How I wish, how I wish you were here...

This past weekend my partner and I went up to Guerneville and had quite an adventure. We joined our friends on an annual canoe trip along the Russian River (the 10th year running! And only our 2nd...) and decided to stay in Guerneville over the weekend so we wouldn't have to drive exhausted after paddling 10 miles.

We stayed at the rustic Woods Resort in downtown Guerneville and had a great time. We could have stayed at posher places or more modern "designed" hotels, but we chose The Woods for its central location and friendly atmosphere. After capsizing in the river and losing several key belongings, getting into a fight and losing our group, we decided to upgrade to a Deluxe Cabin.

It was the best decision we made!

After a hot bath to clean off the mud and dirt of the river, we sat around and read on our deck over looking the pool and garden.

Then we ate at the excellent Russian River Pub, gorging ourselves on their signature sandwiches and burgers since we lost our lunch to the river (seriously--our food got soaked when we capsized!)

We even had a chance to explore a few shops in Guerneville. From what we've seen, a lot of places have gone out of business, but lucky for me Sonoma Nesting Company was still in business (and open at 6:40pm on a Saturday evening!)

I can see why Sonoma Nesting's been featured in a few travel shows--it's a good mix of eclectic, shabby-chic stuff. And they had a freaky doll in a vintage oven--I wish I had taken a photo for you!

Despite the previous canoe trip several years ago, this was actually the first time I'd ever seen Guerneville. It definitely won't be the last!

Images from The Woods Resort and Sonoma Nesting Co.