(Northern) California Dreaming

Sonoma Coastal View

Russian River and Highway 1 Overpass

Stone and Jake got engaged 35 years ago in San Francisco, so when the chance came up to visit this seminal (so to speak!) part of the country it was impossible to pass up. Their trip to the best of the West Coast would center on a three-day family event based out of Guerneville, California, a small town of pleasure, wine and fun on the Russian River in Sonoma County. But before and after the family event, they had plans to see an old Army pal in St. Helena, soak up some California mist and coastal views around Bodega Bay, and spend their last night in the city where their life together came together.

The Head at Bodega Bay

Majestic Window View

Wednesday, June 18, 2014 --  Maybe the best $79 (each) they spent all trip was on the extra leg room for the six hour United flight to San Francisco.  Compared to other long plane rides this was a breeze. And the skies were so clear for so much of the flight that they were able to marvel again at the size of America and the geological wonders it holds. Jake felt especially mystical flying over the Rocky Mountains, and though he tried to see his home town of Boulder, Colorado, it escaped his earnest vision. Still, the majesty of these snow-topped peaks was inspirational. (In fact, "purple mountain majesties" refers to the Rockies.)


The car rental went well, as did exiting the airport(!), and soon they were driving northward on 19th Avenue in the Sunset District of San Francisco, then through Golden Gate Park, then through the Presidio, and then, with a seeming visual Bang! -- The Bridge appeared. To drive over the Golden Gate Bridge on a clear day is not unlike seeing the Rockies from on high. "Wow" doesn't do either one justice.

Stone at Sunflower Caffe

The town of Sonoma proved to be a great first stop. Lunch at the Sunflower Caffe was enjoyed on the chatty yet somehow serene rear patio, where on a typically sunny day the shade felt typically cool, and the two glasses of wine (a Sauvignon Blanc and a Rosé de Pinot Noir, both from the local Chaname Winery) tasted typically great. Sonoma Plaza (a link to the town's Mexican past) anchors an immediate area that bristles with shops and eating places. And Jake and Stone did both, buying a much-needed quilt at Summervine, and a sort-of-needed java and pastry at the Basque Cafe Boulangerie.


The drive from Sonoma to St. Helena seems rather easy on the map, and the shortcut of Trinity Road looks inviting -- on the map! In reality, Trinity Road is a harrowing/fun experience not for the faint of heart. Jake grew up in Colorado driving many a twisting trail in the foothills of the Rockies, but this thin ribbon of seriously-up and then seriously-down asphalt, with never the hint of a shoulder, was like nothing he had ever experienced. Rarely was it possible to see more than 150 yards ahead before the next turn, and on-coming traffic was often apparent thrill-seekers in sports cars. For a taste of things see this video, aptly titled: Trinity Road in my Miata, scaring my girlfriend.

B&B Front Door View

Having survived, our couple checked into Judy's B&B in St. Helena. The entire B&B consists of a single large, if somewhat dark room, with a convenient private entrance that looks out onto a vineyard, an adequate bathroom (shower, no tub) and a comfortable queen bed. Though the breakfast on both of their mornings at Judy's was the same -- French toast, bacon, eggs and coffee -- it was tasty and conveniently served in their room. 

Judy is a charming proprietress of senior status, whose life goes back long enough that she has personal mementos from Red Skelton when he used to play to the tourist crowds in Reno, Nevada -- years before Las Vegas became Las Vegas. St. Helena is a small town, so it was of little surprise that she remembered Jake's old Army friend when he was but a boy playing in the neighborhood and occasionally helping out with the fledgling family winery.

Expensive Drinks but a Free View

That first late afternoon Jake and Stone took an easy ten minute ride to the  Augerge Bistro & Bar in Rutherford. Here they shared two reasonably priced apps of spinach and shrimp, and two not-so-reasonably priced cocktails ($17 and $19). The food was quite nice. However, the drinks lacked punch (a polite way of saying they seemed light on the alcohol component). But the bistro fare was secondary to the wide and wonderful patio view, which is what draws most folks to the bistro, and is as fine a vista as any in Napa.

From their perch on the railing they got in touch with their inner ornithologists and spotted several odd looking small woodpeckers they had never seen in Jersey. Later Googling revealed that these birds were Acorn Woodpeckers, who are notable for living in large groups, hoarding acorns (often by the hundreds) in holes they make in trees, and the fact that they "cooperate in their breeding." (The ornithologists' polite wording here should be noted by rogue Mormons seeking societal approval of their breeding.)

Dinner that first night in St. Helena was at Tra Vigne. This long-established Napa Valley restaurant boasts a gracious building and a large patio that provide a sort of Tuscany-in-California vibe that is reflected in its food. Jake and Stone enjoyed their mussels, salad, seafood fritto misto (Italian: "mixed fried"), panna cotta and wine. But the most enjoyable part of the meal was the patio and the Napa early evening air, with its hints of cool slowly replacing the warmth of the day.

Thursday, June 19, 2014 -- This was the day Jake and his Army Pal had scheduled to get together for the first time in 35 years. There is a bond among those who serve in the Army during a war. This is true even if that war is "undeclared." It is true even if that service is rendered, not in bunkers, but in the windowed offices of  Army Headquarters in Long Binh, Vietnam. It is true even if the bi-weekly guard duty on the Long Binh perimeter line requires "grenade juggling" (not as dangerous as it sounds, and quite hilarious the first time one sees it) to pass the boring nighttime hours. It is true even if the closest one comes to death is riding in a jeep driven by some Army hophead on the way to the pleasures of the city once termed the "Pearl of the Orient," but in those war years simply called Saigon, and now on the world's maps Ho Chi Minh City.

Long Ago in Long Binh

Jake's Army Pal (who, like all individuals mentioned in this blog, will  be given the semi-privacy of a "blog-onymn") was a most memorable guy. He burst onto the HQ scene by mistyping a transportation order. The result was that General William J. McCaffrey, who was nothing less than the Deputy Commander of U.S. forces in Vietnam, instead of being on his way to meet his wife for a week in Hong Kong, was "marooned" in Bangkok for "a full 24 hours!!" Army Pal was threatened with everything from tour-long KP duty to guard duty on the DMZ, but he somehow survived the storm.

(It should be noted that the brouhaha in our HQ office that day was generated not by the general himself, who reportedly found a bit of humor in this bureaucratic contretemps, but by his many underlings. Perhaps the general's professional equanimity helps explain why his son General Barry McCaffrey has had a career, including his current duties as military analyst for NBC, even more distinguished than his famous father's.)

The loud laughter at Army Pal's mistake soon turned to quiet awe, however, when several months later the female lead singer of a USO-sponsored rock band from Canada invited him to spend the night with her in Saigon. Such a liaison-in-Saigon gave him legendary status within the "hootch" (barracks) and beyond. And finally, and most memorably for Jake, during their shared R&R week in Sydney, Jake and another GI were happy to play wingmen to Army Pal's somehow finding three young Aussie women to accompany us during our week in Australia.  

The fledgling winery that their B&B hostess Judy had remembered being a family business when Army Pal was but a boy playing about the neighborhood, has now become, due largely to  the work of Army Pal and his older brother, nothing less than one of the top five wine producers in the world. It is likely most readers of this blog have tasted one of their wines --  likely a Sutter Home zinfandel or more likely, Sutter Home's white zinfandel.

It is the white zin which, some three decades ago, not only put Sutter Home on the map, but thanks to Army Pal's sending Jake and Stone about five or six cases of it in 1980 for their wedding, put that happy event on the map as well. (Being ever resourceful,  the cases were labeled "vinegar" so he could mail them to New York.)

The Napa Valley Country Club

Tee with a View at the NVCC

Army Pal and Jake had a wonderful day together. First was an early morning round of golf at the gorgeous Napa Valley Country Club followed by lunch in the clubhouse. Later in the day Stone joined them for an inside look at the massive operations of Sutter Home (and the more high-end Trinchero winery), where it was not unusual to see Army Pal greet many employees by name. He even got a hug from a woman on the massive bottle-filing assembly line. Little wonder Army Pal and his family-held business have been such successes.

Army Pal picked up the tab for dinner that night as well. He brought along a special bottle of zinfandel to the Archetype restaurant in St. Helena. Perhaps it was the conversation about our children (his three boys, our one girl), or the convivial presence of Army Pal's ex-wife who joined us, or the wine, or the food (warm sugar snap peas, Alaskan halibut, Niman Ranch lamb, meyer lemon meringue pie), or all the above. Whatever the reason(s), it proved to be this trip's best food and our couple's favorite dinner.

Friday, June 20, 2014 -  On the way from St. Helena to Guerneville, CA ( which was HQ for the upcoming weekend family event), Jake and Stone stopped at the 5,500 acre Annadel State Park outside Santa Rosa for a hike. The summer temps in this part of Sonoma County range from around 50 at night to about 90 during the afternoon. Luckily, our duo arrived early enough to enjoy the coolish morning. And they needed the cool as their hike on Steve's S Trail was short but strenuous, climbing 489 feet in less than a mile.

The Patio at Corks

They had hoped that lunch at Corks Restaurant at Russian River Vineyards (Forestville, CA) would be a proper reward for their early-morning alpine efforts, and it was that, and more. This proved to be their favorite lunch, with food and drink so good it deserves listing: salad of local greens, grilled Castroville artichoke, Bodega Bay fish and chips, dried cherry quinoa; a chardonnay and a sauvignon blanc, and (with the fish and chips) a Scrimshaw brewski. All of this was enjoyed on a large patio with dappled sunshine and servers happy in their work.

After lunch the road towards Guerneville proved to be another twisty drive through hilly and forested terrain, but with a new twist -- a peacock! The peacock took its merry time leaving the road, then paraded proudly on the side of the road, its home certainly somewhere nearby.

Jake Among the Redwoods

Just outside Guerneville, right on California Route 116, is Northwood Golf Club, one of America's best 9-hole public golf courses and ranked  #10 by Golf Digest. It dates from 1928, was designed by Alistair MacKenzie while he was out on the coast designing fabled Cypress Point, and plays through canyons of mighty redwood trees. When Jake played on this Friday afternoon, with Stone riding non-playing shotgun in the cart, the course was crowded with tourists and family golfers. But it was still an absolute joy and (despite houses on the course's edges) is highly recommended. Best to go early in the day.

That evening Jake and Stone checked into their Guerneville lodging and looked forward to the family event that was to occupy that night and the next two days. The event celebrated the 50th wedding anniversary of a couple who have made friends from Paris to Houston, and it was no surprise that so many of them made the trip to California. There is no need here to chronicle the private three days in any detail, suffice it to say they included: a tour and luncheon pig roast at the Michel Schumberger winery, a gourmet pizza dinner amid the redwoods at Simi Winery, a visit to a remarkable garden, shopping in Healdsburg, CA, and on the final night, an exclusive after-hours dinner and dancing at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery Pavilion.


Monday, June 23, 2014 -- Jake and Stone had been joined on the Northwood golf course the previous Friday afternoon by a local young man who, upon hearing that Jake wanted to play "that new links course in Bodega Bay," said he knew some people at the course. As we finished the round, the young man texted his contacts (you know these young folks hate to use the phone to make a phone call) and informed Jake that he was scheduled for a  discounted tee time at 10:30 on Monday morning.

"Harbour" View at Bodega Bay

For Jake (with Stone once again in the cart as COCM -- Chief Officer in Charge of Morale), The Links at Bodega Harbour (the "u" hints at its aspirations to be a "golf getaway") played more difficult than its ratings and slope would make one think. On the positive side, No. 18 is a memorable closing hole, and the course overall not only has some stunning seaside views, but also a true links feel with deep bunkers, uneven lies, some blind shots, and challenging/fun greens. On the negative side, it is a course that is almost impossible to walk -- the first several uphill holes would wear out all but the most hardy, much of the course has surrounding housing, and Jake had the suspicion now and then that the links-feel has been sometimes more invented than found. Its layout is most likely subject to morning fog delays and certainly subject to strong winds -- which Jake and Stone experienced first-hand on this Monday morning. Still, if you are a dedicated golfer and in the Bodega Bay area, it is certainly worth it -- even at full price.

The drive from Guerneville to the Bodega Bay golf course via California Highway 1 is famous for its views of

the rugged grandeur of the coastline, but the early Monday morning fog had hidden many of the views. So that afternoon after driving a bit around Bodega Bay, Jake and Stone drove back northward -- enjoying the views all the way -- towards the coastal town of Jenner, where they made dinner reservations for Tuesday night  at Rivers End Restaurant.

Morning Fog on Highway 1

Checking into the Bodega Bay Inn (a family run place) they found their room (#3) to be better than the inn's setting, which was between Highway 1 and a small strip mall. But the room was large, with Wi-Fi that was fast, and a comfortable king bed. The proximity to the strip mall did have two advantages -- Roadhouse Coffee (where they found out they would get the included breakfast that came with their staying at the inn) and one of the best restaurants in town -- Terrapin Creek.

Dinner that night was at Drake's Fireside Lounge, an informal bistro room at the posh Bodega Bay Lodge. Featuring an expansive water view of the lowlands of Bodega Harbor, Drake's three-cheese plate (cow, goat and sheep), "fog soup," fettuccine/halibut and seafood platter were all delicious, as were the martinis and wine. Not inexpensive, Drake's made for a lovely end to a lovely day. 

Stone on the Pool Ridge Trail

Tuesday, June 24, 2014 -- If there is anything that can match the breathtaking coastal views of this part of northern California, it is the breathtaking walks through old-growth redwood trees. Armstrong Woods State Natural Preserve gave our duo a chance to "walk among the giants." To realize that several of these trees are  300+ feet tall and 1300+ years old only adds to the wonder of it all. Jake and Stone followed the easy, much-traveled Pioneer Nature Trail, then the Pool Ridge Trail, which was not easy and not much-traveled, but oh so worth the effort when they reached the top of the trail (about 500 feet uphill) and started to descend among the cooling breezes and butterflies.


On their way to Armstrong, Jake and Stone had stopped in the little town of Duncan Mills at the Gold Coast Coffee and Bakery where they enjoyed pastries and coffee on the bird-friendly back patio. On the way back they stopped again in Duncan Mills for lunch at the Cape Fear Cafe. At the height of lunch hour the one-chef kitchen was overwhelmed and it took a while to get their lunch of Thai pasta and shrimp (with a nice Rodney Strong Sauvignon blanc), burger and fries (with a nice Great White beer form Lost Coast Brewery) to arrive, but like the back side of their earlier hike, it was worth it. To walk off the lunch, Stone did some shopping while Jake walked shotgun through a couple of nice local stores.

No trip to Bodega Bay is complete without a visit to Bodega Bay Head, a promontory that offers maybe the most dramatic coastal views in Sonoma County. That afternoon the strong winds had the surf up and the many birds hanging magically in mid-air. On that afternoon, the Head was both majestic and wild.

Heading back into town proper, Stone's phone got an email from Rivers End Restaurant saying a road closure had forced them to cancel dinners for that evening. Disappointed, but sure of other places almost as good, Jake and Stone headed for the aforementioned Terrapin Creek. Closed on Tuesdays, said the sign. Well, the Blue Bistro out by the links course had looked nice. Closes on Mon-Wed at 5pm, said the sign. No problem. To the Tides Wharf Restaurant. The large dining room doesn't look real appealing and seems dominated by a post-wedding crowd. Fisherman's Cove, down by the harbor?  They drive by. No need for a closed sign. Not a car in the parking lot. So how about that big place off Highway 1? Lucas Wharf Restaurant and Bar. Open says the sign.

Out the Window at Lucas Wharf

By this time on a Tuesday night in Bodega Bay, Jake and Stone are quickly offered a water-view window, featuring nearby pelicans and distant windsurfers. Also, it being Tuesday, bottles of wine are half-priced. Good old Tuesday.... The Lucas clam chowder was disappointing in the way that many chowders are disappointing (too many potatoes, not enough clams), but the main entrées of rockfish and  petrale sol (think not sol but flounder) were very nice, and the bottle of Dry Creek sauvignon blanc was a good deal at $14, and was paper-bag wrapped to go out the door. All's well that ends well.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014 -- The "breakfast" that comes with a room at the Bodega Bay Inn is actually pastry and coffee at the across-the-parking-lot Roadhouse Coffee. Both yesterday and today our couple had to do without the pastries, but the coffee was good and the scene colorfully local (as might guessed from their "home page.")

Somehow Jake and Stone strayed from their Highway 1 route south toward San Francisco and ended up seeing much of Petaluma, which was a nice enough town, but.... Back on famous 1, they enjoyed the ride through Point Reyes National Seashore (here, 1 is actually two miles from the seashore but still fun to drive), especially liked the many shorebirds along the Bolinas Lagoon, and then were exhilarated by the headland views of Stinson Beach. The exhilaration continued as 1 became a twisty trip through the dramatic hillsides of Marin County until it joined Highway 101 just above Sausalito.

Stone with the Cliff House in the distance

Looks good in fog

Driving across the Golden Gate Bridge is wonderful on a clear day, but just as inspiring (and perhaps more iconic) in the fog. After the bridge it was easy enough to get to the Columbus Motor Inn in the North Beach section of San Francisco. Here the staff could not have been more accommodating, helping Jake and Stone get the bus (right outside the hotel) to AT&T Park where they saw an afternoon baseball game between the Giants and the Padres, followed that evening by a final dinner at Sutro's in the fabled Cliff House.

Teammates rushing the mound after Lincecum's no-hitter

Oh, and BTW, that Wednesday afternoon Tim Lincecum threw a no-hitter!

Thirty-five years ago, their last day in San Francisco had ended with Jake and Stone's engagement. This time with an a no-hitter. Both happen once in a lifetime -- if you're lucky. And they are.

 Other Places

A Cooler Jekyll and a Cold Virginia

In celebration of anniversary number 34, Jake and Stone headed to an old favorite -- Jekyll Island in the Golden Isles off the Georgia Coast. Jekyll is certainly the least "golden" of this stretch of four barrier islands. LittleSt. Simons Island can be reached only by boat, has a total of six guest cottages, and offers a luxurious get-away focused on natural beauty, beaches and birding. The "golden" continues on Sea Island, where single family homes can't be had for under three million dollars, and the lone resort on the island is the  Cloister at Sea Island, one of the top (and most expensive) resorts in America. The "golden" endures, if to a lesser degree, on St. SimonsIsland, where at least some non-millionaires live, but it is still the kind of place where you'll find the likes of PGA players such as Davis Love, Zach Johnson and Matt Kuchar among the residents.


Then there is Jekyll, which started out famously "golden," in fact, one might say "platinum," being founded and favored by turn-of-the-century aristocrats such as Morgan, Rockefeller, Astor, Vanderbilt -- those sort of folk. But this enclave ultimately fell on hard times and the state of Georgia bought the whole place in 1947. Jekyll Island is now a Georgia state park that caters to middle-class families. Its allure for Jake and Stone is the variety and general low cost of vacation rentals, the 20+ miles of paved bike trails, the 63 holes of golf, miles of walkable beaches and the Jekyll Club Hotel, which gives the island a needed bit of luxury.

Jekyll Island -- Georgia's Best State Park?

Sunday, January 19, 2014 -- Previously Jake and Stone had driven down to Jekyll with two stopovers, but this time, fortified with a brand new car that considerably reduced the stress of driving, they decided to stop just once, just outside Roanoke,Virginia. Through booking.com they got a room at the La Quinta Inn in Salem, VA, for only $75 and found it worth every penny. Sundays in the South can make it challenging to find a good place to eat, but they found Mac 'n Bobs where Jake had a nice green salad with seared tuna. Stone's steak salad was only average, as was the ambiance, but they both agreed the service was quite good, and left happy with the experience.


Monday, January 20, 2014 -- After an early start back on the road Jake and Stone had a late breakfast at a wonderfully local place called Yolk, in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Being the MLK holiday, the place was packed, and to avoid a wait they had to sit at the counter. Both of the breakfasts were simply great. Jake's pecan waffle with bacon was done perfectly, as was Stone's omelet. And the accompanying grits alone would have been worth the slight trip off the interstate. Highly recommended.


Our couple rolled into Jekyll just in time to pick up the key to their 2BR rental in a development named Villas by the Sea. This 2-story, walk-up condo proved to be ideal. Suffice it to say it was as nice and stylish as the photos show. (Not always the case with vacation rentals.) The Wi-Fi was easy to access and and plenty fast, the beds were comfortable, and all was immaculately clean. It also provided quick access to the beach, so Jake and Stone took a pleasant sunset walk on the low-tide sand, then had dinner from their brought-along cooler on one of the two little (but adequate) balconies overlooking the condo's grounds, with the edge of the dark ocean just visible above the trees. 
 

Sunrise at Driftwood Beach

Tuesday, January 21, 2014 -- A typical Jekyll day. Jake and Stone got up early to stroll the beach and see the sunrise of the Atlantic. Their condo was at the northern end of the island so it was a fairly short walk to Driftwood Beach, one of the most photographed places on the island.

Olelander Course at Jekyll Island

After breakfast Stone took another beach walk down by the center of the island while Jake played golf at the Oleander course. Jake had forgotten how popular golf is at Jekyll, so he couldn't walk-on at either Indian Mound or Pine Lakes, his preferred courses, but the upside is that he played alone, which he usually enjoys. After lunch back at the ranch Jake took a nap while the more energetic Stone took another walk by the beach, which featured this brown pelican fishing for dinner. The weather was turning colder as the day wore on, but Jake and Stone dressed warmly and were able to have some snacks and wine on the balcony before the sun went down.


The condo was not only close to the beach but also close to the Driftwood Bistro, by far the best restaurant on the island. If Jekyll has a downside, it is the paucity of good restaurants -- especially so in the off-season winter. Luckily, the Driftwood proved to be excellent. The local Georgia shrimp and grits dish was just fabulous. The tab at Driftwood proved to be another positive, including the cost of a bottle of wine ($19!), the unfinished portion of which is dressed in a paper bag for patrons to take home.


Wednesday, January 22, 2014 -- The historically cold Winter of 2014 had reached all the way down to southern Georgia when Jake and Stone got up with temps in the mid to high 30's. After a breakfast of oatmeal, our hearty duo dressed appropriately and rented two bikes from the front desk at Villas bythe Sea (also a quick walk from the condo) and took off to enjoy some of the bike mileage that Jekyll offers.

Having done their share of biking, both on vacations and in dear ol' Jersey, both Jake and Stone have found Jekyll biking to be unparalleled. The trails are wide, paved and numerous. Their bike ride this morning took them around the northern end of the island, past the island's campground, the historic Horton House (1743! -- one of the oldest surviving houses in all of Georgia), the little island airport and several miles of tall live oaks draped with Spanish moss.



As a reward for their efforts, Jake and Stone had lunch at the historic Jekyll Club Hotel in the hotel's Grand Dining Room. A lunch-time Stoli martini was only $7.50, the soups were hot and tasty, Stone's portobello sandwich was good, and though the menu said the hotel's shrimp and grits was famous, in all honesty it didn't taste as wonderful (make no mistake, it was still good) to Jake as did the Driftwood's version.


The Jekyll Club Hotel is the luxury anchor for Jekyll and worth a visit just to walk around the grounds, which our couple did, including some shopping at the various shops that dot the expansive grounds. After their bike ride back to the condo it was time for naps, dinner in the condo, reading, some TV, and then sleep.

Lots of water but rarely comes into play

Thursday, January 23, 2014 -- The weather was still quite coolish, but the mid-morning golf was crowded again so Jake was on Oleander again. (Oleander is usually thought to be the most difficult of the three main courses, but it is also the last to dry out from any rain. Which might account for this warning about alligators on the course.) The golf at Jekyll's three 18-hole golf courses is good but hardly spectacular. The terrain is so flat that it doesn't offer much variety, and there are few memorable holes. But still, for $30 walking (weekday), with never a house or highway in sight, and some nice water views, it is a real good value.



While Jake golfed, Stone did some more walking and shopping. At the hotel they had drinks by the fireplace outside the Grand Dining room and fell into a pleasant conversation with a couple from Pittsburgh. The rest of the afternoon was filled with lunch and dedicated relaxation.


Then it was back to the hotel for dinner and drinks at Vincent's Pub, a intimate bar that offers food transported (at a 20% service charge) from the hotel's dining room. Here the bartender was professional enough to ask Jake what scotch he preferred in his rusty nail, Stone's martini was big and cold, and their warm seafood salads were tiptop. A wonderful way to end the day.


Friday, January 24, 2014 -- The cool weather continued, much to the consternation of the natives who are used to 65 degrees in January, but Jake and Stone found it to be nice walking weather. Very near their condo is a new walking/biking trail called Clam Creek which provided them with a nice 3 mile walk amid marshlands and coastal trees. In the summer this trail is noted for its bird life, but Jake and Stone saw very little aviary activity this cool morning.


If the golf at the 18-holers is rather graciously mundane, Jekyll's historic 9-hole venue is just the opposite. Great Dunes offers golf the way it was long ago. Built in 1926, this little links beauty has some of the smallest greens Jake has ever seen, a wonderful par-5 that ends at an uphill green perched on a plateau that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean, and a par-3 that is as tough as any waterless, one-shoter any golfer is likely to find. As a bonus, a walking round is only $10. That totaled $20 for our duo, as this time Stone went along with Jake. When the starter took their money he joked, "It's so cold maybe we ought to be paying you to play." Nonsense, thought our duo after their round. They both had fun (golf's greatest gift) and greatly enjoyed the walk, the golf, and the uniqueness of the layout. 

Stone on the Tee at Great Dunes

Stone Just Off the Plateau Green

 

It was time for some apres-golf martinis back at the hotel, then off the Driftwood Bistro for dinner. But, oh-oh!, it's Friday night and every family that couldn't cancel their weekend getaway because of the weather is at the Driftwood, with multiple kids in tow, waiting for a table. (The Driftwood Bistro takes no reservations.) Jake and Stone's luck proved much better off-island, where they ate at Zachry's, in Brunswick, GA. Zachry's (which several years ago used to actually be on Jekyll Island) proved to be a warehouse type of space with a large bar populated mostly by large Georgia men watching large TVs and drinking large sized beers. However, the food (wild Georgia shrimp, clam chowder, sea scallops, salad -- and a two sides of grits, of course) proved to be very good, as did the beer selection (Stella Artois/$3.50 a bottle-- for Jake) and wine by the glass (Cavit Pinot Grigio/$5 a glass -- for Stone).

Room with a View

Saturday, January 25, 2014 -- Jake and Stone left their sweet little condo early in the morning as the drive to Staunton, VA, was one of over 600 miles. Their long drive was rewarded when they stepped into the Wildflower room at the Iris Inn just outside Staunton in Waynesboro, VA. This large room had an expansive, 6-windowed view of the Shenandoah Valley, a porch big enough to dance on, and a generous jacuzzi tub. The inn itself is modern and stylishly decorated, with a common room that features a wall of windows looking out onto the trees and a fireplace that burns -- get this -- real wood, apparently from real trees. Such environs were not inexpensive, but this was the weekend of their 34th anniversary, so they deemed it money well spent.

If Food be the Music of Love...

Their celebratory dinner was at Zynodoa, in Staunton, and this proved to be the highlight of the trip. Jake and Stone were joined by two other couples, friends who were at the 1980 wedding in Manhattan and now live in Virginia. The three-hour Festival of Conviviality with Attendant Dinner and Libations was over way too quickly. All six of the celebrants enjoyed the perfect service, as well as all the food and drinks which were, inevitably, considerable. Starter highlights included the Virginia artisan cheeses and fried pork belly; main-dish favorites included stuffed trout, steak frites, and gumbo; fav desserts included the panna cotta and bitter sweet chocolate torte. A most memorable evening and almost as much fun as the long-ago wedding.



Sunday, January 26, 2014 -- A big and warm breakfast at the inn with the fireplace roaring. And well it should, for the wind-chill outside is cold, even by Jersey standards. Staunton is a town known for its history and culture. In 2012, Smithsonian Magazine named Staunton the 10th best small town in America. Its two main attractions are the American Shakespeare Center, which is in a re-creation of London's Blackfriars Playhouse, and the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, which needs no re-creation. Though Jerseyites are quick to point out that Wilson rose to fame as president of Princeton, and later as Jersey's governor, he was born in Staunton and was at heart much more a southerner than he was Jersey guy. Which, as recent events in the Garden State have shown, may not be a bad thing.


As is the rule in most of the South, Sunday is a day of rest, so the vast majority of Staunton was closed. Still, Jake and Stone were able to do some worthwhile walking around and shopping. One of the few places open for a Sunday lunch was the Byers Street Bistro, an attractive place which provided our duo with a nice southern lunch of pork & hash and gravy & eggs. Mimosas were also available, but the bubbly was not cold so the waitress brought us a glass of ice to cool things down. Perhaps the fridge was also closed on Sunday.


When Jake and Stone inquired at the inn as where to have dinner locally, the Geenleaf Grill, about 5minutes away in Waynesboro was suggested. The ambiance at this grill with a large menu was in need of updating, but the Stoli and wine were good, and the food -- stuffed flounder, grilled scallops -- were also tasty. (Throughout their trip, Stone and Jake were always happy with the sea food they ordered, both in Georgia and Virginia.)

Sunset on the Porch

Monday, January 27, 2014 -- On the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains, in the middle of the George Washington National Forest, is the mountain top resort of Wintergreen. A drive there looked interesting, and besides, on the way Jake and Stone could stop by a store called Country Connections in the town of Stuarts Draft. Jake and Stone, who had shopped in vain in Staunton for a new quilt, had been told that this store might very well have a good selection. Sadly, none of the offered quilts quite fit the bill, but our duo had a good time walking through what seemed like acres of country stuff, and Stone did find (of course!) some little things that caught her fancy.


The road trip to Wintergreen featured pretty snow-covered farms and hillsides at first, then quickly started up hill to some nice mountain vistas. Our duo, who had ideas that they might be able to do some "snow tubing," had thought Wintergreen might be a lot less crowded on this Monday than it would have been on Sunday.


However, parking proved to be a challenge and a harbinger, for once they hiked from the parking lot up to the resort and its ski area, they discovered the scene littered with winter-sport enthusiasts, many of whom were kids who for some reason must have gotten the day off from school. Jake and Stone did enjoy watching the scene, noting the unpretentious atmosphere which was quite unlike the Colorado ski resorts Jake visited, now and then, back in the day.


Still hoping to find that elusive quilt they so desired, Jake and Stone headed from Wintergreen to Charlottesville, which was perhaps an hour's drive through more pretty Virginia countryside. Though their quest for a quilt went unfulfilled, Charlottesville's Downtown Mall provided interesting and robust shopping, including the BlueWhale Bookstore where Jake found an old book he had been seeking.


The Downtown Mall, a pedestrian mall overseen by Charlottesville's Park and Recreation Department, is a large, attractive affair. When seeking a late lunch, our duo had over 30 places to choose from. Citizen Burger was close by and looked nice, so in they went. As luck would have it: CB was perhaps the best burger and beer place, ever. Highly recommended. 


Back in Staunton for their final dinner Jake and Stone ate at the Depot Grille. Again the seafood was very good -- seafood chowder, sea scallop and gulf shrimp scampi, and shrimp Greek salad. And also, once again, the food was better than the ambiance, but then, the Depot Grille is likely to be more fun when the cold goes away and the locals once again go out to eat.


Tuesday, January 28, 2014 -- The 350-mile drive home seemed a snap after all the miles this trip covered. Jake and Stone thought Staunton was certainly worth another visit, most likely in warmer weather, and especially to see a Shakespeare production. And a week in Jekyll might just become an anniversary tradition. Number 35 is not that far away.

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Steeling Away

Thursday, July 11, 2013 -- Some years ago, when Jake and Stone were anticipating the advantages of retirement, the ability to steal away for a short break on short notice was near the top of the list. So when they realized the Mets would be playing in Pittsburgh in a few days, they decided to go.

The drive to the Steel City via Interstates 287, 78, 81, 76 and 376 proved to be more pleasant than it sounds and better than they thought it would be. The Pennsylvania Pike had some lovely stretches through the Allegheny Mountains and the usual summer road construction was minimal. Jake and Stone knew Pittsburgh to be a city of rivers and bridges, but they were happily surprised by the city's terrain. The city proved to be quite hilly, with some semi-distant slopes being either forested in green or festooned with housing, often with apartment buildings or a church or two perched on the upper ridges.

Plaza-Side Dining in Pittsburgh

Enjoying perhaps one of the the best entrees into Pittsburgh, they first had lunch at the Porch at Schenley, a park-side neighborhood bistro which sits on the edge of the expansive green grass of Schenley Plaza. Jake's garden harvest salad/lemonade and Stone's veggie burger/glass of wine were all delicious, and the bistro vibe was friendly, cosmopolitan and quite "college town." From their al fresco table they could see across the grass -- upon which both small children and college students frolicked in the sunshine -- two of Pittsburgh's many impressive landmarks: the Carnegie Museum of Natural History (reputed to have a dinosaur collection to rival any) and the University of Pittsburgh's 42-story Cathedral of Learning (the name pretty much says it all).

In the Phipps Butterfly Room

Had the weather not been at least okay (and "okay" is a rare event in this Summer of Their Discontent, as Jake and Stone both lament the seemingly constant jungle-like heat and humidity), they would have gone to either the museum or the "cathedral," but since it was bearable walking weather they headed to the nearby Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden. Here they wandered among the world renowned collection of flora, set amidst various little ponds, statuary, art installations, small waterfalls, and -- a room full of butterflies! At Phipps everything is top-shelf, from the LEED-certified Welcome Center to the helpful staff and brochures. Even the shop has stuff that is interesting.

The weather was not so wonderful that they could also tour the extensive outside gardens, so Jake and Stone drove to their B&B, the oddly named Inn on the Mexican War Streets.  (Yes, they wondered also. It seems this neighborhood was established by General Robinson after the Mexican-American War (1846-48); several of the streets have names of battles or generals from the war.) Due to their last-minute decision to visit Pittsburgh, the only available room was the Red Room, which is the inn's smallest. This room is without a window, which must be why the owners term it "romantic." Still, the reduced space proved to be worth the reduced price.

Porch at the B&B

The inn's strong points include it overall "character," which is properly Victorian without being the least bit musty. The architecture is quite striking, and the large porch is delightful. Breakfast (continental, adequate) is available in a room too small to properly serve all the guests at once, but being originally "the gents' smoking room," and having been nicely restored, it is very cool nonetheless. In a city without a lot of B&B's, this one also enjoys a convenient location right on the Allegheny Commons, very near the National Aviary. The immediate neighborhood is at once a little bit sketchy, certainly historic and quit interesting. The award-winning Olde Allegheny Community Gardens are but a few minutes walk away from the the inn and are certainly worth a walk through.


Dinner on this Thursday night was in the seemingly upscale Pittsburgh neighborhood of Shadyside, at Soba, a certainly upscale Asian-fusion eatery with necessary valet parking. Here everything is what might be called Zen-spare. The wait staff are all in black. The furnishings and design look as much Scandinavian as they do Asian. On their table, beside the silverware carefully rolled into a gray cloth napkin, Jake and Stone each find a dark, small, smooth stone.... The Stoli martinis were very crisp and cold;  the appetizers, rock shrimp tempura and grilled baby octopus, simply fabulous; Stone's green bean & eggplant and Thai corn chowder, very nice. The only dinner misstep was Jake's Thai style pork & shrimp fired rice, and here it was Jake's fault. His tolerance for "spicy" is just too low to always allow him to appreciate this genre of food. BTW, the ice cream sandwich desert, good in any genre, was spot-on. $101 before tip.

Since it was early yet, and our couple was feeling somewhat frisky (must have been the Stoli), they headed for downtown Pittsburgh. Parking proved impossible, so they ponied up $8 for a lot spot and went is search of additional friskyness. Olive or Twist provided a good nightcap of  drinks and music. Especially the music, where someone named Tom Lagi held court with his guitar while someone named Katie Simone joined him for some grand vocals. Such talent going so unappreciated is sadly universal in the world of bar music, but Jake and Stone felt lucky to have been there for an hour or so. (Though their guitars were electric that night, here is a video of them doing some acoustic covers.)

Friday, July 12, 2013 -- In the Gilded Age Pittsburgh was just lousy with millionaires. And several of the very gilded millionaires built mansions in East Pittsburgh. Andrew Mellon, George Westinghouse, H. J. Heinz, Andrew Carnegie and Henry Clay Frick all built their urban dream homes in what is now the Point Breeze neighborhood, but only Frick's "Clayton" still stands.

The relatively small mansion stands as the centerpiece of the expansive Frick Art & Historical Center. The docent-led tour ($10-$12) of the mansion takes about an hour, and is highly recommended. Clayton reminded our couple of Maymont, another Gilded Age mansion they toured while in Richmond, VA. Considering their cost and number of rooms, both homes are surprisingly homey. But Clayton, with its obvious attention to the needs of the Frick's children, is even more so.

The Frick Center also includes Frick's charming personal greenhouse and the imperial looking, somewhat imposing, art museum. But perhaps the most visited attraction at the Center is the Car and Carriage Museum. Jake and Stone only had time to breeze through the many turn-of-the-century carriages and cars, but were very impressed with the variety and accessibility of all the vehicles. Two favorites: the 1901 Knox Model A, which looks a little bit like a very tricked out tricycle. And  the  1914 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow,
which is how Jake would roll if given the chance to make a Rap video.

We interrupt this Blog to bring you this impossible video vision: Notorious B.I.G. driving the above 1914 Silver Shadow,  while rapping Emily Dickinson (she is so easily chanted!) as he slowly tours the West Cemetery in Amherst, Mass:
           Because I could not stop for Death,
           He kindly stopped for me;
          The carriage held but just ourselves

         And Immortality. 

Part of the reason Jake and Stone could give so little time to the classic cars and carriages was the need for lunch. And that need was more than satisfied at the nearby Belgian bistro, Point Brugge Cafe. A truly neighborhood place, Point Brugge boasted a grand selection of beers and, just as importantly, that Belgian gift to the world -- frites. Our duo split a side of frites. Stone had the PEI mussels and a glass of pino grigio while Jake munched on a tasty macaroni gratin, "helped" Stone with her pound of moules, and greatly enjoyed a draft Carlsberg. A wonderful repast, and proof positive that this stylish cafe is deserving of its TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for 2013. And all for $40, before tip.

A Full PNC Park in Pittsburgh

The evening and this brief Pittsburgh trip were topped off that night by going to PNC Park (but a 20 minute walk from the inn) to see the Mets play the Pirates. StubHub proved to be a good source for "last minute" tickets and Jake and Stone had good seats. The stadium was rocking with a sold-out crowd on a tee-shirt giveaway night. PNC Park is comfortable and picturesque, with especially nice views of the bridges and the city's skyline. Even though the Mets lost in 11 innings, it was a wonderful night of American baseball in this most-American city.

Our traveling twosome drove home early Saturday morning knowing they had only just started to enjoy Pittsburgh, and knowing also that they would soon return.

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Careful What You Wish For

Cold, Misty, Windy -- Not Exactly a Kodak Moment

Before leaving Central New Jersey the weather had been downright summery on both Tuesday and Wednesday with temps in the sultry high 80's. So Jake & Stone were anxious to find some place cooler for a pre-Memorial Day trip away. While visiting their daughter over the years at her college in the Rochester (NY) area, our couple had grown  increasingly fond of the region, and this seemed like a good time to re-visit. Surely it would be cooler up north by Lake Ontario. On arriving Thursday morning, they found the weather to be similar to that they had hoped to escape, but things were soon to change....

Thursday, May 23, 2013 -- The drive up to Rochester was typically uneventful, and the views from I-81 near Cortland, NY, were as peaceful and panoramic as they remembered from their previous trips. The weather was warm and windy, but rather pleasant all-in-all for their first planned activity -- a walk through Rochester's Highland Park.

The Colossus Magnolia

Despite their several trips to Rochester, Jake & Stone had never visited this historic park, laid out by Frederick Law Olmsted (of Central Park fame), which includes a little reservoir and a conservatory where tulip bulbs were on sale for $2 a bag full. The 155-acre park is a planted arboretum highlighted by a large Japanese Maple selection, many horse chestnuts, and over 35 varieties of magnolias, including the Colossus Magnolia. But the park's fame rests mainly on its over 1,000 (not a typo!) lilac shrubs which are the focal point of the annual Lilac Festival. And though the festival had ended the previous weekend, there were still enough lilacs in bloom to fill the breezy air with hints of its perfume, and our duo had a wonderful stroll around this hilly, most-worthwhile urban park.

Near the park is the Distillery, a good enough place for lunch, and most likely a very good place to watch sports on the many TV screens. After lunch Jake & Stone checked into the Rose Garden B&B, which proved to be a good B&B, though our couple was disappointed in their small room (the Asian Orchid room), as it was without a closet or an available outlet for a computer or phone, and had virtually no table space. The other rooms looked bigger, but then for $115 a night Asian Orchid was not a bad deal. The host and hostess were very accommodating, the public rooms were nice enough, there was a very homey front porch, and the breakfasts were very good indeed.

Though the room was small, the bed was big and inviting enough to seduce Stone into a little afternoon read-and-nap while Jake took his bike for a ride. The B&B enjoys a good location very near Maplewood Park and its large Rose Garden. Right off the Rose Garden is the Genesee River Trail, which Jake rode downstream for a couple of miles despite rain forcing him to hunker down under a bridge for about ten minutes. This part of the trail was quite nice, and offers a cement spur down (rather steeply) toward the river which leads to a pedestrian bridge over the water with good river views. On the other other side of the river (up steeply again) it's possible to quickly bike to the Seneca Zoo, which looked inviting to Jake, who had the will but not the time.

Rochester has a storied place in minor league baseball that dates back to 1899. The current iteration is the Rochester Red Wings, the Triple-A farm club of the Minnesota Twins, and on this night Jake & Stone went to see them play the Charlotte Knights at Frontier Stadium.

"Fan" is short for fanatic (aka: crazy?)

The Weather-Channel-promised cold front had only just started to change the weather when they left the B&B for a pre-game dinner at Nathaniel's sports bar. (They preferred the Distillery's ambiance, though the food at Nathaniel's included a surprisingly tasty catfish dish.) But by the time they had settled into their box seats ($12 each, game-time purchase, 6 rows behind the first-base dugout), the cold front was manifest. By the third inning, it was cold, windy and starting to seriously mist. Our duo persevered, seeking shelter when the mist became rain for a couple of innings, then finished the game standing here and there around the stadium in search of leeward wind barriers. The game concluded happily for the several hundred fans left in the 9th inning, with the Red Wings winning 4-3.

Wanting to reward themselves for persistence, Jake & Stone went looking for a place to have a drink. The streets of Rochester were wet and dark, even the main avenues. Finally, through a mist worthy of Sherlock Holmes' London, they spied the Hyatt hotel, which provided shelter from the storm, a good looking bar and even better looking martinis. "Well," Jake said, clinking Stone's glass, "we did wish for cooler weather." They smiled and drank up.

Friday, May 24, 2013 -- Rochester was a 19th-century American hub of industry, and the city's business

Lower Falls

depended greatly on the Genesse River which provided the power to
run the mills and factories. Indeed, the river still provides hydroelectric power to much of Rochester. The Genesse River also provides Rochester with several picturesque waterfalls as it flows through the city. The most dramatic waterfall is the Lower Falls, which can be viewed by walking over the Driving Park Avenue Bridge.  An excellent view of the river as it cascades down the High Falls can be seen from the pedestrian bridge that starts right off Platt Street and crosses the river to the base of the Genesee Brewery on the other side. Jake & Stone weathered the windy and slightly misty walk, enjoying the virtual solitude on what is usually a busy tourist sight.

High Falls View

At the end of the bridge going toward the brewery sits the Genesee Brew House, which includes a souvenir store, tap room, restaurant and "brewery tour." The quote marks are needed as the tour is not a  tour of the giant brewery next door, where about 600 people currently produce a whole range of Genesee brews, but rather a tour of a sort of mini-brewery that mimics the giant one next door. Jake & Stone took the 30/40-minute tour (hourly on the hour) and found it interesting if not particularly thrilling.

Time to Take Flight

Upstairs in the Brew House is the restaurant and our duo had a fine lunch there: shrimp soup and salad for Stone; bacon cheeseburger and chips for Jake. But perhaps the best part of the lunch was the offered flight of beers -- four tastings delivered on a wooden plank --  $7. Good food, good drinks and lots of fun.

With some hours to fill before dinner (and the weather still arguing against a hike or bike ride) Jake & Stone drove down to Pittsford where for old times sake they drove around Nazareth College, where their daughter --  Sweetness! -- was such a star. Then they went to see The Great Gatsby, which turned out to be much better than either of them had expected.

Dinner was also in Pittsford, at Aladdin's on the Canal. There they rendezvoused with a friend, now a professor at the University of Rochester, who had like Jake, graduated from far-away Boulder (Colorado) High School in 1965. (Strike up the "Small World" music.) The three of them passed a pleasant time beside the darkling Erie Canal over a bottle of wine, octopus salad, pine nut salad and beef, basil pesto with beef, pignolia pasta and shared desserts. All for under $100.

nota bene: for those of you kind enough to have read some of Jake's fictional work and think his work nice but sometimes "unnecessarily sesquipedalian," please see this book by his dinner companion and fellow BHS grad: Nilpotence and Periodicity in Stable Homotopy Theory. Suddenly, Jake's prolix prose seems almost simple, hunh?

With the night still young and the weather still rather inhospitable, Jake & Stone finished off the evening with yet another movie, the type of which (that is to say, "not block busters") they don't often see in suburban Jersey: At Any Price with Dennis Quaid. It was showing at The Little Theatre in downtown Rochester, a good place to see independent and off-beat movies.

Saturday, May 26, 2013 -- The weather was still cold and windy, but at least the sun was out. Jake had hoped to play golf at Ravenwood while Stone did some hiking, but they decided instead to do some husband-and-wife golf at Latta Lea E-Z Golf, a par-3, 9-hole course that measures about 1,000 yards.

Stone Taking it E-Z

Latta Lea turned out to be the perfect place for Stone to play as she is very much a beginner, and this course caters to those still learning. In fact, in front of them were two groups of four -- two (probable) fathers and their two young sons, followed by a mother/grandmother and three young girls. It was soon evident that the youngsters had never/rarely swung a golf club before, so things went slowly, which was fine for our duo, especially since no one was behind them. Stone hit two balls off every tee and then suffered the tutelage of Jake honing her wedge and chip play with three or four balls on every green.

Jake hasn't played a lot of quite short golf courses, but Latta Lea was by far and away the best he had ever seen. The overall condition of the course was very good, and though short, the 9 holes are set it a lovely park-like setting with water hazards and even challenging elevation changes. For what it offers, especially at a price of under $10 each, Latta Lea is highly recommended, and both Jake & Stone greatly enjoyed the morning.

Lunch View at the Pulneyville Grill

Latta Lea is in the northern suburb of Greece, NY, and as such it is less than a mile to Lake Ontario. Waterside dining is often disappointing as the food is often secondary to the picturesque location, but that is not the case at the Pultneyville Grill. Jake & Stone loved everything about this stylish, lake-view, upstairs eatery and bar on Lake Road in Williamson, NY. Their lunch of lobster fritters (the hit of the meal), shrimp cocktail, veggie wrap, BLT panini and glass of wine was the best meal of the trip. With a view of the nearside docks and the farside whitecaps on Lake Ontario, and a bill of around $50, it was a wonderful afternoon repast.

Stone at the Edge of Lake Ontario

Having taken the "express route" east (aka: Route 104) from Greece to Williamson, they drove back toward Rochester on the two-lane Lake Road. This route affords a nice drive in this orchard-dotted countryside, with Lake Ontario, and its many lakeside homes just about always in view. Jake & Stone even found a park that let them get up close and personal with still wind driven Lake Ontario.

Back at the B&B it was nap time, then back to Frontier Field for some more Rochester Red Wings baseball. It was still pretty cold, but the box seats were still cheap and close to the action, the Red Wings won again, and as a bonus, after the game the evening was capped by a fireworks show. As the smoke cleared from the field, a full moon rose over the downtown skyline. And the Man in the Moon seemed to saying, along with crowd, "Ohhhh!"

Driving home on Sunday morning, Jake & Stone realized that they would finally get the nice, cool weather they wanted -- at home! But they took solace in knowing that the weekend weather had been perhaps even more stormy in Jersey. And then, even in the cold, rain and wind, Rochester didn't disappoint.

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