Corndogs + Avocados

Ahhh, Thanksgiving. Our family is a bit not so traditional when it comes to Thanksgiving, but no matter what happens, it’s always good. Or at least funny.

Grandma Burgess was the queen of Thanksgiving, creating a coma inducing spread every year until she passed away in 1983. Grandpa wanted to remain the principal provider of the Thanksgiving feast, so the following year he treated us to a Cornish game hen. It was marvelously prepared, but only about the size of a large softball and there were eight of us. I believe that was the year that he ushered me sneakily into his kitchen to show the pink stripes he hadn’t managed to clean off of his ceiling and upper cabinets when, during his Thanksgiving dinner preparing fervor, he turned the blender on lidless. Needless to say, the next year Grandpa initiated the new tradition of taking us out to eat on Thanksgiving Day.

Every year we drove the 2.5 hours to Grandpa’s place and were treated to Thanksgiving turkey or pork chops at the Clear Lake Riviera Yacht & Golf Club Restaurant. Seems pretty straight forward unless your car breaks down and dinner ends up at Denny’s. I think one year there was a port-a-potty and some curry involved. No matter.

A few years ago Darin and I started our own tradition of going on a road trip every Thanksgiving since those are often the only days we have off at the same time. This year we got the best of both worlds. An early Thanksgiving dinner put on by the illustrious chef, Martha (my mom), with a brother, a sister, a brother in-law and two neighbors, and then a road trip to Mendocino.

Sadly, I wasn’t thinking and didn’t snap a shot later when the table groaned under the weight of all the turkey and trimmin’s.

Kim and I put the centerpiece together. Don’t laugh. I don’t decorate. It’s sad, yes, but I’m proud of this. (Narcissistic? Oh yeah.)

This is where we had Thanksgiving dinner Thursday night. Darin had a fantastic roast turkey dinner (not as good as Mom’s of course), while I tried not to inhale to noisily, so as not to embarrass us, butternut squash, gold chantrelles and mascarpone cheese rolled in black truffled crepes. Good grief it was good!

Ooooh breakfast was so good!

Breakfast was at the Bay View Cafe. Here’s the view.

This is where you go for yummy pizza, ice cream, hot cocoa and free wi-fi. Hooray!

This is the town of Mendocino.

This is the hat the Darin bought in Mendocino because he forgot to bring one and it was blindingly sunny.

Proof of ancient Darin worship.

Just north of Mendocino is MacKerricher State Park with this great boardwalk and fantastic tidal pools. Please don’t molest the marine life!

This is the hat Liz bought in Mendocino because she forgot to bring one and it was blindingly sunny. Great minds think (or don’t think) alike, no?

Careful where you tread. All those crusty looking things are actually aggregated sea anemones with tiny white rocks and debris stuck on the outside of them while they are curled up and trying to hold onto some water inside while the tide is out.

We recommend the Mendocino Botanical Gardens just north of Mendocino in Fort Bragg. I was so excited to go on the guided mushroom walk at 1:30 that afternoon, but we discovered that the walk only goes down on Mondays. Plan accordingly.

Point Cabrillo lighthouse trail. Oh look - a nature walk!

Stay on the path?

Ohhhhhh.

View looking south from lighthouse.

Mendocino Arts Festival.

I’m not sure what you call this, but it was cool. Located behind the Little River cemetery just south of Mendocino.

Secret Beach, just south of Mendocino.

This is the only other reason we know of so far to go to Fort Bragg: Jenny’s Giant Burger. After three days of fru-fru Liz food, all good husbands, and even Liz, need some good old-fashioned burgers and fries. The hamburger was reeeeeeally good!