HIGH IN THE ROLLING GREEN HILLS above Boonville, California, we returned to a storybook cottage we last visited a lifetime ago. Life happens. We worked, retired, then picked up and moved from Northern California to Southern California and suddenly had a new playground to discover. Throw in our almost 20 years of Airstream life, mix well with a couple of grandkids, and life can get crazy-busy-fun.
Now, feeling a bit nostalgic, I reached out and was able to book the only cottage available at the dawg-friendly Sheep Dung Estates, The Oaks. We were excited to venture north, sans Airstream, as this was the same cottage we had 24 years ago where we had such sweet memories with our first set of bookends, our Golden Retrievers, Tyler & Tucker. Fast forward and now we return to this almost 800 square foot, one room studio retreat with our two RezMutts, Boonedocker & Piper. Overlooking the Anderson Valley, and with only four cottages on 550 acres, the dawgs had free run of the hills.
Living life full-time on the road they suddenly had no tie up cables, no stinkin’ leashes, no….No’s! After 10 minutes of running and playing, they returned to being simply house dawgs, lazy & happy.
With a population around 1,000 and about 20 wineries throughout the valley, this tranquil cozy cottage time was much enjoyed by all Four Mutties. From over 40 years of living in California I can attest to the fact that there is nothing more beautiful than California in the spring, especially following a rainy winter season. Surrounded by hills carpeted in green grass and daffodils, along with the warm sunshine and skies as blue as they get, we settled in for a week of frivolity, long walks and naps. Who am I kidding? It’s really just short walks and long naps.
Seeking solitude? You don’t need a dawg to book a cottage! Don’t overlook this lesser known wine country sandwiched between the Napa and Sonoma valleys on one side, Mendocino 35 miles west and just two hours north of San Francisco. Here you can sip Husch, Domaine Anderson and Navarro wines, among others. I found the pinot noirs especially tasty and appreciated the excellent bottle of 2017 Domaine Anderson Pinot Noir the innkeepers, Anne & Aaron, left in our cottage!
Camp Dawg 