Final bay area gems

We got a real break in the weather, a bright sunny day to give us a glorious hiking day in Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Once we gained some of the 900 foot elevation gain, our 6 mile loop around the Marin Headlands provided almost continuous jaw dropping views.  About half the loop was on the ocean side with views of the Farallon Islands – we’re told that most days you can’t even see them despite being only about 27 miles off the coast. The other half of the hike gave us gorgeous views of the bay, the bridge and the San Francisco skyline. Spectacular!

We had the fun of finding ourselves in several hiking spots along another of the country’s historic great trails. The 550+ miles of the Bay Area Ridge Trail encircles the bay giving hikers continuous majestic views like this. While we only hiked 15-20 miles of this massive trail, the views we got to take back with us are firmly etched in our minds.

As with most of our coastal hiking we encountered many gun batteries buried in the coastal hillsides. One we visited was Battery Townsley constructed in 1938, several years before the attack on Pearl Harbor. The original gun from the battery sat alongside. The barrel of the gun was over 68 feet long, and at a range of some 25 miles, it was almost capable of dropping a shell on the Farallon Islands!

On the tip of the Marin Headlands protecting mariners since it was built in 1855, the Point Bonita lighthouse still stands and protects. Only open to visit 3 days a week, we were lucky to have visited on one of those days.

Just getting there was interesting. A hike along the rock cliffs leads to an ancient hand drilled tunnel that led to through a huge rock dome. Then, we had to cross not just one but two considerable sized suspension bridges before we could finally reach the light tower. This had to be a very cold and lonely existence for the early keepers.

The Point Bonita light was only the second constructed on the West Coast. The year before a lighthouse had been built on Alcatraz Island. The Woman wanted to know why they would build a lighthouse as part of a prison. I told her I really didn’t think the prison was actually there in 1854.

We had encountered deer, many kinds of birds and harbor seals while on the Marin Headlands. However, we were surprised when we looked and saw a domestic cat stalking along our trail only 3 feet or so from us. It wasn’t until I realized it was too big to for a domestic cat that I realized it was a bobcat. I expected the Woman to scream and run, but was proud of her as she just watched the bobcat stalk on by her and head down the hill.

We learned that we exposed ourselves to Jack London in a non-chronological way. We were first exposed to American novelist Jack London in Dawson Creek Yukon in Canada. While we had heard of him, we had never read his works. We discovered his cabin where he filed a placer claim on October 6, 1897 and mined the claim for a few years. A replica of his Klondike cabin sits in Oakland Wharf and brought memories of our wonderful times in Alaska and the Yukon. Many of the experiences London had during the Klondike Gold Rush would serve as the basis for his writings.

London was born January 12, 1876 in San Francisco, and lived most of his life in the bay area. We found the home where London and his mother lived for two years at the turn of the century. While a private residence and not open for touring, we still wanted to expand our exploration into all things London.

We visited Jack London State Historic Park. In 1908 Jack purchased a small ranch in Glen Ellen California. By 1911 he moved into a small wood frame home on his property. With his second wife, Charmian he enjoyed the expanse of the ranch. We visited this original home and learned more about this famous writer.

In 1913 he began building his dream home, Wolf House. Spending $80,000 (well over $2 million in today’s dollars) he built a 15,000 square foot mansion of stone and timber. This was the home that both he and Charmian dreamed of, and they eagerly awaited the day they could move in.

Sadly, two weeks before their move in date, the mansion was totally destroyed by fire. While not conclusive, it is believed that rags wet with wood preservative may have spontaneously combusted causing the fire. The London’s were devastated.

Jack only lived another couple of years. In 1916 at the age of 40 he died of kidney failure. Doctors believed it was likely a result of mercury poisoning resulting from contaminated medicines he had taken during his South Seas voyages on the Snark. Charmian built a new home 3 years after his death, the House of Happy Walls. Small compared to Wolf House it had similar design characteristics. Charmian continued to be a socialite, entertaining and hosting guests and having a well-publicized affair with Harry Houdini (apparently she was drawn to men of mystery, or they were drawn to her) until her death in 1955.

As he requested in his will London is buried near the terraced farm fields he tended at his beloved Beauty Ranch. Charmian was also buried at his side. Jacks request was no marble stone, he just wanted one of the massive slate slabs from his ill-fated Wolf House placed over his ashes. Charmian’s last request, in addition to having her ashes placed with Jack was that Beauty Ranch remains a tribute to her husband. While descendants still run the historic winery on the grounds, they implemented her wishes and the bulk of Beauty Ranch now belongs to the California State Park system.

We learned that while living in Oakland he frequented the wharf, and one particular bar, Heinold’s First and Last Chance Saloon. Built in 1880 from the timbers of an old whaling ship, it looks pretty much today as it did back then. At the turn of the century there was a ferry that ran between Alameda and the Oakland Wharf, docking almost at the door of Heinold’s. Alameda was a dry city at the time, so this saloon was truly both the First and the Last Chance commuters had to enjoy an adult beverage. During the many war years servicemen left for overseas from Oakland Wharf, so the tradition stuck.

We went inside and marveled at all the Jack London memorabilia. The saloon’s influence on him shows up in his work. Johnny Heinold and The First and Last Chance Saloon appear in his novel John Barleycorn. Heinold’s is where he struck deals on buying 3 of his ships, including the Snark in which he attempted his aborted circumnavigation of the globe, struck by a series of maladies. It was hear that he also met Captain Alexander McLean, known for such cruelty at sea that his boat was nicknamed The Hell Ship. McLean became the model for Wolf Larsen in London’s novel The Sea Wolf.

The floor and the bar actually drop maybe two feet from one end to the other, including the floor mounted stools. Perched on the stool next to the Woman, I actually towered over her by several inches for a change, even though our stools were the same height off the floor. Much of the décor was original to the turn of the century saloon, including the bar, the small stove that provided the only heat in the building, and the clock. We had fun exploring, and while it would prove to be neither my First nor Last Chance, I did enjoy an adult beverage, and made a toast to Mr. London.



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The Klondike cabin I mentioned is just outside the doors of the saloon. The Oakland Wharf surrounding The First and Last Chance Saloon has become Jack London Square, a very upscale retail and nightlife destination. The sun decided to come out as the Woman’s stomach alarms went off, so we grabbed a wonderful lunch on the patio of the Forge. The day had turned glorious!

As long as we were in Oakland we also swung by the Fox Theater. Built in the movie hey days of 1928, this 2,800 seat theater was state of the art at the time. Unfortunately you can only get in, like Bakersfield, if you attend one of the live performances held here, and there were none during our visit.

Having exhausted the bay area (at least we think) it is time to move on.

Talk to you soon!

Bay area gems

We continue to be stunned by all the lesser known things we have missed in our prior visits to the bay area. We headed to the Charles Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa. What we mostly remember the holiday TV specials but thanks to the Museum we now know so much more about perhaps the greatest American cartoonist.

It turns out that Schulz was born in our home town of St. Paul, Minnesota. He even graduated from Central High School, the same high school my brother Mike graduated from. His first job as a cartoonist was for the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Sadly the Press would not publish his work on the comic page as he asked, rather they relegated his work to the Women’s’ section of the paper. They also refused request to expand his strip from the current 3 panels to 4. So he quit, which probably solidified his future.

His greatest work flowed after his move to Santa Rosa. We learned that at the peak of his career he was the fifth highest income earner of any kind of entertainer – actors, bands, professional athletes, etc. Evidence of his philanthropy is all over the town. Next to the museum is the indoor ice arena he built for the city. He never lost his love for hockey, and you could see its influence in his work with Snoopy and Woodstock playing the game on top of a frozen solid birdbath.

We strolled into the arena and discovered the Warm Puppy Café. The table where Schulz had breakfast every morning still welcomes guests.

We enjoyed the museum far more than we thought. On top of great videos that really connect you with the man himself were actual scribbles of some of his earliest Peanuts strips. It was interesting to see how the style changed over time – in his early strips, Snoopy walked on all fours like any other dog. In the courtyard we saw Charlie Brown’s famous kite eating tree. But my favorite was the infamous frozen bird bath, with a very unique hologram of Snoopy and Woodstock playing hockey. The 3 dimensional effects were pretty awesome!

While checking things out in Sonoma we visited the last on our journey of the 21 missions built by the Spanish. Mission San Francisco Solano de Sonoma was founded July 4, 1823 by Father Jose Altimira. It was named for Saint Francis Solanus, the patron saint of most of South America.

The current mission building dates back to 1840 when the original chapel was expanded. The ranger told us that this is the oldest original building along the El Camino Real as it was apparently spared some of the major earthquake damage others sustained along the way. He also told us that while the Camino Real was used by locals and the Spanish over time, it wasn’t an established and maintained road as we had come to believe. It was really more just a heavily used trail.

 

On our way to our next gem, Point Reyes National Seashore, we drove by Skywalker Ranch. George Lucas lives in the hills between Santa Rosa and Point Reyes. While it is not open to the public, I wanted to see how he lived and whether there was any evidence of his legend. While we had a good look at his ample home, there were no Darths or Yodas anywhere to be seen.

We visited another great lighthouse at Point Reyes. Again our luck with schedules and weather are excellent. We got to the Seashore shortly after the every 20 minute shuttles commenced. As we moved from point to point within the Park we had a bus show up with plenty of room. Drivers told us that by around Noon there would likely be lines for the shuttles – apparently Californians don’t do mornings.

We headed down to the 1870 era lighthouse. They warn you that you will be walking down 308 stairs to get to the light. What they don’t tell you is that there are a couple of extremely long sections of ramps that at least equal the elevation change covered by the steps. So they say “You will do 308 steps if you choose to go.” But what they choose not to say is “You will do an equivalent of 616 steps if you choose to go.” I think for some that would make a difference.

We were a bit surprised there were naturalist docents at the lighthouse. It turns out we were here at the height of the whale migration season. At first we didn’t think we could see any whales passing by. With encouragement from the docents that whales passing were plentiful, we started spotting the spouts identifying whales surfacing for air. After seeing our first, we saw dozens of them, many of which were so close to the surface that we could see the shadows as well as a couple of flukes.

They had an overlook to a beach near the historic lifesaving station where California sea lions loved to hang out. The sounds of their bellowing and barking were so loud that we could hear them all along our half mile walk out to chimney rock point. At the visitor center there were actually a couple sea lions within feet of us. These creatures are massive, easily twice my weight or more. I am not sure but I think this one may have been hit by the ugly stick!

What is now the bulk of the land mass of Point Reyes National Seashore was once owned by the San Francisco law firm Shaffer, Shaffer, Park and Heydenfeldt. In the mid-1800’s they split up the 50,000 acres they had accumulated into 26 parcels and leased grazing space to immigrant families for dairy herds. The area was so productive that it not only filled all the dairy needs of San Francisco but the entire bay area reaching quite a bit north. To simplify keeping track each farm was given a letter name. After the law firm dissolved the families bought their “alphabet farms”. When the National Seashore was established the families all sold their farms to the National Park Service, and now lease them back on a hundred year lease for a hundred dollars.

Napa, Sonoma and lesser hailed wine growing areas line the coast here. We stopped at a local craft creamery and picked up some Point Reyes Blue Cheese. All the cheese made in this creamery is from milk off one or more of the alphabet ranches. With that and our other picnic fixings in hand we headed to one of the smaller vineyards. With the day again turning glorious it was picnic time next to the grape vines with Point Reyes Blue and a fresh bottle of cabernet. What a day!

Talk to you soon!

Superbowl City

We couldn’t very well be within 40 miles of San Jose and not take in at least some of the festivities leading up to Superbowl 50. So we made our way to a Bay Area Rapid Transit station set up for commuting. For $3 parking in a nice ramp and $14.60 of transit tickets we were deposited smack dab in the center of the 10 blocks that the city of San Francisco has blocked off for the fans. This $17.60 investment avoided the unbelievable commuter traffic across the bay bridge (we just breezed by the standstill traffic heading toward Oakland instead) and avoided the probable $40 parking cost in the city, not to mention the miles of walking to get from wherever we would have parked. Good choice!

Since we arrived in the morning the half dozen live performance stages were being used by the local news station broadcasts rather than rock bands. But we still had fun taking in all that was going on. The morning arrival meant that the security lines were not nearly as bad as we had heard, and the lines for Bud Light and other goodies were either modest or non-existent.

All in all, a good time, and far easier than I presumed it would be. With all the hype, I am not sure who I am going to be rooting for later today. However I am pretty sure I know who my mom will be rooting for.

Talk to you soon!

Only in California!

Only in California have we stumbled upon a First Amendment Area in a National Park. I assume that I am properly asserting my First Amendment rights by boldly standing here and taking a photo of this sign. And yes, I understand the National Park Service doesn’t endorse me taking a photo of this sign, and I have not paid them for the privilege.

Sadly the Woman concluded that she didn’t need me watched after for  a bit. So even though I asked to be dropped off for an hour or so, my request was denied.

I don’t know what you might be thinking here. But I’m thinking that old Mr. Twain is trying to steal a little bit of a kiss off my Woman!

I know that Hinduism has a strong following in this state. Lord Krishna is worshipped here by a considerable portion of the population. Question – do I need to be a Hindu in order to make photocopies here, or do I just get a discount?

We learned that missions in California come with warning signs. Maybe that is because the Camino Real on which the missions are found runs along the San Andreas Fault much of the way. It also may be that California is just warning sign crazy. But you gotta love it – please come see the beautiful church – and please remember that you will not be safe when you do!

We also learned that we took our lives into our own hands just venturing out onto a pier in California. You know, I have seen sea lions move on land before. They have huge bellies and flippers – no legs or feet. Maybe I am naïve, but I think I could outrun a rogue “vicious” sea lion. But I decided not to test my theory.

In California you take your life in your own hands when you follow the El Camino Real along the Fault and visit the various missions. Apparently you also take your life in your own hands every time you venture out onto a pier or on a dock in a marina. But who knew you also take your life into your own hands every time you go out on a hike!

Even the trees in California come with warning signs. The most interesting thing about this warning sign, I think, is that it is really small. So, in order to actually figure out what it says, you need to get up close and personal, directly under the tree!

I have to believe that only in California is the international symbol for an alcoholic beverage a martini glass. Not just a martini glass I guess, but one with a swizzle stick so it is stirred, not shaken (sorry Bond). Oh yes, and with an olive, not a twist.

Talk to you soon!

Murphy is still dozing apparently

So, back to the punctured fuel tank on the Equinox. We feared that between coordinating with insurance, getting a replacement shipped in and dealing with a shop who indicated they were backed up at least 2 weeks, we were pretty sure we were going to have to alter our schedule. Since overly crowded California compelled us to make advanced reservations, we knew what a headache we were about to experience trying to rebook.

Well luck was with us. We did have to move on to Petaluma from Vallejo, but it’s only about a hour drive back to where the shop is located. They were able to get the tank shipped and installed with a whole day to spare on our booked time in Petaluma. Yippeee! No itinerary changes required by this mishap!

Talk to you soon!

Different approach - similar great views

We visited another set of great friends, Elaine and John. Robin worked with Elaine at the VA hospital in Minneapolis and we all became great friends. Long before the Woman and I came to our senses Elaine and John moved to the Golden State and escaped the incessant cold.

They lived in LA for quite a while but found the spot they really wanted to be in the bluffs east of Berkley. John was the founder of a renowned architectural firm in the Twin Cities, and used his expertise to make this 1920’s era dwelling a palace.

Had John still been in the architectural game this home would have been his calling card. He took what was a dingy decaying 1920’s house into a state of the art dream home. Instead of sagging walls and bad plaster is gorgeous wood and glass, with vast openings into the abundant views.

From nearly any perspective in the home you can see the San Francisco bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. We had been here in October 2012 after the old home had been leveled and the frame for the new home had been completed. While we couldn’t quite see the vision in our own minds at that time, John had a scale model that let us see what this vision would eventually be. They invited us to a nice dinner in their dream home and gave us a nice bed for the night so we didn’t have to drive home in the dark – nice!

After arriving in Berkley, Elaine worked for the University for many years. After a nice breakfast we headed down to the University of California Berkley campus so Elaine could show us around. We visited historic buildings on campus, including the South Hall built in 1873, the oldest building on campus.

We went up in the Sather Tower, a campanile bell and clock tower in the old center of the campus. Built in 1914, the 307 foot tower offers spectacular views of the campus and the bay, with an unobstructed view down University Street.

The tower houses a full concert carillon of 48 bells, somewhat enlarged from the 12 that were installed when built. While we didn’t get to hear the carillon play, we did get to see it up close.

We also visited Sather Gate. Sather Gate was the site of most of the dozens of 60’s, 70’s and on protests which erupted here. While this institution has been the seed of many intellectual geniuses, it also has been the seed of many of the social protests of the nation.

After hugging John and Elaine we headed for the Eugene O’Neil National Historic Site. O’Neil, America’s only Nobel Prize winning playwright, chose to live in relative isolation in northern California at the height of his career. He wrote some of his most famous plays while he lived on this 158 acre ranch just outside Danville.

The National Park Service has preserved and restored, where needed, the residence to what it was when O’Neil lived here seven years beginning in 1937. Naming it Tao House, Chinese for principle or doctrine, the home is filled with eastern influences. All doors are bright red, traditional eastern masks are everywhere, and these Asian lions protect the second floor, guarding the staircase.

O’Neil’s office where he wrote his plays in pencil, complete with his two original desks, is true based on the historic photos all over the home. He had two desks because if he was working on two plays he would not be willing to switch between them on the same desk – he had to actually move to the other desk. As the years passed at Tao House his genetic tremors gradually got to the point where he could no longer write. Sadly he never found an alternative to document his ideas.

One of his joys was playing Rosie, a player piano that his wife bought for him from a local strip club. Rosie was prominently on display in the living room, right where O’Neil played his rowdy honkytonk selections for all to hear.

I love it when I learn something not directly related to the site I am visiting. While it is a bit hard to see because of the reflected window, behind the blue couch is a deep blue colored mirror, original to the home. Apparently in the 30’s art deco times, wealthy folk liked to have color tinted mirrors in their homes – don’t exactly know why, but they did. There are 3 such colored mirrors in Tao House, this blue one, one green and one tan.

We also learned that the eastern theme also carried into his bedroom. This bed is actually a hand carved bed acquired from an opium den somewhere in China. While it looks like a table, the center is actually a leather mesh that allegedly is quite comfortable to lie on. I was not allowed to.

From the front porch of Tao House is a wonderfully unobstructed view of Mount Diablo. One of the most prominent features in the area at just under 4,000 feet, Mount Diablo has been documented as a point of reference since the Spanish explored the area, and would likely have been such long before their arrival.

After visiting Tao House we decided to head up to the top of Mount Diablo to see if we could see O’Neil’s ranch from that vantage point. While we couldn’t actually spot the ranch, we thoroughly enjoyed the adventure.

The drive to the peak is interesting. Luckily there was virtually no other motorized vehicle traffic because the road is narrow, almost one lane. While there were hardly any cars, about every 2,000 feet or so we encountered a bike. The snakelike nature of the road coupled with each turn being hairpin meant we had to fall in behind the bike until we could visually see far enough ahead to safely pass.

The first roads to the summit were constructed in 1874. The visitor center and observation tower at the top were 1930’s CCC era structures and very unique. We climbed to the top and took in the spectacular views. We were lucky to have a pretty clear day – not something we have been having a lot of - given the 360 degree views for miles. It was awesome!

We hiked the Mary Bowerman trail that encircled the summit. All the way we were on the side of the mountain peak with never ending views – it was hard to pay any attention to our feet and make sure we didn’t plummet – while it wasn’t a sheer cliff, if you stumbled you probably would stop until you tumbled for thousands of feet. Sadly the trail was just under a mile – we would have wished for more.

Having paid all our visits with friends, it’s time to move a bit farther north.

Talk to you soon!