Archive for March, 2009
Corrugated sheetmetal building in Walnut Grove, California
Instead of turning right at Ryde we turned left on Highway 60 to the next bridge and crossed over the river into Walnut Grove. We parked the car and went for a wander around the small town.
(Click on the images for larger versions)
Walnut Grove is one of the earliest settlements along the Sacramento River. At the start of World War II, the town was racially segregated with whites living on the western bank of the river and Asians on the left bank. The eastern side was segregated further into a Japanese section and a Chinese section. Today it is a sleepy little town. The main street is Market Street which is divided into two sections, historic Chinese town at one end and a historic Japanese town at the other end.
We walked around the China town first but there were not many businesses left. On the corner of the street was an Mexican restaurant which was open but not at all busy. Further along was a building with an adobe front with two large round windows which were blacked out. The rest of the building was made out of corrugated sheetmetal. On the opposite side was a old building with Chinese Free Masons on the front. There was a buildings with fading pictures of underwater scenes painted by children and a building with a sign proclaiming it to be the Pump House. Then I realized it was a fitness center. Japan town was more interesting. The first building had a wood veranda and a sign which read All Sure. It was only when I checked the internet when I got home that found out it should read A.L.L. Sure. It is a construction company which began operating in 1922 and is still a going concern. But looking through the window is misleading. On one of the windows is a very interesting newspaper article, dated January 1996, on the history of Walnut Grove, Courtland and Locke. There are also old tools and bottles and an ancient train set. One of the bottles is a Mason’s Root Beer with a small American flag stuck inside. Further along is Ben’s Drugs, which is a large room with work benches inside. Goodness know what they do now, for in the window is a set of false teeth and an old aerosol can of Colgate shaving Cream. All the buildings look a bit ramshackle.
At the end of Market Street is A Street. Here it was mostly houses but in the middle on the right is a community garden. It is divided into about
Old firetruck in Walnut Grove
twenty small plots with a variety of vegetables and flowers being cultivated. At the back was a large cat sitting. Behind the garden, we could see the back of the houses on B Street and on the roof of an upstairs veranda a pair of pigeons were engrossed in a mating dance. Also on this street was the Walnut Grove Market.
I could see Tom making a beeline towards something. A rusty truck had caught his attention. It was an old fire truck and he busy taking photos. I continued wandering along Grove Street and started all the dogs barking. I wasn’t too worried as they were behind fences and their tails were wagging. On the corner of Grove and C Street I spotted a really old tree and heavily coppiced tree. Half of it looked dead but it spread out a long way and all the branches were supported by a weird collection of wooden and metal props. On another corner, this time C Street and Tyler is the Kabuki Gallery. In the garden to the side I passed the time of day with a lady sitting in the sunshine, enjoying the moment. Just after that, Tom caught up with me and we returned to the car.
Downtown Locke, California. One of our favorite little towns.
Our next stop along the way was Locke. Now this is one interesting place and if you visit nowhere else in the area, Locke is one place you just have to go to. It was built entirely by the Chinese. Back in 1915, when a disastrous fire in Walnut Grove destroyed most of China Town, Lee Bing came to an agreement with land owner, George Locke, to establish a settlement. Until recently, the residents of Locke owned the buildings but not the land. There are only three streets in Locke – Main Street, which is just a few yards down from River Road, Locke Road and Key Street. All the shops and businesses are on main street and all the houses are on the other two streets. Finding Locke is not difficult but easily missed. It is only half a mile north of Walnut Grove. Watch out for a large boathouse on the left hand side. There used to be two roads into Locke but they have been turned into one way streets.
We parked right outside the Chinese School, which is now a museum. All the buildings on Main Street are two stories and narrow and most of them have verandas over the sidewalk with balconies above. All the supports don’t look sturdy or straight enough to hold up the balconies and some of the buildings look very unstable. Most of the buildings are shops with several galleries and one famous bar. The bar is called Als Place but it has the politically incorrect name of Al the Wops. The building has been a bar since it was built in 1915 and Als Place since 1934.
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March 26 2009 | Special Places | 4 Comments »
The clocks were put forward last night so we had one hour’s less sleep but we were still up at 5. I had to stop thinking that it was really only 4 am!
We were on our way to the Sacramento River Delta, so called because this is where the Sacramento River flows into the San Francisco Bay. Tom read an article in the San Francisco Chronicle by Tom Stienstra entitled ‘Sunday Drive: Sacramento River Delta’. The drive includes two ferry crossings. This weekend is the first really nice weekend for quite a while and we felt this would be perfect for a nice day out. We did discuss going the opposite way round but then eventually decided to follow exactly the same route.
At 6.45 we crossed the Benicia Bridge and headed towards Fairfield. It was still dark and the mothball fleet was barely discernible. To the east though the sky was becoming lighter. We stopped in Suisun City for breakfast – see previous post.
After the best breakfast ever, we were heading east on Highway 12. The sun was up, the scenery intoxicating and I felt in my bones that it was going to be a great day. We passed rolling green hills and cattle grazing. The road was a two lane highway with a concrete barrier down the middle. Without it I’m sure there would be a lot of head on collisions. On our right was a wind farm and later there were windmills on both sides of the road.
Rio Vista Bridge over the Sacramento River
At 8.30 we entered Rio Vista. The directions were to turn left on River Road at the foot of the bridge. The last turn on the left before the bridge was not River Road so we ended up going across the bridge. The Rio Vista Bridge is a long, low bridge with a central drawbridge to allow passage to large ships on there way to Sacramento or to the ocean. On the far side we turned around, drove back across the bridge and followed the sign to Ryer Island and the first ferry two miles away.
(Click on the images for larger versions)
We stopped near the bridge to take photos. It’s not a pretty bridge but it has a certain elegance about it. The river here is wide and I noticed there was quite a lot of debris floating downstream, probably caused by the storms over the last couple of weeks. There was not much traffic around, either on the road or on the river. Along the river back there were quite a few fishermen and one of them even had a BBQ going.
Soon we arrived at the Ryer Island Ferry. We had to wait for a few minutes
The Ryer Island Ferry called, "The Real McCoy"
before we could drive on board the flat bottomed boat. There was a sign next just before the ferry which said the ferry was closed every day between 7.20 and 8.20 am. It seems such a strange time of day to be closed. Before long we were waved on board. The ferry is called ‘The Real McCoy’ and has two propellers. There was room for about six cars but we were the only passengers this trip. We got out of the car and spoke to one of the operators, who was sporting a marvelous beard. He was an interesting guy, who has been working on the ferry for 24 years – ‘Beats working in an office’ he said. He was telling us that the ferry is free running and could turn in a circle or a square. He also explained how repairs were carried out on the propellers by means of a coffer dam.
All to soon we were across Cache Slough and on Ryer Island. We drove off the ferry and turned right but stopped almost immediately to take photos looking down on the ferry as it made it’s way back across the slough. In the distance we could see the Rio Vista Bridge. All was peaceful with just the sound of birdsong filling the air. It was a pretty drive down to and around the southern tip of Ryer Island, passing vineyards and then driving north with Steamboat Slough to our left. The land to our left was lower than the road and we passed several orchards. Then we drove past what we thought was an island in the slough and worked out later on that it was a long peninsula.
Steamboat Slough ferry across to Grand Island
Soon we arrived at the second ferry, this time across Steamboat Slough to Grand Island. This ferry has a diesel engine but is guided by a cable. We found out why the ferries are closed between 7.20 – 8.20 am – it is lunch time. Both ferries operate 24 hours a day and, by the way, are completely free of charge. This time there was another car waiting to cross as well but we had to wait for the ferry to come back from the other side. At first we could not see the cable, but when the ferry started to move the orange cable came to the surface. As the ferry crosses, a red light flashes on the roof and all boats have to wait. If they didn’t the propellers on the crossing boats could drag on the cable and that’s not good news for either the ferry or the boat. This crossing was much shorter than the first and soon the ramp was being lowered and we drove out on the far side.
Once again, we pulled over for a photo op. I wandered across the road, where, below the level of the road, was a small farm with a large cactus plant and several goats. We turned right onto Grand Island Road, drove for a short distance and then turned left on Highway 220, which we followed all the way to Ryde. Here we diverted from Tom Stienstra’s directions and for the rest of our interesting day on the Delta, you will have to read our next post.
March 19 2009 | Special Places | No Comments »
Babs Delta Diner in Suisun City
We’ve come a long way to try out Babs Delta Diner. It’s been on my list since I saw it mentioned in Via, the AAA car insurance magazine, last year on the Readers’ Favorite Breakfast Places. Now Suisun City is a bit out of the way but a perfect stop on our drive to the Sacramento River Delta.
(Click on the image for a larger version)
Our first impressions were favorable. Easy to find with our GPS, good location on the waterfront and with plenty of parking. Inside it is not huge but it’s modern, clean and bright. There are no booths, just wooden tables and chairs with 9 stools up at the counter,
Tom liked the menu. Just what a menu should look like. There were also specials listed on a white board. On the back of the menu was ‘Bab’s Story’ telling how Babs started a diner here in Suisun City when she was 60.
We ordered. Tom asked for the corn beef hash with two eggs and English Muffin $9.10. I went for the oatmeal with the works and wheat toast $5.75.
Now was my chance to look around at the walls to see what was displayed. For a start there were a lot of old placard adverts around the counter. On the walls were little shelves high up, on which were arrayed a variety of objects, glassware and knick knacks. Below each shelf was a decorated plate. The overall decoration was adequate and non intrusive.
We were lucky to be able to talk to Babs herself. She came round filling coffee cups and we had a nice talk. Not only her daughter and granddaughter work in the diner but recently her 16 year old great grandson joined them. Four generations all working for the family business – isn’t that amazing? Babs is very particular about the oatmeal she uses and she buys it from Oregon. She explained how it was prepared and I can’t wait to try it.
Before we knew it, our food had arrived and it looked wonderful. Tom’s corn beef hash was loaded with meat and the eggs looked perfect. As for my oatmeal – Wow! Nice generous portion stuffed with raisins, walnuts, cranberries and stewed apple and piping hot. When I tasted it I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. This is by far the best oatmeal I have ever tasted away from home. I asked Tom how was the hash and he didn’t hear me the first time as he was enjoying it so much. When I did get a reply he said it was one of the best he had ever had. He isn’t a great corn beef hash fan but he would eat it here anytime. The potatoes were crispy and the eggs just how he likes them. If only the coffee had been Peet’s he would have joined me in heaven.
I wasn’t disappointed in the restroom either. Clean, bright and it smelt good. On the walls were three decorated Coca-Cola trays. My favorite though was a large poster print of a gingerbread man. The caption read – ‘The perfect man. He’s quiet, he’s sweet and if he gives you any crap you can bite his head off.’
If we gave out gold stars Bab’s Delta Diner would get the maximum. It has everything – great surroundings, wonderful service, fantastic food and it’s not too pricey. Certainly worth going out of your way for to experience it.
March 14 2009 | Breakfast Log | No Comments »
Real nice cars
Today we didn’t want to go too far so we decided to drive to Los Gatos, have breakfast and then take a walk round the town.
After having breakfast at the Los Gatos Cafe on Los Gatos Blvd, we drove towards Los Gatos, parking on Main Street near the library. As soon as we started walking towards the town center, we felt a sense of this being a nice place to live but we know how expensive the houses are. On our right was a small park, with a fountain and several sculptures.
One of the first businesses we passed had a mouth watering display of Lamborghinis, Bentleys, Farraris and other exotic sports cars. Originally the company was called Ferrari Los Gatos but now goes under the name of Silicon Valley Auto Group. Outside was parked a handsome, white, Rolls Royce. We pressed our noses to the window and stood on tiptoe to see over into the yard. They were all sleek, glossy and oh so beautiful.
Not far along we passed the Garden Inn Hotel. We could see their shady courtyard with inviting patio furniture. I understand Los Gatos is a favorite place for a romantic weekend and this looks just the right place to stay. The town center is within easy walking reach.
I don’t intend to list all the shops and businesses we passed but only those which caught the eye. I can tell you though that there numerous day spas, beauty salons, bars, coffee houses and restaurants along the way. The town is very pleasant to amble around with plenty of shady benches around to sit and chat or to watch the world go by. I even saw one guy reading a book, completely oblivious of everything going on around him.
Main street crosses Highway 17 but just before it does there is an entrance to the Los Gatos Creek Trail which runs for just over 9 miles from Lexington Reservoir, through Vascona Park, through Campbell and beyond. It is used by pedestrians and cyclists and is very popular. Los Gatos attracts a lot of joggers, walkers, and cyclists and we saw lots of Lycra clad people around.
At the other end of the bridge is an old building. The front is on the street and looks like a normal shop front, though closed and obviously soon to be remodeled. The back though, which can be seen from the bridge, is a different story. It is constructed from corrugated iron, which is years past its best and rusty, and is supported by rickety looking wooden posts. On the front window is a potted history of the building. It was built in 1905 by John A Hicks. Over the years it has been a second hand furniture shop, a tailor, a shoe repair shop, a sporting goods shop and a plumbers. It was bought in September 2008 and is now called the Flick House.
The next interesting shop was Gina’s. At first I thought it was an antiques shop but then realized it sold objects made out of rush, wood and gourds – all very colorful. As I passed the door there was a lovely smell of wood and other aromas which somehow made me think of Africa.
Then we came to the Lost Gatos Coffee and Roasting Company. This is definitely the place to be, judging by the number of bikes tied to every available tree, lamppost and seat, and the mass of people congregating outside, chatting and drinking coffee. We sat for a while outside, petted a large golden retriever who was patiently waiting for it’s master and listened to the conversations going on around us as friends greeted each other enthusiastically and spoke about everything except the economic situation. It also gave me a chance to catch up on my writing.
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March 09 2009 | Neighborhoods | No Comments »
Los Gatos Cafe
When we looked on the internet for somewhere to eat breakfast in Los Gatos, the best reviews were for the Los Gatos Cafe on Los Gatos Blvd. We assumed it was in the center of Los Gatos but found out otherwise. In fact it is much nearer home than we expected. It is in a small strip mall at the corner of Los Gatos Blvd and Los Gatos Alamaden Road, so plenty of parking.
The cafe itself is quite unassuming. I thought it would be twee but it is anything but. It was a large, square room with windows on two sides. There were a few small booths but mostly wooden tables and chairs. There were about eight chairs up at low counter. At 8.40 on a Saturday morning it was fairly crowded but there was no wait. In the lobby free coffee was available (but no cups to drink out of). Just inside was a stand with a waiting list but it was completely blank. The table we were shown to was far from the best in the house as it was right next to where the coffee pots were and where the dirty crockery was stored, so extremely noisy. It was a table for four though, which Tom likes in order to read the paper in comfort, so we had to compromise.
The breakfast menu was large and extensive and I liked the joke on the back. We’d read in the reviews that the souffle omelettes were very good so Tom went for the Three Sausage Souffle Omelette – $9.50. I went for my usual oatmeal – $3.95 but had all the add-ons – raisins $.50, walnut $.75 and banana $1. Coffee was $1.85 and it was very good. The refills kept coming.
I was a bit disappointed with the color scheme and the decorations. The walls were toffee at the bottom and beige at the top and in need of a fresh coat of paint. The carpet was well worn and grubby. There were a total of four poster type prints, three with the same curly mustached chef and one with a waitress.
Our food took about 10 minutes to arrive at our table. All the plates and my bowl were black. Tom’s omelette looked plump and delicious. For a change he had grits instead of hash browns. The grits looked starkly white and bland. After Tom added some butter they tasted better than they looked. My oatmeal came in a medium deep bowl on a small plate. On a small plate to the side was a small plastic pot holding the brown sugar and an extremely small plastic jug of milk. The raisins, walnuts and chopped banana was mixed into the oatmeal. Mmmm, it was good but I had to ask for extra milk.
Now the restroom. Once again, there were no signs and I had to ask the way. I saw the mens’ restroom but not the ladies. There was a hallway to the right but it was completely dark. After groping my way down the hall I felt a door so I opened it and found the light switch. It was the right place. Once again the paint was dreary and the only decoration was a large oval mirror with a gilt frame over the sink and cobwebs on the walls. The sink was rather large and elegant and the water was nice and hot.
Now for our verdict. The food was a really good but a wee bit pricey. We were not impressed with our table – the service post could have been better screened – and a complete paint job and new carpet is needed. Saying all that, I’m sure we would go again, if only for the food.
March 06 2009 | Breakfast Log | No Comments »
Solitary surfer at Moss Landing State Beach
It was just after 8 a.m. when we hit Highway 1 heading south from Santa Cruz. We were later than normal but it made a change for me because I saw more of the scenery coming over the Santa Cruz Mountains.
This section of Highway 1 is not so pretty as driving north from Santa Cruz and there are certainly more cars on the road. You don’t catch sight of the ocean until just before the junction with Buena Vista Drive and then it is only a far off glimpse. There are several interesting places to visit along the way, Capitola and the cement ship at Rio del Mar being two of them.
(Click on the images for larger versions)
Around Watsonville – the strawberry capital of the world – the landscape is flatter. At the moment there is field after field of young strawberry plants just poking their heads out of plastic sheeting.
South of Watsonville there is a major blot on the landscape – the Moss Landing Power Plant. The two tall chimneys are the first sign of the monstrosity that soon dominates the scenery. These two chimneys are visible a long way out to sea as I can testify from the couple of whale sighting trips I took from Monterey.
We stopped off at Moss Landing State Beach just because we have never been there before. The parking for it is mostly on the road and the vehicles we saw were obviously owned by surfers as license plates, stickers and spare surfboards both inside and on roof tops proclaimed. To get to the beach, there is a sandy rise over the dunes before the ocean came into sight. The day was chilly but not cold and the only people we saw were the black blobs on surf boards. The beach is spectacularly uninteresting with bird feathers, bits of dried seaweed and the odd seagull or two to detract from the view of the long sandy beach. It is obviously a favorite haunt of surfers though. We stood and watched the surfers for a bit but there was not a lot of action. I overheard one surfer say that it conditions should improve later on.
Back in the car we took another small detour into Moss Landing itself. We drove past marinas and boat supply outlets before driving through the main street. There was nothing there to tempt us to get out and investigate.
To get to Elkhorn Slough we turned off Highway 1 onto Dolan Road, driving past the power plant. After four miles we
A lonely Lesser Yellowlegs (we think)
turned left on Elkhorn Road. The entrance to Elkhorn Slough is a drive of another four miles or so. We almost passed the entrance but spotted it just in time. It is open Wednesdays to Sundays, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m but is closed the first and third Fridays of each month. There is a day use charge of $2.50 per person.
There were just a few cars in the car park. First stop Visitors Center, where we paid the entrance fee. When I signed the guest log, I noticed that we were the first visitors who had signed in for two days. It is a really nice, informative Visitors Center where they also loan out binoculars. The lady, who we paid the entrance fee to, told us about the docent led early morning bird walking tour on the first Saturday of each month. We asked and were given a trail map which we found extremely helpful. Before you go onto the trail, you have to brush your boots and step into a tray containing disinfectant. They’re trying to protect the Oak trees from a spreading fungus.
We decided to take the South Marsh Loop, taking a detour along the way to Hummingbird Island. The first part of the trail was paved and suitable for wheelchairs. Just after the overlook, the trail descends and becomes rougher. It was an interesting walk, skirting the southern end of South Marsh, though very little seemed to be going on. There were a few birds around, more heard than seen and, apart from a few early wildflowers, there was not much color. The eucalyptus trees were sporting their fluffy white flowers and strange looking seed pods or ‘gumnuts’.
Margaret just off Hummingbird Island
The detour to Hummingbird Island took us over the railroad tracks. We were told to be cautious of trains but everything was clear. Later we did see a train go by so the warning was necessary. The trail took us up a short flight of wooden steps and then we came to a strange sight – a wire cage round a tree stump. We couldn’t work out whether the cage served a useful purpose or if it was an art form and we still don’t know the answer. Up on a slight rise was an unusual water feature. It looked like a small, arched bridge made out of lumps of black lava and oyster shells. The small pond in front contained some straggly pond plants. I couldn’t see any fishes in it, even though I tried very hard. We wandered along a small spit of land with water on either side, trying very hard not to disturb an egret waiting patiently for his lunch. We also saw in the distance another couple walking around the island.
Having completely exhausted the sights on Hummingbird Island, we made our way back across the tracks and continued around the top of South Marsh. Along the way, there was an old barn with a sign over the doorway which proclaimed it to be Elkhorn Farm. Back, I think, in the 1920′s, the marsh was drained and dikes built to provide pasture for the Elkhorn Farm dairy. Then in 1983, when the dairy no longer existed, the dikes were removed and the marsh became tidal again. Now, 20 years later, the barn is the only remaining building of the dairy. It is a large barn with open sides. There are signs outside asking visitors to be quiet so as not to disturb nesting birds. Inside, high up, were two wooden boxes where barn owls raise their young, though at this time of the year there was no activity. There were a few hay bales in the middle of the barn, so we sat a while and soaked in the quietness and solitude of the surroundings. The view through the open sided side was extensive, the only unwelcome sight of course, being the power plant to the west.
Soon we were back at the Visitors Center and time to drive back home. This time we took the scenic route, turning left out of Elkhorn Slough and heading north towards Watsonville along Elkhorn Road. Driving through Pajero brought back memories of the Strawberry Fields Forever charity bike ride we took part in last year. We have signed up again this year but unfortunately we may not be doing it as I have booked a trip to England without checking my calendar. Silly me!! From Watsonville we made our way to Highway 1 north and home.
March 02 2009 | Special Places | No Comments »
