We Are Now In the ZMM Narrator's "Wine Country". As He Says "Exquisite!"
I was indeed thrilled with the beauty of these irrigated valleys, with row after row of grape vines, set before the distant low hills. At every turn in the road, I grabbed my camera, and stabbed on the brakes at the first available wide palace. But this also created a problem. At every stop I wanted to gather my 360 degree full circle panorama shots. This required me to stand by the highway and keep my eye (and full attention) in the camera viewfinder and rotate the camera (and me) full circle, as I staged & shot each of the 8 needed photographs. Through all this, I became thoroughly rattled, because I could not see the on-coming high speed cars. There was a near continuous flow of cars that were whoooshing-on-by-me. In my state of semi-blindness, they seemed to practically brushed my knees! Although I was completely unnerved by this jam, I stood my ground, and came home with some five wine country panoramas safely packed into my 128MB Compact Flash Card. Look for these (soon) in my Panorama Album in this Gallery of Web Photos.
Eight miles South of Ukiah, CA.
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This Cut In the Rock Was Not made By the California Highway Department. The Russian River Got Here First! This River Over Past Eons, Managed to Cut This Wonderful Valley Down From the Surrounding Hills. The Highway Followed the River Through This Gap.
This Valley and the Russian River started in the mountains well North of Ukiah, flows through Mendoceno Lake, and continues South, half way to San Francisco Bay.
Several miles South of Hopland, CA.
(Photo = 117-1770.JPG WayPt = 480i !0471ft Photo at ~7 mi SouthSouthEast of Hopland and 2 mi South of WayPt = 479 0470ft)

Now We Really Are In Wine Country! “Exquisite!“
The pavement in the foreground is the old North-South main highway prior to construction of the freeway several miles to the west of here.
Half mi South of Asti, CA.
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This View Is From Along the Old Road Just North of Town. View on the Other side of the Road, Same Location As Previous Photo.
We are on the Western side of the valley, where the land changes from board-flat to rolling hills. However the grapes here seem to be just healthy
Half mi South of Asti, CA.
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We Are Leaving the Valley of the Russian River Behind, and Starting the Climb Over the Next mountain Range Before descending To the "Valley" of the San Francisco Bay.
View continued in next photo.
.Novato, CA.
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Typical Northern California Dry Country Hills and Vegetation. Note Pure Blue Sky Symptom of Near Zero Humidity!
View continued from previous photo.
.Novato, CA.
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Here We Get Our First Glimpse of the San Francisco Bay.
We are getting near the end of the ZMM Route. Thanks for taking the "Ride" with me.
North Bay Peninsula, near Greenbrae, CA.
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View of San Francisco Bay From Higher Up in the Hills Of the North San Francisco Bay Peninsula.
“ …. and soon by the road are houses and boats and the water of the Bay. …. “
Sausalito, CA.
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I Risked My Neck To Run From My (Right Berm) Parked Car, To the Median to Get This Photo. I had to Wait Quite a While To Get this Open Space in the Heavy Traffic. I Got Honked At As I Ran Back To Safety. But Worth It Since How Else To Get a Dramatic Photo!
I believe that is San Quentin Island and the San Francisco Bay Bridge in the distance. You Will see the Golden Gte Bridge Ahead.
Marin City, CA.
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