Road Trip to the Albion River Inn on the CA Coast

Eagles, Fine Wines, and Playing Chess by the Wood-Burning Fireplace 

Time to celebrate an important birthday! With everything California has to offer -- beaches, Napa, Yosemite -- it was difficult to choose a destination.   In the end, my hubby and I decided to travel to our beautiful northern coast and to stay in the Albion River Inn, Albion. 

Enjoying the Sites on Highway 128 

Living in Davis, CA, it would be simple to jump on I-80 and catch the 101 freeway north. However, who wants to spend their first half-day of vacation in bumper-to-bumper freeway traffic?  Definitely not us.  Wanting to enjoy every aspect of our trip, we chose the much longer, slower, scenic Highway 128, which winds around the dammed lake Berryessa.  This area is mountainous exhibiting varieties of California native plants and wildlife.  Did I just see a bald eagle in that tree? 

Besides the abundant native plants and wildlife, other native pleasures appear and entice as we leave the Berryessa area.  Vineyards! This segment of highway meanders through Napa and into Sonoma, so we are treated with some of the most beautiful countryside in California. The vines are just beginning to wake up from their long winter nap, so they appear a bit straggly. No doubt, they will yield great wine in the future.  

Wine flows in Anderson Valley

Speaking of wine, as we near the coast, the highway plows through the vernal and rocky Anderson Valley appellation--roughly two hours from San Francisco.   Because of our love of wine, we decide to stop, taste and purchase a few bottles for our room.  Roederer Estate and Scharffenberger Cellars in Philo are personal favorites that never disappoint.  Their superb sparkling wines are typically our favorites, but the Scharffenberger's Pino was amazing this trip.  Delighted with all the wines we tried; we bought our favorite sparklers and a couple of the Pinos and continued our journey to the cozy Albion River Inn. 

Cottages Overlook the Pacific Ocean and the Albion River

Ah, the smell of the Pacific Ocean announces that we are very close to our destination.  Twenty cute little cottages dot the entire north ridgeline – ten acres – of the Albion river peninsula, which flows out into the ocean.  The quaint resort with its well-manicured gardens, varieties of waterfowl, and oft-visiting deer is just what we need to unwind and shed workday stresses.  Fishing boats coming in and out of the nearby pier is just part of the charm. 

Each cottage enjoys a view of the ocean or the river or both.  Ours is a cabin right on the farthest most tip of the ridgeline, so we enjoy a fantastic view.  The weather is drizzly and a bit chilly, so we are not able to take advantage of our large back deck to sit and enjoy the sites.  However, as in all the rooms, we have a wood-burning fireplace to keeps us warm and -- in our case -- a sliding door that overlooks the bay.

Since this is more than just a special occasion, but also a time we really need to rest, we choose to spend our time playing chess in front of the fireplace, walking down to the pier to watch the fishing boats come and go, and enjoying the on-site award-winning restaurant--the muffins served with our complimentary breakfasts are yummy. 

A special dinner and then homeward bound through Northern California's prime wine regions

We stayed a mere three nights but enjoyed every second.  One of our favorite memories was my hubby's special birthday dinner.  Our entree choices were perfectly cooked and presented, but most importantly, we each were treated with a glass of sparkling wine.  The Albion River Inn is a small resort that focuses on quality. We will definitely return.  Nevertheless, for now we will enjoy every second of our trip home—vineyards, here we come!