We flew through Westport so we could reach Fort Bragg in time for dinner. This coastal town offered many outdoor choices and although it was chilly, we had drinks outside facing a fish tank and a heat lamp.
It’s a historical town with a few museums and artifacts. Fort Bragg is also the western terminus of the California and Western Railroad’s Skunk Train, a sightseeing railroad that winds inland along the redwood-thick and rugged Noyo River gulch and over the mountains to Willits, roughly 40 miles away. Christopher Myles in Australia – you’d love this. Thought of you, so once you get your body over here, we’ll drive north.
We ended up at The Wharf for dinner where we splurged on oysters (had to have em), a bottle of chardonnay (or was it two), and sole. I couldn’t help but notice four older men all wearing the same shirt…..a golf competition was my first thought. When the wine came, they stood up and started making their rounds – table to table – to sing acapella. When they arrived at our table, I told them of my journey west.
The result: they didn’t leave us. Song after song, we had our own private concert. We ended up joining them and their wives later for desert and coffee.
The area was fairly booked up and despite the fact that there were few rooms left and rates were high, I managed to nail a $60 discount off a motel room suite with the Indian owner at the Driftwood Motel. I think he was amused by me and my tough negotiating skills – “I’ve been to India and learned from the best,” I replied. This brought a gleaming smile to his face, so we chatted for close to an hour while David snoozed in the car. When I returned, he was certain we were doomed to camp along the side of the road or sleep upright in the car. My response: “Oh no, my friend. Yee have little faith. We have a suite tonight.”
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
