Raven's Roads
Living an interesting life: the travels and musings
of motorcycling author Linda R. Moore

This is the third in a series of three, and part 29 of a series.
[Index] [Part 1] [Part 2]

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10 November 2007

We woke up, and the world was wet. A steady rain pestered us as we broke camp, dumped the tanks, and abandoned thoughts of spending money on geysers and damp forest walks. We decided to head back home.

En route, though, Don spotted a “snarf ahead” sign and offered me a detour into Yountville. “Okay,” I said, and as we drove slowly down the main street I spotted at least one plaque in the distance. Don found a large lot in which to park and I set off under a hopeful-looking gap in the rain clouds.

I soon forgot all about the gray day. Yountville was a lovely place–crammed with old buildings, sprinkled liberally in plaques, and garnished with a thick layer of damp, fallen leaves and ivy. It had been so long since I got to go out and just play that my inner adventurer was literally skipping with enthusiasm. There were two state historical markers in downtown, and one of them was in a cemetery at the far end of town. Getting there, I had wonderful views across fields full of next year’s vines, and many unexpected plaques.

   

Along the way I came to a little park that had been planted as a rose garden by one of the early settlers. It contained a memorial to the firefighters of this town, and a lovely little fountain. Just as I reached the cemetery end of town, there was also a little historic district with a handful of old brick and wood buildings.

   

I found the cemetery where George Yount was buried at the edge of town, where the two main streets split apart. The gap in between was used for a park, empty now because of the weather. The marker I needed was within a few feet of the entrance, complete with its own flagpole, but I didn’t see it and ended up taking the grand tour of a large pioneer cemetery full of an eclectic mix of grand old tombs and sad little pauper’s graves, some even with wooden crosses.

It was peaceful there under the shade of the dripping trees, and I discovered that it had also once been an Indian burial ground. Names that were part of the area’s history were much in abundance, but I had done the entire loop before I finally spotted the flagpole and George Yount’s grave right there.

Full of the energy that comes from exploring, I headed off back to the rig, since I had forgotten a book to release and the other landmark was in completely the opposite direction. I took a short break in the rig, grabbed my book and said hello to Don, who was having fun trying to find wireless internet. The rain started in earnest now, but I walked down to the veterans’ home, one of the first institutions built to house returning veterans. Sidetracked, I also checked out the lonely railway station where wine trains stop, presumably on sunnier days.

The towns in the Napa valley do seem to relish their railroad heritage. Calistoga had a shopping center made from railroad cars and its depot was now a restaurant; Yountville had transformed its own historic depot into a little shopping center, and the railroad cars were used as a motel!

It was also rather fond of bells: I found no less than three bells on my travels. Two were church bells and one was an old school bell.

   
   

Increasingly damp, I headed back to Don, but called in first at a little country store. It turned out to be an emporium for all sorts of good food, including a surprising array of British goodies. I grabbed a postcard and some snacks, then called in at the tourist information where the lady produced a walking tour of Yountville–too late for me, of course, but still pretty neat. (I promptly lost it, and haven’t found it since.) She mentioned the third landmark, which I’d already thought was out of range, but said that the road was certainly suitable for RVs. So I told Don about it and he obliged.

Well, it was certainly paved…but I’m really not sure about suitable. The road was about a lane and a half wide, going past ploughed fields and farm houses. We were lucky not to meet anybody going in the opposite direction, but when we spotted the landmark, one of those delightful plaques set into a rock in the middle of nowhere, we took up the whole road to back into the space so that I could log it. It was the last landmark of my 2007 Markeroni Challenge, and I snarfed it quickly and delightedly before we got the heck out of there. ;)

Summary

• Napa
  
  • #151: SHL #878 First Presbyterian Church
    
  
  
• Calistoga
  • #152: SHL #684 Sam Brannan Store
    
  • #153: SHL #687 Napa Valley Railroad Depot
    
  • #154: SHL #682 Site of York’s Cabin
    
  • #155: SHL #683 Site of Hudson’s Cabin
    
  • #156: SHL #685 Brannan Cottage
  
  
• Yountville
  • #157: SHL #693 George C. Yount Grave and Monument
    
  • #158: SHL #828 Veterans’ Home of California
    
  • #158: SHL #564 Yount’s Blockhouse and Adobe

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