Archive for the 'Special Places' Category
Well this time it’s a little different. Normally Margaret does the writing and I do the photos but this weekend she’s attending a class in Sausalito so I tagged along. This will be more photos and less talking.
I was kind of bummed because it looked like rain for Saturday however after an overcast start the sun came out . I explored Sausalito, Fort Baker and the Marin Headlands. It turned out to be a beautiful day and these came out pretty nice. Check out the small gallery below. When viewing the photos clicking on the image will take you back to this post.
March 04 2010 | Special Places | No Comments »
One of the San Juan Bautista feral roosters
San Juan Bautista is one of our favorite towns and it is only forty five minutes from home. It is a place we will be visiting more often in the future because Tom’s father, Don, and his wife Arlene have bought a home there. Normally we visit San Juan (as it is affectionately called) early in the morning and we are back home in San Jose by lunch time. This time we stayed overnight so were able to spend more time there.
(Click on the photos for larger versions)
Our first stop today was to visit the home of Dmitri and Kathy Fridman. In 2007 Dmitri posted a comment on our first San Juan entry. At that time he invited us to come and have a look at his roastery and sample some coffee. Several times I tried to set up a visit but could never get the timing right. This was the first time we have been able to arrange a meeting.
Dmitri and his wife Kitty live about 5 miles outside of town and Dmitri gave us directions on how to find their place. Don and Arlene came with us and the road we traveled was completely new territory for all of us. It was a stunning ride along Salinas Road, with wonderful views of the surrounding countryside. The road climbed steadily uphill and soon we had a marvelous views back towards San Juan. When we arrived at Dmitri and Kitty’s home, the view was spectacular with Monterey in one direction and Salinas Valley and Hollister in another.
Top Dog was the first to greet us, closely followed by Dmitri. We admired his sheep. They only have a
Vertigo Coffee's roaster
few and they are a breed which do not need to be sheared. (Forgive me Dmitri I don’t remembering the name of the breed – I knew I should have written it down.) Dmitri built a separate building to house his roasting business, which is called San Juan Bautista Roasting Company and the coffee is called Vertigo. Check out Vertigo Coffee. Inside was his pride and joy, a German built cast iron roaster he bought on Craig’s List. He told us of his journey to becoming a passionate roaster of coffee. He started out by experimenting at home with a small roaster as he was dissatisfied with the taste of the locally brewed coffee. Friends who sampled it liked it so much he roasted more for them and over the years his roasters became bigger. Now he has a flourishing business in the area, selling to local restaurants and online.
Kitty came out to join us and the six of us spent a wonderful couple of hours talking, listening and watching Dmitri roast some coffee beans. It is a very hands on operation and Dmitri cannot wander very far while the forty minute process takes place. First the roaster has to be brought up to the correct temperature before the the green coffee beans are placed in the hopper at the top. The temperature was closely monitored the whole time. At one stage he extracted a small sample for us to smell. The beans smelt of fresh baked bread and nothing like coffee at all. When the roasting process had finished, the beans were emptied onto a revolving screen and channeled down a shoot into the bag. I’m sure there was a lot more to the process but I was enjoying chatting to Kitty.
Dmitri then started to brew some coffee and I was amazed at the meticulous way he went about it. Brewing coffee is a serious business for Dmitri and everything from the equipment he uses to the temperature of the water is important to him. The coffee we saw being roasted was an espresso called Monks Momentum. It was not ready to be drunk but we were given some to take home with us. We sampled some other coffee and I was very proud of myself for drinking it almost black. Normally my coffee has to be a half milk/half coffee.
Dmitri and Kitty are soon going to open up a coffee shop on 4th Street in downtown San Juan, almost next door to the Post Office. We wish them all the best and will certainly pop in every time we visit San Juan. We all thoroughly enjoyed our visit. Thank you Dmitri and Kitty for making us welcome and for giving up so much to your time.
Clam chowder cook off. We tasted several and they were all good.
Time to get some lunch so we drove back to San Juan. Downtown was busier than I’ve ever seen it but considering we are usually long gone by lunchtime, that was to be expected. There are several places to eat but we decided to try out one of the saloons. There are two to choose from, Mom and Pops and Daisy’s. There are very close to each other but we chose Daisy’s because a lady stopped us outside and said if we were hungry they were having a clam chowder cook-off and for $5 each we could eat as much as we wanted. Well, who could resist such a tempting offer, especially when you are hungry.
Inside it was buzzing. The judging of the 12 entries had just ended so we had arrived at the right time. I never realized how many different ways you could cook clam chowder and I sampled three of them, steering clear of the spicy ones of course. I spoke to a couple of the cooks and they were very pleased to talk about their entries and what was in them but both had ’secret ingredients’ which they kept to themselves. A table was found for us at the end of the bar and we were well looked after and all of us enjoyed our lunch. We stayed to hear the results and the commentaries were very funny. This group of people hold many different cook-outs during the year and all monies go to charity. Today’s went to the local firehouse which is manned by volunteers.
We spent a quiet afternoon pottering around the house but in the evening we walked into town for dinner. Our choice was the Cutting House Steakhouse on 3rd Street. We had to wait for a table but that was OK. On the walls are individually designed, quirky cattle brands. The building itself is made of brick and over the last 150 years has been a grocery store, a brothel and, from the early 20th century, a bank. It is reputed to be haunted by several ghosts, the most colorful being “The Lady in White’ or Deanna, who ran the brothel and died when when she fell down the stairs on her wedding day.
After a pleasant meal we sauntered back to the house. Another interesting day in great company and we looked forward to being woken by roosters in the morning.
February 22 2010 | Neighborhoods and Special Places | 3 Comments »
Old "Cool" bus
After breakfast at Bette’s Oceanview Diner, we took a short drive over the railroad tracks and around an industrial part of town. The UC Botanical Gardens do not open until 9, so we had some time to kill. This being Berkeley, we saw a couple of avant garde traveling homes. One was an old school bus, now painted many different colors, and renamed ‘Cool Bus’. Nearby there was a small RV covered in profound statements.
With ten minutes to spare, we drove past the gardens and continued uphill to the Lawrence Hall of Science. Although the sun was shining up there, the whole of San Francisco City on the other side of the bay was shrouded in fog. We could see Berkeley below us and the Sutro Tower poking out of the fog in the distance.
At 9, we returned to the botanical gardens and parked the car. Parking has to be paid for. I put fourteen quarters in the machine for three hours. The entrance fee to the UC Botanical Gardens is $7 for adults. Seniors are $5 but you have to be over 65. Tom and I are not quite there yet so we paid the full amount. We were given a color brochure with a map showing the layout of the gardens.
Just inside the gate there were plants for sale. One particularly caught my eye – a Californian native named Ceanothus Wood Blue. It looked pretty healthy and I wanted it for our garden. Problem being I did not want to buy it and then have to carry it around with me, so I decided to buy it on the way out.
The first section we entered was the New World Desert. Tom was soon engrossed taking photos. He was using a new 50 mm prime lens today and this was his first chance to use it. I hasten to add it was no where near as large as the ones we saw at the Sacramento NWR a couple of weeks ago.
I wandered off. The night before at my firm’s annul company dinner we were all given Flip videos and I was having fun using it. I can take short movies on my camera but this little gadget is so much simpler to use. When I saw the results at home they were OK but not good enough to post. I will have to practice a bit more first.
From the New World Desert region I crossed the roadway into the California Section. As I walked under a large Foothill Pine tree. I heard a
Secluded bench in the UC Botanical Gardens
noise. It sounded like a bird nibbling on a pine cone. I stopped and looked up. There was a squirrel darting around but the noise didn’t come from him and the nibbling sound continued. For ten minutes I searched but had to give up. Not far away I found a bench so sat down to write in my journal.
There was nobody else around at all and it was glorious sitting there in the sun. From where I sat I could see the tree and still hear the nibbling sound. Unfortunately my binoculars were left in the car but I kept checking the tree to see if I could see any movement. A small covey of quail ventured out of the undergrowth, pecked around for a bit and then disappeared into the shrubbery on the other side of the path.
Eventually I decided to return to the car to get the binoculars. On the way there I bought the plant by the entrance, just in case it was gone when we finally left. Very soon I was back on the bench and concentrated on checking out the pine tree. Still I could not detect what would be making the noise. Tom found me and we sat and chatted. He had visited a lot of other regions whilst I had spent my time in just two. He couldn’t work out what bird could be making the noise but deduced it could be two branches rubbing together. If that was the case, I’d spent a lot of time over nothing but it was a pleasant way to spend half an hour.
I decided to take a wander and left Tom in California while I walked back through the New World Desert section and climbed up hill passing through the Asia region. This time of the year I had not expected to see much color around but I was pleasantly surprised. Some of the Blue Dicks were showing pink flowers and there were blue flowers on the Island Ceanothus in the California area and in the New World Desert there were several Coast Prickly Pears which had lots of red fruit on them – called cactus figs. The Asia region had a lot of camellias and there were white flowers on the Camellia Crapnelliana and a few red flowers on the Sasanqua Camellia. On the Rhododendron Arboreum there were large red blooms.
Just one of the thousands of plants at the UC Botanical Gardens
Almost at the top of the hill is the Garden of Old Roses and even here there was some color – white blooms on the Tea Roses, rose hips on the Noisette Rose and a couple of yellow flowers on the Modern Shrub Rose. Of course this is not the best time of the year to see the roses in bloom. May/June they should be in full flower.
On my meandering way back down the hill I walked through the Australasia region and over the lawn to the Herb Garden. Even though there was not a riot of color around, I kept getting wafts of unidentified frangrances as I walked around. The herb garden is separated into several categories, including culinary, medical and fragrant. I was particularly looking for a sage whose leaves have a wonderful smell. I saw one in Redding at the Botanical Gardens but didn’t write the name down – silly me!
There were so many paths all over the gardens here. You feel you are miles from anywhere but they all eventually meet up with wider paths and there is no way you could get lost for long.
One last place to visit before meeting up with Tom again near the entrance and this was to the Tropical House. As soon as I walked inside my glasses steamed up so writing was a slight problem. There was even a little color around in there – leaves on the Flowering Lily, purple flowers on the Sweet Potato, a white flower on the Amazon Lily and flowers on the Costus Igenus and the Fiery Costus.
After a very pleasant two hours at the Berkeley Botanical Gardens it was time to make our way home.
February 18 2010 | Special Places | No Comments »
Pescadero State Beach
We walked up the creek for about 100 yards and then came across a trail which headed north. Maybe we could walk this way to get back to the car. There was an information board about Steelhead Trout which I found very interesting and further along another sign which said ’Pescadero Marsh Preserve ‘. A little further on we came on some water. I wasn’t sure whether it was a small creek or the the south edge of the pond opposite where we were parked. We sat on a wooden fence and contemplated where to go from here. From where we sat, we could see Highway 1 to our left and almost spot our car in the car park. Should we go back the way we came; could the trail to the left get us back; or was there a way round the marsh? We decided on the last option. After all, it was a lovely day and at the worst we could always retrace our steps.
The marsh was very tranquil and there were a few birds on the water. Walking along the sandy path was no effort and we came to a wooden bridge over a marshy bit of lands. The path curved to the left, so maybe we had made the right choice.
Along the way there were lots of signs with information on the preserve and what to look out for – garter snakes, red legged frogs, poison oak and stinging nettles. It was an interesting walk but we could not see a way across to the other side. Up in front I saw a group of walkers and two of them were wearing yellow docent coats, so they were the ideal people to ask. They were a charming couple of ladies who assured me there was no way through. The path just led to an overview of the marsh.
So we turned round and went retraced our steps – back to the creek, under the bridge to the beach. Here we found some steps up to the road and decided it would be quicker to walk along the road. There was no sidewalk and most of the way we were walking on the hard shoulder but we did make it safely back to the car.
(When I got back home I checked online about the Pescadero Marsh Preserve . From this page I went to the trail map and could see exactly where we went wrong – we should have walked up to Highway 1, where the path continued around the North Pond, which would have taken us back to the car park.)
There was no time to explore the southern part of Pescadero State Beach on this occasion. We will have to pay another visit. We went via Pescadero on the way home and stopped off at the Country Bakery to get some of their wonderful artichoke, garlic and herb bread. The smell as we entered the shop was intoxicating and when we picked up a loaf in its white bag it was warm to the touch. We also bought a bottle of water. When we returned to the car, we immediately pulled chunks off the loaf and wolfed them down with generous amounts of water.
We decided that some cheese would go very nicely with the bread so we drove to Harley Farms on North Street. It’s easy to find, just follow
Harley Farms
the signs of the little girl and a goat. The girl points the way.
At the farm, we went into the shop where their cheeses are displayed and sold along with olive oil. The cheeses are very pretty. The white Monet is decorated with flower petals from the garden. Sampling them is great fun. It is always difficult to know exactly what to buy. In front of each basket of wrapped cheeses is a board on which is a large round of the cheese covered in cling film and with a handy knife to cut it with. There is also a large container with small chunks of bread. Mmm… In the end we chose some feta cheese which tasted divine ($10) and a small button of Monet cheese with yellow petals and a pansy on top.
Afterwards we took a wander around outside. In the distance we could see the goats grazing in the field and climbing on the chicken houses. We also took a peek inside the milking parlor. I noticed that they do goat tours at the weekends – $20 per person - so that may be worth doing one day. But for now it was time to head home after another wonderful trip.
February 01 2010 | Special Places | 2 Comments »
Mail Boxes heading towards San Gregorio
Back in November last year we set out to investigate the beaches and coastal access points on the San Mateo Coast. We didn’t have time to check out Pescadero State Beach so today that is our mission.
(Click on the photos for larger versions)
At 7.30 we set off from home, driving first along Interstate 280 and Highway 84 to Alice’s Restaurant on Skyline Blvd (see previous post). The weather forecast said it was going to be a nice day but we were driving through low fog up to 280. As we joined the freeway, the fog was gone. Ahead the Santa Cruz Mountains were clear, bright and bathed in early morning sunshine.
After breakfast we continued on 84 towards San Gregorio. I don’t think we have ever driven to the coast this way before. We either drive to Santa Cruz and turn north on Highway 1 or we take 280 to Highway 92 towards Half Moon Bay and then drive south on Highway 1. It is amazing how different everything looks driving the other way. It is a glorious day so that makes things look new and exciting. At San Gregorio we turned right on Stage Coach Road. We stopped so Tom could take some photos. The view looking east, with rolling green hills, grazing cattle and distant hills was magnificent.
When we hit Highway 1 we turned south, driving past San Gregorio Beach and headed to Pescadero. The ocean looked stunning. At this time of
San Gregorio valley
the year the whales are heading south on their yearly migration and although they are long way out, I kept my eyes skimmed for the odd water spout on the far horizon.
There are three car parks for Pescadero State Beach and we stopped at the first one. From here, by crossing the road, there is a nice little trail round the lagoon and up the hill. Today though we started by checking out the beach. Ours was the only car in the car park. Before we set off for the beach we filled out the self registration form and paid our $7 fee. Normal price is $8 but we both can take advantage of the seniors rate.
As we walked towards the beach the sound of the surf was music to our ears. Tom told me that there is a high surf warning at the moment and he advised me not to turn my back to the ocean if I was near the water. A young girl was swept out to sea on the Sonoma coast recently. Fortunately her parents saved her but it must have been a frightening experience for the family.
The beach is sandy and would be perfect for young children. One word of advice though, the nearest place to buy refreshments is two miles away in Pescadero so take everything you need with you. We had the place to ourselves. Tom was busy taking photos and I wandered around. There was a tiny lagoon and just one structure made from driftwood. I found a handy log to sit on and sat in the sun enjoying the view. The only thing disturbing the peace and quiet was its proximity to Highway 1 and the sound of passing cars.
We started walking south down the beach and rounded a small headland to a long stretch of sandy beach. Still nobody else around, not even a dog with its owner. There were lots of footsteps in the sand above the high watermark so there must have been plenty of visitors over the last couple of days. As we walked we smelt something rather unpleasant. Tom thought we might have walked through something a dog had left behind but the source soon revealed itself. It was a dead seal. It had been there some time and the only way we could tell it was a seal was by its flipper and the shape of the head.
There were a few more driftwood structures here. One was not very high but it covered a largish area and was open. Logs had been placed round in a sort of circle facing a bower like structure so obviously had been some sort of meeting place. It is so beautiful here. I can sit or stand, gazing out to sea for hours and hours watching the surf breaking just offshore and rolling in, with the sun catching and highlighting lots of different colors and shades in the water and watching the pelicans skimming the surface of the ocean. There are no surfers here today but I’ sure this would be a great place to come. Maybe they are all a bit further north at Half Moon Bay taking on the Mavericks. It is usually at this time of the year the famous Mavericks meet takes pace.
I noticed there were a few other people around. A group had arrived at the north end of the beach and to the south I could see a couple standing on the headland looking out to sea.
Further down the sand was strewn with driftwood. What an adventure playground this would be for children. They could spend hours building to their hearts content. I’ve always wandered where the logs come from. Some pieces are huge. Are they carried in by the tide or are they washed downhill from the mountains by the streams and creeks which flow into the ocean?
I thought we could walk all the way to the most southerly car park but it wasn’t possible. The Butano Creek empties into the ocean and it is too wide to wade through. At this point, Highway 1 is a bridge across the creek. It is possible to climb up to the highway but from where I stood it looks a bit dangerous to cross the bridge safely by foot. What we did discover in the rocks of the headland was a small archway and we watched in fascination as the surf crashed and surged through it.
End of Part 1
January 29 2010 | Special Places | 3 Comments »
Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge
We were on our way to Lake Shasta to spend Christmas with the Husband/Tischer family. Every two years we get together and each time it has been at a different spot. Along the way we took our first detour to have breakfast at Babs Delta Diner in Suisun. To think, this is the second time in ten days!
Our second stop was north of Williams on I5 at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge. Once again, our thanks to Tom Stienstra, who featured this wildlife complex in the San Francisco Chronicle a month ago.
It was a beautiful day, but with a chilly breeze. Must remember though that it is December so colder weather is to be expected. The Sierras were visible off to our right and to the north we could clearly see the peak of Mount Lassen which is in the Lassen Volcanic National Park. What was more exciting though was spotting the tip of Mt Shasta before we even reached Williams. I remember my first trip north on I5 back in 1999. I was on my own and several people had told me to watch out for this volcanic peak. When I approached Shasta Lake I kept my eye peeled for Mt Shasta, assuming it was near the lake. I drove for miles before I actually saw it. And here we were nearly 100 miles from the lake and we could see the top of the mountain.
At Exit 595 we turned off on CR 68. Turning left on Highway 99W, we drove 1.5 miles to the entrance of the Sacramento NWR. Just inside the entrance, we pulled in to pay the fee of $3 at the pay machine. A sign saying ‘Visitors’ pointed to the right and the start of the the 6 mile autotour was just ahead.
The road was gravelly and narrow and soon we were passing reeds and small lakes. Along the way were several signs telling us to drive slowly – 20 mph is the speed limit. We spotted our first birds – American Coots or Common Moorhen. The only way I can tell the difference between them is by the color of their feet.
Ahead of us a car was stopped so we pulled up and waited as well because we couldn’t get by. The passenger was taking photos and he had an enormous lens. Tom was instantly jealous. When they moved off we took their place but moved over so that other cars could pass. Officially the only stopping places are the designated Park and Stretch areas. Today it is very quiet with not too many cars around. Tom got some good shots of the birds with Mr Lassen in the background. Suddenly a mass of birds took flight at the same time and hopefully Tom managed to catch them.
I glanced out of of my window to the right and spotted a coyote a couple of hundred yards away. At first I thought it was a dog but when I looked through the binoculars I saw its tail and knew it was a coyote. A little later I saw another one, this time much closer but lost sight of it when some tall reeds got in the way.
Further on we saw a hawk like bird but I could not identify it. It was very dark with a white band at the base of its tail. It swooped and glided close the ground and we could not see what color the underparts were. Could it have been an osprey? Somehow I doubt it.
We came to the first Park and Stretch area. Here we could get out of the car and walk onto a wooden platform. At the top there were a couple of scopes through which it was possible to get a better view of the birds but there were not too many to see at this spot. Tom spotted another photographer with a large lens. This one was camouflaged and on a stand attached to the car window. Tom felt his lens was inferior. Never mind darling, you get great photos.
Further on we saw thousands of Snow Geese – or they could have been Ross’ Geese. There were some morphs amongst them. In the far distance
Sundial Bridge in Redding
near I5 we could see a large flock of white birds take flight. That’s when a large lens would be invaluable.
All too soon the auto tour was over and we were back on I5 head for Redding. Our detour via the Sacramento NWR was a great treat. Next time Tom said he would rent a large lens for the visit.
Christmas with the family at Shasta Lake was good fun. The house we rented was not quite what we expected but the deck and view were spectacular. One fly in the ointment – we had no water at all from 6 pm on Christmas Eve to 3 pm on Christmas Day. Things were a bit difficult with 12 people in the house and a baby but we coped somehow. The problem was caused by a mouse chewing through insulation and a wire on the pressure pump.
We had three expeditions while we were there. One to the Sundial Bridge (awesome), the second to the ‘Poop Scoop exhibition at the Turtle Bay Exploration Park (fascinating) and the last to the McConnell Arboretum & Botanical Gardens (interesting) – all in Redding.
January 22 2010 | Special Places | No Comments »
Sign outside Babs Delta Diner. Our favorite breakfast place.
Rob, my son, was visiting from the UK. As he had never been to Locke we decided to take him for a day visit. The weather was not kind to us at all, in fact it rained for most of the time.
We also had a task to do. Cathleen made a comment on our Delta Eco Tour asking about an abandoned building on Ryer Island. We have never noticed any such building on the island but decided to see if we could find it.
(Click the images for larger versions)
Our first stop as ever was for breakfast. As Babs Delta Diner in Suisun City is the best breakfast place we have been to, we decided to take a detour and introduce Rob to their wonderful breakfasts. Babs didn’t let us down. I went for the oatmeal again and Tom, who has always had the corn beef hash in the past, went for the sour dough French toast. Rob, on the other hand, ordered the Short Haul which was two hotcakes, 2 eggs and 2 slices of bacon served with country potatoes. When he was asked how he would like the eggs he said ‘fried’ but of course over here that is not enough information. Did he want them sunny side up, over easy, over medium or over well? Rob was speechless and didn’t know what the server was talking about. After we explained he opted for the sunny side up. We were all amazed when Rob’s meal turned up on three plates – potatoes on one, bacon an eggs on another and two enormous hotcakes on a third plate served with butter and hot syrup. He was so impressed he even took a movie of it. And he very nearly ate the lot!
To reach Locke we took the scenic route by crossing the river on the Real McCoy Ferry over to Ryer Island. We were hoping to ask the ferry operator about any abandoned buildings on Ryer Island but he never ventured out of the cabin. Who could blame him as the rain was coming down hard. Once on Ryer Island we turned left. Usually we turn right and go round the southern tip of the island to reach the next ferry but decided to take a different route to look for any old buildings. We drove across the island on Route 220. At one point I thought we’d struck gold. Ahead was an abandoned building and it looked like there was a wooden cross on one end. Cathleen mentioned she thought the building could be a church or a school. But I was deceived. When we got a little closer I realized that what I thought was a cross turned out to be the top of a telegraph pole. So we were unsuccessful in our endeavors Cathleen.
In Locke we parked on Main Street. There were a lot of cars but nobody was walking around. None of the shops were open so where was
Al the Wop's in Locke
everybody? We walked up and down Main Street, peering into shop windows. Some had signs saying there were open but the doors were locked.
Outside Al the Wop’s bar a man was smoking. He called across to us from the other side of the road and made some comment on the weather and then said it was the only place open and if we’d never been inside (which we hadn’t) it would be a good way to warm up. Nothing daunted we ventured inside. Al the Wop’s history goes back a long way. When the building was originally built it was a Chinese restaurant. In 1934 it became the first non Chinese business in town when Al Adami bought the building. He opened a bar and restaurant and called it Al’s Place, which became affectionately known as Al the Wop’s. Inside it has a long bar and tons of memorabilia on the walls. The biggest novelty were the dollar bills hanging from the ceiling. I asked the barman how they got there and he said it would cost a dollar to find out. Tom handed over a dollar bill and the barman stuck a tack through the bill and folded the bill in a specific way. He then put a Tahoe slot coin (in the past they used a silver dollar) and covered it with the folded bill with the sharp end of the tack sticking up. The next step was to throw the whole lot up to the ceiling. Tom went first but it all fell back to the ground. Then Rob tried and failed and so did I. Rob had another go and he succeeded. The tack attached the bill to the ceiling and only the slot coin fell to the floor. The guy with the cigarette said that once a year all the bills are taken down and donated to charity. It’s a very special occasion when this happens and the bar serves a liver and onion supper and they have a big fundraiser at the same time.
I did ask the only other group of people in the bar if they knew of any old buildings on Ryer Island. They were not locals but came regularly to the area on their boats. None of them knew of any abandoned buildings at all.
Tom and I had Irish coffees to warm ourselves up. Rob declined as he was still full from breakfast. At the back of the bar is a small restaurant where the food is apparently very good. The boaters recommended the cheeseburgers.
Rob inside Al the Wop
When we left the bar the rain had eased off a bit. Rob found a shop open and so we all went inside. It was a sort of antique shop though most of what was on sale would be classed as collectibles. This sort of shop is always interesting to browse around. I was absorbed in the books and found a small book of very short one act plays. Tom was perusing the old vinyl records where he discovered albums by Earth Wind & Fire, The Mamas and the Poppas, Joan Baez and many more. Rob was searching for license plates or old tin advertising signs but he drew a blank.
We then took a walk to the back of the town and showed Rob the toilet bowl garden. This is where Connie King, the unofficial mayor of Locke, used to live. She died a couple of months ago. Our last stop in Locke was to the museum in the old boarding house. We were the only visitors and the docent on duty was very interesting to listen to. He told us that most of the people living here now are not Chinese. Most of the Chinese moved away from Locke as soon as they earned enough money to move on. The museum has only been open eighteen months and it cost over a million dollars to bring it up to code. In the 1940’s it was owned by a Japanese family. They lived downstairs and the upstairs was turned into small bedrooms which had two beds in each. It is difficult to say how many bedrooms there were because I’m sure some of the rooms have been made into larger rooms but there must have been at least 8 bedrooms. There was just one tiny bathroom. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Japanese family, along with thousands of other Japanese families, were forced to leave their homes to live in isolated concentration camps. They were never able to return to their property (a shameful bit of American history).
Before starting the long journey home we stopped off at Mel’s Mocha and Ice Cream for a vanilla malt. We can’t bring Rob all the way here without giving him the pleasure of tasting one of the best malts around. I got talking to another customer there and asked her if she was a local. She said she had live here for ten years. I asked her about any abandoned buildings on Ryer Island and she couldn’t think of any but she suggested I go next door to the realty office and they might be able to help. I did just that but the office was closed.
It was great to visit Locke again but such a pity the weather was not perfect. We could have done so much more if it had not been raining so hard. And sorry Cathleen we could not solve the mystery of the abandoned building. Maybe if you let us know exactly where it is we can have a look next time we are in the area.
January 18 2010 | Special Places | No Comments »
Saturday Afternoon and Evening
We took a break from visiting artists’ studios by driving into Point Reyes Station. There were four things we wanted to do. The first was to find
Tamales Bay at Point Reyes
an ATM. Buying the bowl wiped us out of cash. Our second errand was to buy some cheese. Point Reyes has many dairy farms and cheese, along with oysters, are what the area is famous for. On Third Street is the Tomales Bay Food Company. It is a small selection of shops selling food from the area. At 1.30 on the Saturday it was packed. There were many cheeses to choose from and I could not decide which one to buy. In the end I chose a small selection from Cowgirl Creamery an a bag consisting of their Original Blue, Matos’ St George, Mt Tam and a goat cheese called California Crottin. The bag also contained bread and butter pickles but I misread it assuming there was bread and butter inside not knowing that there was such a thing as bread and butter pickles. I still have a lot to learn.
Tom and I sat outside on a bench and sampled the Matos’ St George cheese and watched what was going on. There were lots of people sitting on the grass eating their picnics and children were playing. More and more people were arriving to shop. Amongst all this, a young man was balanced on top of a four foot post performing some sort of Kung Fu exercise. For about fifteen minuts he carried on totally engrossed while people walked past, just giving him a casual glance. Hey, this is Marin and that’s what folks do round here. Just another day in Point Reyes Station.
Our next task, and the most important some would say, was to get a drink. Opposite Toby’s Feed Barn, where they hold a farmers market every Saturday, is The Western Saloon and this is where we headed. Outside Osteria Stellina – where we will be eating tonight – there were people waiting for tables but The Western had only a few customers. We took a seat at the bar and ordered a couple of beers. The lady who served us didn’t appear very friendly at first but she warmed up when we asked if she was serving when Prince Charles and Camilla came into the bar four years ago. She certainly was and told us all about it. Tom and I were in Point Reyes Station that day and were standing in the crowd outside the bar. It was a big occasion for us. It is the first time Tom had ever seen any of the Royals and I got to shake hands with both the Prince and his Duchess.
Our last visit was to the Pelican Gallery on the main street. A lot of people were walking round clutching the Point Reyes Open Studios brochure but the Pelican Gallery was not part of it and therefore not very busy. Inside the gallery were lot of large photos printed onto canvas and there were quite a few I would not mind hanging on my wall.
Back on the road again and there were just two more studios to visit today. They first was to Bruce Mitchell, the wood sculpture, who we missed earlier on. His studio was located in Sherwood Road. Bruce specializes in large sculptures and bowls. In the garden outside were a few of his bigger pieces. They are nice but not for us. Where would be put it if we bought one? Also outside he had a large work area with a sawpit. Inside there were more large sculptures and a lot of bowls. I circled the studio studying his bowls and some of them were really nice. There are made out of many different types of wood. It was interesting to observe the different grains in them. I had the urge to pick them up just to run my hands over their surface and to bury my nose inside to smell them, but resisted.
Our very last studio visit was right opposite our B&B so we parked the car and walked across the footbridge over the creek in the middle of Inverness Way. Abbie Durkeee uses mixed media in her paintings. Her studio is also her house so you walk straight into her front room. Several of Abbie’s paintings are displayed on the walls of her sitting room and every one of them told a story. One told the story of her grandmother and displayed a photo of Abbie as a young girl, a loaf of bread, a jar of bread and butter pickles (what a coincidence) and lots of butterfly wings fixed to the bottom third. Abbie collected the wings when she was cycling on the Big Island in Hawaii. Monarch Butterflies migrate to Hawaii and a lot must perish. She said there were millions of wings lying around and in a car they would not have been seen but when you are are riding a bike you see much more. Abbie picked up a discarded Marlborough cigarette box and placed the wings inside. The box protected the wings form being damaged as she continued her ride. Butterfly wings represent family and community to Abbie. Just off the living room is Abbie’s workroom and there was a canvas she was working on and other projects in works. Everything looked highly organized. As we were leaving she us she has a completely different display each day.
Another view of Tamales Bay
Next door to Abbie at 2 Inverness Way we noticed a sign which said ‘Shaker Shops West’ so we went inside to have a look. There were many Shaker items and gadgets like kitchen utensils, coat hooks and children’s toys plus Shaker chairs, tables and a chest. The furniture is well designed, functional and appealing but also very expensive.
Back to the B&B for a spot of relaxation before heading back to Point Reyes Station for dinner. The fresh cookies were out in the sitting room and I picked up a couple as we walked past. They were delicious.
At 5.45 we turned up at Osteria Stellina only to be told our reservation was for 6.30. It was a very busy place with all the tables occupied and people waiting, so we went off to find some amusement before returning at the appointed time. For ten minutes we browsed the books in Point Reyes Books but it closed a 6. There was nothing else to do but to return to the car and listen to the radio for half an hour.
At 6.30 we tried again and only had to wait five minutes before our table was ready. It was not the best table in the house because people were constantly knocking the back of Tom’s chair when they walked past and every time the door opened I got a blast of cold air but these are the only negatives of the whole experience. The chef and owner is Christian Caiazzo. Originally he worked in high profile restaurants in New York and San Francisco but had to give up when he was in a bad car accident. After some painful rehabilitation he moved to Point Reyes Station where he first work at Cowgirl Creamery and then opened a coffee bar before opening Osteria Stellina.
To start with Tom had half a dozen sweetwater oysters. They were served in their half shells on a bed of ice with a cocktail sauce and a lemon flavored dipping sauce. I had roasted brussels sprouts and walnuts. Both were lip smackingly good. For Tom’s main course he had braised goat and I had Osso Buco with mashed potatoes and kohlrabi and broccoli rabe. Tom said the goat was very good. Mine was delicious. To finish Tom had the flourless chocolate desert and I had the cheese selection which consisted of three local cheeses – a soft goats cheese and two from the Cowgirl Creamery (Mt Tam and Red Hawk) served with a membrillo (quince preserve) and bread & butter. It was all washed down with a couple of carafes of house red. We both came to the same conclusion – it was the best dinner we’ve enjoyed for some time.
We were in the restaurant for nearly two hours but never realized it had been that long as we were having the time of our lives. The end of another perfect day.
January 13 2010 | Special Places | No Comments »
Another of that boat. There's something about Point Reyes that's magical.
Part 2 (Saturday Morning)
Tom was up very early. It was just after 5 and still dark but he was eager to get out and take some photos. I turned over and went back to sleep.
He returned, very cold, two hours later. I asked whether he had been able to take any photos in the dark. He had tried taking some long exposures shots of the stars but he didn’t think they were too successful When it started to get light he went down to the old wood boat marooned on the mudbank just a few minutes walk from our B&B. The tide was in and he hoped he had managed to get some good shots of the boat and its reflection in the water.
Coffee is available down in the sitting room from 7.30 but breakfast is not until 8.30. We went down for coffee – well Tom had coffee and I had tea – and we read the paper. There were already a few guests there and we chatted sporadically with them. One couple were from Mountain View, which is quite close to where we live. At breakfast we shared a table with Craig and Jenny who were from Campbell which is only a couple of miles from our home. Breakfast consisted of cereal, fruit, orange juice, yogurt and a cooked dish. It was very tasty.
After breakfast we went out for a short walk. We set out to find a trail but ended up walking up
A little windy but still a beautiful day.
Inverness Way and around a few blocks and then alongside the bay before making our way back to the B&B to change into our walking shoes. Then we set off in the car, driving north along Sir Francis Drake Blvd. It was only 10.30 so once again had time to kill. We parked on a gravel pull-in by Chicken Ranch Beach and took a walk along the beach. The tide was ebbing but it was still pretty high. Last time we came here we were able to walk north along the beach and under the numerous piers that have been built into Tomales Bay. Today we had to content ourselves by walking south. There were several fishermen along the edge of the water and though we didn’t see anybody catch anything, we noticed the tail of a fish sticking out of a bag. It looked like a tiger shark. Near three fishermen was a very wet black lab with a tennis ball in its mouth. He came up to me and dropped the ball at my feet. I asked if it was OK to throw the ball and one replied that it wasn’t their dog, it had just appeared. So I threw the ball a couple of times to please him. At one point he was stood on a slope and when he dropped the ball, it rolled into the water. When he looked down and saw the ball had gone he looked at me as much as to say, “well, how did you manage to throw the ball without me seeing you?” It didn’t take him long to find it again.
At 11 we returned to the car and set off for our first studio of the day. This was at the home of Philip Loring Greene and his wife. His speciality is Ilfochrome photography. Egrets and herons are his passion and he has some stunning photos of them. There were a couple of other people there and while his wife – who plays the harpsichord by the way – served us hot apple cider, Philip demonstrated how he developed his photos. It sounded very long and tedious and one has to admire his patience. It can take two weeks to produce one print.
The next studio we missed altogether, though not intentionally. It was difficult to find. I should have looked at the brochure more carefully because it said that access was through the Inverness Valley Inn.
We drove on to the next studio which belonged to Molly Prier. She makes functional ceramics and Pueblo style vessels. Molly’s studio is not very large and only half a dozen people could fit in at any one time. Her burnished bowls were very beautiful and felt smooth to the touch. She fires them by digging a trench and covering them with cow dung. When the fire dies down, the pit is covered with soil. It takes a long time to finish the pots. Though we were tempted to buy one, we didn’t succumb. Just down the road was the joint studio of Shari Miler, who makes creative jewelry – which we were not interested in – and Peter Sheremeta, who makes stoneware pottery and garden vessels. Outside were some of his garden pots. They were round and the bottom is shaped into three legs. The legs are open at the bottom to allow water to drain away – what a novel idea. Inside were the studios were his bowls. They were mostly round and in vibrant colors. Tom fell in love with one so he bought it. It is a Christmas present for his daughter. Peter demonstrated it’s perfect construction by tapping it and it gave the sound of a bell being struck. He showed us one which didn’t make that sound and he said it must have a crack in it but it didn’t now where it was.
A winding road through the woods to another studio.
The next studio on the list belonged to the wood sculptor, Bruce Mitchell but we missed the turning, so we carried on to the next one. We turned up Drakes View. It is a private road but as the sign definitely pointed that way, we carried on. The road climbed up and up and there were some really sharp horseshoe bends. We really thought we had taken the wrong road but then we saw a sign for the studio, so we knew we were headed in the right direction. On and up we climbed, passing some really nice houses. The Richard Blair and Kathleen Goodwin studio is right at the top of a hill and it was one that was badly damage by the 1995 Bolines Range fire. In fact Richard and Kathleen only had a cabin then and it burned down. Now they have built a lovely home which is also their studio. They are both photographers b ut Kathleen also does paintings and Richard produces books. I particularly liked some of Kathleen’s photos. One was of the raft moored offshore at Shell Beach and the other of a group of men in a bus shelter in Alysham.
We walked out of the studio, crossed the road and walked down a short track between some trees to look at the fabulous view down over Tomales Bay. It was a lovely sunny day but there was a chill in the air and the wind could be heard soughing through the trees. Tom pointed out how far the fire had travelled down the hill. You did distinctly see the break between the old and new growth of trees.
We returned to the car and drove down the hill again but turned on onto Upper Robert Drive where we visited the studio of Ed Stetson. This was the only place we stopped at where we were the only visitors. The studio was in the beautiful home of Ed and his wife with a commanding view of Tomales Bay. Ed is a photographer and uses a digital camera to shoot wildlife. He has captured some amazing shots – one of a Marsh Hawk carrying a vole in its talons; one of what he calls ’sand trees’ taken on Limator Beach and one of a pelican trying to get friendly with a wooden statue of a pelican. Tom and Ed had a long conversation about printing techniques, Photoshop and matting. It is interesting to pick up hints and tips from other photographers.
More to follow…..
January 09 2010 | Special Places | No Comments »
Tom and I are off to Point Reyes for the weekend to celebrate our anniversary. We have booked into a B&B in Inverness for two nights. The main
Old fishing boat, "Point Reyes".
reason for choosing Point Reyes is to tour the Open Studios of the local artists. Twenty studios will be open over the weekend and we printed a list of them. I also printed a copy of the map but it was far too small to read.
We left at 7. A wet weekend was forecast but that’s OK. In fact it rained pretty heavily during the night and the roads were wet. We don’t mind the rain, except for the fact that Tom doesn’t like to take photos in the rain. Lots of rain is what we need here in California after several years of drought.
It was Black Friday – the day after Thanksgiving – and the official start of the holiday shopping spree. The roads were not too busy but all the car parks surrounding the shopping malls we passed were full. Some shops opened their doors just after midnight. The last place you will ever see Tom and I is fighting the masses to get that one object which we ‘must’ have at a ridiculous price. For us it is the open road, traveling to new places and meeting new and interesting people.
We stopped off in San Anselmo for breakfast at Comforts Cafe – see previous post. When we stopped outside the cafe there was a slight drizzle but the sun was shining.
After breakfast we continued along Sir Francis Drake Blvd, driving through San Geronimo, Forest Knolls and Lagunitas. It was a scenic drive with many trees showing off their autumnal colors. On our way home we plan to take a detour along the San Geronimo Valley Drive.
We pulled into Point Reyes Station at 10. Already there were a lot of cars around and we had to park on a side street. Point Reyes station is a nice place to browse the shops. There are no big stores but lots of funky little artsy craft shops. We went first to Toby’s Feed Barn where the Group Show is for the Open Studios. At the back of the store were exhibits from each of the studios which are open this weekend and here we picked up a brochure. I marked the ones we particularly want to visit. There were 17 crosses so we are going to be busy. The map in the brochure was very good I’m pleased to say.
We had time to kill as none of the studios opened until 11, so we took a wander around town. We passed the restaurant where Tom has booked for tomorrow night – Osteria Stellina. It looks really good.
As I was walking past a shop which had a large map of the the area displayed outside, I heard a woman asking two men what was there to do in the area. Of course I stopped to look at the map because I can’t resist them and the woman went on to say she was from San Jose. One of the men suggested Stinson Beach so I chimed in that Bolinas was also a nice place to visit. The same man replied that the tide was too high there. I then turned to him and asked if he lived in Bolinas and he admitted he did. I explained to the woman that Bolinas folk remove all road signs pointing to Bolinas to discourage people from visiting and that’s why it was worth a visit.
When in Point Reyes Station we always visit Point Reyes Books. Their range of books is fascinating and diverse. We idled away the time there until 11.
The first open studio we visited was Todd Pickering and it was one block over from where we were. Todd specializes in black and white photography so right up Tom’s alley. Todd and his dog met us at the door and welcomed us. He had a lot of very nice prints to look at and buy. Todd also told us he runs courses, either for groups or one to one. In February I am attending a weekend course in Sausalito and suggested to Tom it would be a good idea for him to do a photography course whilst I attended my course. We could always spend a night somewhere between Point Reyes and Sausalito, thereby saving me a trip back to San Jose in the evening or me spending a night on my own in a hotel. Todd was an interesting person to talk to. He also plays a guitar and had a CD of his music for sale.
Next door was Carolyn Mean’s porcelain and stoneware studio. She had bowls and vases on display. There were several ceramic teapots which were very decorative but impractical. There was also a selection of her seconds for sale which were very inexpensive.
As we walked back to the car there was a heavy drizzle. We were pleased to get back into the car as we were not wearing our jackets or carrying the umbrella. They were of course in the car but that was little use to us outside braving the elements.
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December 31 2009 | Special Places | No Comments »
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