Oregon Wine Country

We are staying in McMinnville, OR, in the Willamette Valley wine country. We tasted some really great Pinot Noir's today and had one for dinner last night. It's hard to judge which are better: those from Santa Barbara County (Sideways country) or those from here. These are really exceptional! We can't take any more wine into Canada, so didn't buy any. Could ship but decided to wait.

Here we are picnicking at Elk Cove Winery which friends (and neighbors) told us about. Absolutely perfect weather.




Our RV park is right next to the Evergreen Aviation Museum. We didn't know anything about it or even that it is here. There are four giant buildings. Three of them house the old airplanes, one of which is the Spruce Goose, which Evergreen acquired in the late 90's when Long Beach sold it. They moved it here, renovated it and built a huge building for it. The fourth building houses a giant indoor water park with four slides and a wave pool. On top of the building sits an airplane, and the slides come out of this plane! Quite a sight! If our grandkids were here, we would go there. They would love it.



You will notice that there is a vineyard between where I was standing and the building. I was running on the nature trail that circumnavigates the museum campus through a beautiful deciduous forest. Quite the thing.

Below are more photos of the buildings. The visible planes are just the ones outside. Many are inside as well, which we will see tomorrow.













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Ashland, OR

We are in beautiful Ashland, OR, for three nights. Yesterday we spent the day roaming around.

Right in Ashland are two main attractions. The first is Lithia Park through which runs Ashland Creek. It is spectacularly beautiful right now with the redbud, dogwood, rhododendrons, azaleas, lilacs and other flowering trees and bushes in full bloom. There are great wood chipped trails running along both sides of the creek for about 1 1/2 miles. The ascent is mostly gentle, but another section is a climb up, which we did. It is wooded with picnic tables and other amenities all along the trails.
















We learned that Lithia Park is named for the lithium in the water, which in previous days was believed to have restorative powers. There is still a fountain to drink the water. (The creek supplies most of Ashland's drinking water.) The creek has its origins at 7000 feet in the mountains above Ashland. We think Ashland is a lot like a small Boulder, CO or even Asheville, NC.

The other thing we learned is that Ashland is a site for a Chautauqua, started when the movement was in its heyday in the 19th century. That is when the Shakespeare Festival started here. Today the Festival continues separately (apparently), and there is still a schedule of lectures, field studies, old movies, music, etc. for Chautauqua. Nothing is running at Chautauqua while we are here in Ashland.

(If readers aren't quite sure what Chautauqua is, a Wikipedia article is available to describe it much better than I can. We spent a week a few years ago at the biggest, the Chautauqua Institution in upstate New York. Well worth doing!)

The theaters do have theater offerings running. Last night we saw Chekhov's "Seagull" at the New Theater, the newest of some 4-5 theaters here. It was wonderful! Excellent acoustics and sight lines in the small thrust theater, set up a lot like Minneapolis' Guthrie. We had dinner beforehand at one of the many restaurants lining the creek just a short walk from the theaters.

"Romeo and Juliet" was performed yesterday afternoon, but we decided it was far too nice a day to spend indoors. So in the afternoon we walked around the Southern Oregon University campus, formerly a Normal school to primarily educate teachers, but now a full blown university. Very pretty small campus.






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A Four-Way Birthday Party

Saturday was a fantastic day! Rob, Maria, Henry and Annie came over to Half Moon Bay for a birthday celebration. Henry is turning twelve on May 14, and Rob, Gary and I had our birthdays at the first of the month. (Not saying the ages :-)

We had lunch at Sam's Chowder House, right on the beach with a corner table overlooking the ocean. Then everyone came over to the RV for cake, ice cream and presents.

We gave Henry all the components to build a computer which will run Linix. He has always been a builder, is very interested in computers, and was completely thrilled with the gift.




Then we went for a walk and play along the beach. Not warm! We tried to walk to the next beach south and then walk back along the Coastal Trail on the cliff above, but the water was too high to get around a rocky point, so we had to turn back.

Playing on the beach.










I had walked the Coastal Trail earlier and took one photo that I thought was beautiful. The white areas are tiny white flowers lining the path.





Then we had a light dinner and beverages at the Ritz Carlton in an outdoor patio area overlooking the ocean. We stayed to hear the bagpiper play till the sun went down, closing with Amazing Grace. It was beautiful.





We came back to the RV for hot chocolate and tea to warm up.

Sadly we then said our goodbyes and expressed fond hopes that they will be joining us in Alaska in early July, if everything works out.

We are currently on I-5 heading north to Oregon.

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A day in the City

We rendezvoused with our friends and neighbors from Los Alto days, Bill and Beth. They just sold their house which was right across the street from ours, and after renting in the City for two years, have purchased a condo in Pacific Heights which is being renovated. We took Beth's City Tour of Nob Hill (hadn't ever done that!) Great tour! Went out to dinner afterwards.

They have engaged with the City in interesting ways since moving to SF: they both do City Tours, Bill volunteers as a street car steward for San Francisco's eclectic collection running along Market Street, and he also responds to requests for tombstone photos at the Presidio from people doing genealogical research! This is the Find-a-Grave program.

I took a few photos on the City Tour.

Mark Hopkins hotel, below, with the flag on top. The Nob Hill tour has a strong focus on The Big Four, Leland Stanford, Mark Hopkins, Crocker, and Huntington, who built the western side of the trans continental railroad. Beth has good stories and points out many things people would not otherwise notice.


Interior of Grace Cathedral


Doors at Grace Cathedral, like those at the Duomo in Florence.



Interiors of the Fairmont Hotel







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A Very Merry un Birthday - er, Birthday

Thanks to all you dear friends and relatives for the birthday wishes! It has been a lovely day! I don't particularly like the ordinal number but.....

Gary and I are currently sitting in the Los Altos Almond Elementary School Multi Purpose Room watching the first "dress" rehearsal of Henry's play, Wonderland. It is mostly organized chaos and sans costumes, but the outlines are there and occasional great acting comes through. Henry is the Mad-hatter, and I must modestly say that he is really good. Great accent, great projection. Vocal projection has never been a problem for Henry :-)

Gary and I quietly chuckled at one of the opening, encouraging remarks, on projecting and getting "into" it, of the teacher to the performers: "This is a musical. You have to sing!"

Henry is in the center, in the middle of the tea party!

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Annie's Dance Class

Yesterday we attended Annie's dance class. This year she is taking Hip Hop (last year Jazz and previously Tap and Ballet), and the students are getting ready for a show (recital) next month. They have only about 10 measures still to learn, and then they will be polishing, polishing.

We were very impressed with these girls. They are so energetic, focused, and motivated. The final show will be good! Some of the steps are complicated!

We enjoyed our time at the dance studio.

They warm up with push-ups and jumping jacks.


Then they dance in lines of 5. Annie has her pink shoes on which I just love! I want some, too!


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Scenes Around Half Moon Bay

The Ritz Carlton. Our campground is adjacent.







Along the Coastal Trail








Below the Ritz Carlton on the beach. This is apparently a remnant of a previous hotel.




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