Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Back from California, Back to Work

What we did in California!

  • Drove all over creation (622 miles on our little Nissan Versa from Budget)
  • Went to the play Den of Thieves, by Stephen Adly Guirgis, directed by Susi Damilano, at the SF Playhouse in San Francisco.
  • Ate at the Big Sur Bakery and Restaurant in Big Sur (check that website! Whoo!)
  • Drove along the coast on Highway 1
  • Climbed Mount Tamalpais
  • Ate at a nice little seaside cafe in Sausolito
  • Went to the movie “Ghost Writer” in Mill Valley
  • Visited the Pigeon Point Light Station, an old lighthouse
  • Spent several hours at the Monterrey Bay Aquarium, where we enjoyed the special exhibition of seahorses
  • Hiked in Muir Woods—those redwoods are BIG!
  • Went to “Poetry at the Pottery” at Jered’s Pottery in Berkeley on Friday, March 12
  • Visited the San Juan Bautista Mission (where Deana stood by the seismograph!)
  • Had lunch in San Juan Bautista—ask Deana about the Quake!
  • Bought some wine from Al Guerra of Guerra Farms
  • Went to a party for Jered and Sarah at the Pottery on Saturday, March 13
  • Had breakfast with Melanie in the Haight-Ashbury district
  • Visited Melanie’s workplace, Eric Trabert Goldsmiths, on Fillmore Street
  • Helped Melanie set up her lovely jewelry at the events at the Pottery
  • Rode the city in one of the open-topped busses that tour the city (and were in a small, mirror-buster)
  • Drove up to Twin Peaks and looked out over the city
  • Ate at a good Thai restaurant
  • Jogged along the beach in Monterrey
  • Stayed at the Sand Castle Inn in Seaside, CA (cheap! not bad!)
  • Bought some cups from a potter in San Juan Bautista (sorry, Jered!)
  • Visited the John Steinbeck Center in Salinas
  • Visited the birthplace of John Steinbeck in Salinas (thank you, kind lady, for letting us in the house after visiting hours!)
  • Heard lots of good music from brother Joe, his wife Mary, and the Levins.
  • Watched (and blubbered over) "The Blind Side" on the flight home.
  • Shopped
What did I forget, wife?

2 comments:

Deana said...

Browsing at City Lights,
Driving over the Golden Gate, Bay, and San Mateo bridges (a gut-wrenching event for me each time!)
Visiting the Center of the Book,
Enjoying fresh (really fresh) fruit,
And watching beautiful sunsets on the Pacific.

John Nelson said...

Oh, yeah! Seeing Kent Meyers' book "Twisted Tree" sitting on the new fiction shelf with its face turned to the public. Even Beatniks get it!

And, going anywhere with you, babe.