating. I think I will pack my tennis shoes next time and head to the gym every day as we did some serious eating. The words "organic", "artisanal", "fresh" are thrown about and they really do fit the cuisine. This area is for serious foodies.Doris seems to be adjusting. It was disarming to see her apartment at first. A home dismantled and condensed to the basics in a small apartment. But all of it familiar to us, if not in a different setting. I think that for me, the realization of a life change, and Harry's dad gone, was the most disturbing. And, when we would go downstairs to leave the building, seeing all of the various types of walkers lined up outside of the dining room was a reality check. It is just selfish on my behalf. I don't want to see Doris age. She is our last parent to enjoy time with.
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