The New Year’s Eve flood of 2005 crested at 41.8′ at the pedestrian bridge in Guerneville (upper photo). The abandoned amusement park (across highway 116 from the peewee golf course) renders new meaning to the term “water slide” (lower left photo).
At the Northwood Golf Course in Monte Rio, a sign warns visitors what will happen if they do not use the “proper” facility (lower right photo). Perhaps a certain New Year’s Eve reveler should have taken this as an omen. A visitor to the area, he had rented both a vehicle and a house to celebrate the incoming of 2006. But heavy rains blocked Redwood Drive, which ran to the lower reaches of the course. Wanting desperately to feel the warmth of his cabin after an arduous night of bar hopping, the man motored past the second tee box, around the restrooms and started down the cart path, cruising parallel to the fifth fairway.
Flood of 2005-2006:
The stranger reached a steep slope facing the fifth tee box. Not familiar with the terrain, he eased the nose of the burgandy Mustang downward. The current reached the engine compartment. The inebriated soul attempted to reverse to safety but to no avail. Stuck, he abandoned the vehicle and waded thru the waters to his “vacation” house. To counter eyewitness stories that he was driving under the influence on New Year’s Eve, he lied to the police a few days later and said instead that he was driving during the afternoon on January 1st when he got stuck. Unbeknownst to him, the car rental agency had changed its policy for 2006, not allocating any towing fees. Outsmarted by himself, the stranger forked up a couple of Franklins and went on his way, not so merrily I might add.