DAY ONE | DAY TWO | DAY THREE

This weekend, my Daddy and I hit the for the inaugural Leather Invasion Sonoma, put together by Leathermen Travel. The event began percolating late last year and came to fruition on what could not have been a better weekend. The weather has been gorgeous and the company quite pleasant. The trip ran from Friday, March 6th to Sunday, March 8th and was centered in Guerneville, California.

It’s been ages since I’ve been to Guerneville. The last time I came through here would’ve been within the last decade and a half when the Pup and I stopped in to check things out. I bought Frank L. Baum’s entire Oz collection at a bookstore here, a set of beautiful books that is currently a third-read. We also stopped at a diner for a cracking bibimbap, the details elude me but I do remember it was quire tasty.

Day One: MEET & GREET / BOWLING

The first day began with a very busy commute from the SF Bay Area up north on the 101. Facing slow traffic from the Golden Gate to San Rafael, the going was a crawl before a dose of highway poppers was administered; then, the road opened up. To the east, the sky was darkening as the sun set to the west, the sky a radiant orange and red, embers growing fainter with every minute. It was almost enough to make the driving pleasant. Almost. By the time we hit Windsor, it was full dark, the moon shining like a pinhole star poked through deep, black velvet.

Getting onto River Road, it was time to navigate the nearly 20 miles through the Armstrong Woods to the R3 Hotel, our home base for the Leather Invasion. I remember being thrilled to drive winding roads in the dark at high speeds back in my more youthful days; however, that sense of whimsy was lacking. With Dad in the passenger’s seat, we pushed on through alternating the high and low beams so as not to blind oncoming vehicles. The road shoulders dropped off into darkness before being replaced with trees. It was the sticks and the sticks was everything. My hands were a vice grip on the wheel, my nerves a little frayed and getting moreso with each high beam/low beam dance.

By the time we reached the R3, all I wanted was food and a shower. We quickly checked in, washing up, and changed into some gear for the Meet & Greet at the Rivertime Restaurant & Bar on Main Street. There, we meet our Host Billy and several familiar faces from San Francisco. The joint was convivial and full of life from the locals. Met some new faces and looked longingly at a plate of half-eaten fries and a discarded pickle slice. “Fook, I’m hungry.” After getting our Leathermen Travel shirts and getting the 411 on the evening, we hit the road (Dad driving this time) for some night bowling in Windsor.

About eight or nine of us bowled, it was a great time. A welcome release of energy after being cooped up in the car for a long time. Dad and I ordered burgers, fries, and drinks as we watched a great group of Leathermen bowl and laugh. SIR partook and had a few strikes, it was refreshing to see that there were others who bowled more “spirited and carefree” (as the Pup has told me) than I do. We bowled until 11PM, then hit another winding road back to Guerneville, the quite handsome 2013 Mr. Bullet Bar in tow. Somehow, the ride back to the R3 was shorter perhaps because we were chatting, that may have taken the edge off the nighttime driving through the woods.

Getting back, we got ready for bed and crashed the fook out.

DAY TWO: BODEGA BAY, THE REDWOODS & THE LEATHER INVASION

The day is currently still in progress; stay tuned.