Marin County, California

A TALE OF THREE HIKES & A VISIT TO THE FAIR

Marin County was established in 1850 as one of the original 27 counties. The origin of the name is disputed: it may have been a corrupted term for marina for it's location in the San Francisco Bay but then again it may have been a number of things. Current population logs in at 247,289 in an area of 520 square miles.

I am in Marin very frequently. My boat resides in the county (a fact the Marin County Tax Collector is all too aware of.)

Part One: The Hikes

In early April I planned three hikes intending to "officially" explore the area. I would hike the Marin hills several times weekly if time allowed so this was no hardship. First on my agenda was a Full Moon Hike to Pt. Bonita Lighthouse. We had signed up for this ranger-led walk well in advance and were anticipating a repeat of a great time we had several years ago. Mother Nature intervened and our plans were squelched by high winds, hail and driving rain. Not ideal conditions to hike out to a light house situated on a ocean side precipice. This was abnormal for the area and the time of year and I was forced to sit at home and dream of my next two hikes.

Second was the infamous 15 mile Double Dipsea. Tom Steinstra writes in California Hiking "...you get a glimpse of both heaven and hell...The annual Dipsea Race has turned this trail into something of a legend." The grueling Mill Valley to Stinson Beach trail is enough for most one way but we lingered to have luch at the Parkside Cafe in Stinson Beach and turned around to slog the trail home. This took most of the day but was great fun. The 1985 Bruce Dern movie "On the Edge" is a lousy film but offers spectacular views of the mountain and race which are worth viewing.

The next day I returned to the Mt. Tamalpais and trekked up to the West Point Inn for their pancake breakfast. They hold these fundraiser breakfasts to maintain the West Point Inn and they're always a good time. One can also stay overnight, something I've never done but hope to do one day. Fueled up on we circled down the trail through the 4,000 seat Cushing Memorial amphitheater, home to the annual Mountain Play and made our way down the slope.

PART TWO: THE FAIR

The Marin County Fair is the epitome of county fairs. You've got your rides, you've got your barnyard exhibits and livestock competitions, you've got your fair food (does cotton candy really count as food?) and flowers. There are bands playing and fireworks exploding overhead. What more can you ask for?

We were there for opening day to see the current version of CCR: Creedence Clearwater Revisited. We lingered in the Wizard's Challenge, where Daniel reveled in the interactive displays. The animal exhibits caught out attention where Daniel tried his hand at goat milking and we all laughed at the pig races (The Ham Bone Express, "swiftest swine off the line") which were just too silly.

Siskiyou County, California

Siskiyou County was established in 1852. The population is a mere 44,301 people and an estimated 2,000 black bears. Yreka, the county seat, is the only city that has a population exceeding 5,000.

I traverse Siskiyou County several times annually on the I-5 corridor. Mt. Shasta dominants the county and recreational opportunities abound. We had spectacular views of the snow capped mountian while on our hike up to Castle Crags in Shasta County.

Most of my trips involve only gas and food stops but I throughly enjoyed the Shasta Sunset dinner Train. We departed McCloud on a very snowy April 1st. I also spent a rather bizarre night in a broken down motel in Happy Camp that has undoubtedly been condemned by now. John & I stayed there after a marathon hike in the Marble Mountains (see picture below) which was one of our more memorable escapades.

My official 2009 visit was a stop for breakfast at the Black Bear Diner in Mt. Shasta City. There are about 30 Black Bear Diner but the original was in Mt. Shasta City. They lay it on heavy with the bear motif but no actual bears put in an appearance.

San Bernardino County, California

We exited Joshua Tree National park into the ninth of the 58 counties of my home state of California, San Bernardino County. San Bernardino County is enormous! It is larger than any other county in the continental U.S. and larger than the nine smallest states. The area of 20,052 square miles makes it roughly equal in size to Israel. The county was established in 1853, from part of Los Angeles County and was named for Saint Bernardino of Siena. Estimated population in 2008 is 2,015,353 with the bulk residing in a western sliver.

We drove through the Mojave Desert to Victorville to spend the night. Victorville was a somewhat random selection: it was within our range for the day and had a Hilton property. Not one of my favorite destinations, Victorville has some of the qualities of a American suburban sprawl that makes me cringe. Mile after mile of malls and chain restaurants line the highway. It wasn’t all bad, we had a great meal at El Tio Pepe Mexican Restaurant, a property that they assure me was not a part of a chain. When I inquired I received an adamant “We are the ONLY one!” Victorville has other claims to fame: Sammy Davis Jr. was in a car accident there in 1954 and lost his left eye as a result. Route 66 goes directly through Victorville. Roy Rogers and Dale Evans are still honored here with street names but their museum relocated in 2003 to Branson, MO.

The next morning we got on I 15 bound for Death Valley. Interstate 15 is the direct route from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. Wikipedia states that San Bernardino is well known for is Chicano gangs. I wasn’t aware of this and saw no evidence but the number of CHP and county sheriff vehicles we saw on I 15 seemed to indicate that the law is most concerned with writing speeding tickets. Thank goodness for cruise control!

We passed the exit for the Calico Ghost Town. Lambert Florin, author of Ghosts Towns of The West writes “The town began to die in 1892 and became more feeble until 1929, when it lay down and quit breathing entirely”. Walter Knott, of Knots Berry Farm fame, resuscitated the silver mining town. He reportedly worked there in 1910 at the age of 13 and his nostalgia was just the CPR the town needed. Now attractions include a mine tour, mystery shack and train ride.

Nearby is the Calico Early Man Archeological Site, an excavation begun by Dr. Louis Leakey in 1964. More intriguing to me than a ghost town, I would love to take the guided tour someday.

Also intriguing was the town of Zzyzx. The exit sign generated all sorts of silly commentary in our car. Just say it out loud… Fun isn’t it? We know how to have a good time!

Riverside County, California

Eighth in my quest to visit all of the 58 counties of my home state of California is Riverside County. The county seat is the city of Riverside. Riverside County was established in 1893 from parts of San Bernardino and San Diego Counties. The population is estimated at 2,073,531 in an area of 7,208 square miles.







Riverside is mostly desert, stretching across the state from Orange County to the Colorado River. We entered the county from Arizona and spent the night in the border town Blythe, at the junction of I 10 and US 95. Amazingly this was my second overnight, having stayed a few years ago on a road trip. I swore never to return, not finding any aspect of the outpost appealing. Never say never. Blythe was named after Thomas Blythe, a gold prospector who established primary water rights to the Colorado River in the region in 1877. Water being as valuable as gold in these parts.

Most of Joshua Tree National Park is within Riverside County, as are the famous resorts of the Coachella Valley such Palm Springs. Indio is known for dates and home of the Coachella Music & Arts Festival every April.

After a less than noteworthy Mexican dinner and night in Blythe we departed early in the morning to position ourselves at the Joshua Tree’s Cottonwood Visitor Center at opening. Deeming a fuel stop wise before entering the park we swung of I 10 at Chiriaco Summit and were amazed to find a field of tanks surrounding the General Patton Memorial Museum. The doors were not yet open for the day so we snapped a few photos (can one still say “snapped photos” in the digital age” and continued on our way. The museum appears to be a worthwhile stop for those interested in military history and also features a relief map of the development of Southern California’s water system.

Beloved by rock climbers and birdwatchers, Joshua Tree National Park straddles two ecosystems: the Colorado Desert and Mojave Desert. I was amazing at the distinct differences as we changed elevation. Armed with a map and a list of destinations prioritized by the ranger at the visitor center we ventured forth to explore. At our first stop I discovered that my soothing honey body wash wasn’t quite so soothing for the local bee population. My soft, silky skin was of great interest much to my dismay. I wonder what they thought I was: A gigantic alien from planet Bumblebee? Lunch? A long lost cousin? Multiple layers of sunscreen diminished my attraction throughout the day.

Despite the amorous insect population, I loved Joshua Tree! We took numerous short hikes and were enchanted by the diversity of flora and rocks. I would definitely be interesting in a longer backpacking trek through the region. Most of the park is wilderness. The “attack” Cholla Cactus’s thorns can be extremely painful if you brush up against them but we heeded warnings and stood clear and that was as wild as we got. Lingering spring wildflowers peppered the trails but we saw no scorpions or bighorn sheep. Aside from bees, we did encounter one snake, one coyote and a passel of various lizards.

Alpacas on Show & Holy Matrimony

You may have noticed that my posting has been rather sparse in the past month. I've been exploring opportunities and submitting material to other venues in a quest for remuneration. So far so good. This means I've got a back load of content that I need to retool slightly for here so brace yourself for an onslaught!



Last weekend I traveled to Portland to help my parents show their alpacas at the Columbia Alpaca Breeders Association Alpaca Halter & Fleece Show aka the CABA Classic. This is a big show in the Pacific Northwest alpaca world with over 800 animals in attendance. I am not an alpaca person, just a helper, but I enjoyed the event and am proud of Winterbrook Alpaca's showing.

John would have been there also but he traveled to Tucson for the nuptials of our friends Bob & Mercy. I was sorry to have missed the festivities but received a full report on the glowing bride and groom.

We rendezvoused in Phoenix late Sunday. In a rented Pontiac Vibe (our last chance to drive a Pontiac!) headed west and spent the next four days exploring eastern California. Logging seven counties and 1239 miles I've accumulated several posts now queued up to share with you with nary an alpaca or wedding reference among them.

Monterey County, California

My seventh visited of the 58 counties of my home state of California is Monterey County. Established as one of the original 27 counties in 1850, Monterey now has a population of 401,762 and an area od 3,322 square miles. The county seat is the inland city of Salinas.

This area has so much to offer: I could easily visit and revisit exhausting my funds, but not the opportunities. I traveled here with friends to participate in the Big Sur Marathon the last Sunday in April. I don’t know why I enjoy these ridiculously long races so much. I’m slow… Very slow. No records are in danger of being shattered by my participation.

Big Sur sits on Highway One south of Monterey on some of the states most impressive coastline. We were shuttled at 4 AM in a convoy of buses to starting points south Highway One was closed for the race morning and I relished the long stretches of seemingly endless point after point while heading north along a traffic free road. Unfortunately it wasn’t the favorite of all of my friends. Understandably “never-ending” is not a good adjective to apply to a race route. The event was well organized and I hope to do a repeat next year.

Monterey’s Cannery Row, known to many from John Steinbeck’s novels Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday, is a hot bed of tourist activity. It’s been so long since I’ve been that there I can’t comment on the hodgepodge of honky-tonk restaurants and shops. Back in the 1930’s, when the canneries handled over 250,000 tons of sardines a season, it was a different world. My husband’s father’s first job was at Booth’s Canning Company when he was 13 or 14. Mostly abandoned by the 1950’s, Cannery Row is now rebuilt and developed. I would have like to duck into the Monterey Bay Aquarium which juts out into the bay at the north end of the sea of t-shirts shops and ice cream parlors.

Just northwest, the town of Pacific Grove hugs the coast. We had a terrific meal at Fishwife Restaurant across from Asilomar State Beach and Conference Center in PG. The teetotaling Methodist Church founded the town as a retreat. This outlook was eased in 1969. I toast a thank you to them with my glass of wine. 17-Mile Drive loops you into the Monterey pine and cypress of the Del Monte Forest and offers panoramic vistas of Monterey Bay along with glimpses of pricey private real estate. The now $9.25 toll dates back to a 25-cent livery fee initiated in 1901 by the Pacific Improvement Company. Today it’s California’s only private toll road but the toll is refundable if you spend more than $25 in one of the restaurants at the Lodge at Pebble Beach or the Inn at Spanish Bay.

Our hotel was adjacent to the convention center in Old Monterey. The restaurant & shops cater to residents and tourists alike. You can visit oldmonterey.org and click on Path of History for directions for a self-guided walking tour. Please forgive me for passing on this but my feet were weary enough from the marathon. A week earlier a friend was in the area and recommended Rosine’s Restaurant. He marveled at the humungous desserts. Breakfast portions were equally mammoth.

On the way home open roadside stands stacked with artichokes and strawberries tempted us. Thankfully a stop ensured that my Monterey County experience continued into dinner as home that night.

Louisiana Redux: Roadfood Heaven in New Orleans

After a fantastic visit to New Orleans last October filled with good meal after good meal (read about it here) I eagerly hoped I would return “some day” to repeat the experience. That someday was scheduled when Roadfood choose New Orleans as the site of their 2009 Roadfood Festival.

The Roadfood people have inspired and directed me to good eating all across the country. This was an opportunity too enticing to pass up.



All of our meals were good.Is that too much of an understatement? Our first night we settled on Cochon, 930 Tchoupitoulas, based on a Tablehopper recommendation. Thank you Marcia, it was yummy. We had Shrimp & Deviled Egg Gumbo, Paneed Pork cheeks with Goat Cheese, Smoked Beef Brisket with Horseradish Potato Salad and the special Soft-Shell crab. We later heard raves about a recently opened extension, Cochon Butcher, just around the corner but were disappointingly unable to fit in a visit. As point of interest to my fellow San Francisco foodies, chef Donald Link has put in his time at SF restaurants such as the Elite Café and Jardinaire.

The next day was the incredible Largest Po’boy. It was 330 feet long on Bourbon Street and quite the thing to be a part of. I especially love the blessing offered “Dear Lord … Bless this Sandwich.” Amen. What took over an hour to construct was devoured in less than three minutes. John & I were front and center and thoroughly enjoyed our tidbits of oyster po’ boy. I would have taken a picture to document what we ate but my fingers were covered in sauce, hence the aftermath photo. The Po’ Boy crowd paraded down a block to Royal Street for the Roadfood Festival. Three blocks of tantalizing aromas greeted us. We perused and settled upon Shrimp Remolade Po’ Boys. Incredible.

Grazing our way from booth to booth on Bourbon Street we were shoulder to shoulder with many other Roadfood devotees along with Pirates in town for the PyrateCon Festival and athletes participating in the New Orleans Ironman Triathlon. As if Bourbon Street isn’t interesting enough already!?

Dinner that night was our main event: The Roadfood Crawfish and Shrimp Boil.

We queued up for the first bus, signed in, received our hats and boarded. Buses detoured by a New Orleans institution for over 70 years, Hansen’s Sno-Bliz at 4801 Tchoupitoulas at Bordeaux. Three flavors were featured for the Roadfoodies: satsuma, nectar and strawberry. With an optional topping of condensed milk if you choose. I opted for the tart satsuma with milk and John chose the nectar. Both were refreshing and fun.

Forty minutes down the road we pulled into The Bayou Barn where they had barrels of boiled crawfish, boiled shrimp, jambalaya and a pig roasting on a spit waiting for us. We slowed to get some shrimp and then made a bee-line for the crawfish. Staking a table conveniently between the keg of Abita and crawfish canoe we had a terrific time. Our fellow diners were great fun and we ate our fill keeping an eye on our other companions 5 to 6 alligators lurking in the bayou less than 15 feet from us. Occasionally one would venture closer for a snack…very atmospheric, but rather unnerving. A Cajun band played throughout the evening with many of the crowd trying their skill playing a washboard.

The evening ending with teams performing a Roadfood jingle vying for galley copies of Jane & Michael Stern’s new book: 500 Places to Eat Before it’s Too Late: and the Very Best Plaes to Eat Them, scheduled for release in June. I thought John’s jingle was a contender but he declined performing. Guess I’ll have to purchase a copy.

When we were finally able to eat again the next day we went to the Chartres House Restaurant for oyster platters. The food wasn’t as good as it could be but we were very satisfied with our balcony seats overlooking the panoply of humanity on the streets below. John happily waded through their special bloody mary which appeared to have everything but the kitchen sink in it. I spied a pickled green bean, pickled okra, an olive, and an onion but I suspect more swim beneath the surface.

Our final dinner was at La Cote Brasserie. We loved the raw oysters and Granny’s recipe: duck & andouille gumbo. The Bienville Oysters and Charbroiled Oysters didn’t wow us as much. The Bread Pudding was downright boring. Not bad just not worth it when there are oysters! If we were in town another day you would have found us back at La Cote for their dozen oysters for $7 happy hour special.

When we visited New Orleans last October I was charmed by the Monteleone Hotel. This New Orleans institution appears in literature and it the place to stay in the French Quarter. I took advantage of a special rate for Roadfooders and reserved a room, stepping out of my usual Hilton comfort zone. Upon checking in I was informed that we could check back the next to change rooms. Excuse me? “Yes, a very nice room with a view might be available if we appear at the desk between 11AM and 12PM the next day.” My fears were confirmed when I slipped the key into the door of room 1227. Out of 600 guestrooms we won the jackpot and were awarded one of 14 rooms without a window. I was not pleased but I must admit it was beautifully appointed. We didn’t linger in the room and the next day checked out and moved to the Warehouse District Embassy Suites where we had two windows and a balcony and all of the perks Hilton properties offer a frequent guest. I’m not suggesting that you avoid the Monteleone Hotel. Just be very, very specific that your room have a window (one windowless broom closet is on every floor with a room number ending in 27).

We still visited The Hotel Monteleone’s Carousel Bar daily. This revolving bar looks out over Royal Street and serves THE BEST Sazaracs, Vieux Carre’s and Ramos Fizz’s. One 15 minute rotation of the bar helps to make a day in New Orleans all that much more fun!



Continuing on my fascination with the Highpointers: The highest point in Louisiana is Driskell Mountain.
“When most people think of Louisiana, mountains are the last thing to come to mind and with good reason. This state is one of 3 in the U.S. with its lowest point located below sea level, and its highest point is the 3rd lowest in the country; only Florida's Britton Hill and Delaware's Ebright Azimuth are lower than this 163m (535ft) bump known as Driskill Mountain. The area is very densely forested as is common in the Piney Woods of East Texas and Louisiana.”

http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/151925/driskill-mountain.html