Archive for August, 2007
Fortified by our excellent breakfast at Duarte’s Tavern, Tom and I took a walk down Stage Road. Pescadero is described as a New England town on the San Mateo coast and many of the buildings were built over a hundred years ago. There are a few unique shops to browse around but, be warned, most of them are only open Friday to Monday and they don’t open until 11. So today all we could do was browse.
Behind Duarte’s is The Old Rock Guy (Here’s an Oakland Tribune article from 2006). This place is a hidden treasure. Located in a small trailer, it is also Clark Hansen’s home. Whether you are looking for a little gift or a handsome present, you will find it here.
Back to the main street, the next building is Made in Pescadero. This is a wonderful furniture shop with original designs. They also craft custom pieces. From the outside though you can’t see anything. It’s just a huge, padlocked building. We have been here when it is open though and it is well worth a walk round. Several times I have been tempted to buy something but have not succumbed yet - and it’s not going to happen today!
Set back from the road is Stage Road Shops, selling hand picked gifts old and new. Then comes Luna Sea which is a converted house set in a garden. Outside in the garden is a variety of unusual stone sculptures of pelicans, sea horses and dolphins and large decorated paving stones. Inside they have a wide range of unique crafted items but on the expensive side.
Next door is a vacant lot which is up for sale. Along the fence there are some wonderful blackberries which I couldn’t resist sampling.
Before the next shop there are a few dwellings but none of them have interesting gardens and they are a bit ramshackle.
In a converted blacksmiths shop is Country Roads, selling antiques and collectibles. I’ve visited this shop several times and it is fascinating. In the window today, amongst other things, was an old Underwood typewriter, a Grieg shorthand book and a collection of lettering stencils.
If you continue to the end of the road, past the turn off for North Street, you come to the cemetery on a hill. It’s worth a visit.
Walking back on the other side of the road, the first building is the Pescadero Community Church which has stood on the same site without major renovation since 1867.
Along this side of the streets the houses are a little better kept and there are some very nice gardens.
The only two stores on this side are food markets. The first one is Arcangeli Grocery or Norms Market. They bake over 20 varieties of bread and just walking past the door and smelling the aroma of fresh baked bread makes your mouth water (and I’ve just eaten breakfast!). It’s been open since 1934. Almost next door is Pescadero Country Store, formerly Muzzis Market. There is a large garden at the side with tables and chairs where they have a BBQ every Saturday and Sunday from May to October (weather permitting). I must mention here that along the fence is a wonderful smelling syringa or mock orange bush.
The only bank in town is the First National Bank of Northern California and it is right opposite Duarte’s Tavern.
And that’s it. Not a lot of shops but a wonderful collection in a unique little town and well worth a visit. After all the walking, don’t forget to visit Duarte’s Tavern for a drink at the original 1894 bar and to sample their artichoke soup and olallieberry pie.
August 26 2007 | Neighborhoods | 2 Comments »
202 Stage Road, Pescadero, CA 95460. Tel. 650 879 0464. Here’s a link
This place is a real gem and Tom and I have often eaten here. It opens at 7 so by the time we
arrived at 9 it was quite busy. We were able to sit at our favorite table though, the very first one on the left hand side. There is something so cosy and welcoming about this place. The first impression is good as you walk into the entrance room and it lasts until you walk back out of the door.
Tom ordered linguica and eggs with English muffin and I had my usual oatmeal with wheat toast. While we waited the 20 minutes for our food to be brought to us, Tom read the Chronicle and drank his coffee, of which there were several refillls, and I made my observations. There are several small eating areas with different sized wooden tables; some round, some square and some rectangular. There are seven stools at the bar. The walls are covered in paintings and prints comprising local views, still lifes and portraits. Even though there were three family groups with young children, they were all well behaved. Our server was friendly and efficient.
The food was worth waiting for. Tom’s linguica was spicy, the eggs over medium and the country fries crispy - just what he ordered, My oatmeal was perfect, even though they were not steel cut oats. It came in a small, deep bowl on a matching plate. It was accompanied by raisins, brown sugar, pecans and a large jug of whole milk. I don’t normally have toast but I know that the jam here is really special. They served two types - strawberry and olalliebery - both home made and wonderful.
Of course I made my usual trip to the restroom, just to check it out. No unisex restroom here. It was down a small corridor and had two stalls. Everything was a bit dated but clean. The toilet bowl was pink but the seat was white plastic. The sink was a vanity unit with a black top. Plenty of hot water. Two choices of drying your hands, one electric and one roller towel. The only homely touch was a green plant on the vanity unit.
The price of the meal was reasonable. Tom’s linguica was $9.00 and my oatmeal was $3.25.
This is a good place for lunch as well. Their specialties are artichoke soup and ollallieberry pie. Don’t forget to check out the history of Duarte’s on the back of the menu.
Our overall impression of Duarte’s Tavern is impressive and we will definitely be back.
August 26 2007 | Breakfast Log | No Comments »
We set off for the coast before the sun was up. There is something so satisfying to be on the road while most people are still sound asleep in their beds. This is the way to avoid the crowds and to get great photographs.
Our route is via Highway 17 over the Santa Cruz mountains. At this time in the morning, the mountains are dark with just the occasional light shining. The lighter sky behind shows the huge bulk of the ridge. This is the time to enjoy Highway 17. During the weekday commutes, this is not an easy route to travel but at 6.15 on a Sunday morning it’s like playing hooky from school.
As we reach the summit, there is a bit of fog. The coast may be shrouded in fog but that’s the risk you take at this time of the year. We always come prepared with sweatshirts and jackets. Fortunately the coast is clear of fog today but who knows what is will be like further north.
We skirt around Santa Cruz and head north on Highway 1. Normally we have breakfast at the 24
hour diner on the outskirts of Santa Cruz but today we will stop in Pescadero at Duartes Tavern.
Our first destination though is Franklin Point. Not many people know where this is and it is difficult to stumble across. There are no signposts but, once found, it is a place we have visited often.
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We drive through the Mission District of Santa Cruz but there are not many people around even though it is beginning to get light. No lights shine in any of the houses. Soon we are out of town and driving past small farms and we catch our first sight of the ocean. Today the water is very calm as there is no wind.
Just before Davenport we pass a fire engine on the left, next to a burnt out car. Someone was unlucky. Strangely enough, we pass a second fire engine and burnt out car to the right of us a few miles further on. I guess the two events are connected and suspicious. There are a lot of campers, VW vans and small RVs at the side of the road where presumably people are camping out but the two burnt vehicles we passed were sedans.
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August 26 2007 | Special Places | 1 Comment »
37 Mariposa St, San Juan Bautista. Telephone (831) 623-466
Opens for breakfast on Sunday at 8 am. Buffet style for $10.95
Buffet style is not our first choice for breakfast but as the Mission Café is closed at the moment, it was the nearest we could find.
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The setting is very nice though. It is a Victorian House built in 1895 with a garden in the front and to the side and with an outside seating area. There are steps up to a wooden porch and the door opens into a small hall. There are two dining rooms and we could sit where we wanted. We chose the room to the left which held just five tables set to two and there was an archway leading into the buffet room. Breakfast wasn’t quite ready but the waitress brought us coffee. We could help ourselves to refills from the buffet room.
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August 19 2007 | Breakfast Log | No Comments »
This has to be our favorite day trip location. I remember the first time Tom brought me here. It was February 2001. On that occasion he proposed and gave me a beautiful diamond ring.
We have been back many times since and it never ceases to please us. It is a place we always take our visitors.
To get the best photographs (and to avoid the crowds) you have to get there early in the morning. We try to arrive just after daybreak.
It takes about 30 minutes for us to drive there from south San Jose along 101. From the center of San Francisco it would take about an hour and 45 minutes.
Why do we like it so much? It is an old town with a distinctive Spanish flavor and where roosters, mother hens and chicks roam the streets.
Mission San Juan Bautista
The main attraction for tourists is the Mission. Founded in 1797, it is the widest mission church in
California. Outside there is a long covered way called the Monastery Walk. Entrance to the mission garden and museum is through the Gift Shop. There is no admission charge but donations are welcomed.
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Through the Gift Shop is another covered way. Turn right and the museum is ahead. Along the way are windows into the kitchen and other rooms. The museum rooms were once the padre’s living quarters.
The church is beautiful. I particularly like the frescos on the wall. Look out for the tiles with animal footprints. The belfry may look familiar to you. It was used in Alfred Hitchcock’s great movie ‘Vertigo’.
Now wander round the garden. Sit on one of the tiled benches and soak up the peace and quiet.
State Historic Park
The mission takes up one side of the Plaza. At the back runs the original El Camino Real (The King’s Highway), which is the road which connects all the missions. On the other two sides are some of the old buildings, which form the Historic Park.
Tickets are very reasonable and are available at the Ranger Station in the Plaza Hotel. The park is open from 10-4.30. Your ticket allows you to wander through the Plaza Hotel, Castro Breen Adobe, the Plaza stables and the blacksmith’s shop. They have been restored to look as they did in their heyday.
Nearby on the corner of Washington Street and Second Street there is the town’s tiny jail. Peep inside and look at the old iron bedstead and the enamel jug on the floor. On the corner of Mariposa Street and Second Street is a small garden with one of the first settlers’ cabins inside dating back to the 1830’s.
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August 19 2007 | Special Places | No Comments »
139 Murphy Avenue, Sunnyvale 94086
This is a review I wrote back in March 2003:
This is one of our favorite spots on a Saturday morning because of the Farmers Market. On a warm day, like today, it is fun to sit and watch the stallholders lay out their wares. People watching is a great pastime. Goody..BBQ salmon tonight. Fresh asparagus from the San Joaquin Valley as well. We will also buy some apples – must be coming to the end shortly – and some dried fruit and nuts.
Tom ordered Prosciutto and egg croissant at $6.95 and I had oatmeal and berries at
$4.50. Usually we listen to the street musician as we eat breakfast but there is nobody performing today.
Waited nearly 25 minutes before our breakfast was served. Small deep lilac bowl on a large plate. One sliced strawberry on top with milk and brown sugar on the side. No raisins. Today the oatmeal tastes a little burnt. On the whole, I was disappointed but the surroundings make up for it.
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Back to today. What, if anything, has changed.
Surprisingly little. We both ordered the same meals as last time and the only difference being the oatmeal was just 25 cents more. There were more strawberries and the bowl was not lilac. Waiting time was better – 15 minutes today - and the oatmeal did not taste burnt at all.
All in all, a very pleasant experience and I can thoroughly recommend it. For more information you can visit their website.
Now lets visit the Farmers Market………
August 10 2007 | Breakfast Log | No Comments »
This park is located along the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay, northwest of Fremont and just north of the Dumbarton Bridge.
Opens at 8am every day. The entrance fee is $5. For more details click here.
This park is never crowded so it’s ideal for a quiet walk on a sunny morning. From the top of Red Hill there are extensive views of the bay and the Santa Cruz mountains to the west and inland towards the Diablo range to the east.
Within the park there are several bicycle trails and these can be extended to the north on the Alameda Creek Trail and into Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge to the south.
On Sunday though, as time was short, we walked the two mile loop along the Muskrat and
Chochenyo trails. The first part is along a boardwalk a few feet above the marsh. The tide was out and the dried mud look baked and cracked. At first we saw few birds. Maybe it was just too hot. Walking round a bend though we encountered a family of Canada Geese; mum, dad and three well grown chicks.
At first, the adults put on a brave show of protecting their flock but, as we walked slowly towards them, they flew off leaving their chicks to fend for themselves. Although we stayed perfectly still, the three juveniles attempted to follow their parents. Two made it, but the third was just not able to get off the ground. He ran past us with wings flapping wildly and eventually joined the rest of his family along the path.
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Halfway round the trail we came across a fenced area. Behind is an Ohlone Shellmound. It would have been interesting to see it but restoration work is being carried out at the moment and then it will only be possible to view it by special arrangement.
Three quarters of the way round Tom spotted, through head high reeds, a group white pelicans. Brown pelicans are common along the coast but white pelicans are seen rarely. While Tom sorted out a lens I crept through the undergrowth to take a photo. It was only afterwards that Tom pointed out the poison oak. Fortunately I had not brushed against it.
The last part of the trail was along the road back to the car park. Somebody we passed said there was a deer at the side of the road but it was long gone by the time we reached the spot.
Next time we will bring our bikes and allow ourselves more time to explore some other trails.
August 01 2007 | Special Places | No Comments »
