With COVID cases on the rise, we decided to spend our family trip this week in a secluded AirBnb retreat in Jenner. On Saturday after a second round of virtual fellowship interviews, we booked it to Bodega Bay for dinner over grilled oysters, fried fish, and hearty clam chowder at The Boat House. A majestic view of the incoming fog and Pacific sunset off Highway 1 welcomed us to the Sonoma Coast as we arrived at our cabin. We awoke the next morning to the sounds of nature, and explored the nearby trails and redwood groves on the property. Knowing that there were few dining options nearby, we had brought along ingredients and supplies for hot pot, but forgot the hot pot itself, forcing us to jerry-rig the cabin’s Crockpot. The new mala broth mix was also too oily and spicy for our taste, which made for a subpar lunch. We spent the afternoon lounging in the cabin while Westley assembled a Lego submarine from grandma and grandpa. In the evening, we made a supply run to the nearby Fort Ross Store for overpriced chicken broth and skewers to make s’mores to go with our frozen dumpling dinner. We slept in Monday morning, and after a diluted spicy hot pot lunch, headed for Salt Point State Park. Here, we spent the afternoon seal spotting and hiking the Tafoni sandstone, whose honeycomb erosions provided exciting tidepool encounters, including the frenzied disassembly of a stripes shore crab carcass by a gang of hermit crabs. Back at the cabin, Westley quickly discovered the cabin’s own Lego stash, with a mix of pirate, space, and medieval-themed bricks that took his attention from my attempt to teach him Scrabble. We spent Election Day hiking Stillwater Cove’s switchback trails, dry creek, and pebbled beach. Our dinner of mac n’ cheese with peas put Melody to bed early, although my staying up put me no closer to election results. We spent our last morning at Goat Rock Beach, where masses of ducks, geese, seagulls, and the occasional harbor seal congregated at the confluence of the Russian River and Pacific Ocean. We wrapped up with crab rolls and chowder at Spud Point Crab Company, which were definitely worth the socially-distanced wait in line. Although we spent the rest of our vacation week catching up on work, our short getaway to the Sonoma Coast gave us a chance to get out of the house and connect with nature.