Passing through Anderson Valley
from the Mendocino Coast on California Route 128 to Boonville, you
encounter miles of shaded forests. There's room on the side of the
road to stop your car and look up at the majestic forest with over
100-year-old Coastal Redwood (Sequoia sempervirons) trees. This enchanting
experience can inspire you for weeks or months. A half-mile south of
Highway 128 on Philo-Greenwood Road eight miles northwest of Boonville
is Hendy Woods State Park. The park features two
virgin redwood groves; Big Hendy (80 acres, with a self-guided
discovery trail) and Little Hendy (20 acres.) The Navarro River runs
the length of the park.
Located in the middle of the Anderson Valley wine district, this
845-acre park is warmer and less foggy than redwood parks along the
coast. The park is well known for a fallen redwood stump that was home
for a man known locally as the Hendy Woods Hermit.
Though the drive to Boonville from the coast
is only 40 miles or so, it requires about an hour of driving. Anderson Valley is a 30 mile long
coastal valley created by the Navarro River watershed that includes the small towns of Yorkville, Boonville, Philo, and Navarro. Anderson
Valley scenery includes a variety of coniferous and deciduous forests
as well as an abundance of rolling hills.
Agriculture is an important part of
Anderson Valley. At one time apple orchards and sheep ranches
dominated the landscape. With the wine industry growing in the area,
orchards and ranches are rapidly being converted to vineyards, though
one brewery does quite well there, Anderson Valley Brewing Company,
producers of ales, beers and stouts named after the valley and a
language created here, Boontling. Boont Amber Ale, Hop Ottin' IPA
(Indian Pale Ale), High Rollers Wheat Beer and Deep Enders Dark Porter
are several of the products sold through distributors or available for
purchase when passing through Boonville. An annual Beer Festival has
been held for over 7 years, usually in the spring or summer months.
Known for Boontling, a dialect created
approximately 100 years ago by locals trying to keep information from
outsiders, "Boont" can still be
heard in local establishments amongst a select group. While
approximately half
of the youth attending school in this region are native English
speakers and the other half are native Spanish speakers, long time locals may
charlie ball you or hoot if you don't harp boont (locals may embarrass
you or laugh if you don't speak Boontling).
Below are a few words that BEACHCALIFORNIA
has absolutely no way of verifying the authenticity or meanings of. If the locals laugh at us for getting it all
wrong, then they will keep their secrets safe.
aplenty - very
or many
apple-head - girlfriend
bahler or bahlest - good or better, best
bahl hornin' - good drinking
Baldies - grassy hills to the east of Boonville
Bluetail - Rattlesnake
boarch - To repeatedly partake of an enjoyable event or activity.
Boont - Boonville. The largest community and focal center of Anderson
Valley. The town where the language of boontling originated
briney - ocean
bucky - a nickel
can-kicky - angry
Charlie Ball - to embarrass
chiggrul - food
cock a fister - to fight
deek - to look or see
Deep Enders - Residents of the town of Navarro, located west of
Anderson Valley and bordering the Pacific Coast
harp - to speak (Boontling)
hoot - laugh
horn - a cup, a drink or to drink
Jeffer - A large fire (named after Jeff, a Boonter who built large
fires in his fireplace)
kimmie - male resident (of Boonville)
larrup - to beat up, whip or kick the tar out of someone or something
lews and larmers - gossip
ling - language
neemer - not anymore
ose - person's bottom or rear end
ot - to work hard; ottin' - working hard
pike - to hike, walk or stroll
seep - wine or to sip
shoveltooth - doctor
slug - to sleep
stook on - in love or infatuated with
string - to kill or beat thoroughly
teem - time
