Gerstle Cove 8/3/18-8/6/18
We had reservations at Gerstle Cove for Saturday and Sunday night but we decided to leave Friday after work and wing it for night one with no reservations. We found a campsite online called Schoolhouse Canyon Campground on the Russian River so we headed there. We pulled in and immediately loved it. Luckily they had two spots available that would fit the teardrop. It’s mostly tent camping but some sites can accommodate small trailers. All the sites are nestled in redwoods across from the river. It’s family owned and has been since the sixties. They are very particular about large dogs and DO NOT allow pit bulls. The park caretaker wanted to meet Sato before allowing us to take the site. Thankfully Sato passed his test and we had our spot for the night! Knowing it would just be a one nighter we decided not to fully set up camp and drove right down the road to Russian River Pub for dinner. It’s super casual, has outside seating and decent burgers.
The next morning we packed up and drove just a few miles down the road to do some wine tasting before we headed to the coast. We decided to drink Sonoma only wines on this trip and wanted to find some new wineries. Our first stop was the Porter Creek tasting room. It’s very casual and informal but a charming little place, dog friendly with a great pinot. Sato laid outside the door and watched the chickens while we had a great time learning about the wines from Johnathan. We loved how non commercial this place was. Next up was Moshin, just 2 miles away. The woman there was really fun with a great sense of humor. We loved their rosé! They let Sato in the tasting room and even had dog treats! We highly recommend both.
On the way to Gerstle Cove we stopped at Stumptown Brewery for lunch. The menu is very limited but the ribs were amazing! What a fun environment, It’s right on the river with a huge patio, dog run for the furries and a big grassy area that runs along the river where you can hang for hours and play cornhole and watch the river rats float by. Note- this is a cash only establishment.
We pulled into Gerstle cove in the early afternoon. Since they don’t make reservations for a specific site, were told to drive around the campground and pick a few sites that we liked. You choose your spot out of the remaining spots left and then they mark you down for the site you choose. We really liked the one we got for the privacy factor. After exploring later we decided these spots are also good 7, 25, 19 and 21. There are not any hookups here or showers so plan for that. The bathrooms have flush toilets and sinks have warm water . Another thing to note is all the hikes within walking distance of the camp do not allow dogs, however there are many dog friendly beaches a short drive north. We drove to sea ranch beach for a lovely walk on the beach with Sato.
Because Gerstle Cove is so remote we planned on making all our meals on this trip and getting some good use of our Lodge Dutch Oven. We made two delicious dinners. Jambalaya (The Camp Dutch Oven cookbook) and Pork with Apples and Spinach Frittata and steel cut oats for breakfast (The New Camp Cookbook). We are really having fun cooking in the Dutch Oven, most of our recipes have come from these two cookbooks.
Next up……. Bodega Bay!
Gerstle Cove 8/3/18-8/6/18
