Berkeley Kite Festival
We have had this date in our diary for some time now and were both looking forward to it. I have only been
once before and enjoyed it very much. The night before though there was some doubt as to whether we would actually be able to go. We had nine cubic yards of cedar bark delivered and spent all of the afternoon trying to move and spread it. It was back breaking work. By the end of the day we had moved only half and were exhausted. Would we be able to even get out of bed in the morning?
(Click the image for a larger version)
Amazingly we were both fine when we woke up. According to the weather forecast it was going to be a beautiful day, although the temperature in Berkeley would be a bit cooler than in south San Jose. There didn’t seem to be too much wind about but closer to the Golden Gate it would be different.
Our route is easy, north on 101 and then 880 all the way to the Bay Bridge. Berkeley is a short hop from there. 880 is almost as devoid of scenic interest as 101 so there wasn’t much to grab my attention apart from noting how rarely you see drivers holding a cell phone these days. I wonder whether there has been a decrease in accidents since the new law came into effect of July 1st.
The roadworks south of Fremont are nearly complete and it looks like there is going to be a carpool lane on this freeway. The road surface is much improved as well. In fact it was smooth most of the way to just north of the Oakland Coliseum. Then suddenly we were driving on one of the worst road surfaces ever!
After an interesting breakfast at Cafe Durant in Berkeley, we made our way down University to the Marina. There were traffic signs warning that there would be congestion between 11 & 4 due to the kite festival and you’d better believe it. As it is only just 9 we were fine.
There still doesn’t seem to be a lot of wind about but a few flags were waving slightly. Last time we came we were able to park for free but no more. There are no parking signs up everywhere and just one designated parking lot where the charge is $10. We had to go for that as there was nowhere else to park. All the available spaces were taken up SUVs and trucks with boat launches attached. The car park is not very big so I’m guessing it will fill up quickly.
The festival is held in Cesar E Chavez Park and there is no fee to enter the park. We followed the path uphill and could see a couple of small kites up in the sky and came to an area where they were offering free kite lessons Now I’ve never flown a kite and would like to one day but not today. Next came the vendor and food booths.
More and more kites were getting into the air. Tom and I stood and watched as a huge rainbow colored sting ray was slowly hoisted aloft. It was part of the static display and tethered to a pick up truck. While we watch the slow progress, two other amateur photographers joined us. We stood and chatted for a while. They were both retired and spend most of their time traveling. They talked about the Albuquerque Balloon Festival, Bryce Canyon, Tall Ships in San Francisco and several other places they’ve visited. Can’t wait until we retire!
Out in the main arena there were several kit fliers practicing. The three keen photographers wandered off for a closer look to take photos. I decided to sit on the grass, write and enjoy what was happening all around. I had nothing to sit on but the rather scrubby and pot holed ground but I didn’t mind. There were a few family groups settled nearby with their rugs, chairs, food, etc. More and more spectators gathered all the while I sat there. I tried to keep an eye on Tom but somehow he wandered off without me seeing in which direction he went. I knew I would bump into him somewhere later.
August 01 2008 | Special Places | 2 Comments »
