Around the Mountains and Through Napa Valley

We have left our home in Eureka and are nearing our final town that we will be extending a stay at, San Francisco. The day we left Eureka, I twisted my ankle good... I am now hobbling around California with little hope of a few day recovery. It's day three and getting better, but no good for anything above a walk. In saying that, I was able to keep up with Lost Bus lifestyle via water in my kayak yesterday. After spending the night near Ukiah, we put in near Clear Lake and traveled the Cache Creek for several miles. It was beautiful, true autumn colors being showcased on the banks of the river while water foul thrived in all areas encompassed by the watershed. The river had little flow, perfect for a paddle down and back. We picked up any trash we found along the way and noticed it to have very little. with little human influence and the river teaming with life, it made for the perfect rebound back to the kayaking lifestyle. I am sure to be back in the boat quickly and not neglect my boat as in the past.
After the kayaking stint, we continue south and find ourselves on tight roads climbing up and down mountains. We were turned away from 175 West in an attempt to seek refuge back on (calm) 101 when the road had a 39ft vehicle length limit because of the narrow lanes. This was a sure sign of "excitement" in terms of driving. We spent the night on a mountain pass falling asleep to a so called scary movie. This morning started with a boost of adrenaline as we slalomed our way down to lower elevations and into wine country.
Down here in Napa Valley I have found the pace of traffic and life to slow down a bit. It is the perfect time of year to experience the colors changing and the end of harvest. The vines were producing and the color contrast between yellow leaved vines, fire red maples, and dark blue clouds were perfect. The sun showed it's face here and there but other wise lent it's efforts towards an ambient light that allowed other bright colors to be heard. We stopped at a few vineyards on our way south only to experience the free side of things. haha I found that I was out of my league in regards to participating in the tours. But taste buds aside, we were able to experience the true Napa Valley.
But we are on our way to San Fran to see some good friends and help out in a variety of ways. Currently we are in the process of lining up a schedule for the week or two in the bay area. So far there has been no shortage on available volunteer efforts and should prove to be an action packed visit!