More on Port Costa

I am in love with this little town! I found this site today that I want to pass on to my friends who are reading this. Clayton Bailey is an artist who runs the Port Costa Sky Cam and posts a daily photo on this web site. The photos are of his car-stopping home as you enter Port Costa. Click on the picture and scroll up and down or right and left to see all of his terrific creatures.

More Travels in the East Bay

This week I decided to go to Benicia; it lies just across the water and to the east of Crockett. I know only that it has an old main street and a sizable art community. Across the bridge and a few more miles and I arrive at a city quite a bit larger than the other towns I've described. It has about 28,000 inhabitants, is home to industry, and boasts of its history as the state capitol for a brief period in the 1850's.
Of course I am again drawn to the waterfrontand its choice "photo ops". This city has expensive homes fronting the water and a riverwalk with benches here and there for those inclined to stay a while. I spend most of my time here walking along the water and on the pier. The main street has many old buildings, about ten restaurants in a four block area, and a vintage theater advertising gigs with local bands; it is somewhat unremarkable.
The Arts Center is in a row of warehouses with studios and a gallery. the gallery was closed and only one glass artist was working. These buildings are near the water with a view of the refineries.
Before leaving the city I went to the Benicia History Museum. I saw replicas of the flags of about 16 countries that had for a brief time landed on California shores and claimed the territory- including Russia and Argentina or Venezuela (I can't remember which). Lots of facts about choosing a state capitol and General Vallejo and his wife, Benicia. But what most interested me was that the museum was housed in the former camel barn. Apparently in the 1850's Jefferson Davis had the idea to import camels to assist the army in the desert. They used them for several years, then moved them to Benicia to be sold at auction. One man purchased all 32 camels for $1050. Makes me wonder what he did with them.
Coming back over the bridge I then drive west to go to Hercules. First I have to pass through Rodeo (Ro-day-oh). Refineries! I find them also interesting- shiny metal structures spewing thick clouds into the air, huge trucks entering and leaving, and men working. Rodeo was rather ugly and somewhat down-and-out.
Hercules seems to be only housing developments of various kinds. One that I can see from the road attracts me. It appears to be of a different ilk ,and I have to see it up close. This was built as a small town, circa 1920-40, and holds 330 houses. It is seductive as the houses are pretty and all different. I remember the first time I went to Disneyland and entered on Main Street with the cheery little houses and a brass band playing. I was attracted and repelled at the same time. This was Disneyland. The landscape is barren. A woman walks toward me on the empty street. May I ask you a question, she says. Did you just take a photo? Why are you taking photos? I tell her I am a tourist and that I like taking photos. She is anxious and clearly objecting, tells me that I can ask the agent for photos. I tell her I mean no harm, smile, and walk to my car.

Adventures in the East Bay, Part II

A glorious cool and sunny day yesterday found me in Crockett by the Carquinez Strait.
I walked from the cottage where David is staying towards the water and the C&H Sugar plant (100 years of sweetness). The blue water, the hills and towns on the other side, the bridge, the plant's smokestack -all of it- filled my eyes with a strange kind of beauty. The train tracks ran along the water's edge and occasionally a little yellow car, looking like something out of the distant past, chugged by followed sometime later by an Amtrak train on its way to Sacramento. I've always loved the sound of trains.

The town of Crockett reminds me of Freeland in Pennsyvania where I grew up. Maybe a little hillier and with wider streets, but oddly reminiscent. Lots of American flags, and veterans; I know I won't be discussing politics here. The downtown has two antique shops run by old men, a sandwich shop, Club Tac- a bar started in 1923, a few "art" galleries, and not much else. 3200 inhabitants.

I drove toward Port Costa on the Carquinez Strait Scenic Road and stopped briefly at a park. I talked with a local couple there with two black labs named Buddy and they recommended some hiking trails and other must-sees in the area. Saving the hike for another time, I drove the 4 miles to Port Costa- a town with one central dead end street that stops at the water, beautiful old buildings and two interesting restaurants that opened later in the afternoon. The architecture was astounding- both the old and the new. The 3 story, late 1800's, former bordello, Burlington Hotel has rooms to let if you don't mind some dust, 1960's decor, and a bath down the hall. I hear that, if you ask across the street at the Warehouse Cafe, they give you the keys and tell you to choose a room. Fifty dollars for the night and it includes a surf and turf dinner at the Cafe. This info comes from the net. I'll let the photos tell the story.

After lunch back in Crockett, I decided to see the Crockett Museum, as it was also recommended by the two Buddys' folks. The door was open and a very old man was sitting inside. The museum was closed, he said, but I could have a look. He came to do some work, but was having a rest. The first room held WWII memories. Uniforms and photos of Crockett men who wore them, Japanese and German weapon "souvenirs, things. Other rooms honored its special citizens- a bust of a doctor and photos of his nurses, photos of Aldo Ray and stories about his family. (His brother married the daughter of Sammy Davis Jr. and May Britt.) Rooms were stuffed with old vacuum cleaners, typewrites, tools. They had the last telephone switchboard in CA retired in Crockett in 1969 and an 8 foot long, detailed model of a cathedral in Washington, DC built by a patient in the local sanitarium. And it went on.
When I was leaving I asked the old man, who had been joined by another senior, if he had lived in Crockett all of his life. Yep, he said. You must have known all of these people then. He answered, I knew most of them. The other man then spoke up and said, I buried all of them.

Not done yet. I drove the few miles to Martinez to visit the john Muir house. I should have saved it for another day as I didn't have much time before it closed.
It was a beautiful Victorian and a pleasure to wander through it. The grounds are worth another visit.

I am enjoying exploring these towns and only regret that David is not with me because he is working in the local hospital. Perhaps instead of returning to Santa Cruz, we will stay one weekend and continue our discoveries together.

An Edible Landscape

After we finished our remodel a few years ago, we still had landscaping of our front yard to do. As an interim measure David put in a sprinkler system and we sowed two pounds of wildflower seeds. The first year was glorious! A beautiful mix about four feet high- red, yellow, blue and white. Everyone who walked past our house told us how much they loved it. The second year was OK but somewhat scraggly and included a lot of weeds.
After this summer in Italy and my (our) profound connection to the land and working with our neighbors, we both came home with the idea to grow vegetables in the front of our house.
The photo above shows one half of the yard and the boxes David and I built. The stones are recycled concrete from a sidewalk David jack-hammered out. I am using them to build a path in the center and will plant flowers in the diamond.
As much as is possible, I am trying to buy what we eat from local producers and growers. I have a new awareness of my buying and always stop to consider: Do I need this? How far has this item traveled to get to the store? Is this product toxic in any way? Is there something we already own that can be used for the same purpose?
Today I found this video on the net. It is twenty minutes long and a powerful and comprehensive description of our impact on the planet. I believe every child in school should see this and every consumer should heed it. It is called Stuff. Take a look at it.
More to come on our garden as we progress.

Adventures in the East Bay

David is working for a month in Martinez in Contra Costa County, about 75 miles north of Santa Cruz. I drove up to spend a few days with him on Wednesday. It was a beautiful day, there was no traffic,the surrounding hills were beginning to turn green and the drive was pleasant- until I got to Pleasant Hill. I came near to having a panic attack trying to find the place he was staying. I had directions but I kept missing the building which was at the end of the parking lot for a shopping mall. It was a somewhat seedy studio in an equally seedy "extended stay residence.

I brought some food for dinner and realized I left the corkscrew behind so I set out to get one. I went into all of the stores I've never been in- Best Buy (like Circuit City but bigger), Kohls (like Gottshalks but the size of Costco) and a few others. I found a $20 dollar corkscrew but decided to buy a $5 wine with a screw top instead. Forgot milk and butter too. Had to buy a half gallon of milk and a pound of butter. The stores sold things in large sizes. The shoppers were large too and could be seen pushing oversized carts with three-gallon containers of ice cream, 5 pound cans of coffee or wall-sized televisions. Driving around brought me to more shopping centers- one pretending to be fancy. It posted a plaque in various places with a code of conduct. The area consists of almost contiguous cities with a plethora of shopping malls and fast food places everywhere and many cars. My worst nightmare.

I was happy to see David and stay in to eat the spaghetti dinner I brought.
On the internet I read about the various towns in Contra Costa county and decided I wanted to go to Knightsen. It is 30 miles east of hwy 680 with a population of 1200, has six parks, and is bordered on two sides by the delta. Sounded good to me. Thursday it was raining lightly. I drove 680 and then route 4 east. After leaving route 4 I was in a different world. Passing through many small burgs with 1950's style small tract houses with names like Oakley and Brentwood , some grape vines still holding on to their red autumn leaves, and old commercial buildings that had seen better days, I was almost at Knightsen. I passed a large open front one story business called Statues and Stuff. Outside was a plastic statue of a horse up on two legs about 10 feet tall, a rooster at 6 feet, monster turtles and rabbits, and many, many others creatures. I regret not stopping to talk with this person.
Downtown Knightsen was one small street with two businesses- Sonya's Country Inn, that looked like a seedy, decrepit bar, and the Red Coach Deli that resembled its neighbor but sold food. (Click flickr link for photos.)
I continued to drive. Ranches and farms everywhere. Animals- horses, sheep, goats and dogs. I pulled up at one red barn to take a photo and two uber-friendly black and white border collie type dogs came running to greet me. The happier of the two, pictured above, walked on three legs and held one stiff front leg straight out and smiled. Made my day.
I drove on following the delta highway into some very beautiful areas. Trees with golden leaves reflected in the still water.Houseboats moored along the roadside and no people to be seen and few cars. I felt good and enjoyed the morning. I like being near water and animals.
In the afternoon I met with two women who had studios for short term rental and enjoyed meeting them both. One was a Chinese woman who just published her autobiography about growing up in China during the cultural revolution with a father who was persecuted. I will read the book. The other woman was a sculptor.
David is moving to a motel next week that is 3/4 mile from the hospital in the small and retro town of Martinez which we both liked. It's got a pool, HBO, internet access, a spa, fridge and microwave and he can walk to work. No shopping centers, one starbucks and lots of funky antique shops. Surrounded by beautiful hills and also on the delta.
I will continue to explore for the rest of the time he is there. There's got to be more than shopping malls.
Evelyn