We’ve a lunch date in Ft. Bragg, lured by the promise of great beer at the North Coast Brewery. Merlin rides for the fries. Our pal, Frankenstein author Mary Shelley author Molly Dwyer, invited us to address her local writers' group. Molly was inspired by her visit to the Marin Branch of the California Writers Club to charter a new, more conveniently located, branch. So three CWC officers, Linda McCabe and Kate Farrell of Redwood Writers, and Merlin's chauffeur from Marin, trekked the three hours north to Mendocino County. 
Instigator Molly was still in Paris so we toasted her with fabulous microbrew and birthday cake. Merlin gathered us for a photo snap in the rain beside Hwy 1.
California State Route Number One is Merlin’s favorite road trip road. Designated an All-American Road, the infamous Highway One hugs the western edge of America along some of the most specular coastline in the world. Many of Merlin’s favorite destinations are on Highway One: Muir Beach, Point Reyes, the Golden Gate Bridge. The artist colony and resort town of Mendocino is an obvious addition to the Highway One catalog, and Merlin managed to parlay the writers lunch into a three day getaway. The first big storm of the season arrived just ahead of us; it rained the entire sojourn.
Merlin trotted across raging storm drains, splashing into the center of puddles, soaking through his clean towel pile at the first stop. Happy wet Merlin streamed up the car windows. We drove towards the ocean and slid to a muddy stop on the cliffs above the roiling surf. Stepping out into biting wind and salty rain, Merlin squinted from the leeward side of the Merlin mobile. No whale sightings today.
Merlin suggests we find some of those famous Mendocino redwoods. Turning inland from Van Damme State Park beach, we enter a primordial forest. Gliding through soggy tree tunnels, Merlin inhales wet pine. Mendocino has some of the tallest living trees in the world, and some of the smallest. A Pygmy Forest 
hides in the poor soil of coastal terraces between Fort Bragg and Anchor Bay. Cypress trees over 100 years old are only a foot high: Merlin-size! We disembark with umbrellas, towering over the tiny trees. A ginormous Merlin sniffs their tippy tops from the raised walkway protecting the delicate Lilliputian forest from disruptive visitor feet. Here we are Brobdingnagian, strolling respectfully among century old toothpicks. We slosh back through thick drizzle to our warm coastal cabin fireplace and hot tub.
Mendocino Getaway: 333 miles
When we embarked on Merlin's Road Trip blog two years ago, we were 
Arriving with a day to spare, we did get to the church on time. The wedding was wonderful, the couple splendid, the dress gorgeous, the reception legendary. We ate, toasted, laughed, and danced like it was 1979. Merlin particularly relished the M & M wedding table favors, while the British side of the family doted over him.
Merlin adores his bright red MerlinMobile, always eager to hop into his traveling dog clubhouse. Having a wizardly namesake, Merlin has a nose for legend. Mention a flying doghouse and he sniffs out the renowned Snoopy, and Red Baron dogfights. 
En route through the town of 
Sneaking the back road way into 
Lurking on the edge of the fest was 
especially those of the 
Merlin goes camping! Best dog friend, Norma Jean, invited Merlin and entourage to a star party birthday sleepover at 
They have three 
Messier 51a is the cannibal Whirlpool Galaxy. NGC 891 is an edge-on spiral galaxy in Andromeda, 30 million light years away. Sirius, the Dog Star, would appear an hour before dawn. Merlin lasted until midnight. We had our eye on Jupiter all night through the refractor in the dome. It's at 
docents to witness Callisto disappear behind Jupiter as Io disappeared in front. Io’s inky black shadow crept across radiant Jupiter for two hours. Orbital dynamics, live, through a telescope near you. Just like Galileo, except without the Inquisition.
In the morning we walked to Mars. Pluto was too far on a distant ridge. Astronomy mingles science and mystery, empirical observation with awe and wonder. Plus, we get to stay up all night. Anyone with a pair of decent binoculars can look up into the night sky and see Jupiter's moons for themselves.
Tonight, Callisto and Io will slip behind Jupiter as Europe and Ganymede pass in front. All four Galilean moons of Jupiter will disappear, an event which occurs only a few times each century. We’ll be outside, looking up, pup tent near by. 
School’s out and interns are clamoring to work with Merlin. We hosted Ryan and Matt this summer at our art/ photography studio. Merlin insisted on modeling, sharing his secrets for achieving great portraits (blueberry doggie crunchy attention enhancers).
about their work experience. Ryan goes to 
We arranged a location shoot and packed our bag of tricks with metallic cloths, sheer fabrics, shiny streamers, and reflective fans from Chinatown. Everyone rendezvoused at our local 
The interns were amazed to work with a professional model and both marked the experience as the highlight of their summer internship. We shot over 800 digital photos between the three of us. Karen reveled in the photographic 
made multiple time exposures in the 
and 
especially for 
Merlin likes bikes. They go fast. Almost as fast as a sprinting Merlin across the park. Merlin also enjoys the 
paw print logo encourages a women’s team with a pat on their rumps. He’s not too sure about the cowbell mania. He prefers cowbells on cows, or cats.
(as in Dog), right in front of Merlin’s chauffeur’s 
Ryan posted some photos on her internship blog. 
They erupt from the starting gate and never look back. Merlin’s favorites are the pink girls with pink bikes, pink helmets, pink shoes, and flying pink ribbons, and the lone batman. They blur past Art Works Downtown, marshaled by pro riders on their own speed machines. All required fast shutter speeds as they zipped around the course. Official results on 
rode in the 2009 
Of course, big name cyclists missed 
New GGT Bus Campaign
4 days ago
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