Nomad Life - Day 103

Despite my pleasure at getting back to the Nomad Life, it appears that it might take me a while to get back to feeling "normal".  Case in point: I was awake at 0345 and couldn't get back to sleep.  I passed the time by reading, working on puzzles and completing Duolingo exercises.  Later, I did some organizing and worked on finances.  Finally, I spent a significant amount of time repacking bags (so I'd be able to find everything I needed in the car).  Through all of this, I was accompanied by the sounds of amorous activities from my neighbors.  Perhaps I need a new rating system for hotels to indicate which ones are cheap enough that they encourage affairs...  One really good thing I managed to accomplish was ordering the family Christmas Cards. Erin has offered to assist by receiving them in the mail and then sending them to the 100 people on my address list - wow!  After I finished printing all of the recent bills/statements, I figured out that I needed to order new ink.  While researching where I could get it locally, I dissevered that the cartridge I wanted was very scare at all the stores I searched.  This happened once a few years ago and was due to supply chain issues.  I finally found what I was looking for at a Staples in the nearby town of Novato.  With that ordered, I spent some time coordinating with Kerith to meet for our hike and then did some birding in the little retaining pond (still full of water) behind the hotel.  Actually, I learned later that this might be an estuary of the larger body of water called "Richardson Bay".  I finally departed the Travelodge in Mill Valley at 0930.  The weather was overcast and cool (40s) as I drove (via US-101) to San Rafael to make my first stop at Best Buy.  I hoped to use a gift card that was about to expire but couldn't find anything I really wanted; instead, I ended up buying snacks for my breakfast (0945).  Back in my car, I continued north on US-101 (after weathering a tough entry on to the Freeway ramp) until I reached the Staples in Novato.  Upon entering the store, I learned that they didn't really have any of the ink cartridges I'd ordered - the nice young lady working there looked everywhere but they ended up canceling my order (1015).  Feeling a bit disappointed, I settled for dropping off old tech (recycling) that I had in my car.  After that, I departed for Kerith's home in San Rafael.  On the way, I talked to Allison on the phone (planning for our Sunday dinner in Eureka).  After I arrived at Kerith's (1045), we ended up sitting together in her living room, drinking tea and talking, until it was time to depart for our hike at Point Reyes National Seashore (1130).  At my suggestion, we took the dogs - it seemed like it wouldn't be as fun without them...  Kerith first stopped to fuel up her car and then (1145) we got on US-101, which we used to head south.  Our route later consisted of Miller Creek Road and Lucas Valley Road.  On the way, the weather improved tremendously - it was soon sunny and in the 50's!  The rolling hills and beautiful trees made the drive very pleasant.  Kerith told me she used to regularly bike on this road - this seemed scary to me but we did pass an awful lot of cyclists along the way...  As we passed over a ridge near Big Rock, I noticed a hiking trail that looked like it would really give someone a full appreciation for the pretty terrain.  The whole place looked like Scotland or Ireland!  We passed cows and wineries in the open areas but then drove through a forest that looked like Endor from Star Wars.  It was at that point when Kerith told me we were near George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch!  For some reason, we saw a lot of wild turkeys wandering around in this slice of the "Marin Headlands".  Before long, we reached the quaint little town of Nicasio.  Since it was close to lunch time, Kerith suggested we stop for a bite - almost immediately, though, she changed her mind because the dogs were whining constantly and wanted to go walking.  With that goal in mind, we continued north (via Nicasio Valley Road) and west (via Point Reyes - Petaluma Road).  After Point Reyes Station, we got on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and continued into the National Seashore.  Before reaching the beach, though, we passed through the little hamlet of Inverness and skirted Tomales Bay.  In the warm sunlight, the latter landmark looked very pretty and we saw some kayakers enjoying the pleasant conditions.  We turned on to Pierce Point Road and, by 1250, were parked at the trailhead for Kehoe Beach.  Kerith had researched the rules about dogs and this was one trail system that allowed canines to be off-leash.  There weren't too many other people but almost all had dogs too.  Meanwhile, the weather had turned overcast and breezy.  We had to walk through some big dunes to reached the ocean but we were not disappointed with the views when we arrived.  For one thing, there was a lot of BIG surf!  There were also pretty cliffs, mist shrouded sand hills, plentiful seabirds, interesting flotsam (including tight groups of mussels) and long stretches of empty sand.  We took advantage of the relative solitude and happily walked along the beach, playing ball with Enzo and Maverick.  There was plenty of time for good photos and we walked close to three miles.  We were finished with our visit at about 1415 and then drove back to Inverness.  Feeling famished, we stopped at the Park Market (AKA Tap Room) by 1430.  In the quaint little venue, we ate a delicious lunch (fish & chips to share, Reuben for me) and sampled a couple of local beers.  Meanwhile, the dogs stayed in the car (they are so well trained).  I learned later that the nearby Tomales Bay had initially been created then the San Andreas Fault expanded there...  We finished eating at 1530 and began our drive back to Kerith's home.  Mostly, we followed a reverse route from the morning.  This time, though, there was a lot more mist on the mountains - everything looked very pretty!  We arrived in San Rafael at 1615 - I knew I'd need to get going almost immediately because Kerith had to get ready to meet up with a friend.  Since our visit had gone so well, we ended up talking for a while before I left.  She was very proud of her Christmas decorations...  After we said our goodbyes, I realized I might have time for Mass.  With that in mind, I headed to San Raphael Church, located on the site of the historic Mission San Rafael Arcangel (founded in 1817) and arrived there at 1640.  Initially, I had trouble finding a place to park but, thankfully, a nice person helped me to get inside the church grounds.  Mass began at 1700 and I felt like a small insect inside the large building - regardless, the interior of the church was very pretty.  There seemed to be some language problems with the group of priests saying the Mass - this was exacerbated by the echoing cavern of a church.  Fortunately, there was one priest who spoke very clearly...  When the service ended (1750), I drove back to my hotel via US-101.  On the way, I thought about stopping for gas at the Arco (very cheap prices) nearby.  For the second night in a row, however, there was a huge line for the pumps.  Instead, went back to my room and packed up the car (prep for departure the next day).  Since I still had a little walking to do to reach my 10K steps, I explored the area near the hotel.  After that, I worked on my blog, ate leftovers for my dinner and watched movies until bedtime (2300).  It's been a great few days of catching up with Kerith - hope we can get together again soon!