No visit to Northern California would be complete without a visit to the Bay Area, specifically San Francisco, where I lived for 10 years in the 70’s and Jann lived for three years.
What was great about visiting the same area was spending time with all the great friends that we have known for 40 years and are blessed to still have in our lives and still hold them as close.
When I lived in San Francisco I joined “The Society of International Secretaries” organized by a personnel agency based in London called Brooke Street Bureau. Hence, most of the “secretaries” were English and, for the most part, we immediately bonded.
Two of those friends from "Secretaries" days, Don and Dorothy Maddison now live in Moraga and, mostly, are retired – but probably the most active retired couple you could meet. Their condo is right on the golf course at Moraga Country Club and the balcony is a great place for cocktails!!! We got to laugh and reminisce for a couple of days and the highlight was meeting their first grandson, Sims.
Then, on to one of the most beautiful cities in the world -- San Francisco. One of my ex-boyfriends from the 70’s, Jerry Carson, was heading east for a memorial service and asked us to look after his five cats while he was gone. This worked out well because it gave us a place to stay for a few days, but even more importantly in San Francisco, a parking place!!
We played hard in “the city” for a few days, e.g. shrimp cocktails at Fisherman’s Wharf, visit to the farmer’s market at the Ferry Building, vodka Ramos fizzes at the Buena Vista, a cable car ride, Bay Cruise, cocktails at Twin Peaks, shopping in Chinatown and, of course, the Golden Gate Bridge.
The weather was amazing, 80 degrees in San Francisco, definitely a heat wave. There was even a protest on the Embarcadero – Occupy Wall Street – protesting against the financial markets and the recession they have caused. Just like the 70’s when we took to the streets to protest against the Vietnam war.
We also ran into the four stark naked men sitting in the little park at Castro and Market. They were taking full advantage of the lack of rules here. (Sorry no photos !!) All I can say is that it was a good thing the sun was shining or those four men might have given a second thought to no clothes! Gotta love San Francisco.
After a few days we moved on to Sonoma to visit Maureen, Jann’s roommate in Washington D.C. in the 60’s. Maureen has been one of our closest friends for almost 50 years and had just finished radiation treatments for breast cancer. Glad to say she was recovering well.
We stayed at a wonderful energy-efficient, solar powered, guesthouse that John and Alice Micklewright had built on their property that backs up to a vineyard. They are also taking self sufficiency to the next level and had a fully planted garden of wonderful fruits and vegetables. FYI--apples right off the tree taste like nothing you find in the market.
It was a great few days of catching up with Maureen interspersed with wine and olive oil tasting of course. Napa/Sonoma has got to be one of the most beautiful areas in California with the lush vineyards, orchards and olive groves. One of the highlights was a special lunch with Maggie, another amazing woman, chef, wine connoisseur and breast cancer survivor in her garden.
Lake Tahoe was next with Joni and her friend, Carol Follett, staying at Joni’s family cabin in Strawberry. Again, the weather gods were with us and there is no more beautiful area than Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada mountains with the sun shining and the suggestion of winter in the air. Unfortunately the luck gods were not with us and, despite our best efforts at the casinos, none of us came away ahead. However, we did have fun just playing Mexican train and Yahtzee in front of the roaring fire at the cabin.
Leaving Tahoe took us east and over the Sierra’s on roads we had never travelled before—(isn’t that what this trip is about?) The scenery was constantly changing as we drove east, but always beautiful as you can see by the pictures. We drove past Mono Lake on our way south.
Mono Lake is a lake that had been drained when the Colorado River was rerouted to provide water to LA. Glad to say that the state of CA decided to provide the feed to the lake again although they are now considering closing all state parks to save money.
We have seen so much natural beauty on our trip so far that it would be a shame if the Federal Government, California and Governor Brown decides that financially the government can no longer afford to continue to maintain the parks and proceeds to stop maintenance and close them all down!
Now, how does this make sense? We bought a senior pass to enter all National parks throughout the USA for $10.00 for the rest of our lives!!!!!! Although this is a nice thought to support the seniors - we can't go either if they close them down. How about, if you go to any park—you pay?
I see another protest in my future !!!
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