We gladly left Willits KOA by 9am and headed south on 101 towards Big Sur. We thought perhaps if we made good time we’d could stop by the Winchester House of Mystery or the Monterey Bay Aquarium. But just after getting gas in Ukaiah we took a wrong turn, headed the wrong direction, got stuck on a back road where we couldn’t turn around. So all bet for the day were off. I dropped a few dozen F-Bombs as I tried to turn us around and we ate into our early leave for the day.
One we got ourselves headed in the right direction we settled into the familiar groove of the road trip. Tawny and I ooing and awing over the beautiful landscape while Clara and Cody where heads down in an iPhone or iPad.
Tawny spotted the Francis Ford Coppola Winery out the window as we passed on 101. We missed the exit but took the next and doubled back to visit the winery, knowing we’d see some great movie memorabilia. We weren’t disappointed. A beautiful estate, ample parking for the r-pod, some very tasty wines and some iconic treasures from some of America’s greatest films such as The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, as well as some of Sofia Coppola’s films. Thanks to Clara for taking the photos while I was wine tasting.
<We headed on to Monterey but decided not to stop so we could get to our site in Big Sur. Gilroy was 91 degrees, and when we hit Monterey and Carmel it was only 62 and foggy. We headed down the spectacular coastline, with some white-knuckle-cliff-dangling-one-lane-under-construction roads and made our way to the quaintest and cutest little riverside camping and RV park (Riverside Campsite, Big Sur) in Big Sur ever. I love this place. Friendly people, babbling brook, little store, quintessential hippie town nearby, beautiful surroundings. Amazing time. We had great appetizers with a Francis Ford Coppola Claret with a great garlic and pepper flank steak before making enough S'mores to make one sick. A day that started with F-Bombs, ended with new F-Bombs – of Fabulous Day.
Sabbatikos 
Thanks for sharing – that looks like an amazing trip! Was at the Coppola winery in 2000 and absolutely fell in love with Big Sur.
Clara did you and Cody re-enact When Vacations Attack on the rope swing?!