November 16, 2009
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Weekend in Swansboro
Too much drama on the home front so I decided to give my poor room mate a break and head out of town to visit my pal Kim. She is housesitting for a friend of hers who has gone to France for five months or so. It is a very good situation for her.But Swansboro? Good grief. I have never been there but have HEARD all the awful tales of the road and bridge to get there. Eleven twisty turny narrow steep miles to Kim’s cabin in the woods. I have commuted but not for years. I thought, come on, how bad can it be? Besides, it would just be nice to get out of dodge! (Swansboro is just North East of Placerville)
And that bridge? It scared the hell out of me coming and going!
Holy cow. It was worse than anything that I could imagine. And apparently it gets very icy in the winter. They actually close the road. I cannot even imagine what that bridge is like when it snows.
Oh my DOG!
We have no pride and it was free!
Ok, but once I got there and Kim poured me some wine, everything was fine.The place was magical. Really. Just so cozy and well decorated and comfortable. I felt right at home. I unpacked my bag of food and started making guacamole dip. I brought carne asada to make for dinner. Honestly though, I had cleaned my mom’s house that morning and was just tired and not organized in her kitchen, I let Kim take over the dinner prep. I washed and cleaned and drank and drank…
Dinner was fantastic. Thank you Kim! We stuffed ourselves and watched some custom bike reality show. I have no clue what it was called. We were catching our buzz so we could drunk facebook! I brought my camera and took way too many blurry photos. They seemed like great ideas at the time. DELETE!
But, most importantly, I got photos of my new red head look! Not a great photo of me but a good one of my new do!
Check out the place! That fireplace has a remote control! YESSS!
All the sinks were amazing. But, I just love THIS!
Kim posing with said libations.
Cat and mouse
This is Bootsy. She wanted to help us drunk facebook!
Kim flashed me in this photo to make me smile. It worked!
So the question of the following morning was “How do you spill box wine?” Apparently I did just that. Oh my dog…I have many useful skills. Why do I not have a most excellent job or boy friend????
The hot dog is never far from the action!
This little forest friend was in the front yard when I got up this morning!
I made coffee and breakfast for us this morning. We were both in kind of slow motion this morning. Our tranquil surroundings did not prompt us to want to much more than shower and sip coffee, to be honest.
Cabin in the woods of Swansboro
Isn’t this place so cute? The back deck looks out into the forest. You do not see a single neighbor. Awesome.
Me with the red hair and my Cat Mobile!It was time to hit the road. I did not want to deal with Apple Hill traffic if I could help it, or the end of the weekend traffic, for that matter. I packed my gear and headed for home…
I had to travel that bridge again…ack!!!I pulled out of every cars way. I probably averaged about 14 miles per hour. My car was awesome though. On the ridiculously steep hairpin turn climbs up and down. I love my car!
This retainer wall was built in 2006 when intense rains caused an entire section of road to fail across a switchback and onto a lower portion of road, closing this main road into the community of Swansboro.
As white knuckle as this road is it is also very scenic. They even have an airport!
Check out those fall colors!Some really fancy homes can be found along this treacherous by way. Lots of vineyards as well. I am wondering if tons of winery’s will be opening once a couple of grape harvests have been completed. This road is bad enough, but imagine it with wine tasting traffic…..ACK!
Anyhoos…I made it home in one piece. I think this will be an early night. I am tired as heck. I will make dinner for Gloria and I. Most likely read myself to sleep tonite. That is all the excitement this girl can handle.
I sure do love my new red hair!
How is your weekend going, xanga-hood? What is new, what is up, what is it all about???
Comments (25)
That looks like a great trip to a great cabin. ^_^
Looks wonderful! I’d loooove to live some place like that some day…
My uncle and I once drove to Wrights Lake somewhere up in those hills on Highway 50. On the way home we almost drove over the edge of the road which would have been a big drop.
This was after the battery in his truck died and had to be replaced. Anyway, I’m glad cupcakes are coming back in California. Everything good starts in CA so in a few years maybe there’ll be cupcakes in Texas. 
I like the red too
@shredder - Thank you!
love the hair….the road looks scary .. I would be too chicken to even try driving it
Your friend Kim certainly has a nice place, and I’m pleased you both enjoyed the food and drink. But yeah, that bridge to get to the place certainly looks scary! Love your new hairdo! And I had to laugh at the “cat and mouse” picture. Very sweet!
I am impressed that you colored your hair to match your car! That’s stylin’ girl! I like it.
I think Kim needs a cabin mate. Does she live there full time? It looks really nice!
I see Kitty Butt in front of the fireplace! Bootsy probably enjoyed watching the crazy antics of the two of you! Did she brew coffee for the two of you later on? muahahaha!
Yeah, I too would shit my breeches if I had to cross that bridge. My mind always goes to that awful place where it says..”Watch! Now the bridge will fall cause I”m on it”. I also apply the same thought to roller coasters, going beneath underpasses and when trucks, hauling lots of cars passes me on the highway. Maybe I need to examine my thought processes a little closer!
Glad you had a great time and were able to get away for a wild weekend!
ps I could definitely eat that plate of food!
What a gorgeous cabin. What a terrifying bridge. I hate bridges. I nominate the one over the Ohio River between Paducah, KY, and Metropolis, IL, as the worst in the country, though. It’s only a lane and a half wide, and is wrought iron. And I mean, the driving surface is wrought iron–you can see down to the river through the driving surface. And it sways. And shudders. Did I mention I hate bridges???
I’ve seen that bridge and wondered where it led. The road looks better suited to bicycles than cars. There’s a fun downhill bike trail there above Placerville that the local bike shop will shuttle you to. It’s a lot like the road you drove only about a lane and a half narrower.
What a lovely setting for a “cabin”! (It looks bigger than my house) The thing I love most about places like that is the quiet. It’s so still in the morning you can almost hear the deer chewing.
So, I hope your drama at home had time to resolve itself during your absence. If not, tell us all about it.
you look mavelous in your new hair. and your new car.
that town is cool … I like unusual, hole-in-the-wall places like that.
j.
I love the hair and the car and the cabin and the view and wow…. Can I come visit you on my need-a-vacation roadtrip?
@unbridled_science - COME ON OVER! Thank you for your note on facebook by the way. That was great encouragement and honesty and info. I mean it, if you come this way you always have a place to hang out. Thank you!
your hair is very lovely!! So you spicy hot momma looks like a trip and that bridge…..I would have been muttering and having problems driving over that!
I loved the picture of the bridge! I can see why you’d be nervous driving over it but I love the look of it – does it shake in the breeze I wonder?! The cabin looks lovely, I wish I had friends with access to pads like that.
I like your hair a lot btw!
I had no idea places that seem close could be so tricky to get to. The red hair is workin for you. Box wine spillage? That’s criminal!
I have never heard of Swansboro! Cool, can they get snowed in and stay through the winter or do they have to leave? i would love to be snowed in there for a season, of course with pleanty of stuff i would need.
Thanks for sharing!
I had to laugh because after reading your questions about which rides I had done up there I thought maybe I was mistaken. Of course, I was. I thought that bridge was the one that crosses the river in Downieville (considerably farther north). We rode the Downieville downhill race course. I’ve never been to Placerville that I recall.
Next time we go up to visit our friends in Grass Valley, we will stop by so you will can show us your favorite trails.
@judyrutrider - I have ridden Downiehill the single track twice in the snow. We were shuttled both times but what a flippin’ blast. Nothing more breath taking then endoing in the snow. So, no rides in Tahoe? The Flume? Mr. Toads? Tahoe Rim?
sounds like serious qwality gurlfriend time! I need me some of that. It has been FAR too long. So glad you and your car had a chance to get away from it all. BTW, I also love the new red do. It’s Sassi Cassi!
You were tired from writing such a great post. I’m glad I stopped by. – Rollie
We did one short ride in Tahoe on that same trip. It was on the West side of the lake, if I remember correctly, very steep and rutted. Seems like I remember a seriously rooty section that required hike a bike. I was out of sorts as I had been awake most of the night listening for bears as we were camping along a stream in kind of a remote location. It was scarwy.
I can’t imagine trying to ride the Downieville downhill in the snow. There were sections that overhung the river so precipitously that I got off and walked. It wasn’t that the trail was so narrow but the penalty for failure was too dear.
I like the bridge myself that would be fun to travel on especially to find a cabin like that on the other end. enjoy Life!
Whohooweee – love the hair! Sounds like quite the adventure. I’ve also loved catching up on all the other adventures in your latest blogs. CONGRATULATIONS on finding a good vehicle!
Glad you enjoyed your trip…you definitely enjoy it! Love the red hair! Also, thank you for your kindness. It is much appreciated!