8/2/13 - Orinda, CA

Today is the 28^th anniversary of my first date with Jim.

We fixed biscuits, sausage and eggs this morning for breakfast.  Then headed out for Napa and went to Napa Smith Brewery where Jim and I shared a beer.  Then we drove to Sonoma to Mission Francisco Solano.  This is the last mission of the 21 California missions.  We toured the mission and old barracks.  Then we saw the Toscano Hotel next door. The only thing left of Las Casa Grande (General Valejo’s first home) is the old servants quarters.  We also drove a couple of blocks down to the last home that General Valejo owned and where he was living when he died.

We left Sonoma and drove to Lagunitas Brewing in Petaluma.  We had a beer and Lorna had lemonade.  She took a taste of our beers.  I had a really good cappuccino stout that was aged in rye whiskey barrels.  Then we drove north to Santa Rosa and had a beer and pizza at Russian River Brewing.  Jim had a Pliny the Elder -- this was the first double IPA.  We needed to stop at San Rafael on the way home to see Mission San Rafael Archangel.  This mission closed at 4 pm and we got there at 6 pm.  We took a picture of the outside and were able to look at the inside but we didn’t get a picture.  There was a funeral for a baby boy born on July 28^th that died.  The parents had three girls and this was their first boy.  It was so sad.  We have now seen all 21 California missions.