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WRITERS PICKS ( 35
Best Place to Smell the Leftover Stench of George W. Bush & Thank the Mud That Sullied Him Rising 1,700 feet above the Napa Valley Floor is Howell Mountain, where one can find Las Posadas State Forest, with secret trails, cattle grazing, hawks, owls and other creatures. But there was another memorable creature that visited Las Posadas in 2006, whose essence one hopes hasn’t tarnished the place: George W. Bush. At the time, the now-disgraced president’s sole visit to the Bay Area during his eight-year presidency was big news. Hundreds lined Highway 29 when word got out that W. was lunching at Meadowood Country Club, many in protest. (Some gun-toting local Republicans painted a 20-foot-tall sign that read “W.”) One observer said seeing Bush’s entourage of black limousines weave down the mountain was “like watching a snake.” At Las Posadas, Bush joined the Travis Air Force Base cycling team in a vigorous mountain bike ride. His approval numbers had sunk even lower, his illegal war had dragged on, and he, of all people, stood to benefit from the forest’s solitude. Digging deep into contemplation that day at Las Posadas, he told AP reporter Scott Lindlaw, “Generally, when I ride, it is the one time when I feel alone.” Las Posadas Road, Angwin.—E.G.
Best Way to Learn About the ‘Hole in the Head’ California’s coastline is “a big outdoor museum,” says Coastwalk executive director Una Glass, one that offers a stunning variety of vistas which, remarkably, remain legally (if not topographically) accessible to all who want to savor them. This didn’t just happen, of course, but is the result of an ongoing series of struggles, often pitting a small but determined band of defenders against forces with far
greater resources and influence. The details of these battles are rarely mentioned, however, at the sites themselves. Now, technology allows you to bring that backstory to the scene through the lovingly produced series California Coastal Trail Podcasts, available for free through the Coastwalk website. The five podcasts completed so far reach from Bodega Head south to Orange County’s Crystal Cove, and feature commentary from key players in those historic battles (such as Coastwalk cofounder Bill Kortum), framed by music from Mickey Hart. The other pieces, which average 10 minutes, examine Point Reyes, Santa Monica Beach and the Monterrey County coastline. “We have a tremendous number of ideas for more,” says Glass. “We’re just searching for grant funding to get them off the ground.” And into your ears. www. coastwalk.org/cw-podcasts.—B.R.
Best Hooters Along the Sonoma Coast, the trail from Shell Beach to Pomo Canyon starts out unremarkably enough with a climb up a barren, windblasted hill, while the surf can still be heard noisily licking the rocks and sand clean behind. Craggy perches afford views of the Russian River, while farther on, thick stands of fern threaten to close up the trail as it wends uncertainly along the hillside. Then the trail turns into a dark grove of charismatically twisted cypress—God knows why they’re here, randomly amassed on a northerly fold in the hill, but it’s a little spooky. As if on cue, a watchful owl calls out in low hoots from somewhere in the trees: “Who, who! Who, who!” The trail breaks out into a sunny stretch. Above, fingers of fog reach into the interior hills only to vanish before your eyes. Then, just as suddenly, is a redwood forest. The air itself seems to be holding its breath, the sound of one’s footfall is muffled, but unnaturally close. And then, there it is again, the very same voice calling softly from high in the trees: “Who, who! Who, who!” California State Route 1, one mile south of Goat Rock.—J.K.
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