Well, Heart Friends, we were back to the Pinot Noir tonight with a nice 2007 from White Roses up in Oregon as we celebrated son Chris' 30th birthday at Maverick down in the Mission district of San Francisco. Chris, & son-in-law Greg both swore that Maverick has the best fried chicken they've every had. Must be the buttermilk bath the chicken takes before frying.
We started the day with a drive over the Golden Gate Bridge, that San Francisco icon known to just about everyone in the world (and we went late enough to miss the marathon that closed down a lane or two in the early morning). Over the bridge we got off on to Highway 1 for a drive up to Mount Tamalpais. At about 2600 feet above sea level we had a good view of the clouds over San Francisco. Yep, the city was pretty much "socked in" and we couldn't even see the Bay Bridge which would normally be visible from the peak on a clear day. Still, it was bright & sunny atop the mountain and we enjoyed a walk around one of the hiking trails, followed by a viewing of the movie about the "gravity train" that ran down the mountain back at the turn of the 20th century. This must have been quite a ride in it's day. A single "train" car - open air - with 5 seats and a maximum of 30 passengers that went down the mountain sans engine; gravity did all the work (except for the adept brakeman, of course). $10 got one a round trip up the mountain (going up was by steam train), 2 nights lodging, 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and a dinner; and a ferry ride over from San Francisco (no Golden Gate Bridge in 1928). And everyone in the photos we saw was wearing a jacket & tie. How formal travel was back "in the day!"
Following the movie, which included clips from 1898 - only 2 years after Thomas Edison invented the process - we climbed up to the peak to see the fire watch tower and 360 degree views of the mountain, sea, and city.
Heading back down the other side of the mountain we made our way past 3 small lakes and stopped for coffee in the charming little town of San Anselmo. It's a nice place to wander along the main street & check out the shops. Give it a try if you're in the area and if you have time, make a stop in Larkspur too.
Didn't realize Utah is one hour ahead of Arizona until we got there so made for a short night last night in Monument Valley's Goulding's Lodge since I stayed up late to do some work on the email.
Still, up & at it early this morning to catch our jeep tour with 18 other hardy souls to get bounced & jounced on the 17 mile tour (including all the potholes) of Monument Valley with our great guide, Preston (yes, Preston is Navajo).
Our guide for the day - Preston
If you're going to Monument Valley I definitely recommend the tour. You can drive your own car into the valley, but the roads are very rough & some areas are restricted to guided tours only.
There are truly some fantastic formations of nature in Monument Valley.
This fast-food trailer isn't one of them! But, we did try Fry Bread as an appetizer (covered with chili - think taco on deep fried bread). Okay, but not something I'll make a return trip for.
Then there are arches like Ear of the Wind:
And the often photographed left mitten (yep, there is a right mitten too):
Leaving Monument Valley we headed south to spend our final night in Arizona in Flagstaff.
Sadly, the "wine report" tonight is a "whine report" - if there are good restaurants in Flagstaff we, unfortunately, didn't find one of them. The wine list at the place we wound up in, Strombolli's, is so limited and unimpressive that we just ordered a 1/2 carafe of house red - and left a good amount of that in the carafe. But, never fear, for tomorrow we will be back in San Francisco where there are more good, even great, restaurants than one can shake the proverbial stick at. So, stay tuned faithful readers, and we'll do some updates from the Bay (but perhaps not every day, though I know that saddens your hearts), but these Hearts have been to San Francisco many times & written about it just as many, so I'll endeavor to only write about new things & perhaps new wines (did I hear someone say Pinot?).
After a decent breakfast of blueberry pancakes prepared by our B&B's owner Ron (by the way - the B&B Legacies in Williams, Arizona is for sale) we stopped by the information center in Williams, which is located on the famous Route 66 (remember the old TV show anyone?) to get our Grand Canyon prepaid entry pass & some maps. A pleasant surprise awaited us. Seems that now that yours truly is in the "senior" category we were able to buy a lifetime pass to all of America's National Parks for the princely sum of only $10. That gets us free entry into any National Park for the rest of our years & today alone it save us $15 since the usual entrance fee to the Grand Canyon is $25. America's National Parks system is fantastic and I'm sure we'll use this lifetime membership many more times over the next several years.
It's pretty hard to say anything about the Grand Canyon that hasn't already been written, or put up photos that haven't already been posted somewhere on the Internet, so let's just let it be said that yes, the Grand Canyon is truly awesome. If you haven't been you should put it on your bucket list of things to do. Don't wait too long though - who knows - it may only be around for another 25 million years or so!
Oh, okay, if you insist - here's a panoramic view of the canyon.
Leaving the park we headed northeast for about 180 miles to our next destination of Monument Valley, Utah. That's 180 miles of sagebrush, light traffic, fairly flat roads, and a few spectacular rock formations along the way. Oh, and did I mention sagebrush?
We'll take the jeep tour through the valley tomorrow morning before heading back to Flagstaff for a final night in Arizona before returning to San Francisco.
Oh yeah - almost forgot the daily wine report. OH NO! There's nothing to report. The restaurant here at Goulding's Lodge doesn't serve any wine or beer. Well, they do have non-alcohol wine (I call that grape juice). The waitress reminded us that we are on a Navajo Indian reservation and reservation facilities are not allowed to sell any alcoholic beverages. Ah well, guess the old liver deserves a night of rest.
By the way, did you know that during World War II the military used Navajo Code Talkers to transmit messages in the Navajo language? This had the advantage of being an extremely fast method of encrypted
communication. The code was never broken by the Japanese, who were
mystified by the sounds they intercepted. Of course, I've also met people in Japan who are mystified by some of the sounds I make!
Till tomorrow gentle readers, may your dreams be happy & your hearts be young.
Already posted about the carding at the airport - see Facebook for that. Leaving Phoenix airport, we walked
out of the jetway & it was like hitting a wall of heat!
But, from what I hear, friends in Tokyo have it pretty hot now too. And, I suspect, a lot more humid!
Arrived in Flagstaff and at 7,000 ft. above sea level it's cool &
pleasant, but the waitress tonight told us it feels so sticky &
humid to her. Guess heat & especially humidity are relative.
Spending the night at The Legacies B&B in the "Hawaiian Room." Nice B&B - quiet location & since we are the only guests tonight guess we won't have to fight anyone for the best table at breakfast tomorrow.
Dinner at the Red Raven in Williams; pretty decent steak & a passable - not notable, but passable - Pinot Noir, Wallace Brook 2007, from Willamette Valley, Oregon.
Off to the Grand Canyon tomorrow - hope it doesn't rain!
Our last day in Carmel before heading off to see the Grand Canyon tomorrow. We awoke to overcast skies and slightly cooler weather today at 15 degrees C (about 59 F).
After a slow starting morning we decided to head over to Monterey for a visit to the acquarium. The Monterey Bay Acquarium was founded 1984 and is located on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row.
In addition to the acquarium Cannery Row has a number of shops (very touristy) and restaurants - also very touristy, but we tried one that had a pretty decent lunch, especially if you like fresh sardines. We had them in marinara sauce at Trattoria Paradiso (hmm, there are sure a lot of Italian restaurants in Monterey & Carmel - but for good reason: Italian food is GOOD FOOD - my heritage comes out!).
We watched the sea otters float around and we figured they were either disturbed at being in a tank, or they had some other problems, but the docents there assured us their constant rubbing of their faces and their chests is their normal grooming routine. The otters spend 99% of their time in the water & have very luxurious fur - over one million hairs per square inch! If they don't keep it groomed they get cold after all that time in the water. The docent told us they basically just eat, groom, and sleep. Whatta life! On second thought, I think I know a few humans like that.....
The other exhibits we found very interesting were the jellyfish and seahorse tanks. I never knew there were so many varieties of each.
Sea Nettle Jellyfish
Can you imagine a seahorse that looks like a plant? Well, that's just what this Leafy Sea Dragon resembles.
With heads like horses, tails like monkeys and pouches like
kangaroos, these are some fascinating fish.
If you're in the area be sure to include a visit to the acquarium. It will be a relaxing couple of hours and you'll see some amazing creatures (people & fish!).
Back in Carmel we made our way downtown for a final walk about the town and a stop in the Cima Collina wine tasting shop to try a few of their wines. Some nice wines from this small artisan wine producer. Worth a stop-by if you are in Carmel. Try the wines for only $5 and that is waived if you buy $40 worth of wines to take home.
So, we close this chapter of the Tokyo Hearts' summer of 2010 trip to the USA. Stay tuned - next chapter from Arizona where we expect the temperatures will be a bit (a lot!) hotter than we've enjoyed here in lovely Carmel-By-The-Sea.
Day 4 - Up and away & down the road we go with daughter Stephanie & her friend Ewa (Eva) for a hike around the perimeter of Point Lobos State Park Reserve. The name comes from the rocks at Punta de los Lobos Marinos, Point of the Sea Wolves, where the
sound of the sea lions carries inland. The Reserve has often been called
"the crown jewel of the State Park System. The hike / walk around the perimeter trails is about 6 miles (10 km) and took us about 1 hour 40 minutes of actual walking with some great views out over the Pacific & back towards Carmel.
One of the coves in the park
Looking back towards Carmel
Over the past 150 years, this area has been the scene of a variety of activity. Point Lobos has been home to
Native Americans, Chinese fishermen, Japanese abalone harvesters, and
Portuguese whalers.
It has been the site of an abalone cannery, coal
mining business, granite quarry, military base, and numerous film
productions.
From the official website: "In the mid-1890's, a young marine biologist
from Japan, Gennosuke Kodani, arrived at Point Lobos to investigate
reports of rich beds of abalone in the area and soon sent for workers
from his native village of Chiba. At first, abalone near the shore were
harvested and dried in the sun on wooden racks set up along Coal Chute
Point at the north side of Whalers Cove. As the supply of shallow-water
abalone dwindled, the workers donned hard-hat diving suits and ventured
out on boats into deeper water. Using hand-powered pumps to supply air
to the divers, the Japanese at Point Lobos pioneered an industry that
eventually spread up and down the California coast. Around 1899, Kodani formed a partnership with Alexander
Allan, who had recently purchased the property that now forms the
Reserve, and together they established an abalone cannery which was
located at what is now the Whalers Cove parking area. The cannery was so
successful it eventually accounted for 75% of the abalone sold in
California. It stayed in operation until 1928, and was dismantled in
1933 when the property became a state reserve."
Joe & the abalone diver
Following our hike we were - naturally - a bit thirsty so we headed into the Carmel Valley to see if we could find some wines to taste (what else, right?).
We stopped at one along the main road - name forgotten already - so obviously not worth the prices they had on their wines. I mean, 90 bucks for a cab sav? Even if it is a reserve? No way! At least not for THAT cab sav.
At least we got a good photo of the ladies at this one.
Ewa, Takako & Stephanie having a taste
On down the road we went, daughter Stephanie at the wheel & papa Joe napping in the back seat till we got to the Ventana winery. 400 acres of grapes, grapes, grapes. All wine is made from their own grapes - they don't buy any from other vineyards. In fact, they have so many grapes they sell 'em.
We tried several on their long list of tasting wines - at only $5 for tasting - and that is waived if you buy wines. Of course we did! We even liked their Pinot - Madame Wife has discovered a recent penchant for the Pinot and we've been trying a few this week. Ventana stands up to the rest quite easily so we have a bottle awaiting us in San Francisco when we arrive there in a few days - courtesy of our wine transporting daughter (listen up Steph, that Pinot better still be in the bag when we get there!). Their Tempranillo is also excellent. They brought the vines over from Spain & found a warm & sunny spot on the side of one of their vineyard hills and have been quite successful at growing this flavorful grape here. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area.
Back in Carmel in time for our reservation at Basil , a small restaurant where the chef, Michele, is a co-owner. Good lamb, very good Italian bass, but Steph & Ewa found the clams & pasta a bit too peppery - however, I noticed they didn't leave much (none) in their dishes. The bottle of Champagne we took with us - a very nice rose - went quite well with our starters and the bottle of (you guessed it) Pinot we bought from the wine list was perfect with our main dishes; Talley 'Rosemary's
Vineyard Pinot.
Exercise, wine, good food - what better way to spend a fantastic day in Carmel By The Sea and the areas around it before heading home to "the Nest" for a good night's sleep.
Day 5: Sunday brunch time. Off we go to Em Le's , a Carmel locals' favorite that has been in operation since 1955. Starting life as a chocolate shop Em Le's now serves hearty meals. I decided to give their "famous" French toast a try. Okay, you've probably all had French toast before, but have you ever had it battered & deep fried? Yep, that's what you get at Em Le's, with some sliced almonds, a dusting of powdered sugar, and their special syrup. Unless you have the appetite of a sumo wrestler order the 1/2 portion - that's still 3 pieces and more than I could eat. Best to share this dish around the table. The olollieberry pancakes or buckwheat pancakes make for some pretty good vittles too if you like pancakes. Otherwise, go for one of the big - BIG - omelets from the well appointed menu.
Staggering home, tummies full, daughter Steph & Ewa headed for Santa Cruz for a bit of shopping on their way back to San Francisco. Lo & behold, an hour or so later, we caught up with them in SC - forgot my sunglasses in Steph's car & figured I might need those in hot & sunny Arizona this week. So, up the road we went too for an unplanned visit to Santa Cruz. Glad we did since we hadn't been there. Busy place with beaches packed on a warm day like today.
Shopping street - Santa Cruz
Driving back we decided to forsake highway 1 for a while & just followed the coast until we ran out of road. Back on to highway 1 just a bit north of Monterey & we were back in Carmel in time for a very light at-home dinner and only a glass of Pinot tonight (hey, are we slowing down?). Nah, just decided to go light for a change - the ol' bodies can only take so much "goodness!" But, there is still one night to go in Carmel so..... till then; be well, enjoy life, and remember, life is too short to drink bad wines!
Kind of a lazy, slower day today. Just a short trip down the road for a visit to the old Mission. The Mission was the headquarters of the original Alta California Missions headed by Father Junipero Serra (now we know where the name for Junipero Street here in Carmel comes from) from 1770 until his death in 1784.
The Mission is still an active church and in addition to its activity as a place of worship, Mission Carmel
also hosts concerts, art exhibits, lectures and numerous other community
events.
Mission Carmel also serves as a museum, preserving its own history
and the history of the area. There are four specific museum galleries:
the Harry Downie museum, describing restoration efforts; the Munras
Family Heritage Museum, describing the history of one of the most
important area families; the Jo Mora Chapel Gallery, hosting a cenotaph
sculpted by Jo Mora as well as rotating art exhibits; and the Convento
Museum, which holds the cell Father Serra lived and died in, as well as
interpretive exhibits. Father Serra's body rests in front of the chapel's altar.
The Mission Carmel grounds are also the location of the Junipero
Serra School, a private Catholic school for kindergartners through 8th
grade.
Leaving the mission we headed south on Highway 1 to try the drive on the Old Cost Road. Twelve miles of dirt, dust, and some good sized ruts where the rains have washed away the dust & dirt. There are some wonderful ocean and valley views from the road, but hold on to your kidneys and drive slowly if you decide to take this route. Not too many people do since we only saw a couple of other cars on the 45 minute drive.
Back in Carmel in time for a short walk down to Carmel Plaza for wine & jazz (you knew the wine had to be in there somewhere, right?). The jazz was good, the wine - let's not discuss it; but hey, what to expect for $15 dollars which got us 2 glasses of wine & a small plate of mixed pasta. But, no worries, we still have a bit of the good Pinot here at our home away from home in Robin's Nest (and Robin, if you're reading this - we want you to know how much we appreciate the Nest!).
Day 2 here in sunny Carmel By The Sea and off we went for our first visit to the Hearst Castle which is about a 2.5 hour drive down the scenic route of the famous California Highway 1.
Along the way we passed through Big Sur and of course there were numerous gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean as well as the hills (mountains) of the Pacific coast.
90 miles after leaving Carmel we pulled into the Castle visitors' center with enough time to spare to have a quick lunch and then view the 40 minute movie of the history of the Hearst Castle, which William Randolph Hearst called The Ranch, before joining our tour.
Built at a cost of 6 million dollars (and remember, it was built when bread was 10 cents a loaf), the castle took over 15 years to complete from the start of construction in 1919. Mr. Hearst was 56 years old when the project started.
Main House - "Case Grande"
View of the entire estate
On the way back we stopped just a few miles north of the castle to see the Elephant Seals.
We were fortunate to see them as they only come ashore twice a year. This time is when the males come ashore to shed their fur. Females come ashore in the winter months to birth their pups.
Back in Carmel and off we went on a short walk to find another restaurant to try (not much cooking on this trip!).
We wound up trying one we walked by a couple of nights ago - Flaherty's at 6th & San Carlos.
Not spectacular, but decent food - and oh yes, they did serve the best New Orleans style pecan pie that I've had in a long, long time. The pie alone makes this worth a stop by. The Chardonnay, Morgan from here in Monterey, was a nice white that went well with our mussels & clams and the house made ravioli with crab stuffing in a crab cream sauce.
We also met a nice young couple who were here in the USA on their first trip and celebrating their honeymoon. A nice way to end day 2.
Day 2 here in sunny Carmel By The Sea and off we went for our first visit to the Hearst Castle which is about a 2.5 hour drive down the scenic route of the famous California Highway 1.
Along the way we passed through Big Sur and of course there were numerous gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean as well as the hills (mountains) of the Pacific coast.
90 miles after leaving Carmel we pulled into the Castle visitors' center with enough time to spare to have a quick lunch and then view the 40 minute movie of the history of the Hearst Castle, which William Randolph Hearst called The Ranch, before joining our tour.
Built at a cost of 6 million dollars (and remember, it was built when bread was 10 cents a loaf), the castle took over 15 years to complete from the start of construction in 1919. Mr. Hearst was 56 years old when the project started.
Main House - "Case Grande"
View of the entire estate
On the way back we stopped just a few miles north of the castle to see the Elephant Seals.
We were fortunate to see them as they only come ashore twice a year. This time is when the males come ashore to shed their fur. Females come ashore in the winter months to birth their pups.
Back in Carmel and off we went on a short walk to find another restaurant to try (not much cooking on this trip!).
We wound up trying one we walked by a couple of nights ago - Flaherty's at 6th & San Carlos.
Not spectacular, but decent food - and oh yes, they did serve the best New Orleans style pecan pie that I've had in a long, long time. The pie alone makes this worth a stop by. The Chardonnay, Morgan from here in Monterey, was a nice white that went well with our mussels & clams and the house made ravioli with crab stuffing in a crab cream sauce.
We also met a nice young couple who were here in the USA on their first trip and celebrating their honeymoon. A nice way to end day 2.
Carmel By The Sea - day 1 (day 2 actually, but just arrived yesterday so counting from today)
Breakfast at Tuck's - don't recommend it - food so-so; coffee weak. No 2nd trip to this restaurant planned.
3 hour walk by the ocean & through the streets to see the lovely
homes of Carmel; worked up a taste for wine. Stopped by Carmel Plaza's cheese shop
for cheese & wine tasting & brought a couple of cheeses back,
some nice salame's (salami's if you prefer) and a very nice Pinot, 2006
Krutz Family Cellars.
Dinner at Casanova. Definitely recommend! Salmon with black risotto and
halibut with baby artichokes. Good bottle of Duckhorn Savignon Blanc to
go with it, followed up by a very nice creme brulee.
