WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE SPRING 2001 DISCOVERING CALIFORNIA'S CENTRAL COAST by Wine Dine & Travel Magazine

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REDISCOVERING CALIFORNIA’S CENTRAL COAST APANDEMIC-ERA ROAD TRIP TO SANTA BARBARA, MONTEREY & PISMO BEACH TWISTIES AND NAKED LADIES | WHERE NEVERLAND MEETS MAYBERRY | VANAGON ROAD TRIP | HISTORIC HIGHWAY 395

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RON & MARY’S EDITOR’SNOTE

THE WAITING GAME

y the end of February, Mary and I will be vaccinated against Covid. Finally, with a new administration in Washington that has made the pandemic priority number one, there’s a welcome new sense of urgency to get shots in arms. The Biden administration has ordered millions more vaccine doses — enough to inoculate 300 million Americans and take the nation to herd immunity. Like millions of Americans who love to travel, we are playing the waiting game. A recent Harris Poll reported over two-thirds of respondents (68%) say the COVID-19 vaccine will determine when they travel again. Undoubtedly, the vaccine is a game changer for world travelers and the millions of employees in the travel and hospitality industries. Because our ages put us near the head of the line for vaccinations, we made plans for an extended threemonth trip to Portugal and Spain, beginning mid-May. But we hedged our bets and made sure that all our accommodation reservations were cancelable. And we’re waiting until a month before we travel to make airline reservations. Because there are a lot of mothballed planes and fewer scheduled flights, fares are relatively

high. So we wait. But the most significant unknown for future travel is the pandemic status at our destinations. Portugal and Spain, and other parts of Europe, were hotbeds of Covid early in the new year and have closed their doors to nonessential travel. Will these countries even open up to US visitors by spring? We suspect they will. American tourism dollars are a big incentive. With tourism accounting for one in 10 jobs worldwide, governments are eager to welcome visitors as soon as it’s safe because the livelihoods of many of their citizens depend on it. Most European countries have ambitious vaccination programs, but have confronted ongoing problems getting enough vaccine. Again, we believe manufacturers will ramp up and new vaccines will come on the market in the next few months. Along with millions of people getting vaccinated around the world every day, we are optimistic that we won’t have to postpone our travel plans again. But for now, we and travelers everywhere have no choice but to play the waiting game.

Ron & Mary James Publishers & Editors

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EDITORS//PUBLISHERS Ron & Mary James ASSISTANT EDITOR Mia Sellfe ART DIRECTOR Don Inhousen

SPRING ��

COVER SHOT

CIRCULATION Jake Washington STAFF WRITERS Alison DaRosa Priscilla Lister John Muncie Jody Jaffe Kitty Morse FEATURE WRITERS Sharon Whitley Larsen Carl Larsen Maribeth Mellin Amy Laughinghouse Judy Garrison

Photo of Butterfly Beach By Cecilia Rosell, Courtesy of Visit Santa Barbara

Wibke Carter WDT respects the intellectual property rights of others, andwe askthat our readers do the same.We have

Margie Goldsmith Michael Burge

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Wine Dine & Travel Magazine is a Wine Country Interactive Inc. Publication @2021 Corporate headquarters SanDiego,California Contact ron@winedineandtravel.com

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BEST OF SHOW

29 MAJOR AWARDSIN 2019/20

Since our first year Wine Dine & Travel Magazine has earned dozens of awards for everything that makes a great magazine. We’ve won top awards in every key category, including editorial, design, humor, photography, and columns. We’re proud we continue to receive these accolades year in and out from the most respected journalism organizations in the nation including the American Society of Travel Writers and Society of Professional Journalists.

WE’RE SERIOUS ABOUT

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CONTENTS & CONTRIBUTORS

Ron James RonJamesisthe"wine,foodandtravelguy." Heisanationallyaward-winningprintand onlinejournalist,graphicdesigner,televisionproducerandradiopersonality.Thenative Californiansnationallysyndicatedwineandfoodcolumnshaveappearedinnewspapers andmagazinesaroundtheworld.Ronisfounderandco-publisherofWineDine&Travel Magazine.

Mary James Mary Hellman James is an award-winning San Diego journalist and editor. After a 29-year-career with The San Diego Union-Tribune, she currently is a freelance garden writer and a columnist for San Diego Home-Garden/Lifestyles magazine and co-publisher and editor of this magazine.

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REDISCOVERING CALIFORNIA’S COAST Our pandemic road trip was a great success: Weeks after our magical adventure spanning California’s coast, from San Diego to Mendocino, we’re still healthy and remarkably refreshed.

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NEVERLAND MEETS MAYBERRY

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HISTORIC HIGHWAY 395

“So, where are you girls headed?” the taxi driver asked, casting a sidelong glance at his passengers as we inched through rush hour traffic beneath the paper lanterns and painted pagodas of San Francisco’s Chinatown. “Niles,” my friend Shareen chirped. “You know it?”

With intercontinental travel curtailed during this era of COVID 19, exploring destinations closer to home might be a good way to take care of wanderlust. The road trip my husband and I took before COVID set in perfectly fits the bill.

Amy Laughinghouse London-based writer and photographer Amy Laughinghouse has attempted to overcome her fears (and sometimes basic common sense) through her adventures in 30 countries around the world. She dishes on the perks and perils of globetrotting for publications like LonelyPlanet.com, AAA Journey Magazine, Virtuoso Life, and The Dallas Morning News. Her travel tales can also be found on her website, www.amylaughinghouse.com.

Jody Jaffe & John MuncieMuncie Jody and John are award-winning journalists and novelists. John is a Lowell Thomas Award-Winner and was feature editor of The San Diego Union-Tribune, arts editor of The Baltimore Sun and writer-editor-columnist for the travel department of The Los Angeles Times. Jody was a journalist at the Charlotte Observer, where she was on a team that won the Pulitzer Prize. Her articles have been published in many publications including The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times. They live on a farm in Lexington, Va.

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156 164 172

VANAGON ROAD TRIP When my oldest son finished his college studies a decade ago, we decamped for the Rogue River in southwest Oregon for a mellow, four-day rafting and kayaking trip with OARS (oars.com), an Angels Camp, CA-based outfitter.

TWISTIES AND NAKED LADIES My friend Jamie is an “Iron Butt,” one who can ride a motorcycle for hours and hours without getting off the bike. When he asked me if I wanted to go for a motorcycle ride, not only did I not want to go, but I had visions of black leather Harley Davidson jackets, heavy chains, and blazingly loud noise.

OFF-PISTE FUN IN INTERLAKEN "Do you need a penguin?" a blond Swiss woman shouts at me as she elegantly whizzes past. For a moment, I’m confused about what she’s referring to but then I recall the skating aids for small children at the entrance to the rink. Clearly, my disgraceful wobbles and arm paddling cause concern in the general public but I'm having so much fun!

Alison DaRosa Alison DaRosa is a six-time winner of the Lowell Thomas Gold Award for travel writing, the most prestigious prize in travel journalism. She served 15 years as Travel Editor of The San Diego Union-Tribune and was the award-winning editor of the San Diego News Network Travel Page. Alisonwrites a monthly Travel Deals column for the San Diego Union-Tribune and is a regular freelance contributor to the travel sections of the Los Angeles Times, USA Today and AOL Travel. Learn more about Alison on her website, www.AlisdaRosa.com.

Carl H. Larsen Carl H. Larsen is a veteran journalist based in San Diego. He now focuses on travel writing, and issummoned to pull out his notebook whenever there’s the plaintive cry of a steam locomotive nearby. In San Diego, he is a college-extension instructor who has led courses on the Titanic and the popular TV series “Downton Abbey.”

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Sharon Whitley Larsen Sharon Whitley Larsen’s work has appeared in many major publications, including Reader’s Digest (and 19 international issues), Chicken Soup for the Soul books, and Los Angeles Times Magazine. She’s the author of British Travel Tidbits (2017) and Travel Tidbits (2018), published by Sanbun Publishers in New Delhi. Sharon also had a two-year travel column “Travel Tidbits” in the Union Jack newspaper. Her favorite topic is travel (favorite destination London).

Maribeth Mellin Maribeth Mellin is an award-winning journalist whose travel articles have appeared in Endless Vacation Magazine, U-T San Diego and Dallas Morning News among others. She also travels and writes for several websites including CNN Travel, Concierge .com and Zagat, and has authored travel books on Peru, Argentina, Costa Rica, Mexico, Hawaii and California.

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Priscilla Lister Priscilla Lister is a longtime journalist in her native San Diego. She has covered many subjects over the years, but travel is her favorite. Her work, including photography, has appeared in The San Diego Union-Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Alaska Airlines’ magazine and numerous other publications throughout the U.S. and Canada. She is the author of “Take a Hike: San Diego County,” a comprehensive hiking guide to 260 trails in amazing San Diego County.

Wibke Carter German-born Wibke Carter has lived in New Zealand and New York, and presently enjoys life, love, and laughter in London. Her work has appeared in The Globe and Mail, The San Francisco Chronicle, Binspired Magazine, The Independent and more. When not traveling, she is trying to tame her two cats and improve her DIY skills

Michael Burge Michael Burge is an award-winning journalist who worked for many years as an assistant metro editor and senior writer for The San Diego Union-Tribune. Michael and his wife, Kathleen, have logged countless miles visiting adult children in Asia and Scotland. The couple met as Peace Corps volunteers in Kenya, so they have no one to blame but themselves for their globe-trotting offspring.

Kitty Morse Kitty Morse is a Casablanca-born food and travel writer, speaker, and author of 11 cookbooks, five of them on the cuisine of her native Morocco. Her memoir, Mint Tea and Minarets: a banquet of Moroccan memories, and its French translation, Le Riad au Bord de l’Oued, are both recipients of a Gourmand World Award. https://www.kittymorse.com.

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FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE

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CHECK POINT CHARLIE

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THE SHOW MUST GO ON

Although 2020 marked the 200th anniversary of the birth of legendary, world-famous nurse Florence Nightingale--who once helped battle a London cholera epidemic--it's ironic that another pandemic, the worldwide COVID-19 crisis, delayed celebrations.

It was July 1969, the height of the Cold War. I was on the east side of Checkpoint Charlie, looking across the Berlin Wall to the West and freedom. I wasn't a refugee, I wasn't a spy coming in from the cold. I was just a kid trying to buy a benzinpumpe.

On April 16th this past year, the unthinkable happened. Peninsula Players – Door County, Wisconsin’s oldest, largest, and best-known outdoor theatre – announced that it was cancelling its entire 2020 season.

Judy & Len Garrison Judy is the editor of Georgia Connector Magazine and Peach State Publications as well as a freelance writer/photographer/traveler for national/international publications including Deep South Magazine, Interval Magazine, Simply Buckhead, US Airways Magazine, Southern Hospitality Traveler and has a bi-monthly blog in Blue Ridge Country’s online edition. She and Len own Seeing Southern, L.L.C., a documentary photography company.

Margie Goldsmith Margie Goldsmith is a NYC-based author, writer and photographer who has explored 140 countries on seven continents. She has won 85 awards including the prestigious Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Gold Award. She has written over 1,000 articles for Robb Report, Travel + Leisure, Business Jet Traveler, American Way, Hemispheres, Wall Street Journal, Globe and Mail.

Brian Clark Brian Clark is a Madison, Wisconsin-based writer and photographer who likes to ski, kayak, scuba dive, bicycle and sail as often he can. A former staff writer for The San Diego Union-Tribune, he now contributes to a number of publications.

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NUMBER ONE PRIVATE W

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WDT MAGAZINE WINTER2018

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Story & Photography by Ron & Mary James

REDISCOVERING THE RON & MARYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PANDEMIC-ERA ROAD TRIP - PART ONE

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E CALIFORNIA COAST

Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Note: Rediscovering the California Coast is divided into two parts. Part one in this issue features the central coast. Part two, in the next issue, features adventures in beautiful Mendocino.

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Our great pandemic road trip was a great success: Weeks after our magical adventure spanning Californiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coast, from San Diego to Mendocino, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still healthy - no signs of coronavirus - and remarkably refreshed. Regardless of when, where and how you travel, there are risks. But on this trip, it multiplied the risk many times over by a relentless pandemic without parallel in the modern world. As veteran globetrotters stuck at home for months, we worked hard to manage the risks of travel in the time of Covid. Careful planning and informed behaviors enabled us to stay safe while savoring the adventure and discovery travel always brings. Our timing late fall - proved very lucky as well. We missed statewide stay-at-home orders lockdowns brought on by deadly fall and winter Covid surges that put the brakes on recreational travel for months.

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Our plan focused on two night stays in seaside cities about a four-hour drive apart. That schedule allowed us to enjoy leisurely mornings, to miss rush hour traffic in Southern California and the Bay Area, and to stop at viewpoints and intriguing places whenever we wanted. The short drives also spared aging knees and backs, and kept long-drive grumpies at bay. Navigating unfamiliar freeways and winding roads for hours on end can be exhausting. With our fourhour strategy, we arrived at our destinations by mid-afternoon, fresh and eager to explore. From our home in North San Diego County, we rolled through Orange County and dreaded Los Angeles freeways to Highway 101 and our first destination, Santa Barbara. Then it was on to Mon-

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terey, Marin, and into Mendocino, where we would divide our eight nights among four hotel resorts. On the way back, we overnighted in Pismo Beach before arriving home in time for the Presidential election. While on the road, we were keenly aware of pandemic pitfalls for seniors like us. We gave the trip careful consideration â&#x20AC;&#x201D; would we be any less safe away from home if we practiced social distancing and mask wearing? If we traveled by car, avoiding mass transit crowds? If we chose hotels and restaurants dedicated to customer health and safety? Our conclusion? Yes. We could manage our potential exposure throughout our two-week trip. Our itinerary was key. The breezy, open spaces along Californiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coastline would pose a minimal

risk in enchanting settings. Strolling the downtowns of small cities demanded mask wearing and social distancing - both totally doable without significant downsides. From the start, dramatic scenery was the star of our trip. Whether walking Santa Barbara’s historic pier, biking along Monterey’s rugged coastline in Monterey, or gazing up at towering redwoods from the Skunk Train’s open rail car, mother nature shined. Near Monterey, magnificent whales breaching the bay’s blue waters awed us. In Anderson Valley, near Mendocino, we savored local wines overlooking vineyards glowing red and gold in the fall sun. We delighted when narrow wooded paths opened onto pristine beaches ringed by dramatic sand-

stone cliffs. Daily the fog cloaked the sea in mystery and moods, often lifting just in time for blazing sunsets. During these moments, the coronavirus vanished from our thoughts.

Pandemic Hospitality Selecting accommodations with charm, personality and strict, thoughtful Covid protocols was a top priority. Hotels were our splurge, and every one exceeded expectations, leaving us eager to return when the pandemic faded from view. Though, pandemic realities affected our hotel stays as friendly mask-clad staff coped with safety guidelines and management suspended services wellheeled guests expect. For example, at every hotel, there was no daily

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maid service. Guests made up beds and tidied rooms. Some had removed amenities like hairdryers and irons, requiring a call to room service to have them sent to the room. Toiletries sometimes were in the rooms; other times they handed us in sealed bags to guests upon check in. Signs around the properties reminded everyone that masks and social distancing were mandatory. Hand sanitizer stations were everywhere from the front desk to valet stands. Some hotels required signed forms stating we

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did not have Covid or any of its symptoms. One warned guests it would charge them full rate if they fell ill and were forced to quarantine at the hotel. None of the coronavirus protocols annoyed or disappointed us — in fact, we would have been extremely uncomfortable if hotels didn’t take these basic precautions. And we didn’t hear any other guests complain about them. That’s life during a pandemic, and if you’re going to travel safely, you take it in stride.

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Pandemic Dining Alfresco Open air dining is our favorite, whether at home or in restaurants. At the time of our road trip, state authorities had mandated closure of indoor dining in the ongoing battle to halt coronavirus spread. We knew most of our dining would be outdoors and initially were unconcerned. But as we moved north and temperatures dropped, dining outside became more challenging than enjoyable.

that suggested a Costco produce room. When successful, dramatic lighting, splendid views and cheerful staff kept the atmosphere festive, while outdoor heaters struggled to ward off the chill. We heard propane fired towers had become as hard to find as toilet paper early in the pandemic. When picking a table, we asked to sit next to a heater, even though it inevitably meant we baked on one side and froze on the other.

Most of our accommodations did their best with new settings never intended for dining. Only a couple failed miserably, like the plastic-shrouded dining room with bare tables and plastic chairs

It didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take long to learn to dress for the occasion. We added a layer every 200 miles and ended up wearing our heaviest winter coats when we reached our northernmost stop. Staff too dressed

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appropriately, often clad in puffer jackets. Meals felt like fine-dining camping, with excellent local wines substituting for the insulated gear we forgot to pack. Lunches and breakfast were not as temperature challenged. For most of our trip, days were sunny and by noon, temperatures had climbed enough to make alfresco lunches quite nice. Fast-food joints, normally a mainstay on the road for restrooms and reliable chow, limited their services to drive-thru. For pit stops, we mostly used gas stations. Thankfully, their facilities ranged from passable to spotless - pandemic lifesavers.

Which brings us to the money-saving app GasBuddy. This easy-to-use tool listed gas prices at nearby stations for the grade your vehicle required and provided maps and verbal directions for getting there with GoogleMaps. Price differences were significant â&#x20AC;&#x201D; often more than a dollar a gallon. GasBuddy also has a cool calculator to help you budget your trip. Clearly this pandemic road trip presented challenges. We adapted - and thrived as youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll discover riding along with us. Our only caveat for a repeat adventure down the road - never leave home without long winter underwear and gloves.

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Seaside Gardens: Carpinteria If there’s a silver lining to the pandemic, it’s that highways are less congested. We breezed through Orange County and Los Angeles without seeing brake lights on our way to our first destination, Santa Barbara. As we travel, notable gardens and plant nurseries are always on Mary’s must visit list. So Sea-

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side Gardens in the outskirts of Carpintería was our first roadside attraction. The three-plus acre nursery features 11 display gardens that showcase plants from around the world that thrive in California’s coastal environment. Each garden was created by local landscape designers using Asian, Australian, California native, Central/South American, Mediterranean and South Africa themes. Seaside Gardens is a botanical garden that de-

lights plant lovers with spectacular specimens planted decades ago. Wandering its paths rewards visitors with delightful discoveries, including giant succulents and rare trees. In the nursery sales area, Mary looked longingly at some rare Australian shrubs, knowing that they probably wouldn’t survive in the back of our Lexus during our 15-night trip. Plantless, but happy with a “plant fix,” we drove on to nearby Santa Barbara.

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SANTA BARBARA THE American Riviera

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Many travelers on Highway 101 breeze past Santa Barbara on the way to somewhere else. From the four-lane freeway, there’s no sign they are missing one of the most inviting cities on the West Coast, blessed with mild weather, natural beauty, an intriguing history, gorgeous art and architecture and a vibrant urban center. That said, it’s also a very expensive place to live - even for California.

never live there, but we can pretend to over a long weekend as we shop and dine with celebrity neighbors like Kevin Costner, Jennifer Lopez, and Tom Cruise. In tony Montecito, we might pass Oprah on her way to lunch or Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan buying toys for their toddler son Archie. Yet there are many affordable places to dine and stay here, regardless of the size of your travel budget.

Multimillion dollar homes and estates here form an enclave for the rich and famous. Most of us will

We’ve only visited three or four times in the last 30 years, and each time we’re there, we vow to re-

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Our most memorable visit was on January 17, 1994. We were there because Mary, then book editor at The San Diego Union-Tribune, had an interview with the remarkable Margaret Atwood, in the spotlight recently for “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Mixing pleasure with business, we spent the weekend at the Montecito Inn, built by Charlie Chaplin in 1928 and an upscale getaway popular with Hollywood stars ever since. On our first night, we were rudely awoken at 4:30 a.m., as the room creaked, the chandelier swayed and the headboard banged against the wall. Ron first thought Charlie Chaplin’s ghost was paying a visit. Earthquake, Mary said. A strong one. When

the shaking subsided, we tried the bed stand light. No power. So we went back to sleep. The next morning, we luckily found a transistor radio and flashlight at a small hardware store - one of the few businesses open. Static filled news on KNX radio gave us details on the destructive 6.7 magnitude Northridge earthquake, one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history. We had planned to explore Santa Barbara, but since it was shut down by the quake, we drove instead to beautiful Santa Ynez Valley wine country, and the charming historic town of Los Olivos. We figured you don’t need electricity to taste wine. And we were right. We filled the day visiting candle-lit wine tasting rooms along the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail. It capped a most unforgettable stay in Santa Barbara.

Photo by Jay Sinclair, Courtesy of Visit Santa Barbara

turn more often — after all, it’s only about a threehour drive from San Diego. One deterrent is traffic which can double the travel time and create hair-on-fire driving no matter how hard you try to avoid rush hour.

WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE 2021 Photo Coutesy Montecito Inn

SANTA BARBARA HISTORYINANUTSHELL

ortuguese explorer Juan Cabrillo gave Santa Barbara its name during his voyage of discovery up the California coast in 1542. When Spanish Franciscan monks arrived in the 18th century on their mission building journey through Alta (Upper) California, they encountered no one but the Chumash Indians, who had settled the area some 13,000 years prior. The Chumash lived in simple huts, cruised coastal waters in plank canoes and sustained themselves well by catching fish, gathering shellfish, hunting marine and land mammals, grinding acorns into a staple meal and collecting edible berries and greens. The Franciscans built 21 missions in California, including Old Mission Santa Barbara, known as the “Queen of the Missions.” After coming under Mexican rule for 24 years, Santa Barbara became a U.S. territory in 1846, two years before California was added to the Union.

Half a century later, Santa Barbara had volved into the pre-Hollywood capital of the silent-film era, the back lot by the sea where more than 1,200 movies, mostly Westerns, were produced during a 10-year period. After such legendary film stars as Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin made Santa Barbara their playground, the coastal hamlet became a haven for wealthy Easterners and a hot spot for health-seekers lured by the area’s mineral baths. Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, Carnegies and Duponts arrived via luxury rail car. In their wake came painters, poets and authors who took the first steps toward making Santa Barbara the art colony it is today. With only 91,000 residents, this small city exudes the warmth and friendliness of its size while offering the kind of major attractions and world-class accommodations usually reserved for a major metropolis. History Courtesy Visit Santa Barbara

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Montecito We stopped in Montecito first on our way to the hotel. When we stayed at the Montecito Inn those many years ago, we didn’t realize what an upscale slice of California we were in. Today, luxury oozes out of every boutique and eatery on Coast Village Road. Travel + Leisure named Montecito one of “The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2019. It was mid afternoon as we strolled up and down Montecito’s tree-shaded social and retail district. We could see why the rich and famous adopted this seaside enclave. Today, Montecito residents include Oprah Winfrey and Julia Louis-Dreyfus to Prince Harry and Megan Markle. Here, the famous and regular townsfolk shop, dine, and hobnob together. There were lots of folks hanging out in one of the several of the sunny restaurant patios we passed.

We could only guess if they were rich or famous, in this place regular folks who live here don’t make a fuss if a famous neighbor takes a seat next to them. Celebrities love Montecito because they can feel like “regular” people. There’s no celebrity home sightseeing tours here. Many of the homes of the stars are hidden behind giant hedges and gates. The citizens of the community don’t just smooze and eat here. They enjoy its natural coastal beauty hiking the hills of Montecito, where they enjoy spectacular views from the city of Santa Barbara to the Channel Islands. There’s over 15 different trails where hikers can enjoy the local flora and fauna. Montecito is also home to stunning stretches of coastline where they surf, sail and swim. Locals enjoy a sunset or sunrise strolling with their dogs on Butterfly Beach. No wonder Montecito is called the American Riviera.

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Stearn’s Wharf During our brief stay in Santa Barbara, we enjoyed heading out on foot to explore its highlights - the harbor with magnificent views of sea and sand, the historic downtown and the aptly named Funk Zone bursting with shops, dining, breweries and bars. All were in easy reach of our hotel, the elegant Californian. After checking in, we walked a few short blocks to one of the West Coast’s most impressive piers, Stearns Wharf. This iconic landmark completed in 1872 is California’s oldest working wharf, a West Coast terminal for passenger and freight ships. A visit here is a great way to soak up the sun, shop for souvenirs, savor fresh seafood and people watch. The wharf allows fishing, with gear available to rent if you feel the urge. Besides three full-service restaurants, there’s a tasting room where you can try local wines while enjoying stunning coastline vistas. The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center, where kids of all ages learn about the marine life beneath the Wharf, unfortunately, was closed, but will be a must stop on a return visit.

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A mile away is the historic Santa Barbara Harbor, an excellent launch pad for adventures like sailing, sea kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, scuba diving, deep sea fishing, whale watching and more. Visitors also can charter boats, book local cruises, and rent water sports and fishing equipment. Stroll the harbor and see catches from local fishermen and sea urchin harvesters or explore California’s nautical past at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum if it’s open. It offers handson historical exhibits and educational programs. Of course there are lots of options for ocean view drinks or dinner at one of the onsite restaurants. There’s a waterfront shuttle to the Santa Barbara Harbor for only 50 cents, or take Santa Barbara’s official water taxi, Lil’ Toot’s 15-minute boat rides between the Santa Barbara Harbor and Stearns Wharf every half hour from noon until sunset. .

PhotobySantaBarbaraMTD,CourtesyofVisit SantaBarbara

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PhotobyJaySinclair/CourtesyofVisit SantaBarbara

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State Street It also was a short walk from our hotel to Santa Barbara’s exciting downtown area, where we had an appointment to taste some local wines. We didn’t expect too much company, given the pandemic’s impact on retail and dining venues. But we were greeted with a huge farmer’s market sprawling for blocks along State Street. In the pedestrian only area, masked shoppers eyed colorful produce and handicraft stands, or grabbed a socially distanced table in the festive outdoor dining rooms restaurants had added in response to the pandemic. Twinkling lights and live music added to the celebratory feel, more European than Californian. There is talk of making the pedestrian only arrangement permanent, a move we’d happily endorse.

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Joe’s Cafe It was getting dark and chilly as we walked up State Street in search of Joe’s Cafe, where we had reservations for dinner. Joe’s has been a Santa Barbara landmark eatery and watering hole since 1929. Since then, its several owners - even two named Joe - continued the original mission of serving excellent food at fair prices — not to mention the stiffest drinks in town. Amid the crowded restaurant scene on both sides of State Street, Joe’s stood out, with its large vintage neon sign and dozens of tables topped by

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traditional Italian red and white checkered tablecloths. A smiling host seated us in the welcome glow of a gas heat lamp. We newly appreciated these warming lifesavers that kept us comfortable and restaurants forced to serve outdoors in business. Our professional and friendly server guided us through the extensive menu, a throwback to the days of comfort food diners big on homemade meatloaf, French dip sandwiches and fried chicken dinners. Specials of the day could range from spaghetti and meatballs to prime rib - good and affordable blue collar fare.

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Joe’s Cafe keeps this diner-of-yore spirit alive, offering all those dishes and more designed to please the palate and wallet of most any hungry customer. Although prices have increased with time and costs, a diner can have an excellent meal here for the price of today’s fast food drive throughs. A giant bowl of Joe’s delicious New England-style clam chowder is less than ten bucks. And they don’t skimp on fresh clams. Impressed by our chowder first course, we then savored two exceptional entrees. Mary enjoyed sea bass perfectly cooked to stay succulent inside while slightly crisp and golden brown on the exterior. Ron ordered one of his favorite dishes, Vongole (clams with spaghetti). The addition of Italian sausage took this traditional dish to a new level of flavor and richness. Ron was in heaven. By the end of the evening, we agreed this was fine dining in diner clothing. The quality and skilled preparation of our dishes matched those in many foodie temples around the world. And while three or four choreographed servers didn’t hover over us, we appreciated the friendly experienced server who met our needs with no fuss or folderol. It was a lovely evening from beginning to end.

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The Funk Zone Almost every city has wrestled with the fate of obsolete and sometimes abandoned industrial or warehouse zones. Some razed the old and built modern mixed-use developments that gentrify this urban no-man's-land into retreats for the hip and well heeled. Santa Barbara’s industrial area, crammed between Stern’s Wharf on the Pacific Ocean and Highway 101, had a storied past. The Lockheed Corporation was founded here, where it built early passenger planes. It also was home to Barbara’s first grain mills and feed stores, and the area’s fishing industry. Left to rust and ruin, city fathers ignored it until the early 1990s when they saw the potential for an enclave of artists, craftspeople and other creatives there. As the story goes, the word funky kept coming up in planning discussions, inspiring a senior city official, Don Olson, to propose “The Funk Zone” as the new name for the revitalized neighborhood. Today the lively, walkable Zone is home to artisanal restaurants, wine-tasting rooms, craft breweries, distilleries and art galleries. It’s also the epicenter of the Urban Wine Trail — a self-guided trail of nearly two-dozen tasting rooms around town that pour local wines. It’s like wine country without the country. And for us it was an exciting, eclectic and energizing part of our stay.

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Funk Zone Eat & Drink Drinking and dining are the soul of the Funk Zone, but the fare is anything but funky. It’s a foodie playground of tasty delights and quaffable beers and wines. We visited two Funk Zone eateries and one wine tasting room during our two-day stay.

Helena Avenue Bakery This unassuming rustic eatery housed in a warehouse shared with the Santa Barbara Wine Collective is a great first stop for visitors planning to follow the Funk Zone’s urban wine trail. Its delicious breakfasts kick off a day of tasting - or touring, while savory lunches keep spirits high. Order pastry chef Claudia Silva’s updated comfort food inside where you can watch bread and sandwiches being made, but head to the patio to dine and people watch. We envisioned croissants and coffees, but the menu offered many other palate pleasers. Yes, they showcased bakery items like French baguettes, and plain, sweet fruit and herb croissants. More substantial offerings ranged from a breakfast sandwich on brioche to a smoked

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salmon on a bagel. The lunch menu was equally eye-catching with savory dishes including The B.L.T. on sourdough, classic turkey sandwich on sourdough, Tuscan kale caesar salad and seasonal soups. But, for us, two menu items were mouth watering temptations. Ronâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always on the prowl for perfect fried chicken, and couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t resist the fried chicken breakfast sandwich. Mary is an avocado lover, with an unquenchable lust for avocado toast. We paired them both with cups of locally roasted Dart coffee. Served on paper plates, our choices were delightfully out of the ordinary. The fried chicken sandwich nestled a crispy boneless chicken thigh topped with black pepper bacon inside a buttery biscuit served with jalapeno pepper jam and wildflower honey. Ron wanted to move to Santa Barbara just to eat this spicy-sweet-savory masterpiece at least once a week. Mary got only halfway through her huge helping of avocado layered with cucumber and French feta on sourdough toast and sprinkled with sunflower seeds and Aleppo pepper. Both were bargains at less than $15 each.

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Lucky Penny For our first Santa Barbara lunch, we joined the line for orders at Lucky Penny, in the heart of the Funk Zone. This modest-sized eatery features extraordinary and innovative artisanal pizzas baked in their custom wood-burning oven from Sicily, and locally sourced salads, hot and cold sandwiches, handmade sweet treats, and beer and wine. But there’s nothing modest about the exterior of their building, burnished with over 150,000 real copper pennies that shimmer in the California sun. It’s a local’s favorite - families shared charred thin-crust pies with gusto while we waited for our order. For those who’ve notched a couple hours of

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wine tasting before lunch, the Lucky Penny is the perfect break for a pizza pick-me-up equal to the best in Southern California. We were intrigued by the Milpas pizza that riffs off a breakfast burrito with fingerling potatoes, Mexican chorizo, sunny side up egg, spicy tomatillo marinara, cotija and cilantro. But we reverted to favorites with the Butcher Shop, pepperoni, spicy coppa and fennel sausage atop marinara. The addition of mushrooms, onion and bell peppers added a garden touch (and some much needed veggies). Once pizza was more than enough for two people. Ron almost cried when we left two slices on the plate.

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The Uban Wine Trail We canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think of many other cities that have the number of tasting rooms tucked into its urban core as Santa Barbara. Yes, the county is one of Californiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most expansive wine-growing areas, with over 220 wineries and 23,000 acres of vineyards carpeting Santa Ynez, Lompoc and Santa Maria valleys. But within the city itself are over three dozen tasting rooms, all within walking distance of each other on the Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail. We only had time to visit two wineries, one in the Funk Zone and the other in the historic downtown district. The first was Santa Barbara Winery, just two blocks from Stearns Wharf. This pioneer was the first post prohibition winery in the area, founded in 1962 by 32-year-old Pierre Lafond, who had a popular wine and cheese shop that counted among its customers, the late Julia Child. The pleasant patio tasting room was by appointment, but we saw a few walks-ins seated during our visit. The extensive tasting menu offered a broad range of local varietals and blends. We opted to taste five- a ganache rose, three whites and a group of reds, including our favorite in the group, a Pinot Noir. All were priced right for everyday quaffing.

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Jamie Slone Wines Our next stop was Jamie Slone Wines, named the “Best Tasting Room in Santa Barbara.” It’s no wonder, the tasting Room in the historic El Paseo district of downtown offers guests a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere, personable expert service, and outstanding small batch wines.. There’s a good chance owners Jamie and Kym Slone, accompanied by their too cute Havanese dog, Sophie, will be there to greet and serve you.

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For 30 years, Jamie and Kym have tasted their way through wine regions all over the world. They got the bug and picked Santa Barbara to launch their own label, knowing that the area’s soil and micro climates suited the wines they wanted in their portfolio. While Jamie kept our tasting glasses full, he shared his journey from professional race car driver and radio station owner into the wine business. Today he and Kym work alongside a handful

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of Santa Barbara County winemakers to craft, to our palates, some stunning wines - elegant, approachable and balanced. “It’s an evolving adventure and we make a great team!” he explained, as he poured one of his favorites, a 2017 BoRific Bordeaux Blend. We liked it too and happily have a bottle in our wine cellar destined for a special occasion. Considering the Covid pandemic, check the websites of these and other Urban Trail wineries for operation details. For a complete list of wineries on the trail, visit urbanwinetrailsb.com.

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Self-guided Jeff Shelton Architecture Tour One of Santa Barbara’s defining features is architecture. Exploring city streets, its clear city leaders have cultivated a consistent Santa Barbara style - red tile roofs, whitewashed exteriors, rustic woods wrought iron, and colorful tile accents that echo those in Spain. On our jaunts, we passed remodels and new construction, most carefully designed to fit this aesthetic rooted in the city’s past. There are several self-guided walking tours of Santa Barbara that take in local landmarks, including architecture. At our hotel’s front desk, we

picked up an illustrated guide and map for the whimsical works of local architect Jeff Shelton. He turns tradition on its head with imaginative, almost Suessian, interpretations of Santa Barbara’s Spanish Colonial Revival style. Fans from around the world track down his distinctive buildings, created with a team of local builders, artisans and craftspeople. We spent a morning and early afternoon trekking from one delightful project to the other — all within a 10-block downtown area. If you go, give yourself plenty of time to discover and enjoy the beautiful, whimsical details in each.

Left: Bright colors and whimsicle details in Jeff Shelton’s arches, benches and doors typical on El Andaluz (531 Chapala Street), an upscale condo complex built on the site of a former parking lot. Top: Architect Jeff Shelton: Right: Ablitt Tower (13 West Haley Street), sits on a 20 x 20 foot lot set on the back of a commercial alley.

Photos Courtesy of Jeff Shelton Architects.Ablitt Tower Photo Credit: Jim Bartsch

Right: Vera Cruz (521 Santa Barbara Street), a lime green house â&#x20AC;&#x153;tiledâ&#x20AC;? in paintings. Every piece of artwork adorning the house was donated by local artists. Opposite top: Cota Street Studios (225 Cota Street), a collection of seven residential livework units, plus one commercial unit.

WHERE WE STAYED: HOTEL CALIFORNIAN

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Our home here was the ideally located, beautifully designed Hotel Californian. Quintessential Santa Barbara style with a Moroccan twist, the hotel opened in 1925 as a gateway to the beach and downtown Santa Barbara. The new hotel was destroyed eleven days later by an earthquake and fire. Rebuilt a few years later, it reigned as a playground for the rich and famous. Managed today by Preferred Hotels & Resorts, the hotel now occupies the four corners at Mason and State streets. Walk a few blocks to visit the beach, the Funk Zone and downtown. Or relax in the sunny outdoor courtyard, sheltered from the urban energy just steps away. Or spend the

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evening at the rooftop pool complex, enjoying a signature cocktail while gazing at twinkling coastal and city views. The 121-room hotel is rich with beautiful facades and decor, cushy rooms, and sweeping views. Martyn Lawrence Bullard designed this latest and grandest reincarnation, creating a fantasy world of intricate Moroccan tiles, Indian screens, and mid-century furnishings from Spain and Portugal. The glamorous details from handcrafted Moorish lights to hand-painted tile are both contemporary and classic. Each room is named after Moorish troubadours of medieval Spain. Ours was large, airy and comfortable, with a welcome small patio facing the courtyard. The decor, bedding and bath amenities reflected the same attention to quality and detail as the rest of the property. Staff at this five star property was professional, friendly and helpful, treating every guest as a VIP. From now on, the Hotel Californian always will be our choice for a Santa Barbara weekend getaway. .

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THE GOAT TREE RESTAURANT The Hotel Californian’s premier restaurant, Blackbird, was closed because of the pandemic. We were sorry to miss it, given its stellar reputation for cuisine that pays homage to the farm-totable bounty of the region. Something to look forward to during our next visit. The more casual Goat Tree restaurant was the hotel’s main dining option during the pandemic. We didn’t feel slighted since our two evening meals there were exceptional - and fun. Most of our dining on this pandemic-era trip took place in makeshift outdoor areas; hotels did their best to make it attractive and warm. The Goat Tree, though, transformed its outdoor patio into a magical, exotic oasis, ringing two rows of palm tree trunks with sparkling lights to light up the night. Service was polished, casual and friendly. We sensed that the management and staff took pride in being the hotel’s star eatery, and its source for breakfasts and brunch. Menu options were carefully curated toward customer favorites like house-made hummus. Never a fan of this iconic Middle East dip, Ron agreed to try it - and delightfully surprised by this creamy, flavorful version. Entree choices - each delicious - were pasta with sausage for Ron and perfectly cooked sea bass for Mary. House wines from the area added to the evening’s glow.

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The Goat Tree offers oven fresh breads and pastries and brewed coffees, starting early in the day (a boon for coffee lovers like Mary). We enjoyed a hearty breakfast here too, with pastries, scrambled eggs, applewood smoked bacon and fresh fruit. A perfect way to begin the day. Regardless of hour, don’t pass on the macaroons - a delicious treat any time. If a beach day or wine tasting is on your schedule, the gourmet Goat Tree Market also will help you create a picnic basket to go. The Goat Tree name reminded us of an unforgettable bus trip through the Atlas mountains from Agadir to Marrakesh in Morocco. Just as we began our climb into the dusty peaks, we came across a surreal roadside scene: Perched high in a grand argan tree were a dozen of goats happily munching leaves and fruit. We’re not sure if these acrobatic goats inspired the restaurant’s name, but it suits the Morrocan-inspired decor.

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THE ROAD TO MONTEREY Driving Big Sur Highway � We’ve traveled spectacular stretches of road the world over - Italy’s Amalfi Coast, Cape Town’s Chapman’s Peak Drive, and the Hana Highway on Maui to name a few. But the 90-mile drive up the Pacific Coast Highway from San Simeon’s Hearst Castle to Point Lobos has always been our favorite. The winding, narrow road is high above a majestic, rugged coastline edged with towering peaks. Building it was an engineering marvel, and today it’s California’s longest and most popular scenic route, attracting millions of visitors annually.

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Mother Nature still wages constant war on the pavement and bridges, often shutting it down for months for repairs. More recently, wildfires have forced road closures. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always good to check with CalTrans before departing, Also be sure your vehicle is in excellent condition and has a full tank of gas. Cell phone reception is iffy and auto services limited. Just before publication, an enormous chunk of road washed out, closing Highway 1 into Big Sur. That said, the drive is worth the many challenges. Take your time and stop at the many viewpoints to admire nature at its most beautiful and majestic. As we left Santa Barbara for San Simeon, the day was sunny and bright as we passed rolling green hills. But Hearst Castle, where we snapped a photo. The fog rolled in, obliterating the famed residence in minutes. Fog persisted for miles until Ragged Point Resort, where dozens of road trippers used the facilities, bought snacks at the small store and hiked to the viewpoint, hoping for a coastline glimpse. Sadly, we could only hear the waves... the fog hovered there, blanketing the cliffs in white.

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Finally, a couple of miles north from Ragged Point, the fog lifted, revealing the magnificent scenery we remembered. We stopped many times before descending into Carmel and Monterey. Favorite vistas were the much photographed Bixby Creek Bridge, also known as Bixby Canyon Bridge, and Limekiln State Park, where we watched lumbering elephant seals. Besides the fog, the frightening proliferation of non-native pampas or jubatata grass diminished our drive. Its long plumes rose like the spears of an invading army laying siege to the redwood forests, other native shrubs and trees and the habitats of birds and other wildlife. It was everywhere, clinging to steep slopes and marching through canyons. Sadly, this scourge seemed unharmed by wildfires that annually blackened thousands of acres of green wildlands here. Eradicating it by other means is daunting, given the terrain, ecology concerns, the weedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s razor sharp leaves and the growing magnitude of the task. We can only hope for a miracle to cage and control this menace.

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MONTEREY HOME OF CANNERY ROW and more

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cannery Row in Monterey California is a poem, a stink, a grating noise, a quality of light a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a dream. Cannery Row is the gathered and scattered, tin and iron and rust and splintered wood, chipped pavement and weedy lots and junk heaps, sardine canneries of corrugated iron, honky tonks, restaurants and whore houses, and little crowded groceries, and laboratories and flophouses." â&#x20AC;&#x201D;from Cannery Row by John Steinbeck

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Ron’s first trip to Monterey was several decades ago when he and his four brothers were returning to San Diego from their parents’ home in Redding. As they were leaving, he grabbed an old paperback copy of “Cannery Row” to read on the road. While waiting for his turn behind the wheel, Ron settled in the back of their old Dodge van to read John Steinbeck's fascinating tale of 1930s’ Monterey.

He turned the last page as the van approached the Monterey city limits and convinced his brothers to stop. Not yet the tourist attraction it would become, Cannery Row had restaurants and shops, including a small mall inside a former cannery. Still, Ron could feel Steinbeck and the colorful characters he brought to life. Monterey became a special place for him ever since.

Steinbeck’s powerful story and its quirky characters reminded Ron of quirky people knew in the funky San Diego neighborhood of Ocean Beach.

Now, as we returned to Monterey for the first time in several years, Ron wondered if the magic would hold. Would the same vivid memories arise

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as we explored todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Monterey and Cannery Row from our base at the Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa, where our room overlooked the spectacular bay.

During his writing

Of course, Monterey has other iconic landmarks and a storied past beyond the era Steinbeck captured. The city itself boasts many California firsts it was the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first capital and home to its first theater and newspaper. Last year Monterey celebrated its 250th anniversary; Carmel Mission marks that anniversary this year.

the comic novels

career, he authored 33 books. He is widely known for Tortilla Flat (1935) and Cannery Row (1945). The Pulitzer Prize-winning The Grapes of Wrath is considered Steinbeck's masterpiece.

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In Monterey County, there are 45,000 acres of premium vineyards and 80-plus wineries. It has 99 miles of stunning coastline, a world famous aquarium, and over 20 golf courses, including the famed Pebble Beach Golf Links. In the city there’s Old Fisherman’s Wharf with seafood and chowder vendors, boutiques, restaurants, whale watching tours, sailing, and fishing charters. There’s a lot to see and experience in Monterey. (Sadly, the Aquarium was closed because of the pandemic). We had only one full day and easily packed it full with fun and informative activities. Our hotel arranged a morning e-bike ride to Cannery Row and along the famed scenic coastal road, 17-Mile Drive. After lunch, we headed off on a private wine tasting tour of the Salinas Valley. The following morning, as we headed out of town, we would board a boat at Moss Landing for whale watching.

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History of Cannery Row When John Steinbeck wrote about Monterey’s gritty canning district, filling it with a band of genuine albeit imperfect fictional characters, he did not know he was sending the district on its way to becoming one of the most beloved travel destination in the United States. Cannery Row—as it was officially named in 1958— has evolved from the "tin and iron" of its canning days into a welcoming seaside destination with an array of activities, not the least of which is exploring the street's heritage. Long before the area became famous for sardines, Cannery Row at China Point was settled by Chinese salmon fishermen in the 1850s, and Portuguese shore-whalers in the 1880s. The late 1880s brought the railroad, which opened the door to tourism and immigration. Italian fishermen would surpass the Chinese as the dominant players in the Monterey Bay fishing industry. The first cannery in Monterey was built near Old Fisherman's Wharf by Frank Booth at the turn of the century. Those canneries that would later define Cannery Row sprung up a bit farther down the coast, along Ocean View Avenue and canned the abundant sardine. Over the next decade, fishing and canning methods improved and prepared Monterey for the huge spike in demand for canned sardines brought about by World War I.

The canneries expanded rapidly, and, after the war, continued to grind away at processing fishmeal. The industry slowed during the Great Depression, but life on Cannery Row in the 1930s would inspire John Steinbeck to write about it and the eople he met there. He based the character “Doc” on a real-life marine biologist, Ed Ricketts. World War II launched another boom for the canning industry, but it was short lived. After the war, the over-fished sardines disappeared from Monterey Bay and brought economic disaster to Cannery Row. The area fell into ruin…almost. Steinbeck's Cannery Row had been published in 1945, and its passionate readers came too see the Row for themselves. Two Monterey restaurant managers with strong family ties to the fishing industry were chiefly responsible for halting the decay of Cannery Row and ensuring it would forever remain a place that paid tribute to fishermen, to Steinbeck and to Monterey. Founding the Cannery Row Company in 1976, Ted Balestreri and Bert Cutino began a revival of Cannery Row that transformed it from a street of burned and decrepit canneries into a welcoming waterfront where visitors could vacation. History courtesy the Cannery Row Company

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Adventures by the Sea Mary bowed out of the bike ride - she doesn’t play well with bikes or horses. But when Ron discovered he would ride the e-bike over mostly flat terrain, he enthusiastically signed up. As the meeting time approached, he grew apprehensive - was the ride too long, was he too old, was the bike seat padded. His concerns evaporated when he greeted his guide at the offices of the tour company, Adventures by the Sea. Jan Burns was a fellow Baby Boomer, although in much better shape than many of us. She’s been leading bike and kayak tours for over two decades and, as Ron discovered during their three hours together, she is an exceptional guide - super knowledgeable about area history and lore. She also knew the best spots to stop, chat and snap photos.. The tour began with a visit to the city’s commercial pier, almost taken over by smelly and loud seals and sea lions. Nice to observe from a distance, but not so nice close up. We carried on to a

wide pedestrian and bike path where once a railroad used to run, and stopped at the historic cannery worker shacks. The three tiny cabins, the last of over 100 that once dotted Monterey’s waterfront, housed the men, mostly Mexican, Spanish, Japanese and Filipino, who worked in the canneries or fished for sardines. Up to four men frequently shared one small cabin. From the bike trail, we could see the rustic wooden shed that was once the laboratory and home of respected marine scientist Ed Ricketts. Academically, he was best known for his research compiled in “Between Pacific Tides.” But it was Steinbeck who made him world famous, drawing on Ricketts as the model for Doc in “Cannery Row” and “Sweet Thursday.” The author and scientist became good friends in the 1930s, and when Ricketts’ lab burned down, Steinbeck financed its rebuilding. He even worked a bit with Ricketts examining marine specimens. Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday, that made both Steinbeck and Ricketts world famous.

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Back on our bikes, we entered one of the impressive and beautiful coastal bike paths on earth. We stopped several times at various scenic and historical viewpoints. Off the path to a beach in Pacific Grove, we found the point where John Denver met his end in a downed experimental plane just off shore in 1997. Toward the end of the ride, we stopped to admire the stunning scene that is Lovers Point State Marine Reserve. Jan was willing to do more of the 17 mile Drive, but after three hours, Ronâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s backside was getting a little worse for wear, and suggested we call it a day. And he had to rest up for an afternoon of wine tasting with Sammy.

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Monterey Guided Wine Tours After Ron’s bike ride, we were ready to explore Monterey wine country. It’s a big one, home to 225 vineyards, 82 wineries, 65 tasting rooms and over 30 varietals, including the top Wine Spectatorranked Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Wine Enthusiast magazine naming Monterey as a 2013 Top 10 Wine Destination in the world. We asked the knowledgeable folks at our Monterey Plaza Hotel to help us plan our exploration of Monterey wine country. Without hesitation, that recommended Sammy at Monterey Guided Wine Tours. We looked on and Yelp and it was all glowing reviews, all five stars, so we felt good about our choice. We met with our guide and

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owner of the tour company, Sammy, at the hotel. Sammy’s a big guy, with a big heart, big charisma and incredibly knowledgeable about most everything Monterey. We settled into his immaculate and roomy Lincoln Town car. Before he started the car, he turned to us and said, first we only have one rule and it must be obeyed. We started thinking, Oh oh, what have we gotten ourselves into. He paused and broke out in a broad grin. And that rule is that you both have fun, it’s mandatory on my tours. Then he handed us each a mimosa in a champagne flute, and we both broke out our broad grins. As we were driving out of town, Sammy gave us the history and significance of Monterey and why the culinary scene is the heart of the county. From

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the fresh seafood caught daily in Monterey, to farm-to-table produce from the Salinas Valley. He’s lived in Monterey for well over a decade and regaled with local lore, including stories about his encounters with Clint Eastwood, the ex-mayor, Alist star and director. Our first stop was Odonata winery in the Santa Lucia Highlands owned by Winemaker Denis Hoey and his wife Claire. We’ve been on way more than our share of winery tours, but our visit to Odonata exemplified the difference in Sammy’s approach to the business. The wine maker and his small team

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welcomed us like old and valuable friends — any client of Sammy’s is treated like a VIP. We started out on the comfortable front porch where winery associate, Eric Rough, served us some delicious sparkling wines. They poured us a second glass of bubbly when Sammy asked us to bring our glass and follow him around to the winery. Assistant winemaker Francisco Bunuelos Jr. was busy hosing down wine storage tanks when we turned the corner to the outdoor courtyard of the winemaking facility. He quickly found us some glasses, grabbed a wine

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thief and said, “let’s do some barrel tasting.” Although the wines were young, they were already nicely drinkable. About our third barrel, winemaker Dennis Hoey appeared. A professional winemaker since he was 21, he now blends his wine using old world methods with new world technique to make nouveau-style wines. His wines are rich, textured, and balanced, reflecting the terroir and character of the varietal. They started bringing out the bottles; I lost track of how many. But each one was a winner.

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We must have spent an hour and a half talking about their philosophy of blending wines. Denis is fearless in blending wines. Blending unusual varietals together to achieve uniquely palatable wines. Francisco has adopted the winemakers, slightly unorthodox blends in his own new label, encouraged and coached by Denis. We took home a bottle of his Sling Stone Pinot Noir with grapes from the Santa Lucia Highlands that rivals anything coming out of Sonoma or Oregon.

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The sun was getting low on the horizon, and we had one or more last tastings and said our goodbyes to our new friends from Salinas wine country. I wasn’t sure what to make of the restored surplus military Jeeps that greeted us at Puma Road Winery. Greeting us with unusual enthusiasm was owner Ray Franscioni and I believe his winemaking team of Olivier Rousset and Rodney Whitlock. Neither one introduced themselves, so I didn’t really know which was Whitlock or Rousset. I’m sure they would have loved to stay and chat, but they were late to watch the presidential debate that evening. Too bad, the wine tasting room is quite comfortable and Susie, the Puma Road Tasting Room supervisor, treated us to some very quaffable wines. We especially enjoyed their tasty Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc. They

went perfectly with Sammy’s beautiful fruit, cheese and charcuterie plate. We tasted at least six or seven wines, Puma Road is most affordable for tasting with six tastes for $20. We didn’t let Sammy down; we had a fun and memorable day in Monterey Wine Country. We settled into the plush leather seats of our ride, ready to enjoy our big bed just over the crashing waves of Monterey Bay. Sammy had one last surprise for us. He asked if we liked music from the American SongBook. Indeed, we replied. He popped a disc in the player, and what sounded like a young Ella Fitzgerald began singing our favorite songs. She’s incredible Ron commented. Thanks, she’s my wife Akina Nakamori, she’s famous in Japan and he began another fascinating story.

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WHERE WE STAYED: MONTEREY PLAZA HOTEL & SPA

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We love cruising. In the last decade, we’ve probably been on four dozen cruises all over the world. We especially enjoy transatlantic cruises — the joy of sitting on a balcony in the middle of the ocean with a sea breeze in our faces and listening to the sound of the sea.

Cannery Row and known as the ‘grand dame of the bay. The 290-room Monterey Plaza is as close to the ocean as you can get and not be a ship. It’s built on pillars above the roiling waters of Monterey Bay, offering an ocean experience like few other hotels in the world.

Our last cruise from Cape Town to Dubai in January was cut short by the surging pandemic. And we’ve had four scheduled cruises canceled for the same reason. Thank goodness for the Monterey Plaza Hotel. Once again we could sit on the veranda, feel the ocean breeze and hear the song of the sea while waves crashed directly below us.

There are more similarities between Monterey Plaza and a luxury cruise ship experience. Both offer dramatic views from rooms, the spa and the fitness center, and restaurants. Like a luxury ship’s suite, Monterey Plaza rooms have the classic decor and modern amenities with a sea view and veranda where watch graceful sailboats or even glimpse playful sea otters and dolphins.

Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa is just a block from

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The elegant interior, much of it covered with rich polished wood, reminded us of interior one of our first cruise to Hawaii on the classic wood paneled Celebrity Century. In some ways, staying here was better than cruising at sea. There’s no mandatory lifeboat drill and the beginning of a stay, you won’t get seasick in stormy weather, and you can take a short walk to world-class restaurants and the rooms and bathrooms are much larger than ship’s cabins and suites. And you can kayak, whale watch, catch some rays on the beach or ride an electric bike anytime you feel the urge. Spas are a big deal on cruise ships. Mary loves to get facials and we both enjoy a great massage. Again, Monterey Plaza shines with their stateof-the-art Vista Blue Spa. Guests are in for a

pampered escape. The spa is on the top floor of the hotel, with panoramic views from the sundeck. Travel & Leisure’s named it one of the top 25 spas, and for three years in a row, one of Conde Nast’s top 75 hotel spas in North America. Hotels like cruise ships can have all the luxury and features in the world, but if it doesn’t have a staff fully committed to their guests’ comfort and wellbeing, it won’t meet the potential for greatness. Our interactions with everyone from the valet who greeted us to the front desk and managers who made sure our experience at the Monterey Plaza was an excellent one. We strongly suggest your next cruise should be in this incredible hotel.

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Schooners Coastal Kitchen & Bar We dined at Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa three ways. A sit down dinner at the hotel’s Schooners Coastal Kitchen & Bar; a quick bite at Tidal Coffee and ordered room service on our last evening. Our pastries and individual quiche at Tidal were fresh and delicious, as was their Peet’s Coffee. We had an early morning the next day and ordered a pizza

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and salad from room service. Both were well prepared and tasty. Our dinner at Schooners was challenging. Perched dramatically over the bay, Schooners Coastal Kitchen & Bar is an award-winning, local landmark featuring contemporary American cuisine and sustainable seafood. Normally, if you look at the photos of Schooners, there’s a lively bar and

scenic dining from cozy clamshell booths, with the twinkling lights of coastline in the distance. Because of Covid precautions, we dined in a large white event tent strung with white lights that looked out at a pitch black Monterey Bay on a moonless night. It was cold that night, even the busboys had puffer jackets, although we found that was the norm on this

trip â&#x20AC;&#x201D; it got colder as we moved north. All the properly spaced tables were full, and there was a large private event taking place next to the tent, so we suspect servers were spread thin. Our server was friendly, but disappeared, leaving us waiting between courses and taking care of the check for periods of time.

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Moss Landing Whale Watching The morning was cool, but the skies were clear as we drove 15 miles north of Monterey to Moss Landing, a working fishing harbor and marine research center. Nothing fancy here, strictly utilitarian, and that’s just fine. It’s a place to board boats to watch marine life or catch it. The Harbor District berths over 600 boats, including some two dozen research vessels, and a handful of tour and charter boats. The docks as we

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saw and smelled also were home to countless seals and sea lions that lazed in the sun or competed with sea otters and sea gulls for tasty tidbits from the bay. When we checked in at the Sea Goddess’ tour ticket office, we were the only customers and we wondered if there would be fellow passengers eager to glimpse a whale or two. Soon, though, about 30 bundled up and masked souls joined us to climb the gangway of our sleek white 101 foot long boat,

the Goddess Fantasy, one of the biggest tour boats on the bay.

began pointing out how rich this geologically unique area is with marine life.

We hoped for better luck than on previous whale watching expeditions in our hometown of San Diego. On one trip we got nothing but seasick, and on another we sighted only one distant whale and also got seasick. But the sun was shining and the waters calm as we headed through the massive dock area. Our hopes for a whale-filled experience rose as the on board marine biologist

We learned that Moss Landing is the gateway to Elkhorn Slough, one of the largest wetlands in the state. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ranked among the top 10 best spots for birding since over 350 avian species migrate through here annually. It also is a top spot in the world to watch playful sea otters in their natural habitat. Within five minutes of setting sail, we saw countless sea birds, dozens of seals and sea

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lions and several sea otters that floated by on their backs. We cruised over a natural marvel known as the Monterey Canyon, the deepest submarine canyon on the Pacific Coast. The underwater chasm dips to a depth of over two miles, twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, and spreads almost 250 miles out into the ocean. The massive canyon is a playground for marine animals. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s common to see blue whales, humpback whales, gray whales, killer whales (orcas), and dolphins. Unlike San Diego, these sea mammals are in the area throughout the year. Right away we saw several groups of northern right whale dolphins likely following schools of anchovies or squid. About a half hour out into the bay, we spotted our first whales - humpbacks - spouting in the distance. For then on, we moved from one side of the boat to the other, as the sightings multiplied. Our skipper aimed to bring us close to the pods, but it was still hard to capture the majesty of these giants on camera. By the time we headed back toward the harbor a couple hours later, we tallied a remarkable two dozen whale sightings. It was a wonderful outing - perfect weather, calm waters - and no seasickness.

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PISMO BEACH CALIFORNIAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CENTRAL COAST Beach town Any road trip along the central coast should include a visit to Pismo Beach, a quintessential California beach town with a Surf City vibe. We spent our last day on our road-trip here, after a weeklong stay in Mendocino (recounted in the next issue of WDT). But this sophisticated, yet casual destination merits a longer visit, to explore its beaches and lively downtown, and sample its sea-

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side accommodations and dining. It will be a must stop on our next road adventure. Pismo Beach reminds us of our former home in the free spirited San Diego community of Ocean Beach - or OB as the natives call it. OB was the last real beach town in California. It still is, except beach cottages that cost $50,000 four decades ago now exceed a million dollars. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s probably the

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same in Pismo where a lively counterculture lives on in a community it helped make a tourist destination. In the past, Pismo Beach was famous for its giant clams of the same name. Almost harvested to extinction, the clams have made a comeback and diggers with a license can harvest them. But don’t count on making a batch of clam chowder from them: The minimum size for a legal Pismo clam is 4.5 inches in diameter. And the last legal sized clam was dug in 1993. Today, city leaders have pulled out all the stops to create a beachside escape that caters to locals and visitors alike. We’ve been to several cities around the world that have spelled out their name in giant letters at a scenic spot, creating an instant icon and selfie magnet. Here a PISMO BEACH sign welcomes everyone to its historic pier. And what a pier it is - wide, long, and dotted with point-of-interest signs and plenty of comfortable benches for viewing surfers catching waves below. At the foot of the pier, a visitor information center housed in a classic silver Gulf

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Stream trailer helps visitors with information and reservations. Steps from the PISMO BEACH sign is a fun recreation area for kids. The marine-themed playground is built on a rubberized pad so youngsters can safely climb, crawl and slide on the giant marine animal sculptures. The morning we visited, it was already filling up with rambunctious boys and girls. Another family fun destination is just a short drive out of town at the Monarch Butterfly Grove. Tall eucalyptus and Monterey cypress shelter the black and orange winged visitors that migrate here from their summer home to spend the winter. We were there in October, well before the butterflies’s peak December through February. But we and others wandering the paths spotted a few early arrivals flitting around the grounds. Scattered around the grove were illustrated signs, packed with information about the life and migration of the Monarchs. Near the entrance, a native garden plot showcased Monarch plant and nectar food sources.

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WHERE WE STAYED: DOLPHIN BAY RESORT & SPA Because we were on the return leg of our road trip, we only booked one night at the The Dolphin Bay Hotel Resort & Spa, set along the coast, just minutes from the Pismo Beach pier. Once we checked into our suite, with sunset and water views, we wished we could change our schedule. In fact, we would have happily moved in permanently. Large and luxurious, our apartment opened into a grand living room with plush chairs and couches. We enjoyed floor-to-ceiling ocean views, while enjoying the warmth of a click-on gas fireplace. The bedroom and bath were equally impressive, with a

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king sized bed and a walk-in closet. Every suite at Dolphin Bay includes a fully outfitted kitchen and a washer and dryer, which can come in handy for road trips. For us, the spacious balcony overlooking the coast walk, outdoor restaurant and 180 degree sea views was the star of our evening. Wine glasses in hand, we watched a happy parade of folks, strolling, jogging, biking and dog-walking along the scenic coastal walk that winds along the cliffs. And mother nature threw in a bonus with the most spectacular sunset of our trip.

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It was hard to leave the comforts of our room, but an alfresco dinner beckoned steps away at the Lido Restaurant, properly spaced and heated for pandemic times in the hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s central courtyard. Our table delighted us with an unobstructed view of the Pacific where the last golden glow of the sunset colored the horizon. We could hear waves crashing on the rocks below. The growing evening chill was easily kept at bay by a heat lamp.

Lido Restaurant and Lounge Lido’s menu highlights California coastal cuisine with locally sourced fresh produce and fresh caught seafood. Our server was very helpful with suggestions from the menu, a tasty blend of house favorites and new dishes. The extensive wine list of more than 800 local and international wines was tempting, but we decided to celebrate the end of our trip with a pinot noir, discovered in Anderson Valley at Navarro Vineyards and Winery As had become a custom, we shared a salad and bowl of clam chowder for the first course. Mary loved the salad’s roasted beets accented with candied pecan and daubs of goat cheese. We both marveled at the clam chowder - creamy and loaded with fresh clams. It was one of Ron’s favorite of the many chowders we enjoyed on our trip For mains, Mary enjoyed a seafood pasta loaded with shrimp, fish and crab while Ron relished sole meuniere, the classic dish that made Julia Child fall in love with French cuisine. She would have approved of Lido’s offering, which deftly highlighted the fresh fish with a silky butter sauce, lemon and parsley. We lingered with our wine as stars started to twinkly above the inky ocean. Even during challenging pandemic months, California’s coast remained a wonder that both soothed and inspired. And the state’s hospitality industry - innkeepers, chefs, tour guides, and winemakers - were still warm and welcoming. Yes, we’ll remember that this was a trip in remarkable times - but even more so, we’ll cherish it as a remarkable adventure.

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IF YOU GO THE HOTEL CALIFORNIAN

JOE’S CAFE, SANTA BARBARA

THE GOAT TREE CAFÉ, SANTA BARBARA

https://www.joescafesb.com/

https://www.hotelcalifornian.com/

LUCK PENNY RESTAURANT, SANTA BARABARA https://www.luckypennysb.com/

THE MONTEREY PLAZA HOTEL & SPA

HELENA AVENUE BAKERY

SCHOONERS COASTAL KITCHEN & BAR

https://www.helenaavenuebakery.com/

https://montereyplazahotel.com/

SANTA BARBARA WINERY https://www.sbwinery.com/

DOLPHIN BAY RESORT & SPA, PISMO BEACH

JAMIE SLONE WINES

LIDO RESTAURANT & LOUNGE

https://www.jamieslonewines.com/

https://www.thedolphinbay.com/ JEFF SHELTON ARCHITECTURE TOUR PREFERED HOTELS https://preferredhotels.com/

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https://www.jeffsheltonarchitect.com/

ADVENTURES BY THE SEA

VISIT PISMO BEACH

https://adventuresbythesea.com/

https://www.experiencepismobeach.com/

MONTEREY GUIDED WINE TOURS

BIG SUR INFORMATION

https://www.montereyguidedwinetours.com/

www.bigsurcalifornia.org

SEA GODDESS WHALE WATCHING

SANTA BARBARA WINES

https://seagoddesswhalewatch.com/

https://sbcountywines.com/ MONTEREY COUNTY WINES

VISIT CALIFORNIA

https://montereywines.org/

https://www.visitcalifornia.com/ VISIT SANTA BARBARA https://santabarbaraca.com/ SEE MONTEREY https://www.seemonterey.com/

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Where Neverland Meets

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s Mayberry

NILES Story & Photography by Amy Laughinghouse o, where are you girls headed?” the taxi driver asked, casting a sidelong glance at his passengers as we inched through rush hour traffic beneath the paper lanterns and painted pagodas of San Francisco’s Chinatown. “Niles,” my friend Shareen chirped. “You know it?”

“S

“No, I don’t know. Nobody knows, except you,” the cabbie retorted with a genial roar that shaved the sharp edge off his words. At any rate, Shareen wasn’t bothered. For fifteen years, she lived in what may be the most anonymous town in California’s East Bay area, and I suspected she was secretly pleased to have an opportunity to extoll its quirky virtues to our unenlightened chauffeur. Although Niles gained silver screen fame as the Hollywood of the Silent Film Era, over the past century it has sunk into an almost willful obscurity, eschewing change and eager to retain its own distinct personality. Mayberry Meets Neverland “I describe it as Mayberry with an edge,” Shareen said of the town she once fondly called home. “It’s full of hippies, bikers, and musicians, and it’s a great place to raise your kids.” That adds up to an intriguingly eclectic destination, whether you’re a fan of live music, silent films, old trains, antiques, or nature walks around the Quarry Lakes. The best entertainment, though, may be just hanging with some of California’s more colorful characters—and that’s saying something. Niles is the kind of town where you can grow old without acting old, jamming with musicians late into the night and grooving to old time rock n’ roll at a biker bar alongside leather-clad hipsters with artificial hips. No one in Niles seems to feel their age, until the inevitable hangover the next morning.

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Who needs Hollywood? While Niles keeps a low profile these days (aside from emblazoning its name in the hills above town), it was a cinematic hotspot from 1912-1916. Copyright Amy Laughinghouse

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The pirate ship was the first hint that I had crossed some invisible line into this counter-cultural Neverland. Just east of the bridge leading from Union City into Niles, an elaborate wooden boat was lodged in the branches of a tree, like a prize hoisted aloft by a kraken after an epic flood. “Lucky kids,” I mused. “Don’t assume that’s for children,” Shareen laughed. “Those ‘kids’ might be 40 years old.” It was a suitable introduction to a town that maintains a whiff of fantasy. Low-slung shops, clad in brick or weathered clapboard, hunkered along four blocks on palm-fringed Niles Boulevard, while Victorian bungalows fronted by picket fences occupied the side streets. It felt like an old-timey movie set—and, in a sense, it was. The Hollywood of the North Between 1912 and 1916, Niles was the headquarters for Essanay Studios, one of the first motion picture companies on the West Coast. Lest anyone forget, giant white letters spell out “Niles,” Hollywood-style, in the golden hills bordering the town. The Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum in the old Eddison Theater contains costumes, vintage posters, black and white photos, antique cameras, and 9,000 films. Granted, some of the flicks border on the, shall we say, obscure. (What is Arthritis? and Four Women Over 80 were never really Oscar contenders). Others are classics, including The Great Train Robbery, starring Gilbert “Bronco Billy” Anderson, one of Essanay Studios’ founders, and Charlie Chaplin’s The Tramp—one of five films that the diminutive comedian shot here in Niles. The town has since adopted Chaplin as a sort of patron saint, displaying a statue of Chaplin along the main street.

A statue of Charlie Chaplin, who shot five films in Niles, keeps watch over Niles Boulevard. Copyright Amy Laughinghouse Right: A model of the railway running through Niles Canyon occupies one room at the Niles Canyon Railway & Museum. Copyright Amy Laughinghouse

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David Kiehn, who published a book on Niles’ silent film industry, helps run the museum with his wife, Rena, and a dedicated cadre of volunteers. “We were afraid the history wouldn’t survive, and the stories and artifacts would be lost,” explains Kiehn, who began shooting 8 mm movies as a kid. Several years ago, Kiehn also made an important discovery about the turn-of-the-century film A Trip Down Market Street, featuring footage shot on a San Francisco cable car. Sorting through clues, including historic weather reports, he realized that the film was made in 1906, just days before the devastating earthquake, and not in 1905, as previously believed. Morley Safer interviewed Kiehn about his findings in a segment for 60 Minutes, but typically, the soft-spoken film historian is more comfortable behind a projector, screening old movies at the museum. Train Spotting With the invention of the “talkie,” Niles’ film fame came to an end. Train tracks run just north of the boulevard, and the shrill whistles of approaching locomotives weren’t conducive to movie dialogue. Today, the restored station house on the main street features a small museum and model railway. A pleasure train also runs between Niles and Sunol, where we popped into Bosco’s Bones and Brew, named for the black Labrador/Rottweiler mix who served as Sunol’s honorary mayor from 1981 until his death in 1994. When customers belly up to the bar at this roadside haunt, they inevitably ask, “What’s on Bosco?” You see, there’s a special tap built into a lifelike replica of Bosco. Lift his leg, and the dog produces a steady stream of…beer.

Film historian David Kiehn traveled as far as England to track down prints of silent films that were shot in Niles in the early 20th century. He and a host of volunteers run the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum. Copyright Amy Laughinghouse

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Remarkably, that’s not the weirdest thing I witnessed at Bosco’s. That honor went to Rocki, the pet squirrel perched on the shoulder of Neil Davies, a satellite engineer whose white cowboy hat and bushy white mustache lent him a passing resemblance to Sam Elliott in The Big Lebowski. “He will bite,” Davies warned, although I ventured a swift stroke of his fur when Rocki’s eyes began to droop. When his adoptive dad suddenly announced “he just peed on me,” we took that as our cue to depart. Antiques With A Twist I tried to count the number of antiques stores along Niles Boulevard, but I lost track after a dozen. Browse for books about Niles’ history, as well as fictional works by local authors like Gloria B. Gates, at Keith’s Books and Collectibles. If it’s the weird and wonderful you’re after, it’s easy to fall down a rabbit hole—or should I say, a manhole—at Mantiques, which specializes in “manly antiques.” Imagine a mash-up of frat house detritus and the unidentifiable lumps of metal you might find in your Dad’s garage, and you’ve got the picture. On my visit, I spied a rubber cobra, a stuffed weasel, bobble heads of sports figures, autographed baseballs, an old whipped cream maker that looked uncannily like an unexploded shell, and—my favorite—a collection of empty beer cans. Toy Trauma--a shop within a shop at Mantiques—is a toy collector’s Valhalla. I was tempted to buy an “interactive Yoda” for my Dad’s birthday, but the chatty shopkeeper in an Andy Capp cap wasn’t sure it interacted anymore. Never mind. There was plenty more to choose from, like a remote-control Batmobile, Matchbox cars, and figurines of Godzilla, Mutant Ninja Turtles, and a cadre of other critters which would require a PhD

The renovated Niles train station, which dates to 1909, features a locomotive museum. A pleasure train still runs between Niles and Sunol. Copyright Amy Laughinghouse

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in comic book lore to identify. Musical Interlude “How about a two-chord sing along in F and G?” proposed Michael McNevin, a Niles-based singersongwriter who was hosting an evening jam in his Mudpuddle music shop on the main street. “It’s an effigy,” quipped a white-haired man in a straw hat, prompting a chorus of groans from the twenty or so folks squeezed onto mismatched chairs in this tiny erstwhile barbershop. (Ah, how I miss those halcyon, pre-pandemic days of fearless, unfettered, face-to-naked-face fraternizing!) Aside from myself, nearly everyone played an instrument, prompting me to ponder if you have to pass an American Idol-style audition before you’re granted residency in Niles. There were guitars, banjos, bongos, a ukulele, a keyboard, and a man with a bag of six harmonicas. “I should have twelve,” he insisted, with a dolorous sigh. “Then I’d have them all.” Fueled by BYOBooze, the self-dubbed Los Horribles band seamlessly segued between tunes by the Rolling Stones, Joe Cocker, Lou Reed, Pink Floyd, Paul Simon, and McNevin’s own ode to Niles, “This Town is Gonna Change.” His lamentation of how “pick-ups turn to Porsches, tire kickers turn high rollers” was sobering, but not quite sobering enough to undo the damage I had done with my tumblers of wine.

In Sunol, a short train ride from Niles, you can stop at Bosco's Bones & Brew for a beer pulled from this stuffed replica of Sunol's former canine mayor. Copyright Amy Laughinghouse

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IF YOU GO We finally filed out onto the boulevard after midnight, but folks were still kickin’ it at The Florence, the wood-paneled biker bar a few doors down. A live band had drawn big crowds to “the Flo,” ranging from relative youngsters in their 40s right up to their 80s. Half a dozen ZZ Top look-alikes reclined coolly against the bar, but others couldn’t resist taking to the dance floor as the band played covers by Lynyrd Skynyrd, CCR and AC/DC. There was a whirling dervish of a woman with a black eye, a mustachioed man wearing khaki trousers tucked into cowboy boots, and a fellow in a leather vest doing a vertical version of the worm. The streets are a bit more silent these days— though not quite as quiet as Niles’ silver screen classics—as the town waits to emerge from Covid’s cocoon. When it does, I’d love to return to see its transformation. I picture a bold, brightly colored butterfly, a new species unique to this tiny East Bay getaway, beating its wings to a funky, syncopated beat as it glides down the boulevard beneath a brilliant blue sky.

What to do: Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum: 37417 Niles Boulevard, Fremont, http://nilesfilmmuseum.org. Closed through 2020 due to Covid-19, with hopes to reopen by Spring 2021. In the meantime, check out the website for monthly online programs. Niles Canyon Railway & Museum: http:// www.ncry.org. Round-trip railway rides between Niles and Sunol. Mudpuddle Music Shop: 37433 Niles Blvd, Fremont, https://www.facebook.com/mudpuddlemusic. Tune in to Michael McNevin’s Facebook page for the musician’s twice weekly, free-wheeling “virtual” variety shows. Where to eat and drink: The Nile Café: 121 I Street, Fremont, http:// www.thenilecafe.com. Popular breakfast and lunch spot with Egyptian-themed decor. Federico’s Grill, 37804 Niles Blvd, Fremont, https://www.facebook.com/FedericosGrill/. Californian cuisine with an emphasis on Italian fare, with a popular back patio. Word on the street is, try the cioppino. Joe's Corner, 37713 Niles Blvd, Fremont, https:/ /www.joescornerniles.com. Serving sandwiches, salads, and a wide selection of beer and cider.

Opposite: Singer-songwriter Michael McNevin (second from right) leads a jam with other local musicians at his Mudpuddle Music Shop on Niles Boulevard. Copyright Amy Laughinghouse Bottom: The Nile Cafe, with its Egyptianthemed decor, is a popular breakfast spot for locals. Copyright Amy Laughinghouse

Niles Ice Cream Sweets & Eats, 37699 Niles Blvd, Fremont. The name says it all. Bosco’s Bones and Brew: 11922 Main Street, Sunol, https://www.boscosbonesandbrews.com. Wash down hearty Cajun pasta, fish and chips, or veal scallopini with a brew from the Bosco tap. Closed Mondays. Where to shop: Mantiques and Toy Trauma, 37671 Niles Blvd, Fremont. https://www.facebook.com/mantiquesnilesfremont/ and https://www.facebook.com/toytrauma Keith’s Books and Collectibles, 37573 Niles Boulevard, Fremont. http://www.keithsbooks.com. More information: www.niles.org

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395

H�� H�� STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY KITTY MORSE

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ith intercontinental travel curtailed during this era of COVID 19, exploring destinations closer to home might be a good way to take care of wanderlust. The road trip my husband and I took before COVID set in perfectly fits the bill. I had never driven up one of California’s most scenic routes: Historic Highway 395, the main link between Southern California and the ski slopes of Lake Tahoe. The freeway slices through Inyo and Tulare counties, affording glorious views of towering Mount Whitney, at 14,500

feet, the tallest peak in the Sierra Nevada. Most exciting, as we headed north last Fall, was taking the time to explore significant California landmarks, from the “living” ghost town of Randsburg hidden away among barren desert hills, to Ridgecrest, a gateway to Death Valley and China Lake Naval Weapons Center. In farfrom-deserted Lone Pine, the Lone Pine Film Museum is a vintage movie fan’s dream. And past the granite outcroppings of the imposing Alabama Hills, beckons the most moving historic landmark of all, Manzanar National Historic Site.

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Blink, and you will miss the sign that leads drivers to Randsburg one mile off HI 395. This “living ghost town” reached its heyday in 1895 with the discovery of gold and the creation of the Rand Mining District. Randsburg, we learned, has served as a backdrop for dozens of old-time and contemporary westerns. Perhaps the most popular backdrop is the Randsburg General Store built in 1896 (www.randsburggeneralstore.com.) So enamored of the surroundings were Brad Meyers and his wife Carol, that they purchased not only the store but the whole town. Months, if not years of restoration went into the upgrade of the general store and Randsburg’s main street. Take a seat at the marble-topped counter beneath shelves lined with old soda bottles, antique cookie tins, and mining magazines, and you will feel as though you have been hired as an extra in an old movie. Order a Muddy River (Chocolate Soda Phosphate) served in a quart jar, or an oldfashioned sarsaparilla root beer float. If hunger pangs persist, order a General Store breakfast which has attained international fame. Brad will reward you with a styrofoam cupful of calorie-packed biscuits and gravy: “I use cups so it stays warm all the way down when you walk around town,” he explains. So dig in, keep your ears on alert, and allow the jovial, white-haired host to launch into the town’s lore: “Forty-eight people live here. Three of them we have never seen!” He recounts how the store’s previous owner, spry 97-year old Olga, once admonished Brad Pitt not to swear in her presence. A tipsy Pitt disobeyed “and she dragged him out of the store by the ears!” Meyers relates with glee. Clutching your cup of biscuits and gravy, amble along the main street to the Hole in the Wall Mercantile filled with a jumble of antiques and mining supplies, or peek into the windows of the White House Saloon. Ridgecrest, and hour to the north, is an access point to Death Valley. Rimming the town like malevolent shark’s teeth are the aptly named Sharks Teeth Hills. A 3-mile loop lined with fast food joints encircles the commercial center.

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Ridgecrest is the entrance to China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station and its ancient petroglyphs. In front of the Maturango Museum (https://maturango.org) stands a metal sculpture of an ancient giant Coso petroglyph. Access to the base is limited, but the museum offers tours by reservation during Spring and Fall. In Lone Pine, the Museum of Western History (www.museumofwesternhistory.org) brought us to a halt. The museum bills itself as America’s leading institution of Western film history. Inside, you can follow the movie careers of old timers such as Tom Mix, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Humphrey Bogart and more recently, Kevin Bacon. Another experience in living history awaited at Manzanar National Historic Site (https://www.nps.gov/manz) seven miles up the road. As a docent at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido, CA, I was fascinated by an

art exhibit featuring Ansel Adam’s photographs of Manzanar, and the accompanying display of works by Japanese American artists. My curiosity was compounded by Wendy Mayurama’s strikingly dramatic hanging “trees” made up of 10,000 labels, each bearing the name of one internee. The sheer impact of the show gave me a reason to head north. I needed to find out more about this ugly episode in American history. “Manzanar” is Spanish for apple orchard. In 1905, George Chaffey, a Canadianborn engineer turned agricultural developer, purchased John Shepherd's ranch in the Owens Valley and subdivided it to found the town of Manzanar in 1910. Chaffey’s orchard was turned into an internment camp for Japanese-Americans in 1942. After the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the US government rounded up the Japa-

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nese population on the West Coast, and sent over 100,000 of these American citizens of Japanese ancestry to ten remote internment camps across the west and beyond. Housing over 11,000 internees, Manzanar ranks as one of the largest. Winter brought frost and snow, summer temperatures rose in excess of 110 degrees F. Yet, despite terrible odds, these law-abiding Japanese-American “prisoners” recreated a semblance of normal life, erecting a school, places of worship, a refectory hall, and planting Japanese gardens emblematic of their culture. The last of eight wooden watchtowers, and a fence edged in rabbit brush delineate the camp where the majestic Sierra Nevada serves as a dramatic backdrop. We explored the square mile that is Manzanar on foot, to view reconstructed barracks where families shared a few square feet of living space, explore traces of an Episcopal church, a Buddhist temple, and a baseball diamond. Trembling leaves of aspen trees in shades of gold and rust played over ribbons of dappled shade. A mere handful of the 504 barracks remain standing — the schoolroom lined with children’s artwork, the communal bathrooms and mess hall. The living arrangements of the families assigned to share the wooden barracks were rudimentary at best. As internee survivor Rosie Kakuuchi describes: “One of the hardest things to endure was the communal latrines, with no partitions; and showers with no stalls.” At the far end of the Manzanar National Historic Site, the memorial inscribed with Japanese lettering stood out like a beacon against the snowcapped Eastern Sierras. Don’t miss walking through the museum to view implements created by these wartime internees, and excerpts from their journals. We elected to spend the night four miles up the road, at the historic Winnedumah Hotel in Independence. Built in 1927, and in some disrepair, the ghost-ridden hallways and creaking floors once echoed with the footsteps of John Wayne and Bing Crosby. The hotel sits directly across from the old courthouse, another frequent movie backdrop,

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where Charles Manson was arraigned. At the time we were there, new owners had just started on the Winnedumah’s much-needed upgrades and restoration. Behind the hotel, the Eastern California Museum (www.inyocountry.us/ecmuseum) showcased the multicultural and natural heritage of the Owens Valley and the Eastern Sierra since 1928. The Slim Princess, a restored steam engine, is a magnet for railway buffs. Only one restaurant graces Independence’s main street. Patrons come from miles around to linger over tender cubes of boeuf bourguignon and authentic Lyon-style onion soup at the French-owned Still Life Café (www.facebook.com/StillLifeCafe). Hours of operation vary, so be sure to call ahead, especially in times of COVID19. The next day brought different fare in Bishop, a jumping off point for the slopes of Mammoth and the eastern entrance to Yosemite National Park. Bishop’s beloved Erick Schat’s Bakkery (sic) (www.schatsbakery.com) draws busloads of visitors daily. We preferred the quieter Holy Smoke Texas BBQ (holysmoketexasstylebbq.com) across the

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street, to dig into pulled pork tacos and corn bread. Thus pleasingly full, we toured the Shoshone Museum (www.shoshonemuseum.org), a treasure trove of local Native American history and the history of the Amargosa and Death Valley regions. A family emergency forced us to return home a day earlier than planned. Retracing our path along HI395 to San Diego late on a Sunday morning proved a breeze, giving us time to enjoy the stark beauty of Owens Valley and the ancient Owens Lake bed, bled dry of the life-giving Owens River. By 1913, it was turned into an aqueduct to quench the ever-increasing thirst of the City of Los Angeles, destroying hundreds of family farms in the process. Here and there, a few clumps of aspen trees survived the destruction, painting distant hills and meadows in touches of gold and copper — striking beacons of HI395’s ever-changing history. NOTE: Be sure to check the websites of all sites mentioned to find out if they remained open during the pandemic.

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VANAGON R

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Story & Photography By Brian E. Clark

ROAD TRIP Rolling down the Washington And Oregon coasts in a restored VW Vanagon

When my oldest son finished his college studies a decade ago, we decamped for the Rogue River in southwest Oregon for a mellow, four-day rafting and kayaking trip with OARS (oars.com), an Angels Camp, CA-based outfitter. This past summer (2019), to toast my daughterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s graduation from high school, she, her younger brother and I headed back to the Northwest - this time for a road trip that took us down the coasts of Washington and Oregon before heading over the Cascade Mountains to Bend. But it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just any road trip. In something of a throwback to my long-hair days, we rented a restored VW Vanagon Westflia from Peace Vans in Seattle (peacevans.com) to toddle along highways and byways on this adventure, celebrating yet another major youthful milestone.

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Before we picked up our VW bus, we toured Seattle’s 605-foot-tall Space Needle and wandered around Pike Place Market to watch fish vendors toss big salmon back and forth. Then it was off to Peace Vans in the mixed-industrial SoDo (South of Downtown) neighborhood, where we met owner Harley Sitner, who introduced us to 32-year-old Hamma Hamma, our Vanagon home for the next week. Sitner explained all the ins and outs of this particular VW bus, gave us a reference notebook and a service number to call in case we needed aid. (Hey, even brand new vehicles break down.) Then, because it had been a decade since I’d used a manual transmission, I carefully backed up the Vanagon and drove around the block without the kids. Feeling comfortable, my youngsters (now 17year-old Anders and 19-year-old Maddie) hopped in and we were off. We rolled south down Interstate 5, pushing the four-cylinder engine to a top speed of around 65 miles per hour. I recognized much of the road, which I’d driven many times during my decade of writing for the daily newspaper in Olympia. When we crossed over the Nisqually River south of Tacoma, I pointed to the west over the verdant Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge (https://www.fws.gov/refuge/billy_frank_jr_nisqually/) and Nisqually Reach, where I’d paddled my sea kayak a number of times. In town, we hiked on trails in Tumwater Falls State Park, which though only meters from the interstate, seemed a world away - thanks to its cascades of tumbling water in a narrow gorge. Total distance from SoDo to Olympia, 70 miles. For a late lunch, we pulled into a parking lot filled not far from the state capitol building that was filled with food carts where we met up with Matt my oldest son - and his mother. We dined on yummy burritos, compared funky VW bus stories and enjoyed the afternoon sun. We said our goodbyes, hugged and headed west on Highway 101 and Highway 8 through logging country. We reached the Pacific at Willapa Bay in about 90 minutes before arriving at our destination for the next two nights, the 2,000-acre Cape

Disappointment State Park (https://parks.state .wa.us/425/Cape-Disappointment-State-Park) about 130 miles from Olympia. Located at the mouth of the Columbia River, the rugged headlands here earned their name because it was so difficult for mariners to enter the river. Truth be told, many a ship was wrecked here. Shortly after arrival at a campground just steps from the ocean, we rolled out our sleeping bags and popped the top of our camper - where Maddie got the upper bunk, fit for a princess - while Anders and I shared the lower level. We all got a good night’s rest and woke the next morning to the sun poking through the mist. Lo and behold, another VW Vanagon was parked

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next to us. Even better, it’s occupants were an elderly German couple whom I nicknamed “Hansel and Gretel.” While Maddie and Anders went for an exploratory walk, the friendly neighbors invited me for tea and the pair - both former professors at the University of Washington in Seattle - told me they’d been traveling around the Northwest in their bus on vacations for decades. When the kids returned, we snacked and hiked along the beaches of the park and clambered over huge pieces of driftwood - whole trees in some cases - that looked as if they’d been tossed ashore like pick-up sticks. When monstrous ocean waves batter the coast, that’s likely no exaggeration. That afternoon, we walked out to the North Head Lighthouse, which was built in 1897 and has a six-story tower. We strolled around the keepers living quarters, which can be rented by overnight visitors (https://www.parks.state.wa.us/380/ Cape-Disappointment). We also toured the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center (https://parks.state.wa.us/187/Cape-Disappointment), which commemorates their famed “Corps of Discovery Expedition.” Their epic trip culminated in November 1805, when the party reached the Pacific. "Great joy in camp," Clark

wrote in his journal, "we are in view of the ocean, this great Pacific Ocean which we been so long anxious to see." We dined that night with Hansel and Gretel, made s’more over a campfire and said goodbye to them in the morning before continuing south on Highway 101. We crossed the Columbia at Astoria, Oregon in our trusty Hamma Hamma and continued on 133 miles to the Salishan Resort (salishan.com) south of kitschy Lincoln City. After roughing it a bit, we were more than happy to spend a few nights at this upscale hostelry. We hiked on trails that lead from the resort out to the coast, explored tide pools and climbed in some old-growth trees on a ropes-and-swayingbridges course. But the best part of our stay was doing a stand-up-paddleboard (SUP) excursion on the Siletz River and its estuary, where we saw bald eagles, great blue herons and wood ducks, among others. All went well on the five-mile outing until I looked up to see an osprey, lost my balance and walked backwards off my board. Quicker than you could say “boo!,” I was out of the chilly water and back upright. We bid goodbye after two nights to the Salishan and its way-cool Land Rover, which had trans-

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ported us and our SUPs to the Siletz. Our trusty VW bus chugged east on Highways 18 and 22 over rolling coastal hills near Dallas (Oregon) that had vineyards reminded me of Napa and Sonoma counties. We stopped for lunch in Salem and then pushed on over the Cascades to Bend on Highway 22 and 20. Hamma Hamma struggled a bit in the mountains, prompting a couple of irate motorists to flip us off as they passed. They apparently didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like it that our top speed was 55 on the steeper sections. But we made it to Bend, our penultimate destination, where we picnicked in Drake Park on the

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banks of the Deschutes River, hiked trails at Smith Rock State Park, visited friends and ate pizza in the Old Mill District. The best part for Maddie, the soon-to-be college coed and future veterinarian, was visiting a llama and alpaca farm north of town where she got to feed and pet the friendly critters. Anders and I put her on a plane the next day to head off to and orientation at Marquette University in Milwaukee. Then we chugged back to Seattle, dropped off our van and toasted our adventure with a root beer float. When he graduates in the spring of 2021, we may just be back to rent another van to putter north for a loop around British Columbiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vancouver Island.

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Twisties and N RIDING TWO-UP IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

By Margie Goldsmith My friend Jamie is an “Iron Butt,” one who can ride a motorcycle for hours and hours without getting off the bike. When he asked me if I wanted to go for a motorcycle ride, not only did I not want to go, but I had visions of black leather Harley Davidson jackets, heavy chains, and blazingly loud noise. He assured me that his motorcycle was a BMW, a culture completely different than that of Harley Davidson. I finally agreed on a short ride to Bear Mountain, just an hour from New York City, even though I was terrified. He outfitted me with a helmet, protective mesh jacket and leather gloves. All I had to supply were my own jeans and boots. Timidly, I hoped on the back of his bike and we headed out of Manhattan towards the state park. The ride was much smoother than I thought, completely quiet, and not at all scary – that is, until we got to a two-mile stretch of hairpin turns. I clung to his back for dear life – but after the first few twisties, it was suddenly fun. I could see to either side as well as above me, much better than a car with a sun roof. This was the way to see the world!

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Naked Ladies

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And that’s why, months later on his suggestion, we flew to San Francisco, rented a BMW motorcycle, and headed across the Golden Gate Bridge towards Mendocino County for my dream trip: the Giant Redwoods of Northern California. First we would stop at Muir Woods for a preview of the towering old-growth redwood trees. The road to Muir Woods was a gorgeous destination one its own: one minute we’d ride past glittering views of the Pacific and the next, we’d be zigzagging through the sun-dappled forest breathing in the heady aroma of fresh earth and pine needles. By the time we arrived in Muir Woods, it was 11 am and there wasn’t a parking space to be found, not even for a motorcycle. We

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gave up and left, not too disappointed because there would be more than enough redwoods once we got to Avenue of the Giants in Humboldt Redwoods State Park.Mt. Tamalpais is 2,571 feet high and the ride through more twisties, oak woodlands and jaw-dropping views of the Pacific more than made up for not seeing Muir Woods. We parked the bike and walked up to the summit to look out over the hills of Marin County, San Francisco and the Bay and Mount Diablo. It felt like being on Mt. Olympus. Back down the mountain, we headed up Route One, passing fields of cows and horse farms and sometimes breathing in the pungent odor of a dairy. The day was cloudless, the scenery bucolic,

and the BMW hummed along almost silently. There is something special about German technology, because how else could a motorcycle be so quiet? The only bad thing about the bike was my backside, which was already sore from straddling the bike over an hour. I’m not an Iron Butt – I’m a cotton butt! We stopped for an early lunch in Tomales Bay at Hog Island Oyster Co. where a sign read, “Unattended children will be given espresso and a free puppy.” How typically Californian, I thought. Nothing, however, was free for adults; a couple of salads, oysters and a few beverages cost almost $75.00. In spite of the outrageous price, we were thrilled to be sitting in the sun, looking out at the

sparkling Pacific with not a cloud in the sky. From the upcoming forecast, it looked as though we wouldn’t need rain gear the entire trip, a good thing because I surely didn’t want to be on a twowheeled vehicle riding slippery winding roads. According to the map, Bodega Bay was a short detour away, the place where Hitchcock filmed The Birds. But unlike in the film, there were no menacing crows or ravens trying to attack us. Bodega Bay was a small town with quirky oceanside shops selling replicas of colorful buoys, wooden seagulls, pelicans, and all things sea-related. I try to buy something small each time I’m on a trip, and this time it was a miniature ship’s bell to add to my bell

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collection. I think riding a motorcycle makes you hungry, because we were both starving even though we’d eaten less than an hour before. We sat outdoors at a picnic table in Fisherman’s Cove scarfing down clam chowder. From there, it was on to Mar Vista near Anchor Bay in Gualala (pronounced Wa-LA-la). A sign in the driveway said, “SLOW, CHICKENS AT PLAY.” I figured this was more Northern California humor, but much to my surprise, there was a henhouse with 130 chickens of all colors and varieties. There was also an organic garden with dozens of vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers. I hopped off the back of the motorcycle as Lola, a friendly goat, trotted over to check out the bike, undoubtedly something she’d never seen before. Following Lola was a pygmy goat named Professor Higgins. There is nothing better than getting out of motorcycle gear, especially if you have someone to help you. First, the helmet. I couldn’t find the buckle, so Jamie did it for me. Then I pulled off the gloves so my fingers could breathe. The jacket, though mesh, was still heavy. And finally, Jamie pulled off my boots so I could wiggle my toes. Our total mileage for the day had only been 150 miles, but we were too tired to even walk down to the beach which was just across the street and down the path. Nor did we want to get back into our gear and get back on the bike to find a restaurant. The good news was our cozy cottage came with a kitchen in which was a small wire basket which we were to leave outside the door if we wanted just-gathered eggs. There was also a basket and scissors for picking vegetables and herbs from the garden. Dinner, cooked by Jamie, was a delicious fresh vegetable omelet. Julia Child would have been hard-pressed to make one better. California has a stretch of coastline completely isolated with no roads known as the Lost Coast. Here, mountains plunge into the sea and there are seals and birds everywhere. We’d prebooked a flight-seeing tour, but it was cancelled because of aircraft maintenance issues. Oops. That was two mishaps in two days. What would be next? Actually, the cancellation turned out to be a good thing because we never would have otherwise discovered the B. Bryan Preserve, an African Wildlife Conservation Center in Point Arena, just

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a short ride from Gualala. We parked the bike and hoped into an open Land Rover as Cathy Riehm, the Center’s vet tech and hoof stock keeper, led us to zebras. She explained that the purpose of zebra stripes is so when threatened, the zebras can band together in a tight group which makes it impossible for prey to pick one off. We continued to the Rothchild’s giraffes, one of the most endangered species in the world with just 700 left in the wild. Cathy stopped the vehicle and five female giraffes lumbered shyly up to us. She handed us leafy branches to feed the 20-foot tall girls. I leaned out of the vehicle and held out a branch as a giraffe put her face inches from my chin and scooped up the branch. I could see her 18-inch long blue tongue. From there, we motored to Point-Arena, a national monument where cliffs drop dramatically into the Pacific and surf pounds against the rocks. We took a short hike along the headlands, mesmerized by the powerful sound of the ocean. I’m usually one for long hikes, but when you’re encumbered in bulky motorcycle gear and heavy boots, you don’t feel like a long walk. The small museum, formerly the light keeper’s' house was built in 1896 and housed a gigantic Fresnel lens and objects recovered from a shipwreck. Visitors can climb the 115-foot Lighthouse, the tallest on the Pacific Coast but we wanted to

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get back on the road. I don’t even think it had anything to do with the motorcycle. When you’re on a road trip, you really don’t know how long anything will take, so you want to keep moving. The scenery north on the coast changes constantly from golden fields of hay to forest groves and jagged cliffs. Along the route were rows of pink Belladonna lilies called Naked Ladies because in the spring, the plant has only green leaves and in summer, the leaves drop off and pink flowers appear on the naked stem. We arrived in Newport, just outside Fort Bragg, a town that sprung up around lumber. A chute from the top of the headlands transported the logs down to a waiting ship. In 1885, lumber operations were moved to Fort Bragg and Newport became a ghost town –- that is, until 1986 when Vermonter Will Jackson saw an ad in the Wall Street Journal for 839 oceanfront acres in Mendocino. He flew out, fell in love with the land, built the luxurious Inn at Newport Ranch, and now owns over 2,000 acres of land. Every inch of the inn was meticulous and all in redwood: floors, tables, bar, even the bed headboard. We changed out of our gear (of course I couldn’t unbuckle my helmet so Jamie did it) and sat on the wraparound porch, then walked to the headlands to spot seals and whales. Owner Jackson offered to take Jamie and me on an ATV safari

in one oversized ATV through the property’s redwood groves to the quarry, we drove to the top of the mountain and back down through a field where black and white cows grazed among wildflowers. It felt great not to be straddling a motorcycle. The next morning, we jumped back on the bike and headed towards the Redlands. First stop: Leggett for a drive through a 2,400-year-old redwood tree which is 325 feet tall and 21 feet wide. Sure, it’s touristy to drive through it, but how could we not, especially on a motorcycle? And finally we arrived on the 31-mile Avenue of the Giants surrounded by 51,222 acres of redwood groves. There were very few cars and no motorcycles because we intentionally chose to visit when kids are in school. We almost had the entire park all to ourselves. We got off the bike and looked up at the ancient trees which were so wide I couldn’t put my arms a quarter of a way around and so tall I couldn’t see the top. The air was fresh and the smell woodsy. Except for our footsteps crunching the ground, it was absolutely silent. When we finally got back on the bike, I felt humbled. I was also glad I was the passenger and not the driver, because I could look around in every direction including straight up to the canopy of trees. The extraordinary Route 128 connects the Men-

docino Valley to the wine country through shady redwood groves and alongside Anderson Valley’s verdant vineyards from Navarro to Boonville. Our final accommodation, the stunning Mediterranean compound, The Madrones, had four wine tasting rooms on property and we tried Drew Family Cellars, Bink, KNEZ and Signal Ride vintages without worrying about having to do any more driving. We sat happily in the garden beneath the apple and pear trees watching the hummingbirds flit from flower to flower. I closed my eyes and felt the sun on my face as I recalled the beauty of the redwoods, the coastline, the cliffs and the giraffe with his blue tongue inches from my face. And then I giggled. “What is it?” Jamie asked. “I was just remembering how terrified I was of doing this trip on a motorcycle,” I said. “So are you ready to learn to ride and get your license?” he asked. “No, I’ll stick to riding behind you. But I think we should do another bike trip next spring. Maybe Yosemite. Or Joshua Tree National Park. Or the Blue Ridge Mountains. Anything away from the concrete canyons of Manhattan.” He grinned. “You’ve got a deal. And I bet you change your mind about getting your motorcycle license.”

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OFF-PISTE FUN IN INTERLAKEN

BY WIBKE CARTER "Do you need a penguin?" a blond Swiss woman shouts at me as she elegantly whizzes past. For a moment, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m confused about what sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s referring to but then I recall the skating aids for small children at the entrance to the rink. Clearly, my disgraceful wobbles and arm paddling cause concern in the general public but I'm having so much fun! After not having ice skated for over fifteen years every round on the frozen element is a brush with treasured childhood memories. The author wobbles on the ice rink copyright Wibke Carter

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Family ice skating in Interlaken copyright Switzerland Tourism

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View of Interlaken in winter copyright Switzerland Tourismcopyright Wibke Carter

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I can’t ski for the life of me, in fact, I exhibit the same wild body movements on the slopes as on the ice rink so a winter trip to Switzerland had never been high on my travel bucket list. But as I find out in the charming town of Interlaken there are plenty of activities to experience off-piste during the quieter months. I am in the hands of a Mancunian Dave Storey, who runs the Higthtide Kayaking school, as we glide in near silence in the early hours over Lake Brienz. He shares my predilection for off season hotspots - “I absolutely love having the lake to myself in winter”, he says. Surrounded by snow covered mountains which reflect beautifully on the mirror-like water I feel oddly connected with nature. In the distance, the first paragliders of the day take flight soundlessly.

The author winter kayaking on Lake Brienz copyright Hightide Kayak School Interlaken

We break our excursion with a stop at Castle Ringgenberg which sits on rocks rising high above the lake. As we climb the steps to the viewing platform a tortoiseshell cat is our only companion. Back in the kayak and on our return journey, hazy mist rises on the other shore. “It marks the point where the icy stream from the Lütschine River hits the lake. Only six hours ago that water was on top of a glacier”, our guide Peter Blik tells us. Interlaken is located in a peerless location between glacier-fed lakes Thun and Brienz with the pearly white peaks of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau forming part of a majestic natural landscape. “It’s the only place for miles where you can ride a bike from one end of the town to the other on a flat surface”, laughs a local Celina Finger. But gentle cycling is not the reason why so many visitors are drawn to this 5,000 inhabitant resort. It’s the adrenalin-loaded adventures that make even the fearless scream.

Jet boat glides over Lake Brienz copyright Wibke Carter

And scream I do as the red jet boat makes yet another 360° spin before thundering towards the fishing village of Iseltwald. We circle the only island in Lake Brienz, the Schnäggeninseli (snail island), which is rumoured to have gotten its name due to the fact that monks farmed snails here as fish bait in earlier times. Since 2015, both the island and nearby Castle Schlossburg have been for sale. Our jet boat guide, Phil Hausammann, quips “For a mere 20 million Swiss Franc (£16 million) it could be yours”. Phil Hausamann stirs the jetboat copyright Wibke Carter

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Buying a castle is very much out of my budget but I might just have enough money left to add another hand-made mask to my collection. Woodcarver Gabriela Schild has been making sculptures from wood, ice and snow for decades. “I’m currently working on a mask for the HarderPotschete procession”, she says while showing me her assortment of chisels. “It will take me about one to two weeks to complete and the face needs to look really scary. On 2nd January every year, our town is haunted by the masked figures of the Hardermann, his wife and his band of followers, the Potschen.” While this New Year’s tradition in Interlaken is centuries old, the town’s name is surprisingly not. Until 1891, it was called Aarmühle, however, a different name describing the location between two lakes (Inter-laken, you see) was used for its post office and train station. With a rise of the town’s reputation as an international resort in the 1800s in a nod to tourism the name was changed to the

more Anglicized version. According to the guide Joel Feuz on my Swiss Food & Culture Tour Interlaken swells to about 150,000 people during the summer months. But once we leave the main streets it gets much quieter and traditional Swiss houses with widely projecting roofs and facades richly decorated with wooden balconies and carved ornaments come into view. Only 20 minutes walk away from the town centre we drop into a third generation small farm for a cheese tasting. “Alpine cheese can only bear the designation Alpkäse when it is produced with milk from cows, goats or sheep grazing on the Alps. And unlike mountain cheese it is produced only in summer and only on the Alps” mentions Feuz. In a few months, the cattle in the back of the barn will be moved onto greener pastures. For me, I have another evening left in Interlaken and I head back for another spin on the ice rink, with or without penguin, I shan’t tell.

View of Interlaken in winter copyright Switzerland Tourismcopyright Wibke Carter

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IF YOU GO TOURISM INFO MySwitzerland.com FLY SWISS offers direct flights between Edinburgh and Zurich (swiss.com), continue by train/bus and use the Swiss Travel Pass. STAY Located directly on Lake Thun, BEATUS Wellness- & Spa-Hotel features a salt-water outdoor pool, an indoor pool and fine cuisine. www.beatus.ch/en EAT, DRINK, DO • High Tide Kayak School: https://hightide.ch • Jetboat Interlaken: www.jetboat.ch • Top of Europe Ice Magic (skating): www.icemagic.ch • Swiss Food & Culture Tour: www.interlaken-walkingtours.ch • Gabriela Schild: www.woodcarvings.ch Young calf in barn during food tour copyright Wibke Carter

Gabriela Schild with a traditional Harder-Potschete mask

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FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE CELEBRATING THE BICENTENARY OF BRITAIN'S LEGENDARY NURSE

BY SHARON WHITLEY LARSEN

lthough 2020 marked the 200th anniversary of the birth of legendary, world-famous nurse Florence Nightingale--who once helped battle a London cholera epidemic--it's ironic that another pandemic, the worldwide COVID-19 crisis, delayed celebrations. And not only that, but The Florence Nightingale Museum in London recently closed for the foreseeable future due to the COVID lockdown. However, "Florence Nightingale in 200 Objects, People, and Places”--a new bicentenary special display—can be viewed online along with articles, videos, Zoom chats and quizzes until the museum reopens. (2020 was also the World Health Organization designated Year of the Nurse and Midwife, fittingly appropriate to honor our sacrificing healthcare workers around the world.) Named after the Italian city where she was born on May 12, 1820, Florence was raised in a very wealthy English family (whose money was derived from lead mining), residing in two mansions in the north and south of England. She and her older sister Parthenope had an unusual education for Victorian girls at that time, taught mostly by their father—studying Greek, French, Latin, History, Math, Philosophy, Art, the Bible, and learning to play the piano. With their mother, as teens they would take fresh fruit and other items to the poor and ill townsfolk—which had a lifelong impact on Florence, whose upper-crust family expected her to marry well and perhaps do embroidery at home, as was the custom. “Marriage had never tempted me,” she once wrote. “I hated the idea of being tied forever to a life of society and only such a marriage could I

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have.” And, when I visited the museum on the grounds of St. Thomas' Hospital, centrally located across the Thames River from Parliament, I was amazed to learn a lot about this extraordinary, unconventional woman's life. And, despite proposals, she never did marry—and her sister didn't marry until age 40, very unusual for that time! When Florence was 17, the devout Christian felt a calling by God: “You must use your life to do good in the world.” And, to her family's shock (since wealthy women didn't have jobs then), she decided she wanted to go into nursing, buying books on medicine and hospital sanitation—which was deplorable in those days, often with filthy rooms and untrained, sometimes drunk, nurses. Known for developing modern nursing, Florence was a visionary, advocating fresh air, hot water for cleaning, better diet, quiet time, sanitation, washing hands, drinking clean water, physical exercise— promoting prevention rather than cure, pioneering a “holistic” approach to care. And, after her first work in a hospital, she commented, “Now I know what it is to love life.” Her generous father supported her, giving her an annual salary of 500 English pounds, a substantial amount then. In 1854, at age 34, it was her incredibly organized, tireless work supervising 38 nurses attending wounded British soldiers during the 18531856 Crimean War that gained her fame. Strolling through the wards at night, carrying a lamp, checking on patients, holding their hands, or writing to their family members, she became affectionately known as “The Lady with the Lamp”. She authored some 200 books, pamphlets and

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articles and over 14,000 letters, writing about nurses, religion, philosophy, sanitation and hygiene. Her most famous book, “Notes on Nursing,” was published in 1860, selling 15,000 copies the first month, even catching the attention of Queen Victoria, who became a fan and invited her to Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Today the book is published in eleven languages and is available on Amazon! Florence also designed a nurse's uniform: a plain dress with a white apron and white cotton hat to cover the hair. The day I visited the museum, young children on field trips excitedly viewed videos and photos and answered questions on touch screens—as a costumed “Florence” strolled around, posing for photos. (“Children find her absolutely captivating,” a staff member told me.) The museum displayed many interesting items, including Florence's nurse's badge, childhood lunch box, letters, writing case, bracelet, and her medicine chest. But what intrigued me the most was a July 30, 1890, recording of her voice. She was given several honors, which included being the first woman to receive the Royal Order of Merit in 1907 by King Edward VII. Florence, at 5' 8”, had grey eyes, rich brown hair,

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and a delicate complexion. Known to be funny and generous, yet harsh and stubborn, she loved cats (and had a pet owl, Athena, that she rescued from Athens!). From her early 30s the eccentric nurse generally dressed in black. Yet the health advocate suffered various ailments herself, including bouts of fever, exhaustion, depression, loss of appetite, insomnia and severe back pain. She was slim until middle age, then became overweight and bedridden. Although she appeared to be near death several times, she lived to be 90, dying in her sleep on Aug. 13, 1910.

WHAT YOU CAN DO Florence Nightingale Museum St. Thomas' Hospital, 2 Lambeth Palace Road Online donations are currently encouraged to help the museum reopen. For updates and to view articles, photos, and videos--and participate in Zoom chats, or to purchase items from the online shop—see: www.florence-nightingale.co.uk Interesting additional information about her life: www.florence-nightingale.co.uk/whats-on WHO designated Year of the Nurse and Midwife 2020: www.who.int/campaigns/year-of-the-nurseand-the-midwife-2020

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MEMORY LANE First in a series of our travel writer’s harrowing travel experiences that turn into great stories.

BY JOHN MUNCIE

BREAKDOWN AT CHE It was July 1969, the height of the Cold War. I was on the east side of Checkpoint Charlie, looking across the Berlin Wall to the West and freedom. I wasn't a refugee, I wasn't a spy coming in from the cold. I was just a kid trying to buy a benzinpumpe.

ever been on an airplane. Like thousands of other Baby Boomers that year, our plan was to make a grand tour of Europe -- as grand as possible when guided by “Europe on $5 a Day” and sleeping most nights in the back of an old, red VW van we had bought for $500 marks in Cologne, West Germany.

Earlier that summer, I had graduated from college and flown from Los Angeles to England with Bob, my college roommate. It was the first time I’d

I wrote “old” van, I meant “prehistoric.” The van was a Neanderthal that had barely lugged us from West Germany to Denmark to Sweden to the mid-

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d a

a p “

s A

ECK POINT CHARLIE dle of East Germany before it tried to become extinct in a little village just 20 miles outside of Berlin.

Bob, who could tinker with cars and, unlike me, had aced his college German classes, figured out that the problem was the fuel pump. The "benzinpumpe,” he said, “ist kaput.” OK. Simple enough. We knew what to do. We asked some locals where to find the nearest VW dealership. And that’s when we ran head-long into Cold War reality.

There were no VW dealerships behind the Iron Curtain. No VW parts in any repair shop. As far as the locals were concerned, VW was a capitalist cabal. You want a VW benzinpumpe? Go to the West Thus began our trek to The Wall. Up to that point, we’d been traveling on a special “transit visa” so we could drive one of the few auto routes available to Westerners headed to Berlin. Anything else in East Germany was off limits.

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So we took a commuter train and a trolley -- perhaps illegally -- to get to the East Berlin border checkpoint, some yards east from Checkpoint Charlie, the main crossing into West Berlin's American Sector.

Then the motorcycle guy returned. "I got it," he shouted to us from the West side of the checkpoint, and waved the benzinpumpe box over his head.

We presented our passports to a stern-looking, uniformed border agent. "Your visa is marked 'transit,' " the border agent said sternly. "Where is your vehicle?"

But he didn't want to come over. The problem was this: Before The Wall came tumbling down, you could visit East Berlin but it was a pain in the pumpe. It took forever to cross from West to East, even to visit for a few hours. Papers had to be checked and money had to be changed.

Bob, employing the full force of his college German, explained about the VW van, the benzinpumpe and the socialist economic factors that meant we had to get to West Berlin. The official, employing the full force of socialist bureaucracy, was adamant: No car, no crossing. We were caught in a Cold War catch 22. If we couldn't get across, how could we get the van fixed? If we couldn't get the van fixed, how could we get across? We were stuck behind the Iron Curtain. A life of drab overcoats and gulag bread lines stretched ahead of us forever. That's when the guy from Florida showed up. The answer to our prayers: a hippie motorcyclist from The States. He was headed back across The Wall after a day sight-seeing in East Berlin. Would you buy us a benzinpumpe? we asked. A what? A fuel pump! A VW fuel pump! He listened to our story and eventually said OK. We gave him enough money to buy a fleet of benzinpumpes and he roared off -- to freedom, to safety, to the temptations of the decadent West. Minutes passed. Then, an hour. In my imagination the breadlines grew longer and were filled with toothless old women and Russian soldiers.

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We cheered with joy and relief. "Come on over."

The motorcycle guy was only twenty yards away in distance, but hours from actual contact. "To heck with that," he said. "Here, catch." And he threw the new benzinpumpe across the Iron Curtain. Let's leave the benzinpumpe in the air for a minute and examine Checkpoint Charlie in 1969. On either side of the road that connected the two checkpoints stretched the barbed-wire-topped Wall or ominously bricked-up buildings. East German guards carrying machine guns were everywhere. There were guard towers with searchlights. There were vicious guard dogs. Somewhere there were nuclear missiles poised to destroy the Earth. The benzinpumpe box arced across from West to East. Thump! It landed in my hands I waited for the hail of bullets. But nothing happened. The grim-faced guards just shrugged and looked away. Maybe it was a miracle. I'm willing to consider it. After all, fifty-plus years later Bob and I are alive and The Wall is dead.

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WDT ARTS

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n April 16th this past year, the unthinkable happened. Peninsula Players – Door County, Wisconsin’s oldest, largest, and best-known outdoor theatre – announced that it was cancelling its entire 2020 season. Not just a performance, series, or run … but the entire season: “The Board of Directors and its management team have examined a variety of scenarios and have concluded that the health and safety of our company, volunteers, community, and you – our dedicated supporters – must take precedence over all else at this time,” said Managing Director Brian Kelsey in a press release. “With that in mind, our hearts are heavy in announcing that we will be canceling our summer productions.” Kelsey’s words were apocalyptic. All other performing arts nonprofits quickly announced that they, too, would be canceling their summer seasons: Northern Sky Theater, Door Shakespeare, Birch Creek Music Performance Center, Third Avenue Playhouse, Door County Auditorium, Fishstock Concert Series, Trueblood Performing Arts Center, Peninsula Music Festival, among others. Well before closures were mandatory, these arts-oriented groups decided it would be in everyone’s best interest to shut down. For a community and county largely dependent on tourism, however, the effects of these unprecedented closures were devastating. One organization anxiously wavered about finding ways and means to continue. ¨From Board members to meetings with staff, we re-

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GO ON

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“Ultimately, it was agreed to begin the season virtually, with online performances, and, somehow, create a crescendo which would pay homage to the classical music organization’s venue-based roots.”

peatedly tried to reach consensus about the ‘right’ and best direction,” recall Allyson Fleck, Executive Director, and Jim Berkenstock, Artistic Director, of Door County’s Midsummer’s (Chamber) Music. ¨We wanted to find ways to deliver stellar performances and engage audiences, without raising risks or jeopardizing anyone’s health.” While some directors believed it best to cancel Midsummer´s 2020 ¨live” season – its 30th – as the other performing area arts organizations had done, all on the Board pushed for ways to move forward together. Ultimately, it was agreed to begin the season virtually, with online performances, and, somehow, create a crescendo which would pay homage to the classical music organization’s venue-based roots. But that would prove easier said than done. For one thing, the small staff comprised only Allyson, a part-time student intern and office assistant, the office manager, volunteers who stepped into action, and the nonprofit’s marketing manager who worked offsite (remotely). For another, none of the team was well-versed in how to effectively and cost-efficiently handle the logistics and technical requirements of state-of-theart digital undertakings. Professional-quality audiovisual equipment had to be purchased and mastered. New roles and responsibilities assumed. Appropriate sites found and booked for recordings. Performers coached on doing things differently: social distancing, wearing masks, and washing hands before every movement. Alternative delivery media identified

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and connected. Audiences prepared to tune in and embrace chamber music in new ways. And, of course, attract funds to finance the creative new enterprise. Like many performing arts groups, Midsummer’s depends on revenue streams of which about 25% comes from ticket sales. Without live performances, patrons and sponsors needed to donate more … supporters and audience members to continue contributing, even if the events were a different “flavor” from what they’d paid for in the past. Fundraising appeals and solicitation letters appraising the challenges were distributed by mail— postal and electronic. Phone calls were made by present and past Board members, urging others to donate. Website news and announcements tactfully reminded visitors about the status of the season. A “gala” showcased student violins painted, decorated, and repurposed by the county’s favorite artists for an extraordinary online auction interspersed with chamber music, interviews, and special effects. Staff meetings -- creative, developmental, and administrative -- were conducted using Zoom, while recorded performances were streamed via Midsummer´s website, its YouTube channel, and Facebook page. Their persistence paid off. In the end, Midsummer’s had delivered 30 virtual performances of six different programs by trios, quartets, and quintets boasting world-class musicians ... each presented in five different concerts. Website visits were up slightly, although page views increased dramatically-from 11,546 in 2019 to 17,236 in 2020, while the organization's Facebook page “Likes” had increased 47%. The Violin Channel broadcast six programs performed by Midsummer’s in August and early September, which garnered approximately 85,000 views. The Chicago Philharmonic recognized Midsummer´s by playing one of its recorded concerts to Chicago´s own audience, while the CityMusic Cleveland Chamber Orchestra aired movements from Midsummer´s recording of Le Beau´s String Quintet in C Minor. Yet what brought tears of joy to the organization’s many friends and supporters occurred to-

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Midsummer’s music of door county, the �i And St. Norbert college in de pere la In 2018 to enhance student learn Through increased exposure to

The Griffon String Quartet members ( In northeast Wisconsin A highly interactive progra

wards the end of its season, when Midsummer’s held a live, outdoor performance at Woodwalk Gallery attended by enthusiastic fans, following all health protocols of the pandemic. “Jim always picks repertoire by relatively unknown composers and creates a season of gems that, often, had not previously been recorded,” insists Allyson. ¨He did that – and more – by presenting five female composers and three of color, one a black female composer. We also performed another world premiere by young composer Jacob Beranek.” Grit and determination aren’t words typically associated with chamber music and classical performances. But as the prophetic words of William Congreve remind us: ¨Music has charms to soothe the savage beast.¨ For Midsummer’s Music, this tired cliché had a lot more truth to it in 2020 than Congreve ever imagined 400 years ago. Visit Midsummer’s at www.midsummersmusic .com or on Facebook.

ine arts institute at east high in green bay, aunched a ground-breaking project ning and academic achievement o—and participation in—music.

(above) currently work with children n via the Einstein Series, am for school-age children.

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20 d ar ry w nt s lA E ard se ed w ei lish k A eG ub oo Th t P B of s o r Be ieg ne r D in Fo an S W

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