Napa Valley and Points North

I must be getting old. The chaos of San Francisco really exhausted me and frankly, got on my last nerve. These 90 degree afternoons probably didn't help my disposition. It was good to leave.

The plan was to drive into the Napa Valley for a couple of days. Wayne enjoys wine but isn't necessarily a fan of vineyard tours or tasting rooms so we're sure we even want to do tours. He visited the Robert Mondavi property many years ago and we've been to a few vineyards around the country but sometimes feel obligated to buy brands we don't really like. Sensitive to sulfites, I drink very little wine but do enjoy the fragrance that escapes when a new bottle is open... especially cabernet.

The ride on California Highway 29 into the Napa Valley was nice. Gradually seeing more and more vineyards and mountain ranges in the distance. The day is spectacular but the temperatures are still quite warm -- 85 degrees or so.

Beautiful scenes like the one in the picture below were repeated over and over as we drove into the valley.

The great stainless steel rabbit that appears to be leaping out of this vineyard is a fairly new piece of art. It was installed just last March. The guy who created Bunny Foo Foo has art displayed all over the world. It was impressive -- and huge!

Three ton Bunny Foo Foo at Hall Wine at St. Helena

 There were recognizable wine brand names on signs and buildings...

Merryvale Vineyards was the first winery built in Napa Valley after prohibition.

Traveling through Napa Valley (or anywhere for that matter) on a Friday, without a campground reservation, is insanity but we do it regularly.  Only one park in Napa can accommodate a rig our size. We called and of course, it was full. So we slowly drive along the highway in the big rig, finding the occasional space long enough to pull over for closer looks.

Along Highway 29 through Napa Valley

Our second choice destination is the Calistoga RV Park about 20 miles north. Our calls were not returned so we drove on to the park where we encountered low hanging branches that whacked the air conditioners, and everything else, on the roof of Endie. Aarrrg.

At Calistoga RV Park we found a long list of site numbers, names and dates posted on the office door of the unmanned office.  Someone emerged from a nearby camper to say no one is ever in the office.  I walked back to the coach, grabbed a pen, paper and calendar before returning to the tedious job of scouring the list for a possible site.  A half-hour was already invested in the futile effort when I realized all the 50 amp sites were taken and any site I might find would be 30 amp, which we won't do in this heat. Our addiction to electricity is too great for 30 amps. If there had been a site, it would have been $49 per night.  Aarrrg again.

We moved on... northward to Clearlake.

Highway 29 north from Calistoga to Middletown was a big rig drivers nightmare -- winding and narrow on a steep uphill grade. There had been no warning signs of the treacherous route until we were well beyond a point of turning back. The Rand McNally GPS didn't offer a warning either so we clenched our teeth and pressed on.

The scenery remained remarkable as we climbed to higher elevations.  Even on the steepest hills we could see more vineyards...

More vineyards.  Here, I'm looking back into the valley we've just passed. 

We are aimed for Konocti Vista Casino's campground in Lakeport, on the shore of Clearlake for the night. The temperature was still in the 90's. We can't escape the heat. And our run of bad luck wasn't over.

Next morning, continuing travel north on CA 29, we were stopped at our westward turn onto CA 20 toward the coast. Powerlines were down and the road would be closed for as much as 6 hours. The only detour would take hours and many miles. Aarrrg again.

We doubled back to Lakeport and found a place to pull over. One call and we're set to make an additional 30 mile detour back toward the southeast end of Clearlake where we've secured a lakeside site at Clearlake RV Resort. Oh what a place! Overpriced ($42.50) overgrown (12" weeds) and under-powered as our 50 amp site turned out to have but a meager 30 amps. Aarrrg again.

This would be the only picture I'd get of California's largest lake. The next morning we left the awful Resort at Clearlake and will likely never return to the area.  I took the picture through the bug splattered windshield. What a nightmare.

Somewhere along the northeast shore of Clearlake.

The route

We're headed to the coast in search of cooler weather.

San Francisco. Some Things Old -- Some Things New

At Home In Pleasanton

Be warned. This is a long post and with lots of pictures.  

San Francisco is among Wayne's favorite cities. When we visit, we stay at the Alameda County Fairground RV Park in  in Pleasanton. It's about 25 miles east of Oakland. Pleasanton was 63rd in Money Magazine's list of Best Places to Live in 2010 and it is among the wealthiest cities. The bad news: our site is costing $50 per night instead of the $38 we paid three years ago.

We are having a difficult time staying our of "unseasonably high" weather. Afternoon temperatures here are soaring into the 90's. This will make us appreciate day trips into San Francisco's cool, breezy conditions.



The old standards and some new landmarks were on our list of stops today. 

The New San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge

Old bridge is on the left. It will be completely dismantled.

A California seismic safety project has been completed on Oakland Bay Bridge.

For the past six years, a "round-the-clock" construction project has been underway on this bridge. In Sept 2013 a new span opened to public traffic.

You can  watch the bridge's construction from start to finish in a time lapse video. It is remarkable... and beautiful. 

Port of San Francisco and Ferry Building 

The Ferry Building at the Port of San Francisco dates to the days of the great American Gold Rush when hundreds of ships were drawn to San Francisco Bay. When World War II began, San Francisco became a staging area for troops, supplies and equipment. Here is one of the best pictures I've ever taken of this area.

I took this picture from the Oakland Bridge.  Four landmarks can be seen.
Left to right: the Transamerica Pyramid, Coit Tower, the Ferry Building and Port and on the far right, Alcatraz. 

Cable Cars, Streetcars and Trolleys

Something else we love about San Francisco is seeing the Cable Cars, Streetcars and Trolleys. For a long time I was confused as to the difference and used the names interchangeable. Here are the differentiating facts about the public transportation:

Cable cars run on steel rails with a slot between the tracks. An underground cable runs inside that slot at nine miles per hour and it pulls the cable cars. Cable cars are completely mechanical with no means of independent locomotion. In order to move forward, the underground cable is grabbed by a grip on the cable car that works like a pair of pliers.

Cable cars were invented in 1873 and built specifically to climb the hills of San Francisco. Several American cities had cable cars, but today, San Francisco's Powell-Mason, Powell-Hyde, and California Street lines are the only ones operating in the world.

Cable cars are sometimes mistakenly called Trolleys, but "trolley" refers to the trolley pole used by streetcars to get power from an overhead wire (so streetcars are often correctly called trolleys). Cable cars use no overhead wire and have no trolley poles.

Powell & Hyde Street Cable Car

Streetcars also run on steel rails, but with no slot between the tracks, and no underground cable. Streetcars are propelled by on board electric motors and require a trolley pole to draw power from an overhead wire.

Two Streetcars... or Trolleys

Fishermans Wharf

We could not visit San Francisco without spending an hour searching for a parking place and then walking all over Fishermans Wharf.


I almost always learn something new about San Francisco when we visit. This time I learned that most of the boats berthed at Fishermans Wharf belong to new generations of the same fishing families who made their livelihoods on the waters of San Francisco Bay in the very early days.

Fishermans Wharf Seafood Sales. 

With Lexie (front) and Ozzie (rear).

A good bit of our time today was spent around Fisherman's Wharf. We ate lunch at one of the sidewalk restaurants whose name simply escapes me now... but the food was good, if a bit pricey. I had lobster bisque while Wayne enjoyed his favorite -- an oyster poboy.

Yes, the pups were with us every step and every bite of the way.
Here, we've just settled in for lunch.

Ghirardelli Square 

This landmark building sign is seen in many San Francisco photos. Everybody who loves chocolate knows and appreciates Ghirardelli.  History:  Domingo Ghirardelli bought this entire block in 1893 to use as headquarters of his chocolate company.  Sadly, in the 1960's the Ghirardelli Chocolate was bought by of all things... a macaroni company!  Horrors!

The Ghirardelli building is now a sort of mall filled with restaurants, bars and gift shops.

San Francisco harbor below Ghirardelli has a public park and beach area.
It is favorite weekend destination for locals and tourists. 

Buena Vista 

The Buena Vista Cafe is located on Hyde Street, across the street from the Powell-Hyde Cable Car's last stop at Fisherman's Wharf.  The cafe serves breakfast, lunch and dinner but they are famous for Irish Coffee. Wayne absolutely loves the place... and the drink.

Here's the story of Buena Vista Irish Coffee:  In 1952 the owner of the Buena Vista challenged a customer to create the "Irish Coffee" drink so well know in Ireland. The two men collaborated, experimented and did a lot of drinking but could not hit on the coffee / Irish whiskey mix they wanted. One of the major difficulties they encountered was getting the cream to stay atop the coffee. The restaurant owner even made a trip to Ireland to find an answer... to no avail. 

The two men finally asked San Francisco's mayor, a dairy owner, for help and he began experimenting. It was discovered that cream, aged 48 hours, then frothed to a precise consistence, would float atop hot coffee.  Success! A six-ounce clear goblet was selected for serving the elixir and the restaurateur instructed that the Irish Whiskey be poured across a spoon as a final touch.

That is the way Buena Vista's famous Irish Coffee is made today.

The look of a satisfied man moments after an Irish Coffee at Buena Vista.
Taken at the corner of Beach and Hyde Streets where the cable car run ends.

Transamerica Pyramid 

Transamerica Pyramid is the tallest building in San Francisco though it isn't always clearly seen because of the city's terrain. Its construction was complete in 1972.

I'm convinced there are no possible picture angles without electrical lines. 

Useless Transamerica Pyramid Factoids:

• Its foundation is 9' thick and required continuous 72 hours of concrete pouring.
• Thousands of dollars, in coin, were thrown into the concrete by passersby for good luck. 
• It was originally to have been the second tallest building in the world but the city wouldn't approve the original height as it would obstruct views of San Francisco Bay by the wealthy residents of Nob Hill.  . 

Mark Hopkins and Fairmont Hotels and Nob Hill 

The fabulous Mark Hopkins, located at the crest of Nob Hill, opened in December 1926. At that time San Franciscans proclaimed it to be "architecturally perfect, flawless in its erection, comprehensive in its accommodations...strikingly representative of the best there is in modern hostelry" ---

Wayne had the good luck to have stayed in the Mark Hopkins many years ago. I've never been a guest.

The top floor (19th) of the hotel, in 1939, was converted to a cocktail lounge and was made completely of glass. It gave patrons a 360 degree view of the city and the bay. It became known as the Top of the Mark.


During WWII the Top of the Mark was a favorite place for servicemen to enjoy a last drink before shipping out.


Another beautiful Nob Hill hotel is the Fairmont, completed just before the earthquake of 1906. While the structure held fast, it was heavily damaged inside by fire. The services of famous Hearst Castle architect Julia Morgan was retained to manage repairs to the building. It's guest list is long and impressive.

City Views

There are so many beautiful sights and views and memorable photos in and around San Francisco.

Another public transport vehicle, a MUNI bus, going downhill.
Considered a trolley, it rolls on tires but uses trolley poles for electric power. 

Cable car going downhill. Man in the rear center stops and starts the cable car with the handle at his left hand.
Alcatraz can be seen in the distance.

Architecture

Coit Tower is near the right edge of this picture.

The building in the photo below is the second San Francisco City Hall. The first was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake.  It has the fifth largest dome in the world, and it stands 42' taller than the dome of the U.S. Capitol. The building's interior and exterior have been in dozens of movies.

Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe were married here at City Hall.

Golden Gate Bridge 

So much is said about this bridge that I'll just post pictures and a few useless factoids...

• The U.S. War Department first objected to the bridge fearing Navy ships would be trapped in the bay if the bridge was ever attacked. When they lost that argument, they wanted the bridge to be painted black and yellow so it could be seen by ships in fog. The Army Air Corp wanted it to be painted in stripes. 
• The rusty color of the bridge was not intentionally chosen. It was to have been black or grey. Primer paint was applied to control rust and corrosion. The architect liked it and so it stayed.  
• The Golden Gate Bridge is the top suicide location in the world. An attempt of suicide occurrs there every 3 weeks. About 30 suicide attempts have survived the 75 mph smack against the water's surface. 11 suicide hotline phones are on the bridge and there are constant discussions of installing nets below the bridge. 
• Very little government money was used to build the Golden Gate Bridge. Bonds were sold and local residents put their personal property up to finance the construction 

San Francisco and the Golden Gate from above in Marin County.

From below in Marin County 

Marin County 

An entire late afternoon was spent exploring the "other" side of the Golden Gate Bridge -- Sausalito and Marin County. 

Along the Coastal Trail looking out to Point Bonita in Golden Gate National Recreation Area

We had early dinner here at Rodeo Beach and Lagoon

Fort Baker at Horseshoe Bay - U.S.C.G. Stationr 

Looking down onto Sausalito from U.S. 101

Marin Headlands 

Nike Hercules Missile Silo Complex like the one where Wayne was stationed in Buffalo, NY.

Another afternoon, we wiled away a couple of hours around Fort Mason and the marina. We found some interesting stuff here too.

The Brigantine Galilee's stern is on display at Fort Mason.  As an island packet ship in the late 1800's, the Galilee broke records when she sailed from Tahiti to San Francisco in 19 days -- a trip that took 22.5 days on average.

In the early 1900's the Galilee charted the earth's magnetic fields. The ship's bow is on display in Benecia at a shipyard there.

Stern of the Galilee - Built in 1891 at Benecia, California 

Alcatraz

This really good view of 22 acre Alcatraz Island and the old prison there was taken from the dock of Fort Mason.  See the History Channel's video of the prison.

Berkeley

Another morning we took a side trip to the California University's Berkeley campus. Here's Sather Tower, built in 1914. 

Sather Tower, known as the Campanile.
At 307 feet tall, it's the third tallest bell and clock tower in the world.
It has an observation deck at 200 feet which we did not visit. 

And finally, a "welcome" to...

Couldn't resist the temptation.
No, we didn't go inside. 

Betabel, Monterey, Carmel and Big Sur

"Betabel" is the Spanish word for sugarbeet and that is the name of the campground we're calling home these days. Right smack in the heart of this California "salad bowl" there are dozens of vegetable stands along the roads. Our campground is in San Juan Bautista, California, north of Salinas, south of Gilroy (Garlic Capitol), on US 101.

Betabel RV Park is pleasant and comfortable. Our site has trees on both sides, giving shade throughout the day even though the temperatures haven't been hot enough to worry about it.

I like it here and would stay on longer except that we've already made reservations for the next stop at a campground that is reluctant to make changes.  In a few days we'll be moving along.

Day trips made for more beautiful California coastal sights of which we never tire.  Our car often takes on the look of a rolling dumpster though as we carry the dogs, coolers, bags of food, blankets, extra jackets (you never know when you'll need 'em). The rear compartment is already loaded with bicycles, a dog stroller and a dog bike cart.  Reminds me that I'll need to tackle that job later today...

Monterey

Locals call this the "bay area" but it actually is the "central coast" and there are lots of sea otters, harbor seals and bottlenose dolphin here.

The Monterey Bay area is along the migratory path of grey and humpback whale and it's another breeding area for elephant seals, but we saw none of these mammals the day we visited.  Certainly nothing could compare to the thousands of elephant seals we'd seen at the San Simeon Rookery.

Monterey Bay

Cannery Row

Novelist John Steinbeck drew inspiration from his life's events around Monterey's Cannery Row where the lowly sardine is honored.

We stopped for an outside patio lunch in Pacific Grove the day of our coastal tour. Wayne's fish tacos were much tastier than my fish and chips, which were, I think, Gorton's from the box with fries cooked in the same oil. Oh well, it happens sometimes. 

The Monterey peninsula drive along Oceanview and Sunset Drives to Spanish Bay brought some nice scenery of rocky shoreline, wildflowers, parks and pretty skies with fog in the distance.

Our attempt to drive around Pebble Beach and perhaps get a glimpse of "The Lone Pine" from 17 Mile Drive was thwarted by a toll booth where we turned around instead of paying the $10 fee they collect from non-resident vehicles.  There's plenty to see without it so we moved along to Carmel.

Carmel 

I don't remember the name of this little Carmel area municipal park/beach but we took Lexie and Ozzie for a little walk here. Ozzie loved running in the sand, even on the leash. Lexie was afraid of the crowds of people, especially the children.

Wayne and Lexie

Lexie and Ozzie are always ready for a picture,

Kelp grows in abundance here, like that we saw in the water from the wharf at Morro Bay. They call it a "kelp forest".  Views from directly above down into pools like the one in the picture below clearly shows why.

A cove in Carmel.

Point Lobos State Reserve was on Wayne's list of places to explore but we were turned away as we had Lexie and Ozzie with us. Dogs are not allowed in this reserve...even if they stay in the car. Dad-gum-it.

Big Sur Coastal Drive

The ride along Cabrillo Highway (CA 1) from Carmel all the way south to San Simeon is known as Big Sur. Local publications call it "The Greatest Meeting of Land and Sea" and I certainly agree. Here are a few pictures...

View of Granite Canyon Bridge (1932) and seashore

Bixby Bridge (1932) and seashore.
Someone died in a car crash off this bridge a few months ago.
Reinforces my fear of bridges and this one was especially difficult for me. 

South of Bixby Bridge, looking back. 

Bixby Bridge, about twelve miles south of Carmel, is one of the world's highest single-span concrete arch bridges.  It is 279 feet high and 714 feet long. Big Sur tourist information says, "Its beauty is matched only by the ocean waves crashing on the rocky coastline below". I'm sure it gets its share of photos taken too.

Point Sur

Point Sur is currently a Coast Guard station but for many years it served as a light station. The last lighthouse keeper family vacated the property in 1974.  A great navigational hazard, Point Sur was without a lighthouse at all until August 1889. 

Point Sur is the rock at the end of the land (far right).
This picture was taken from several miles away.
The U.S.C.G. Station, lighthouse and other buildings can barely been seen here. 

From what I've read, shipwrecks were uncommon at Point Sur but a few were lost there. While shipwrecks resulted in the loss of life and revenue, they were a somewhat bittersweet happening for Big Sur coastal inhabitants.  Shipwrecked cargo floated eventually to the shoreline bringing much needed supplies. Big Sur was not an easily accessible place, after all.

Perhaps the most spectacular wreck here was in February 1935. The aircraft carrying airship U.S.S. Macon crashed from wind shear in a storm. Fortunately, of the 83 persons aboard, all but two were rescued.

The day of our trip we didn't even know about the Lighthouse, Coast Guard Station or the history of this piece of land.  I looked it up online later that evening. The Point Sur website is worth checking for the details and a video.

Big Sur: The Greatest Meeting of Land and Sea

Highway 1, the Cabrillo Highway along this stretch of coast is designated an American National Scenic Byway. The Santa Lucia Mountains drop dramatically into the Pacific providing spectacular vistas.

Our ride that day took us almost 30 miles south along the coast. Then, without warning, we found ourselves deep in California Redwoods and the town of Big Sur.  Not much there... but it is truly an outdoorsman's paradise.

Redwoods along the roadside in Big Sur (the town) 

Santa Lucia Mountain 

Making Friends 

This weird looking school bus was parked at a turn-around spot just north of the town of Big Sur. The couple in the photo had also stopped here and we joked with them about which of us should buy it.

I never even asked their name but we enjoyed a nice conversation and learned they are on holiday from Cornwall in the UK. They said California's coastal weather was much like what they have at home. They are traveling south to many of the same places we've been on this trip (yes, recommended they give a stop in at Morro Bay).  Their flight back to England will leave from Las Vegas. Hope they don't pick up a flu bug there like we managed to do.

I broke my rule about not taking a second photo in case someone's eyes were closed. 

And with "goodbyes" to these anonymous new friends, we turned the car northward and headed back to the campground.

Another day we visited Santa Cruz which didn't "move" us and then the tiny town of Capitola which we did like but didn't photograph, unfortunately.