“I wish they all could be California girls..” intoned The Beach Boys many years ago. The song was a hit and a culture was born – or, if not born, at least recognized.
My state – yes, I am a native Californian – is filled with iconic sites, from San Diego to San Francisco and points north, south, east and west, but small towns deserve a shout out as well We are a big state, and there’s lots to see in California.
This month I was embroiled with matters pertaining to my house, but also saw friends and lunched and dined out in small towns just a short drive away from my house.
My friend Marilyn from Los Angeles was visiting friends from Sacramento, an 80 mile trip. Commute traffic can be bad – about a 2-3 hour trip one way – so we decided to meet in Martinez, my county seat. It’s a quaint town with lots of charm. She took the train; it took her a little more than an hour and she enjoyed seeing the scenery from a different vantage point. The Amtrak Capitol Corridor train goes from Sacramento to San Jose and has lots of riders, fans of the train who, after a long day of work, prefer gazing out the train window with a martini or glass of wine to fighting traffic behind the wheel of a car.
We strolled the streets, poked around their many antique shops, and had a sandwich in one place and dessert in another.
We admired the murals, the unique architecture and caught up on our lives.
Before we knew it, it was time to head back to the Amtrak station to catch her train. I drove home through scenic hills – and no freeways. It took me about 35 minutes.
A few few days later, I met up with my friend Tanya from elementary school days. I drove over to her place in Albany, the town next door to Berkeley, and she drove us to Marin to see our other friend Marilyn. We met in fourth grade and got reunited through the internet. We’ve usually got some kind of outing planned for the day. Although I’ve lived here all my life, there are places I’ve never been and things I’ve never seen in my own backyard. Many times we go into San Francisco to visit a special museum, like the Walt Disney museum, or play tourist at a site, like Alcatraz, or go to a special exhibit. Other times we explore Marin. I love Marin because it has a lot of beautiful natural attractions as well as quaint towns. This day we went to the town of Fairfax.
Marilyn always knows the best places to eat, and this day was no exception. I was happy to learn the restaurant was still serving breakfast, because it’s my favorite meal to eat out. Tanya liked the idea too; Marilyn had a salad. We were all delighted with our choices.
Meals with the girls are always filled with nostalgia but also some interesting insights into the human condition. I guess aging gives us a unique perspective on life. It’s always comforting to be in the company of old friends. We discussed the 1953 Presidential Inauguration because we remembered that students in our class were “farmed out” to watch it on television at the houses of others in our class. There was no TV at school. Not every home had a TV set in 1953. I remember I was assigned to the house of a girl named Barbara. Marilyn said her family hosted one of the events. Doesn’t that seem odd now?
After eating and talking, we decided to do some walking. Fairfax is sort of a hippie town, even today; in fact, it is the only town in America to hold a Green Party majority in the town council. In the mid 60s a softball game between the Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead took place at Central Field, a public downtown baseball park. Irving Berlin used to serenade from a treetop piano at Pastori’s Hotel, later known as the Marin Town and Country Club. Thank you, Wikipedia!
We saw some very nice shops and I managed to snag a pair of pretty earrings and a couple of lovely items for Christmas giving. We loved the scene!
A short distance from the East Bay is the Monterey Peninsula area. Most people have heard of it. This is more a mini break or weekend destination than a quick day trip, and the scenes are breathtaking. I have friends who own a second house there, and I was delighted to drive down with them to their ever-evolving historic home, just 1/2 block from the beach at Lover’s Point. They live in Pacific Grove, a lovely, quaint town between Monterey and Carmel. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is just a mile down the road.
The downtown area of Pacific Grove is filled with beautiful Victorians and unique establishments of all kinds. There are, of course, lots of restaurants and B&Bs here as well. It’s commercial but not as blatantly touristy as Monterey and Carmel, which I think is too cutesy. Real people live in Pacific Grove, and it’s a delightful place to visit and relax.
And then then there’s the ocean..
The ocean is the chief attraction, and it’s not always peaceful, as its name might imply. Churning, rollicking, cold waves lap up to the sand. This is NOT Southern California and yes, there are surfers, but they wear wetsuits. It’s cool here, but the crystal clear water flirting with sun and sky is a sight to behold…
and to eat and drink in such splendor, with the rays of the sun bathing your face through the glass??! That’s the best way to while away an hour or two in the afternoon..
Is that a jacket?! Is it windy? Yep, but this photo was taken in February. At least I was not shoveling snow.
Another spot to visit is the mission. There are missions scattered throughout our state, as every California kid will tell you, since we had to study missions in elementary school. Junípero Serra and the other founders of the Spanish missions are as much a part of our California history as are founding fathers William Penn and Ben Franklin to the history of Pennsylvania, though Ben was born in Boston. I love the architecture, the gardens, and the peace found in these beautiful spots. We went to the Carmel mission after lunch.
My all-around favorite local place to visit is one I’ve known all my life, since I was born and grew up 16 miles from it. It’s called Napa. I knew Napa before it was the world-famous NAPA, with touted gourmet restaurants and fabulous lodgings. I still love seeing the rolling hills of vineyards in the area and go up as often as I can. Napa may no longer be the Napa of my childhood, but the beauty and uniqueness is still there. Driving the back country roads from Napa to Calistoga, stopping at a vineyard or a garden, or one of the many dining establishments, the Napa and Sonoma valleys can be a quick day trip or a very full weekend. Try it sometime! I’ve been doing it all my life and never tire of its tranquility or variety of options.
This month has been spent with domestic duties, and I’ve accomplished what I set out to do: I have beautiful new carpeting in my home and the rodents have gone! September will be spent in travel, and I’ll be meeting my friend Ann, who lives in Truro, Cornwall, England. We met in the 80s on a trip and have been meeting up in cities ever since. She and husband Ronald came here and we did do a trip to the Napa Valley, but we’ve also met up in Paris, London, San Diego, Dublin, and their home. Sometimes I was alone, other times I dragged along the current boyfriend, friend or my sister, much to their delight. They visited my sister in Honolulu on their way back to England from Australia. We are kindred spirits, as Anne of Green Gables would say. Sadly, Ronald passed away at the end of last year, so we decided it was time for the two of us to do a major get-away..to Italy!
Will I be posting on site? You betcha. It’s time for another adventure!
It’s time to think about packing. You’d think I’ve had figured it all out by now, don’t you think? Think again.
Any suggestions?
Ciao for now!