Archive for June, 2008
Tom and I usually stop here for breakfast when we are in Santa Cruz. It is open 24 hours, which means no matter how early we are we know we will get to eat.
The Santa Cruz Diner is your usual unpretentious diner, which is a few steps up from a Denny’s. The clientel is varied, to say the least, though at 6.30 there were not a lot of other customers there.
There are only booths and 15 seasts at the counter. We took a booth so we could keep an eye on our car with our bikes on the back.
Tom order a Porteguese Omelette ($7.69) and I had my usual oatmeal ($4.99) The price include toast and mixed fruit.
My oatmeal came in a medium sized round bowl on a large oval, white, plastic plate. The oatmeal looked watery and it lived up to expectations. It was also barely lukewarm. The fruit didn’t come in its own bowl which could be eaten with a fork or spoon but as large chunks of melon, oranges and pineapply. There was brown sugar and no raisins. Strangely there was no milk either so I had to ask for some. Apparently it is not served with milk so had to buy a glass of milk which cost an extra $1.89).
Tom’s omelette was hot - which is great - but he described the taste as ‘just OK’.
Our server could be best described as disinterested. As she could have been working since the night before, we’ll cut her some slack.
Because this is not part of a chain, the decor is not bland. The underlying theme is vaguely nautical - a life belt, surging pictures, fish sculptures - but the main attraction is the vast range of amusing signs. Here is a selection:
‘Be Nice or Go Away’
“Beware Pickpocket and Loose Women’
‘Dinner Choices - 1. Take Out 2. Leave It’
‘Drive Carefully. Watch Out for Old Horses, Blind Dogs and Unruly Kids’
At one end there is a juke box and hits from the 50’s and 60’s. were being played. Several times I had to stop myself from singing along.
I was not impressed with the restrooms. The Ladies was grubby and shabby. It could definitely do with a remodel. On top of that there was not one little touch to cheer the place up - no pictures on the walls, no whimsical items. Not even a vase of artificial flowers. The only reason we keep coming is because we know we will always be able to get breakfast.
June 23 2008 | Breakfast Log | 1 Comment »
Once again we get an early start. Our route is over the Santa Cruz mountains on Highway 17.
Today it is overcast but as we climb it looks clearer ahead. Maybe there will be no fog on the coast.
We are trying out a new cycle path. When we participated in the Strawberry Fields Forever event a few weeks ago, one of the unicyclists recommended the path from Santa Cruz to the Wilder Ranch. Yesterday I went online to look for information but it took me quite a while to find out exactly where the route started in Santa Cruz.
On 17, as we crested the summit, the sun was out but we could see a lot of low fog down in the valley. It looked as though we were looking down on an immense lake with woody islands dotted around. The fog became thicker as we went downhill towards Scotts Valley.
After stopping for breakfast in Santa Cruz, we set out to find Chestnut Street. We found it before too long. Now we have to find Mission Street. It’s here we became confused. According to the map I printed yesterday, Mission Street runs parallel to Highway 1 but Highway 1 is Mission Street! We took a left turn and saw signs pointing to a bike path. Ah, that looks promising. Then we came to a cross street which said Mission Street. Maybe somewhere along the way Highway 1 veers away from Mission Street. Who cares, at least we are back on track. We drive to the end of Mission Street to where the bike path begins.
It is cold and foggy and the seats on our bikes are damp. Tom wanted to borrow my leggings. Fat chance of that!
The bike path runs by the side of Highway 1. How many times have we driven along this stretch of road and we never knew there was a bike path there.
From here we cannot see the ocean. To the left are cultivated fields but we know they run down to the ocean. The path is reasonable. Along the way we see are clumps of California Poppies, refusing to open just yet as the day is not warm enough.
Before long we reach Wilder Ranch. It opens at 8 and the time is now 7.55 but we are able to ride round the gate.
The history of the ranch is fascinating. Roundabout 1841 the original adobe house was built by Don Jose Antonio Bolcoff and it was named the Rancho Rufugio. Balcoff was also responsible for starting the dairy. In 1854 Moses A Melder foreclosed on loans and acquired the property. He built a house, now called Meder House, and several barns. In 1871 Delos D Wilder and L K Baldwin formed a partnership and acquired the land. They had the reputation of ‘making the finest butter’. The partnership was dissolved in 1185 and D.D Wilder secured the lower half of the land of roughly 2,330 acres which became the Wilder Ranch. He built a large addition to the ranch house in 1990. Five generations of the Wilder family lived and worked the ranch and in December 1975 the property became a State Park.
Tom stops to take photos of some of the buildings and four horses in a field. All is quiet except for bursts of bird song. Thre is nobody else around. A ranger turns up in a truck and starts checking and opening buildings and we spot two other visitors. This is a haven for mountain bikers because of the bike paths radiating from Wilder Ranch. To the ocean side there are the easy ones on the buff top but there is a tunnel under Highway 1 which leads to a multitude of trails up to the mountains. All bikers have to dismount and walk through the ranch.
I stand and watch the chickens who are safely caged up. Maybe later in the day they will be allowed to wander free. The ranger parks nerarby and I ask her about the different bike trails. She very kindly gave me a map. We chat for a bit and she recounted a story about the chickens. Early one morning she was nearby when she heard the chickens get excited. She assumed it was because they saw her and thought they were going to be fed, so she ignored them. Later she was devastated to find out that a bobcat had got into the hen house and outside run and had killed all the chickens bar one rooster. The bobcat came back the next night and killed him too.
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June 20 2008 | Special Places | No Comments »
Two breakfasts out in one weekend - we are eating high on the hog now.
Today we are off to the Farmers Market in Campbell and decided to leave a bit early to find somewhere for breakfast. We checked online before hand but the only alternative to the nearby Kings Head is Stacks. Once we went to Stacks in Menlo Park and I was not that impressed but maybe it is time to give this one in Campbell a try out.
It’s another lovely sunny day and hopefully we will find something tasty to BBQ tonight. After breakfast we will head straight to the fish stall. Unfortunately we are not going to find any local King salmon because there is a fishing ban off the California coast at all this year. We will also check to see if there is any sweet corn on sale.
Stacks normally has a lot of people waiting outside for a table but at 8.30 this morning there was nobody. To cope with the expected crowds later on there is free coffee available. Inside we were behind a couple of other new arrivals waiting. When it was our turn, we were aksed if we wanted to eat outside or up at the counter and there would be no wait but we decided to wait for a table inside. It was a very short wait and before long we were led to our table. We were expecting a small table as they are so busy but we were lucky to be seated in a 6 seater booth and have it all to ourselves. Plenty of room to stretch out.
Stacks is quite large - it was difficult to count how many booths and tables. The layout well thought out and the variety of options is extensive. It’s your typical breakfast eatery but, as it is a chain, the artwork and decorative touches are bland. It is also noisy but, of course, that is due to the number of customers here, all chatting away in large and small groups and enjoying their meals.
The menu is OK but I didn’t study it too well. I went straight to the ‘Healthy Eating’ section and checked out the oatmeal. It comes with a choice of blueberries, bananas or strawberries (hmm… just like the Ketch Joanne yesterday). Instead of toast though, the oatmeal comes with a dry bagel.
Within five minutes we gave our order and I asked the same questions as yesterday - Is the oatmeal instant? - No - Are the blueberries frozen? - Yes. So I ordered the oatmeal with strawberries ($5.75). Tom ordered a bacon Belgium waffle (7.65). He asked our server how big it was and she pointed out one on the serving hatch that was about to be served. He debated whether to order a side or something to go with it and decided not to.
The food arrived within ten minutes. That’s good. From arrival to getting our food it had been twenty minutes. We are impressed.
My oatmeal came in a medium sized, deep, round bowl on a large oval plate. Around it were small white bowls with sugar, raisins, strawberries and one with butter (I asked for butter to go with my dry bagel). The milk came in a small stainless steel jug and was full to the brim. Although the oatmeal looked a bit watery, it turned out to be nothing of the sort. It was scrummy. The sugar was not compacted in the bowl and therefore soft and the strawberries were just right. The only observation I would make, it was difficult to eat out of the bowl without moving all the little bowls out of the way, but not a big problem.
Tom enjoyed his waffle and it was soon gone. The server came to inquire if everything was OK. Now normally that superficial question which all servers ask (I guess because they are trained to do so), annoys the heck out of us. They always seem to interrupt at a critical point in a conversation or in the middle of reading an interesting article or, in my case, when I’m concentrating on writing. Our server (her name was Chelle) did it in such an engaging manner, she was excused. She also asked Tom if the waffle was sufficient or did he want to order a side. That idea appealed to him so he ordered a side of sausage. Three sausages on a plate, decorated with two slices of tomatoes and chopped cilantro, were soon put in front of him and, according to Tom, they were good.
The restroom was not that special. One thing surprised me, considering the size of the restaurant and the number of people who frequest the place, there were only two stalls - one standard and one handicapped. Plus there was only one basin. It was clean and bright though.
Our verdict is that the food is very good. Unlike yesterday, everything was piping hot. The service was excellent. All in all, we both agreed that we will come here again.
We had a successful visit to the Farmers Market and came away with 2lbs of Rainer cherries, 1lb of fresh King salmon from Alaska (at $21.95 a pound it was quite steep) and fresh white corn from Brentwood. We also noticed that there was a new restaurant serving breakfast so we will have to try it out next time.
June 17 2008 | Breakfast Log | No Comments »
After our rather disappointing breakfast at Ketch Joanne, we took a walk along the pier. It is always interesting to look at the fishing boats.
The first thing we noticed as we reached the pier were small, dead fish floating on the surface. At first we assumed somebody had lost all their fishing bait but then we noticed more and more.
(Click on the image for a larger version)
It is a working pier with lots of small fishing boats moored. It is possible to buy fresh fish straight from some of the boats. To us, there is nothing more tasty than fresh fish so we checked to see what was available today - Dungeness Crab, Ling Cod, Rockfish and Halibut. We sauntered down the gangplank and started to walk between the boats. We came to the Alan, selling live crabs. The fisherman was more than willing to chat, so we asked him about the dead fish and he happily explained what happened.
On Tuesday a shoal of anchovies entered the harbor but a lot of them were unable to get out when the tide changed. They were trapped until the tide changed again. But it was a minus low tide and there was not enough oxygen in the water so many of them died. When they expired they dropped to the bottom but then after a few days they rise to float on the surface. He went on to say that the birds had a field day on Tuesday and were gorging themselves so much on the struggling fish that most of them weren’t able to fly for a while.
We were tempted to buy one of his crabs but I honestly didn’t want to share the car with a live crab. After all, I might become attached to it and then how could I plunge it into a pan of boiling water?
Our walk and visit to the pier was a short expedition. The wind was cold and the thought of a warm car was really inviting. So we retraced our steps and headed for home.
June 15 2008 | Special Places | No Comments »
Tom and I both needed food and a hot drink. I needed to thaw out my hands after an early
morning trip to the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve at Moss Beach. We were making our way to half Moon Bay when I remembered that there was a restaurant which served breakfast at Pillar Point Harbor just the other side of Princton.
(Click on the image for a larger version)
As we turned into Capistrano Road towards the harbor, we noticed that there have been a few changes since our last visit and we hardly recognized the place. There was a new condo complex which really altered the look of the place.
Ketch Joanne is in a small parade of shops near the Harbor Master’s office with a fair sized car park in front. We parked in a 2 hour slot just in front of the restaurant. Inside it was not very crowded though pleasantly busy. We sat in a window seat with a view of the fishing boats in the harbor and the radar station on the hill.
The place is a bit kitschy with lots of wood - wooden tables, wooden seats, wooden booths, wooden bar, wooden bar stools, wooden floor, wooden walls and even the fish sculptures on the walls were made out of wood. Also displayed on the walls were a variety of mirrors advertising beers.
We sat near the bar and saw several Bloody Marys being prepared. How can anybody drink this early in the morning is beyond me.
Our server was a sweet girl but she had her drawbacks. Maybe she didn’t understand my accent. For instance, I ordered oatmeal (what else?) It comes with warm milk and brown sugar. With fruit - blueberries, bananas or strawberries - it is $1 extra. I first asked whether it was instant oatmeal and the answer was no. I then asked if the blueberries were frozen. She didn’t know the answer to that one so I said if they were frozen I would have the strawberries. When my order arrived, complete with blueberries, they had obviously been frozen. Maybe she thought I was asking if they were served frozen! Anyway, I asked her to change them for strawberries. She forgot to bring the warm milk or, indeed any milk at all and Tom asked for hot sauce and jam for his muffin and my toast. Tom ordered the Foursome Omelette with home fries. The omelette looked a bit skimpy and there was no decoration whatsover. When the milk arrived it was warm but there was such a small amount it was hardly worth the effort of heating it up.
Our main criticism of the food though is that none of it was anywhere near hot. It could be described, at best, as lukewarm. For a change I ordered a hot chocolate (remember, my hands were cold and I just fancied a nice, hot chocolate to warm them up on) but it was far from hot when it arrived. Most disappointing.
Another disappointment - though it was just as I expected - was my trip to the restroom. It was ugly and far from clean. Plus, the fan was extremely noisy. The only item which brightened the place up was the condom machine. It was an old fashioned one with two padlocks on it but the items described made me smile.
To be sure, we won’t be coming back here in a hurry.
June 14 2008 | Breakfast Log | No Comments »
I read a very interesting item from The Associated Press on Yahoo News Thursday about a
missing Cape Cod lighthouse being found in California. Apparently the Montara Lighthouse originally operated at Mayo Beach in Massachusetts. Local historians there thought the lighthouse had been demolished in 1925. Recent research though shows that it was taken down, probably bolt by bolt, and then transported overland to Yerba Buena ( I guess the island in San Francisco Bay) where it was reconstructed and then moved to Montara. For more information visit LighthouseFriends.com.
(Click on the image for a larger version)
As we were just one mile away at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, I wanted to go and have a look at this lighthouse. It was very hard to find though. Everybody expects lighthouses to be tall and easy to spot many miles away but that is not the case here. I knew roughly where it was because I checked on the map but it was nowhere to be seen. We drove through Montara and then turned around and drove back again. I knew it was just south of 14th street so we retraced to route until we found 14th Street and then kept our eyes peeled.
The only clue to its whereabouts is a picture advertising a hostel so we turned into the entrance. There was a sign inside advising us that there was no parking but we found somewhere to park and made our way to the office to make inquiries. On the way we saw the lighthouse. No wonder it was hard to see from the road as it is only 30′ tall and it is just the light on the top which gives any clue as to what it is.
It is still used as a navigational aid to ships but the light is automated. Because of its height, the light can be see below the fog. The fog signal, which used to be housed next to the lighthouse, has been moved offshore. Now the old lighthouse keepers house and surrounding buildings are used as a hostel and the location is perfect - unless of course it is blanketed by thick fog!
June 10 2008 | Special Places | No Comments »
This is the day we have been waiting for - a minus low tide at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, or to be correct James V
Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. Of course, there are low tides twice a day but minus low tides are more infrequent. Because Tom and I work and we take photos in the early morning, we have to wait until a minus low tide occurs around sunrise on a Saturday or Sunday. To check tides visit here.
The weather forecaster on the radio said today was going to be ’simply beautiful’ -though what it is like on the coast we shall soon find out. Driving along Interstate 280 at 6.30 it certainly looks promising. Last week you may remember I wrote my thoughts on 101 so let me tell you now about 280. There are as different as chalk and cheese. Today we have wonderful scenery - rolling golden hills, the coastal mountains covered with trees off to our left, glimpses of the bay to our right and Crystal Springs Reservoir sparkling down below. Give me this route any day.
(Click on the images for larger versions)
We turn onto Highway 92, which will take us to the coast. The road dips down to cross the reservoir. Wisps of fog rise from the surface and disappear. The level of the water is disturbingly low. I understand that Governor Schwarzengger has officially declared a drought and we may even have water rationing.
Just before we hit the outskirts of Half Moon Bay we see flares on the road. This is the two lane section so no chance of passing. We round the bend and in front is a que of cars. Up to this point we have had the road more or less to ourselves so we are not used to a traffic jam. Later on today it will be bumper to bumper as folks head over to the coast but usually at this time the road is clear. A long way in front of us we see flashing lights but thank goodness it is only a fleet of slow moving construction trucks. They move over and let us all pass and we are on our way again.
At 6.25 we turn right onto Highway 1. The sun is up, although the temperature is only 45 degrees, but there is no fog. Yipee! Fitzgerald Marine is not easy to find. From Half Moon Bay drive north for 6 miles, past Pillar Point Harbor and the airport until you reach Half Moon Bay. There is a small sign which says Marine Refuge but it is hard to spot. Turn left on California Avenue and follow it to the end. Turn right on North Lake Street and the car park for the reserve is there on your right. It is not very big so you have to get there early. When we arrive though, there was only one other car there.
Low tide today will be at 8.17 so we have a little bit of time beforehand. Tom wanted to head to the bluff above the beach first of all, so we turn left out of the car park and walk back along North Lake Street until we reach a footpath leading to a small, metal bridge. On the other side of the bridge, the trail branches off in several direction and we headed uphill. The climb is worth the view at the top as we are surrounded by cypress trees. This is the photo opportunity Tom was looking for as the sun is at the perfect height. I wander off and leave him happily clicking away.
Walking through the glade of trees is awesome. Some have fallen down but still manage to look majestic. I climb higher to another trail along the top of the bluff and look down on the beach. The tide is retreating and the tide pools are being uncovered and that is the main reason for today’s visit. A lot of people make there way here to explore the tide pools and the lower the tide the more tide pools are uncovered. There are already a couple of people down on the beach and soon we will be joining them.
I gaze to the north and spot what looks like a monument out in the low water. It intrigues me and I have to find out what it is. Of course I wasn’t able to do that until I arrived home and had access to the internet but I can tell you that it is a relic from World War II. It was built as a marker to boats and aircraft and, when gunnery practice was taking place, a red flag was hoisted on the pillar.
After taking several pictures myself, I walk back to meet up with Tom again and snap a few photos of him as well. We then walk back up to the bluff and Tom spotted a coyote or fox up on the bluff, who stopped and gazed at him, but he had disappeared by the time Tom had got the message to me. We walk along the top until we find a flight of rather treacherous steps leading down to the sandy beach. Once out of the sun, the cold hits us but it is bearable.
Where the sand ends the tide pools begin. Now there are a few more people around but not
the number I was expecting. They appeared to be close by by clambering around the tide pools takes a long time. Even the pools uncovered first are full of interest although at first glance they may appear empty. The art of exploring tide pools is to stop, stand very still and wait a couple of movements. Then you will see something move. Bend down slowly and keep looking and eventually you will be surprised at what you will discover. There is a little crab, moving very slowly and there a tiny fish darting between one clump of seaweed and another. I saw something move and kept my eye riveted to the spot until I saw movement again. It was a small fish but it was almost impossible to see when it was stationary as it was mottled and looked the exact color of the rocks and sand it was next to.
Walking over the rocks can be extremely hazardous to all concerned. Rocks are the home of many types of marine life, from the seaweed covering them to the sea anemones attached to them and treading on them is life threatening. They are also dangerous to humans as the seaweed can be very slippery. One false move and you could find yourself crashing onto the rocks or landing in the water. So it is important to be cautious and to watch every step you take. Children especially need to be supervised carefully. Another word of warning, do not remove anything from the beach at all. No shells, or stones, not even a feather. There are rangers walking around and they will stop and chastise you if they spot you carrying anything away.
After spending a couple of happy and absorbing hours on the beach, it is time to go and find some breakfast. We need something hot to warm us up. My hands were shaking with cold.
June 07 2008 | Special Places | No Comments »
At 6 we hit the road. It is light already but also cloudy and the rising sun is not visible. I don’t
know what makes this time of the morning so magical. The flowers look bright and fresh; the trees green and even the grass looks golden and not brown. Then we hit Highway 101 and nothing can make that freeway beautiful. Rank weeds and litter decorate the edges; numerous pylons tower within view; power lines are draped everywhere and idiot drivers abound. The state of the pavement is pretty good now, especially between Sunnyvale and San Mateo. There is always something interesting to catch the eye, like a new construction or the solar panels near Palo Alto. At Moffet Field the police stop the traffic for five minutes. When we eventually pass there was no sign of a wreck, just two vehicles pulled over and several police cars. At Millbrae there were flares laid down as they were cleaning the left shoulder.
As we approach the city, it is shrouded in fog. Parking in San Francisco is always a problem. With the bikes we could not park in a multi story and there are parking meters along all the main streets. In the end we found some street parking without parking meters at Brannan and Delancey. It is cold and there is a slight drizzle and here Tom is with his cycle shorts on. After our last cycle ride I took the precaution of wearing leggings on top of my cycle shorts. Ah well, here we go again!
Our ride starts on the The Embarcadero just to the south of the Bay Bridge. I asked Tom whether we could ride over the bridge but there is no bike lane on the section between the city and Yerba Buena Island although there will be one on the new section between the island and Oakland.
The Embarcadero sidewalk is wide and we are able to ride on it. Along the way there is much to be seen. We meander along, stopping frequently to gaze at something different - the fire boats moored at the end of a short peer; a small rowing boat tied up but barely afloat; the Bow and Arrow sculpture which is half shrouded while maintenance work is carried out and the Crouching Spider sculpture which replaced the two enormous females made out of scrap metal (we much prefered the latter).
We are both in need of a hot drink but the Java Coffee House is closed and padlocked. I hope it is because it is too early and not permanent. Two women and a boy walk towards us holding cups of coffee so we stop and ask where they’d got it from (the Ferry Building) and had an interesting chat. They were interested to know where we came from when they heard my accent.
Soon we hit the Ferry Building where it is a hive of activity with storeholders setting up for the farmers market which is held in the Ferry Plaza from 8 am to 2 pm every Saturday. Even though is it only 7.30 a lot of people are already busy buying the fresh produce. I guard the bikes while Tom goes into Peets and spent my time people watching.
We sat on a bench looking out over the bay and the ferry terminal while we drank our coffee. Then we were on our way again, exploring each pier along the way.
Not so long ago the Ferry Building and the buildings on the piers were abandoned and dilapidated but a lot of work has been done to restore them. As we cycled past, we peered into windows. In one we spotted a series of color photos hung on a wall showing views of the old buildings.
A lot of fishermen were about and it appears to be a good day for fishing. We saw a recently caught, good sized, striped bass panting on the ground. The angler told us it would make a decent meal but I’m not so sure I would want to eat anything caught in the Bay, especially so soon after the recent oil spill.
Pier 3 is where the Hornblower Cruise ships are moored -the California Hornblower, the San Francisco Belle (a paddle boat) and the Santa Rosa - all huge but very different. The Santa Rose was sporting a big advert advertising three Dinner Wine Cruises, which look exciting.
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June 05 2008 | Neighborhoods and Special Places | No Comments »
