Help--I'm stuck in Purgatory!

Dante's La Divina Comedia is really just a medieval travel book, isn't it? The Poet wanders through Inferno (Hell), Purgatorio (Purgatory), and Paradiso (Heaven), noting the exotic locales, the curious natives, and the hole-in-the-wall places that residents like to spend their time. As any traveler knows, you go to the joints where the locals congregate to see how they really live and get the authentic food. (I have to say, a vacation to go ice skating in Cocytus sounds pretty fun ... minus the three-faced Lusipher.)

In a way, travel-obsessed people go through their own divine comedy and face three levels of pre-travel anxiety. Here's my summation.

1. Hell: You want--no, you yearn--to travel, but for whatever reason, you can't. No money, no vacation time or PTO saved up, whatever. There is nothing worse.

2. Purgatory: You've made your plans, the flights are ready, the hotels are booked ... and now you have to wait. In desperate anticipation, you wait. You're stuck in limbo, between trips, remembering fondly your last one, but can't do a damn thing to make time go faster. You look forlornly at your calendar with a big, red circle around the day when you will be released from Purgatory to make your ascension to Heaven.

3. Heaven: *Cue heavenly music, singing angels, and halo of godly light* This is it, the big day! All the pining and sighing, reading the same travel guide over and over has finally given way. You're on your way to wherever you've been telling your coworkers about for months on end. And all is right in the world. So say we all.

Right now I feel like I'm stuck in Purgatory, between the fond memories of Cazadero and the anticipation of Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Plane tickets, bought. Hotels, booked. Eye Witness Top 10 Singapore, read over multiple times. Only thing between us and our trip now is eight remaining days of the legislative year and time. Damn iPhone clock won't tick away faster!

Cazadero, between wine and nature

We took our trip to Cazadero a week after our first anniversary, and we still reminisce fondly about the three days/two nights we spent there. Pardon? You haven't heard of Cazadero? Well, no, it's not in Mexico. But don't feel bad; I hadn't heard of Cazadero until April, when we booked a B&B on Living Social. Whatever the case, it's definitely worth a long weekend trip, especially if you enjoy the great outdoors. Hell, even I had a nice time and I don't even like nature!

Sign above the general store

Cazadero is an unincorporated town and has a population of 354 (2010 census) and has a downtown of about three storefronts. OK, so it's not a particularly bustling place, but if you're looking for a quiet, secluded get-away from life, you can't ask for too much more. Cazadero has three things going for it:

1. It's tucked away in the middle of the redwood forests in Sonoma County. Towering redwood trees dwarf the town while the Austin Creek meanders through. Perfectly idyllic.

2. It's situated in the middle of everything. To get to Cazadero (going west on 116), you drive past several wineries, including Korbel. Keep going west, past Cazadero, and you hit the majestic Sonoma Coast. From there, continue north on 1 to the town of Jenner and--further north still--Fort Ross. Go south on the 1 and you reach Bodega Bay.

Raymond's Bakery--note the loft
and the orange Fit

3. Raymond's Bakery/Elim Grove Cottages. We stayed at the cottages, which surrounds the bakery on a four-acre plot. Specifically, we stayed in the loft on top of the bakery. (Nothing beats waking up to the smell of fresh-baked breads and pastries ... )

Mark--the owner, boulanger, and operator of the B&B--is both a wonderful baker and a generous human being. The bakery is named after his father, whose last words inspired Mark to pursue his passion for baking. In addition to a myriad of different pastries and breads, Mark makes pizzas (all natural products, of course) and serves free-trade certified coffee and regional wines and beers.

Mark works (and talks) at a 100 mph--he fixed up the bakery and cottages by himself some 10 years ago when he and his wife, Elizabeth, bought the location. But he always gives his guests personal attention, getting to know each and every person. He invites all his guests to mingle around a fire pit at night, where he offers free bites of his baked goods and pizzas. Overall, Mark and Elizabeth are perfect hosts and the B&B is a great place to relax, breathe in fresh air, and take a walk through the forest, flanked by a glittering stream.

Mark and Hamlet, the first hamster to
stay at Elim Grove

Next time you're in Sonoma County to do wine tasting, consider spending a few nights in Cazadero and the Elim Grove Cottages to take in nature as well as wine.

Welcome!

Welcome to my travel blog! I'll be pondering about my travels, probably make some comments into something political (because I just can't resist) and share random thoughts about family and cars. And food. You can't have travel without food.

Ultimately, I want to share my travel experience with you, learn about your travel thoughts, and inspire one another to eat, drink, and be merry around this city, this state, this country, and this world.