Friends, Food, Street Art and That Hippy Thing

It's really funny how our friends from other places are showing up here in San Francisco while we are here. Our dear friend Jerry, who I used to work with at UC Berkeley years ago and who now lives in Oregon, just happened to be here visiting some other friends. We were able to get together for lunch and then an extended afternoon/evening catching up while sipping some excellent single malt scotch. Jerry is the one who taught me all about this liquid gold years ago, so we couldn't resist going out to hunt for the perfect bottle.

 Luckily, one of the best scotch dealers in SF just happened to be 3 blocks from our place. We ended up with a bottle of Gordon and MacPhail Glenlossie. Sherry Cask #3661, 1988, bottled in 2007. For those of you who know single malts, this is a beauty. Having a shot of this is like wrapping yourself in a warm blanket. Cheers!

 Oysters

Whenever we are on a coast (that means just about anywhere in the world), we can't resist gorging ourselves on oysters, as long as we are in an R month (Google the R month thing about oysters. It could save your stomach and your life). We don't eat any of that cooked stuff. They must be raw and preferably Kumamoto's when available. Kumos originated in Japan and have petite meats so they slide down very easily (none of that huge meat like Tamales Bays/Pacific's). They have mild brininess, sweet flavor and a honeydew finish. Here we have 3 different variety's. The Kumamoto's are on the top row.

 The eating didn't stop with the oysters (that is only the beginning! :o). Enter the fabulous pizza prep area in our friend Nina's kitchen. Nina has two kitchens, one in her Monterey home and one here in her San Francisco apartment. She has been making pizza for years and it is some of the best you can eat. We will enjoy 3 different kinds for dinner tonight.

It took 2 days to prepare the dough! Feed, rise. Feed, rise. Feed, rise, etc. Good thing she did this 2 days before we arrived at her place. Have you ever sat and watched dough rise? Well............there you go! We may have been drinking that single malt instead!

The Margherita pizza being created

The perfect Margherita pizza: Crushed tomato sauce with fresh basil, garlic and fresh mozzarella. The crust like air with a crispy crunch. Ridiculously delicious!

The second pizza

Mozzarella cheese, caramelized onions, garlic, olive oil, walnuts. This photo was just before it went in the oven. A gift from God!

The third pizza  (yes! we had another!)

This one is mozzarella, spicy Italian sausage and red bell pepper. All 3 pizzas were so classic and so, so delicious! Who says food has to be fancy to be delicious? I don't want to ever go home!

Now, to walk off all that pizza........

We headed out with Nina for a long walk around the panhandle area of Golden Gate Park and up to Buena Vista Park. The idea was to walk off all that pizza from the night before. This neighborhood is extremely diverse and entertaining, so, as always, we were looking forward to the adventure. Going on foot to get around The City is by far the best way to see all the interesting things/people along the street. The bonus of traveling this way is you work off all the ridiculous food you eat while you are here. Believe me, you will need to do this! Bring good walking shoes.

 

Wigs on Fire

(The B52's Wig Song from 1987. Find it on Youtube. It goes right along with this next bit. I used to dance to this song in the 19080's)
What's that on your head?  ...a wig
I said , what's that on your head? ...a wig  

Sally's gotta wig
Ricky's gotta wig
Baby's gotta wig
Kate's gotta wig
Fred's gotta cheap toupee
Keith's gotta big bouffant on
We all got wigs, so... Let's go!

On the neon, neon side of town...........

Walk along Divisadero St. between Fulton and Hayes and you will come upon Helen's Wig Shop. It is hard to find a shop like this these days. This shop window made me stop in my tracks as I reflected on the song referenced above. All these babes with all that flair and color looking at us as we passed by. I just had to honor them with a photo. YOU GO GIRLS! I wonder if they have that toupee for Fred? I am certain they have a wig for a transvestite or two :o) It is just fabulous!

Just a couple of blocks down from the wig shop we found this very fun roof deck with a modesty panel made from old colorful LP's. A cool way to recycle these things and add some really great artful flair to a city street.

Eclair

Everywhere we walked around The City we came across these spray-painted stencils of different kinds that are by street artist Eclair Bandersnatch. They were always a welcome interesting art treat. Go here for the info on Eclair, it is all really interesting and inspirational: https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/california/articles/eclair-bandersnatch-san-francisco-s-elusive-graffiti-queen/

SCOOT 
We also came across these electric scooters around The City, that you could just rent on the spot, just like the Zip Cars that are now all over the country. Scoot is a network of hundreds of electric scooters that you can pick up and drop off all over San Francisco. Three bucks for 30 minutes of riding. Go here for the details: https://scoot.co/ride-list/  This is such an inspirational idea. Can't wait to see this happening all over the country. Buy stock now! :o)

Buena Vista Park

Well, as we continued our walk up (up is the operative word!), to Buena Vista Park, I kept reflecting on all of those scooters we passed on the way up here! It was enough cardio work just to get up to the base of the stairs to the park. Then...........we had to go up these (and I'm already part way up!).

Good thing the view was worth it. In this city, the view is always worth it, so do whatever it takes to get there and see that view.

You can see Oakland across the bay in this photo

No Shit!

One of my favorite pieces of yard art we walked past up in the Buena Vista neighborhood. 

We finally worked our way around and down from Buena Vista Park to the Haight/Ashbury district...........get ready for some wacky adventure.

THE HAIGHT

Let me start this part of this post by saying there is not a more important time since the Civil Rights Movement and Vietnam War for this part of San Francisco and the Bay Area. In my lifetime, the Haight/Ashbury has been a beacon for freedom of thought, new ideas, equal rights and social justice since the 1960's and still remains so today. Sure it has its homeless population (lots of that caused by social justice denial in our own government), and that hippie pot smoking culture (that is mostly peaceful and now a booming part of the economy, especially the medical part....which works, by the way!). The freedom expressed here is inspirational. Anyone reading this can go online to find the history and many photos of the utopia that this place is. Visit if you have a chance. You will never forget it.

This is the mural by Mel Waters of Jerry Garcia (The Grateful Dead) at the corner of Haight St. and Cole St. It is HUGE! The Grateful Dead has their own history in this city. Go find it. You will not be dissapointed.

Although I didn't get the name of this shop as we walked by (there was a sign in the window saying no phones out or photographs to be taken inside. Hmmmm), I was able to get this one photo of this very strange stuffed deer in a wedding tutu and veil that was in the window on the street........there was a fox smoking a cigar and wearing a clown nose in the window next door. They are definitely taking taxidermy to a strange new level!

PEACE!

It begins with each one of us. Practice it every day.

WasteLand - A Bay Area Institution

Selling original designs and vintage items. No other place like this place. Go here for their story:  http://www.shopwasteland.com/new-page/ 

I don't have to tell you about this place. You already know :o)

A little travel to the Central Valley to see the famdamily in my next post.

San Francisco and the Bay Area

Our adventure in San Francisco began the first week of February. Rowan has some sabbatical work here at a research institute, so we will be living in the Pacific Heights neighborhood during our stay here. This view from The Marina Green of the Golden Gate Bridge is just over the hill from our place. The sun FINALLY came out! :o)

The view of our neighborhood from our bedroom window.

Walking is the best way to see The City, so we did lots of that. It took us only 15 minutes to get to The Presidio and Inspiration Point from our place so we did this often.

View from Inspiration Point of San Francisco Bay, Angel Island and Alcatraz.

A panoramic movie taken from Inspiration Point showing SF Bay, Alcatraz, The Presidio and Pacific Heights

The sky out here in California is a blue that is hard to get anywhere else in the world. This late afternoon view from Inspiration Point of the altocumulus clouds coming in from the Pacific Ocean was just spectacular.

Directly across the road from Inspiration Point, there is a sculpture by British sculptor Andy Goldworthy called 'Spire' (he also has two others in the park). He is making use of trees felled as part of the Presidio’s reforestation and park management efforts. The tree trunks will naturally decay back into the earth through time. 

Can you see the huge Raven on top of the spire?

You can see how huge the spire is by how small I am standing at the base.

To infinity and beyond!

 We are so lucky to be hosted during our stay in SF by our friends Arvind and Michelle. Rowan will be working with Arvind at the institute while we are here in SF.
Our house is only two doors down from them, so going to their place for an Indian feast, cooked by Arvind is always a welcomed invite indeed!

 

 Arvind, being Indian, has mastered the art of Indian cooking. He puts on amazing spreads and everything is absolutely delicious!

 The starter plate of sauces, fresh veg, and crackers

 The main course(s)

 We even had homemade Naan!

Let the grazing begin! YUM!!!!!

Our stay here in the Bay Area will take us from San Francisco (our home base) to the East Bay and out to The Valley and back again. We have lots of friends and family to visit, so stay tuned for lots more adventure, protests, great food and fun!

Santa Cruz to Bezerkeley

The California sun continued to shine on us as we left Monterey and drove north on Hwy 1 to Santa Cruz, home of surfers, hippies, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and my favorite place on the planet to get a corn dog -Surf City Grill. I came here every summer during my childhood and into my 20's. Rowan was amazed how I could drive through this city and get exactly to where I wanted to go. It has to be at least 25 years since I have been here, but it seems like just yesterday. All of the same landmarks are still here.

The Boardwalk has been here since 1907 and is California's oldest surviving amusement park. There are wonderful arcades, food stands, kiddie rides, old fashioned carnival games and the Giant Dipper roller coaster, one of the best-known wooden coasters in the world and one of the most visible landmarks in Santa Cruz.

The main entrance to the Board Walk

A short video as we walked out of the arcade and onto the board walk to the beach.

A view from the beach looking at the Board Walk

The recent storm had pushed huge piles of debris from the ocean onto the beach. I have never seen this much debris on this beach in my lifetime.

Surf City Grill - World Famous Corn dogs

If you like corn dogs, this is the ultimate place to come and enjoy one. The hotdogs are made to order and hand dipped in home made corn meal batter. You can't be in a hurry here. You can watch them make your corn dog through the window taking great care to dip it in and out of two different kinds of hot oil, all the while testing the crust to make sure it is perfectly done - crispy on the outside and moist perfect corn bread on the inside.

The corn dog I had today is exactly the same as the ones I used to eat as a kid. PERFECT!

Rowan showed some restraint and got a regular size dog. Me, I had to go for the foot long!

The dog must be eaten with traditional yellow mustard, none of that brown stuff.

I know. It is obscene. But this is the only way to show you how huge this corn dog is. I ate the whole thing! Nap anyone? :o) I can't even tell you how many of these I ate during my childhood.

 What is not to love about these gargoyles that sit atop the haunted house ride. And don't forget that chocolate dipped ice cream cone. The whole place is so funky and fun!

The Looff Carousel

 We used to ride this carousel a lot as kids.
The Carousel includes a brass ring dispenser. Riders on the outside horses can reach out and try to grab rings which then get tossed at a large clown's mouth target. It is one of the only ring dispeners still operating in the world.
The Big Dipper Roller Coaster and the Looff Carousel, which still contains its original 342-pipe organ built in 1894, are both on the US National Register of Historic Places. They were, together, declared to be a National Historic Landmark in 1987 and the park is a California Historical Landmark.

We continued north out of Santa Cruz on Hwy 1 towards our Bay Area destination. We didn't get far until we had to make another emergency stop at another old haunt for food - Whale City Bakery in Davenport. This is just a little spec in the road and is famous for this bakery (you can see by the crowd). Their specialty is chocolate eclairs and killer breakfasts.
I had called here before we left Monterey to reserve 6 eclairs to take to Berkeley with us for dessert with our friends, who we will see later tonight. Good thing I called ahead because they were out of them when we got there. I am hoping I can digest that corn dog before I have to eat the eclair!

Pigeon Point Light Station Historic Park

 It is really a wonder we can get anywhere in a timely manner when we head on down the road. I think it was about 15 minutes after Davenport and we were stopping again :o) Look at the photo. Could you pass this up? It is a magical place. There are very few of these historic lighthouses remaining along the west and east coasts of the US. If you travel along these coasts of the US, take time to stop at one of these. A great lesson in maritime history.

The lighthouse was built in 1871. It, and Point Arena lighthouse (north of San Francisco in Mendocino County) are the tallest lighthouses on the west coast of the US. It is still an active coast guard light station, helping to guide ships along the rugged California coast.

The coastal view looking south from the Pigeon Point Light Station

Bezerkeley

We are so lucky to be able to travel. We are so grateful for the things that we have done to put us here. One of them is working in academia. This opportunity to travel and to work on research with colleagues around the USA and the world to help make our world better for all of us is a gift. This opportunity also gives us a chance to see many of our friends from around the world who just happen to be in the same place that we are. We are lucky to be in Berkeley the same time as our friends Ben and Carl (who usually live in New York City). They are also on sabbatical and just happen to be in Berkeley. We spent a few days with them upon our arrival to the Bay Area.

Carl and I as we get ready for a martini toghther.

Ben and Rowan. They were lab mates doing their PhD's together years ago at UC Berkeley.

We wasted no time getting the ingredients together for a delicious seafood meal together.

When in the Bay Area, we eat seafood as much as possible. When it comes out of the ocean from just down the street, you just have to.

Day scallops and fennel salad. We also served fresh artichokes we brought from Santa Cruz with this meal.

 

Sunset looking from the Berkeley hills to San Francisco. The Bay Bridge and Golden Gate in the distance. Hmmmmmm.....looks like there is another storm coming this way!

We couldn't resist having that world famous Zachary's Pizza during our stay in the East Bay. The deep dish is...........well..........the only way to explain it is if you went to heaven and had a welcoming meal (like Jesus said to you, "what would you like for your first meal to heaven?"), this would be it! The ultimate comfort food.

Left to right: box of crackers, book, cabbages as boobs. Welcome home Ben! :o)

I am curious to see what we will do with the cabbages.

The cooking and eating continued, it always does with Ben and Carl :o).............this time I whipped up some lamb and fig stew with a side of steamed brussel sprouts. The real special part of this meal is the bottle of 2005 Bandol Domaine du Gros Nore. We bought two bottles of this years ago and drank the first one with Ben and Carl in Philly in 2009 and brought the second bottle with us on our trip to have with them now.

Cheers!

While in Berkeley, we also made a stop at The Thai House, our favorite place to eat when we lived here.

The Paht Si-Yu was as delicious as ever.

I can't leave this post without at least one photo of political street art from Berkeley. Since war protest pretty much defines this city, I figure this photo is appropriate.

Our next stop is San Francisco. Here is a night view of The City from the Berkeley hills.

Stay tuned for lots more fun!