In July 2008 my 16-year old son and I met at the San Francisco airport--he arriving from Austin and myself from Bangkok--and drove straight to Freestone Hill to begin the first week of father-son bonding necessitated by my being based in Bangkok on a UN assignment.

We could not possibly have chosen a better place to begin our road trip.  We would awake each morning and watch the deer grazing from our bedroom windows - without even having to get out of bed.  The property is covered with flowers and hillscapes and golden California light that make every excursion out of the house a little transcendental adventure.  

In addition, even a week did not give us enough time to explore everything within reach.  We did kayaks on the Russian River, photo expedition to Mendocino, day-trip to Sacramento and wine country, Hitchcock and "The Birds" in Bodega Bay...  In addition, we found the greatest breakfast of all time at Howard's Cafe, about 15 minutes away.  The high point was a personalized 5 course Thai cooking lesson for my son, including shopping for ingredients, conducted by master chef Phant Worakul. If you go to this place, you will not be sorry you did.  You will, however, be sorry when it comes time to leave.

Norman and Corey Sanders
UNDP Bangkok
Austin, Texas