2 Weekends 2 Trips
I’m not sure why I think it’s a great idea to do back-to-back getaways, but I’ve done this a number of times. The theory is: you’re gone for 7 of 11 days with only 3 days of vacation lost (or something like that). At any rate, I tried it again in October and I had a wonderful time. The down side is, you spend a lot of time driving, have the expense of two trips and two blog entries to write! And I’m racing to complete this before I start my Thanksgiving cruise vacation tomorrow (it beats packing!).
In this case, the timing was unavoidable, as I had to be at the Beer Dawgs final farewell in Sacramento on Friday the 13th. It was a spectacular October morning as I headed north out of town and finally timed it right to have a fabulous biscuits and gravy breakfast at Hays Street Café in Bridgeport. As good as everyone says.
I made it to Grover’s Hot Springs by about 1:00 pm – another place I’ve been meaning to get to for years. I couldn’t have picked a more perfect day. There were about 15 of us there, mostly Europeans – the sun was warm and the breeze, cool. I spent a wonderful hour doing nothing but gazing at the forested hillsides and luxuriating in the warm water.
Then back in the car for the trans-Sierra hop over Highway 50 with a brief stop in Placerville. This gave me some time to stretch my legs, walk the whole main street, pop into a used bookstore (where, of course, I had to buy an old novel) and grab a strawberries & cream blended-something-ccino from Starbucks (luscious).
After dropping my bags off at Jackie’s condo, we headed down to the river where she was hosting a little soiree for two aboard her Chris Craft vintage cruiser. In keeping with the Beer Dawgs theme, we had barbecued brats and slaw, pickles, olives and the Shiraz I had brought, whilst listening to Crowded House – a perfectly lovely twilight feast.
Then off to the Blue Room at the Clarion for “The Last Howl.” The place definitely lacked cachet, and I felt like Princess Di amongst the tattoos, piercings and uniform tank tops. But it was great to see Bawb and Steve play once last time, even if I was about to collapse of exhaustion by midnight.
I had to rise early the next morning to head to the City – but Lorna fixed me an egg and bacon sandwich for the road and I was parked as planned in front of the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park just after noon. I was headed to the DeYoung Museum for the first anniversary gala and spent a wonderful two hours checking out exhibits of Mayan and Modern Art, ascending the Observation Tower, watching the imminently watchable Gavin Newsome do his politico thing before the crowd, listening to a West African combo and bluegrass band – all for free. I even got a slice of birthday cake. I sat briefly on the plaza where I had spent so many summer Sundays as a wee tot, and then continued my jaunt to . . .
Kezar Bar. The internet really shines at trip planning. I wanted to find a sports bar within walking distance of the DeYoung – so I googled “Best Sports Bar in Haight-Ashbury”. Technically the Kezar is in Cole Valley, but it was the absolute perfect place to watch UCLA get demolished. It was packed with sports fans watching the World Series and various college football games. I settled into a huge BLT washed down with draft Irish beer and was ready to permanently move to the neighborhood. This was further validated as I strolled around the Haight on a sunny autumn Saturday, enjoying the great architecture and the fact that Zona Rosa (which features the best burritos in the world) is still there after 10 years. Amoeba Records is a cool hang, no matter what city you’re in. I grabbed a Dandy Warhols CD and a used Dionne Farris CD ($1.99) and hopped back to the car for the short drive to San Rafael.
It took me less than a half hour to get to cousins Carole and Cheri’s in Marin County. We toured their gorgeous garden and meticulous antique filled home and then got in the car enroute to Cheesecake Factory (more food???). Since it was Saturday night, we waited over an hour for a table – so I was actually hungry again by the time my monster salad arrived. We shared a memorable slice of turtle cheesecake for dessert and then headed back to the homestead for a quiet evening.
The next morning, Carole knocked on my door with a steaming cup of coffee in hand. This girl has been to hostess school! Next came a tray of crispy waffles which I carried in to the den in order to be a more sociable. We chatted for a while and then I packed up Virgie and headed back south to the City. First I parked in downtown San Rafael to stop at an ATM, and did a quick walking tour. What a charming spot – another place I could live without any difficulty!
It took a long while to find a parking spot near Ghirardelli Square, but soon I was back walking on the streets of San Francisco and waving to cousin Jeff a ½ block away. It had been over ten years since our last rendezvous, so it was great to see him again (unchanged) and meet his girlfriend. I think the year 2006 will live in my memory as the “Year of the Cousins.”
The three of us embarked on a walking tour that embraced all of central SFO. From Jeff’s apartment on North Point we strolled south past Fisherman’s Wharf and the Embarcadero to the Ferry Building. I was out of Stonehouse olive oil and needed to try a new flavor (Persian Lime). We had a great lunch at Taylor’s Refresher – I didn’t know there was one there, so I got to re-relish the Blue Cheese Burger I had enjoyed in St. Helena in July! From there we walked to Union Square attempting to find Deanna – but she was not at work that day. Then, we ambled through Chinatown to North Beach for a gelato and finally back to Fort Mason where my car was parked. I never realized how compact that town is!
I reluctantly left the urban wonderland that is San Francisco and headed back east to the mountains. It was smooth sailing to South Lake Tahoe, and my amazingly decent room at the Stateline Vagabond - $31.00!! It had been a long day, so I ran over to Bad Dog Pizza for a yummy olive calzone and brought it back to the room to catch up on TV (you know, the Sunday night Desperate Housewives/Brothers and Sisters thing).
The next morning was bright and pretty. I hopped over to the Lakeside Inn for their killer $3.99 breakfast special and then strolled Stateline and explored the new development at the base of the gondola. It was boring, soulless, sterile and deserted, just like our new “Village.” I took Highway 50 back to Carson City and debated the logic of making a 60 mile roundtrip to stop at WinCo Foods in Reno to save money on provisions. My stubbornness prevailed and since it was on the itinerary – dammit, I went there. With no regrets: I got a s$%*load of food for $40.00 – in fact I’m still living off of it a six weeks later! Worth the $5.00 of gasoline it took to get there.
The last leg took me down 395 back home, in time to start a new, albeit short, work week. On Saturday, I was heading to Las Vegas to meet up with brother Glenn to celebrate his 50th birthday. So just five days later, I was back in Virginella, this time pointing southeast.
No need to detail the whole trip, since Vegas is Vegas. Mom and Dad had flown in from LA, Glenn and Jan flew from Chicago and the Auers drove in from LA. We had a fun birthday dinner at Isla on Saturday night (food still disappointing) and we hung out on the strip, watching fountains, waiting for volcanos and sipping after dinner drinks at the Sports Bar at Paris. On Sunday morning I drove out to Green Valley Ranch for a farewell breakfast at the Pancake House – and just like that, Clan Bruns were back on their flight home.
I spent the next few days exploring Summerlin (Red Rock Casino – cool), Angel Fire State Park (hot) and hanging out at the Stratosphere (good value). Mom and Dad treated me to dinner at Bouchon (yum) and Francesco’s (quite excellent). Strangely, the highlight of my trip to Sin City was visiting to two art exhibits. The Las Vegas Museum of Art had an incredibly well-curated Lichtenstein exhibit and I had the whole museum to myself. My last stop out of town on Tuesday was at the Ansel Adams showing at the Bellagio. The photos were stunning and the views of my Sierra made me eager to return home. Oh, there was one final stop, at the Stardust, which had just two weeks left before demolition. I dropped $3.00 into a quarter slot, quickly hit $35.00 and sped out of town before I could spend it!
I did it – completed this entry before embarking on my next adventure. I have now shirked my preparation duties and will be late heading out of town tomorrow. Oh well, these are the trials and tribulations of the constant traveler.
In this case, the timing was unavoidable, as I had to be at the Beer Dawgs final farewell in Sacramento on Friday the 13th. It was a spectacular October morning as I headed north out of town and finally timed it right to have a fabulous biscuits and gravy breakfast at Hays Street Café in Bridgeport. As good as everyone says.
I made it to Grover’s Hot Springs by about 1:00 pm – another place I’ve been meaning to get to for years. I couldn’t have picked a more perfect day. There were about 15 of us there, mostly Europeans – the sun was warm and the breeze, cool. I spent a wonderful hour doing nothing but gazing at the forested hillsides and luxuriating in the warm water.
Then back in the car for the trans-Sierra hop over Highway 50 with a brief stop in Placerville. This gave me some time to stretch my legs, walk the whole main street, pop into a used bookstore (where, of course, I had to buy an old novel) and grab a strawberries & cream blended-something-ccino from Starbucks (luscious).
After dropping my bags off at Jackie’s condo, we headed down to the river where she was hosting a little soiree for two aboard her Chris Craft vintage cruiser. In keeping with the Beer Dawgs theme, we had barbecued brats and slaw, pickles, olives and the Shiraz I had brought, whilst listening to Crowded House – a perfectly lovely twilight feast.
Then off to the Blue Room at the Clarion for “The Last Howl.” The place definitely lacked cachet, and I felt like Princess Di amongst the tattoos, piercings and uniform tank tops. But it was great to see Bawb and Steve play once last time, even if I was about to collapse of exhaustion by midnight.
I had to rise early the next morning to head to the City – but Lorna fixed me an egg and bacon sandwich for the road and I was parked as planned in front of the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park just after noon. I was headed to the DeYoung Museum for the first anniversary gala and spent a wonderful two hours checking out exhibits of Mayan and Modern Art, ascending the Observation Tower, watching the imminently watchable Gavin Newsome do his politico thing before the crowd, listening to a West African combo and bluegrass band – all for free. I even got a slice of birthday cake. I sat briefly on the plaza where I had spent so many summer Sundays as a wee tot, and then continued my jaunt to . . .
Kezar Bar. The internet really shines at trip planning. I wanted to find a sports bar within walking distance of the DeYoung – so I googled “Best Sports Bar in Haight-Ashbury”. Technically the Kezar is in Cole Valley, but it was the absolute perfect place to watch UCLA get demolished. It was packed with sports fans watching the World Series and various college football games. I settled into a huge BLT washed down with draft Irish beer and was ready to permanently move to the neighborhood. This was further validated as I strolled around the Haight on a sunny autumn Saturday, enjoying the great architecture and the fact that Zona Rosa (which features the best burritos in the world) is still there after 10 years. Amoeba Records is a cool hang, no matter what city you’re in. I grabbed a Dandy Warhols CD and a used Dionne Farris CD ($1.99) and hopped back to the car for the short drive to San Rafael.
It took me less than a half hour to get to cousins Carole and Cheri’s in Marin County. We toured their gorgeous garden and meticulous antique filled home and then got in the car enroute to Cheesecake Factory (more food???). Since it was Saturday night, we waited over an hour for a table – so I was actually hungry again by the time my monster salad arrived. We shared a memorable slice of turtle cheesecake for dessert and then headed back to the homestead for a quiet evening.
The next morning, Carole knocked on my door with a steaming cup of coffee in hand. This girl has been to hostess school! Next came a tray of crispy waffles which I carried in to the den in order to be a more sociable. We chatted for a while and then I packed up Virgie and headed back south to the City. First I parked in downtown San Rafael to stop at an ATM, and did a quick walking tour. What a charming spot – another place I could live without any difficulty!
It took a long while to find a parking spot near Ghirardelli Square, but soon I was back walking on the streets of San Francisco and waving to cousin Jeff a ½ block away. It had been over ten years since our last rendezvous, so it was great to see him again (unchanged) and meet his girlfriend. I think the year 2006 will live in my memory as the “Year of the Cousins.”
The three of us embarked on a walking tour that embraced all of central SFO. From Jeff’s apartment on North Point we strolled south past Fisherman’s Wharf and the Embarcadero to the Ferry Building. I was out of Stonehouse olive oil and needed to try a new flavor (Persian Lime). We had a great lunch at Taylor’s Refresher – I didn’t know there was one there, so I got to re-relish the Blue Cheese Burger I had enjoyed in St. Helena in July! From there we walked to Union Square attempting to find Deanna – but she was not at work that day. Then, we ambled through Chinatown to North Beach for a gelato and finally back to Fort Mason where my car was parked. I never realized how compact that town is!
I reluctantly left the urban wonderland that is San Francisco and headed back east to the mountains. It was smooth sailing to South Lake Tahoe, and my amazingly decent room at the Stateline Vagabond - $31.00!! It had been a long day, so I ran over to Bad Dog Pizza for a yummy olive calzone and brought it back to the room to catch up on TV (you know, the Sunday night Desperate Housewives/Brothers and Sisters thing).
The next morning was bright and pretty. I hopped over to the Lakeside Inn for their killer $3.99 breakfast special and then strolled Stateline and explored the new development at the base of the gondola. It was boring, soulless, sterile and deserted, just like our new “Village.” I took Highway 50 back to Carson City and debated the logic of making a 60 mile roundtrip to stop at WinCo Foods in Reno to save money on provisions. My stubbornness prevailed and since it was on the itinerary – dammit, I went there. With no regrets: I got a s$%*load of food for $40.00 – in fact I’m still living off of it a six weeks later! Worth the $5.00 of gasoline it took to get there.
The last leg took me down 395 back home, in time to start a new, albeit short, work week. On Saturday, I was heading to Las Vegas to meet up with brother Glenn to celebrate his 50th birthday. So just five days later, I was back in Virginella, this time pointing southeast.
No need to detail the whole trip, since Vegas is Vegas. Mom and Dad had flown in from LA, Glenn and Jan flew from Chicago and the Auers drove in from LA. We had a fun birthday dinner at Isla on Saturday night (food still disappointing) and we hung out on the strip, watching fountains, waiting for volcanos and sipping after dinner drinks at the Sports Bar at Paris. On Sunday morning I drove out to Green Valley Ranch for a farewell breakfast at the Pancake House – and just like that, Clan Bruns were back on their flight home.
I spent the next few days exploring Summerlin (Red Rock Casino – cool), Angel Fire State Park (hot) and hanging out at the Stratosphere (good value). Mom and Dad treated me to dinner at Bouchon (yum) and Francesco’s (quite excellent). Strangely, the highlight of my trip to Sin City was visiting to two art exhibits. The Las Vegas Museum of Art had an incredibly well-curated Lichtenstein exhibit and I had the whole museum to myself. My last stop out of town on Tuesday was at the Ansel Adams showing at the Bellagio. The photos were stunning and the views of my Sierra made me eager to return home. Oh, there was one final stop, at the Stardust, which had just two weeks left before demolition. I dropped $3.00 into a quarter slot, quickly hit $35.00 and sped out of town before I could spend it!
I did it – completed this entry before embarking on my next adventure. I have now shirked my preparation duties and will be late heading out of town tomorrow. Oh well, these are the trials and tribulations of the constant traveler.
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