While stumbling through the shops of Mariposa, I walked into the most random store ever. Located right next to the Epic Alpacas store I mentioned here. I don't remember what the store was called, but it was the most random mishmosh of stuff I had ever seen. Some was really great alpaca socks and stuff, others was stuff that should be at a garage sale, other stuff was antique and the price tag showed it. TOTALLY RANDOM. One of those places that is part fascinating to explore and part exhausting because there was just TOO much stuff. (in my opinion) Anyway, I decided to make my way up to the second level where I found something I had been wanting to buy for ages.... Don't laugh.... Felted soap! Turns out the soap was from Winterstrom Ranch who has an etsy shop! HOORAY!!!!!!!! There was a great array of soaps, some felted, some non-felted. Naturally the felted would be a couple dollars more. I settled on one called "Best Shave and Shower Soap Bar" in Cherry Almond Delight. The 6oz felted soap bar ran me $8. The ingredients are: - Coconut Oil - Olive Oil - Palm Oil - Baking Soda - Charcoal powder - Arrow Root Powder - Clay Powder Premium Grade FO I'm telling you, the smell is amazing. Before I used it, once I got home, it sat in my cupboard for a couple weeks while I used what was already in my shower. Every time I opened that door, I could smell that incredible cherry-almondness. SOOOO good! I'm so excited to have found this little souvenir and even more excited that this local soap maker (local to Mariposa, CA), has an etsy shop and website so she can be local to you and I also! ;-) Oh yeah, why felt soap?Great question. As her etsy listings explain, alpaca fibers are anti microbial, anti bacterial, and hypoallergenic. So they won't get bacteria while in the moist shower area. The soap lasts longer since it is wrapped up, it wont melt down as fast, and it is a soft exfoliation! ;o) For the win! Check Out The Winterstrom Ranch Etsy Shop For Soaps, Throws, Alpaca Fiber Dryer Balls and more!Check Out The Winterstrom Ranch WebsiteEmail Them
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When you visit Yosemite, you may want to stay in Mariposa. It's a super, cute western-y town that definitely gives you gold rush vibes. I love walking down mainstreets in new towns and checking out the interesting stores along the way.
From across the street I saw "Epic Alpacas" and I was lured over in an instant. How could I not investigate that!?!?! I take it back...
Take what back?
Well.. every joke and every jeering comment I made about segways since I first learned of their existence. What was I thinking? They are AWESOME! This was my first experience with segways and I have to say that I am SO happy to have chosen Segway of Healdsburg to facilitate that. LessonsIt depends. Of course! ;-) About The Trail:This is a 4.8 mile hike one way with a 3,200 ft elevation gain. Yosemite National Parks ranks the difficulty as strenuous. You're looking at around 3-4 hours one way and obviously twice that (or more because you'll be tired roundtrip) This trail contains a lot of trackbacks (aka zigzags in my vocab). You have a lot of elevation to descend in a short time so they are steep, at least to me. Do I think Four Mile Trail Was Hard?We traveled California's Pacific Highway One from San Francisco to the Mendocino Coast and back. Here's what I thought! Pros:It's gorgeous! Duh!
Snuggled right up against to coast, this portion of the highway is so beautiful. You can see tremendous views of the ocean, huge rocks, and the waves crashing against them as you drive. (See the current header at the top of this page) The roads are windy and feel like a really fun adventure as you twist through for the first time. The ocean isn't your only good view. There's green, lush hillsides, cows roaming.. it's so beautiful. Check out this momma and baby cow we found! The area around the Point Arena Lighthouse was gorgeous. Unfortunately, we arrived after hours to tour or even get close to the Lighthouse. We couldn't get past those trees that you see prominently in the picture. Nevertheless, we enjoyed this spot. Wanna see some more reasons why? Follow the photos below! :o)
Glass Beach in Fort Bragg, California is a really cool place to visit. It's not a far walk from where you park, but the steps were a little shady getting down to the beach. Hopefully they will be filled in soon, but if not, just take your time to get down there. Just as the name implies, the area is filled with sea glass! How and why is there so much sea glass at Glass Beach in Fort Bragg?The paired down story is: This area was a garbage dump in times past. All the glass that was chucked over the hillside eventually was smoothed by the water and that nasty pile of garbage turned into a shore of sea glass glistening like gems stones. It is truly incredible that the design of our Earth enables it to take trash and turn it into what you see above! What should I do at Glass Beach and what should I NOT do?
LocationLocated on the owner's property, Getchell Cottage is a cute little place just minutes from the town of Gualala, California. The cottage has it's own walkway from where you can park your car (with a nice view of the ocean!), but everyone at Paula's house is really nice and you will probably see them on your way in or out, so do say hello! You'll pass the Sea Ranch Lodge, a boutique hotel with a spa and art gallery, about 12 miles or so before you reach the cottage. The town of Gualala took it's name from it's river when the Pomo Indians chose the name Gualala for it's meaning "water coming down place" according to www.gualala.com. There is some interesting historical information there as well as valuable traveler information and fun facts including famous movies and shows that were filmed in the area! Cute and tiny, I enjoyed driving through the main street of town, but did not have the opportunity to stop as we already had other things planned. There is a lot to do around here for the active and outdoorsy person who loves hiking, biking, kayaking, horse riding, fishing, and the like. A Few Of My Favorite Things!The airbnb listing offers so many photos that help you appreciate the layout of the cottage. I felt compelled to capture the personality and details that I loved. Let's start at the back of the house: Bedroom |