A group of colleagues needed to find lunch after a meeting. Sergio1 found a Mexican restaurant with 4.5 stars on Yelp so we all plugged it in our Map app and met up at Nuestro Mexico Restaurant.
Often the best Mexican food is found in a hole in the wall and you compromise service or seating. Nuestro offers a lovely atmosphere, table service and a full bar.
Bakersfield is an interesting town. It feels very Midwestern (and this is not a slam). The buildings all have breathing room. It does mean that you are more likely to get in your car to go to lunch. Good news, there appears to be plenty of street parking.
My colleagues were really hungry and our server did a great job refilling our diet cokes, salsa and chip baskets while we waited for our food.
I took Sergio2’s advice and ordered a steak taco marinated in a special sauce that in other restaurants may call “al pastor” and is made with pork. Nuestro makes it with “adobada” and it was delicious.
All four of us loved our food. We definitely recommend Nuestro at 716 21st Street in Bakersfield for lunch or dinner.
Have you ever wanted to experience staying within an artist’s studio? I was invited to an art show closing reception at Gallery 1632. It is part of sculptor Gerald Walberg’s compound. Several East Sacramento house properties have been combined to create gallery space, sculpture garden, private home, studio, workshop and VRBO rental property.
The upper level rental property is a sophisticated, modern space and can give you a peaceful retreat if you are in Sacramento on business, or need to visit Sutter Hospital, UC Davis medical campus or Shriner’s Hospital. If I didn’t live nearby I’d say it’d be perfect for a writing retreat.
I’m reminded about the great variety of properties available on VRBO. I like VRBO because there is less interaction with the hosts and more privacy. This spacious studio apartment is certainly unique.
Any year is a good year to celebrate Jane Austen. If you agree with this statement then you don’t need the 200th anniversary of her death to do a little Jane Austen inspired travel. The good news is that many places in southern England are using it as an excuse to offer plays, special exhibits and special events. If you have complete flexibility in your travel check out Hampshire county’s website.
I have a specific time in June when I will be in Hampshire county and Winchester, so I will be able to see three exhibits at the Winchester Cathedral where the novelist is buried:
The Mysterious Miss Austen
Jane’s Winchester: Malady and Medicine
Jane and the Alton Apothecary
The Jane Austen Story
My favorite is an ephemeral event called #RainJane. “Explore the city of Winchester and be delighted as 12 of the writer’s quotes from her novels or correspondence magically appear various locations across Winchester city centre when it rains. Rediscover Austen’s words in Winchester, her final resting place, and re-experience their enduring relevance. Copies of the trail can be downloaded here or hard copies can be collected from Winchester Tourist Information Centre. Explore the city to find the quotes and share your images on social media with #RainJane. A carved wooden and wrought iron bench is placed in College Street in the Winchester College garden as a place to reflect upon a living wall of ivy showcasing one of Austen’s memorable quotes “Know your own happiness. Call it hope.”
If you have flexibility, the week of March 13th there are a number of plays and other events scheduled in surrounding towns. It looks like fun. Events are scheduled at Steventon, Chawton, and Southampton.
England to far away for you? North America has two celebration for Janeites.
The largest Jane Austen event in North America will be in Louisville, Kentucky from July 14 to 16, 2017. The theme this year is “Celebrating Jane Austen’s Legacy: 1775-1817.”
The Jane Austen Society of North America hosts the 2017 Annual General Meeting: “Jane Austen in Paradise: Intimations of Immortality,” at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa October 6-8. Registration fills quickly in early summer, so become a member in good standing so you can take part.
I read about the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum a couple of decades ago before the expansion. I’ve been yearning to visit ever since. The couple of times I’ve made it to Boston the family agenda has superseded mine. I finally made it! Since I first read about it they have added a whole new administrative wing with a cafe, book shop, reading room, music hall and offices.
Gardner created her palace of fine art to show off her collection. What I didn’t realize is that it designed as an immersive experience. It is Gardner’s assemblage masterpiece. For example, the wing she added for John Singer Sargent’s El Joleo. Her cousin owned the painting and accepted an ambassador appointment. He had planned to will her the painting, so she offered to “babysit” and then immediately added this Spanish Cloister to best display the painting. On one side are spanish tiles and pottery and an archway into the center courtyard garden, and on the other side is a mirror to better enjoy the painting and light. She didn’t use electrified lighting (although her personal apartments did) so there is a place on the floor where the original lantern stood. She opened the new gallery space to much fanfare, so of course her cousin could not ask for the painting back!
I definitely recommend the docent guided tour. In an hour the docent explains in depth 6 different paintings and in the process you see most of the museum. I must warn you though, you’ll either want to plan for time to go back and look longer at the things you had to speed by on the way, or go again or both! This vignette is typical of Gardner’s creations. In the Raphael room, she created this scene for us to admire Raphael’s painting of a friend. They do have elevators to help people who cannot cope with the stairs.
In 1990 the Museum experienced a theft of 13 paintings–3 from the Dutch room–by 2 men dressed as Boston police officers. This self-portrait of Rembrandt remained because it is on wood and could not be cut out of the frame. There is a $5 million reward for the return of the paintings. They have left the empty frames awaiting their return. The will stipulates that nothing in the gallery can be changed and this has been honored almost to the last inch, making the theft more tragic. The 2005 documentary Stolen is fascinating (I just ordered a used DVD for $12. I originally saw it from a rental from the video store–remember those?).
Isabella Stewart Gardner was fascinating in her own right. A bad-ass woman for her time, or for any time. She used her $33 million inheritance to create this museum masterpiece. I bought a biography, Mrs. Jack, from the excellent gift shop. I look forward to reading it. There were at least 2 portraits of her in the museum. My favorite was the John Singer Sargent portrait hanging on the top floor of the gallery. Henry James introduced Gardner to Sargent and she became his patron and enthusiastic collaborator. He painted her portrait just after the scandal of painting Madame X and having it refused by the client. This portrait also caused a ruckus and Gardner’s husband Jack asked her not to display it in the gallery (and so she did not until after his death). I love it!
Getting to the museum was an easy walk from the Ruggles Station on the Orange Line. Gardner bought the land at the edge of Frederick Law Olmstead’s new park Fenway (what was on the edge of town at the time). There are a number of art colleges surrounding it and it is just a short walk from Boston’s Museum of Fine Art. I also found Lyft to be super affordable and never waited more than 4 minutes for my driver. It is just slightly more expensive than the T. It is only $15 admission but thanks to my Crocker Art Museum membership I got in free. There are senior discounts $12 and student discounts $5. The museum hours vary and the galleries are closed on Tuesdays.
This young woman embodied the enthusiasm and spirit of the March. Another young woman had a sign that read “What Would Hermoine Do?
It was so thrilling to be part of history. This was the biggest worldwide march for women ever. It came together within just a few months with marches from Antarctica to Stockholm and all across the United States. My son and I went to the Women’s March on Washington, DC. It was the first really big march for either of us.
We drove from Boston to DC on Friday. It was a very long day due to traffic and weather. My college chum Carole was hosting us and her nephew Cade (who was my other March buddy). We chatted briefly, made plans for the morning and then went to bed.
With Carole’s local knowledge we were able to get going at 8:30 a.m. and beat the traffic. She went way round to the back of the Capitol and came back in, dropping us a few blocks behind the Supreme Court building. People were already streaming from everywhere–with pussyhats. So many pink hats!
We were packed in tighter and tighter. Everyone stayed positive, but after about 4 hours we needed to find an edge of the crowd.
We joined the throngs and walked toward the Capitol. Cade has worked for an Illinois Senator one year, so he knew his way around. Really though, you just had to follow the masses. Like everyone else we collected signs, button, and stickers, and took pictures of so many clever signs.
We walked past the inauguration infrastructure as it was being broken down. We kept expecting to have to go past some sort of security check. None. We never saw any police presence the entire day. They made no arrests at any of the dozens of Marches. The mood was good natured and even joyful at times.
The main stage was on Independence and because of the 500,000 participants we couldn’t get any closer than the Mall. Since none of us could hear the official program, people got creative and started their own chants. The most common was “This is what democracy looks like.” After 4 hours of crowd jostling I was hoping that Democracy might have a little more elbow room.
We began to make our way across the Mall and up 4th Street. This took another hour. More and more marchers were arriving to replace the small stream that were heading to the sides. So many marchers filled the area that it shut streets down for blocks. There was a festival atmosphere everywhere we went.
We noticed that some of the more expensive restaurants were closed for private inauguration parties, but we saw very few Trump supporters or school groups. We were getting peckish and Cade had been telling Tevis about District Taco, so I knew we’d end up there for lunch. It is delicious. My only suggestion is to add more seating!
The Metro became more and more crowded as the day wore on. We hopped on the red line to go to our friend Gary’s house and watch the speakers and music on CSPAN. We caught the end and then marveled at the many other marches around the USA–especially San Francisco. Beautiful.
The day held such a positive spirit. I still cannot get enough Facebook shares from family and friends who attended marches in Oakland, Sacramento (my grandson!), San Francisco, San Diego, Boston and my friend Mexicali Cindy who helped organize the very first March of the day in Auckland, New Zealand. Right on!
I love the way women create together. The Women’s March was a spontaneous reaction to the US election results. Loads of women (and men) thought they’d be celebrating the first woman President. Cue glass ceilings shattering. Instead we shared a state of shock and dismay. What does it mean when a man who grabs kittycats and whose Vice President is hostile to women’s health issues is going to form the 45th Administration? So after a viral bump and then some rumbles about the organization and sustained enthusiasm from around the USA and then the world (over 35 countries having Women’s Marches too), the Women’s March in Washington and over 270 cities in North America will take place on January 21, 2017.
Sometime in early January friends sent me links to the Pussyhat Project. I knit and I’m going to the March in Washington, DC so it’s like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. I scooted over to my local wool shop Rumplestiltskin to buy pink wool yarn and some circular needles and downloaded a couple of patterns for Pussyhats on Ravelry.com. My knitting is not as fast as it used to be and I have enough yarn for six hats. My goal is to knit four before I leave on Wednesday morning for Boston, then two on planes, and automobiles. It is fun and women are sharing photos on Instagram and women who cannot go to DC are knitting in support. This so reminds me of other women organized events–we ace the details and embellish and enhance until it is something truly special.
Why am I flying to Boston? Don’t I know that Boston is an 8 hour drive from DC? My son and granddog Dozer moved to Boston in August and I have not visited them yet. I am going to spend some time in Boston before and after we drive to DC for the March. Not sure my son will want a Pussyhat, but he’ll have the option. He is an excellent driver so I will be able to knit, a lot.
#WhyIMarch is to speak out as a woman who has experienced adversity because of my gender that women’s rights are human rights. I am motivated by this election to #staynoisy and to not take the progress women have won for granted.
Poor, poor Placerville. Overlooked as a destination except for those in desperate need of a restroom and a hot drink on their way home from Tahoe. Or just an exit to get to Apple Hill. So unfair. Of course the town is laid out more to please itself than visitors (and bathrooms are scarce).
Lunch at the Farm Table at 311 Main Street
My friend Cameon had spied Placerville’s latent charm when she passed through with her kids. She thought we should go back and explore. So one Saturday we did. It just happened to be raining cats and dogs.
Our first intention was to check out Lofty Lou’s yarn shop. If you Google it a photo of the old shop comes up. They have moved to a much roomier place at 263 Main Street. Lucky for us it was also a short jog from the public parking lot. It is a lovely store with a great variety of wool and other fibers. They also offer a lot of classes and have a classroom space.
We also found hard to find candy, and terrific Christmas ornaments. It does not take more than an hour and a half to circuit the main part of Main Street with stops.
We ended our visit with a delicious lunch at the Farm Table. They describe themselves: charcuterie – good food – provisions. We warmed up with a tasty soup and shared a salad. There is not a lot of sit down dining space, but there are choices for picnic lunches and pickled preserves to go.
The best thing going for Placerville is how close it is to downtown Sacramento and Folsom–different and yet not more than a 45 minute drive. It offers a different vibe–because it is essentially a mountain town to serve the local community. I mentioned our adventure to a friend and she asked if I had checked out the hardware store. She gushed about how awesome it is–an old fashioned, hard-to-find anymore hardware store.
Cameon and I also just went to old town Folsom for breakfast and shopping. It is much closer (especially for Cameon), with good food options. We ate at Peaches for a wholesome and tasty meal. The shopping options were also good, although my favorite store Roost is closing at the end of January. By comparison it is more quaint than Placerville. Aside from the farmer’s market on Saturday, it is designed more for visitors than Folsom residents. It is a destination for cyclists and runners using the American River trails, or for antique hunters.
Both towns are great options for something interesting to do with a friend on a Saturday morning.
Not listed was the mural walk, or Second Saturday, or the Kondos Gallery at Sac City College
What happens if you read the list of 51 things to do in Sacramento before you die and you discover you’ve done most of them? Sacramento Magazine’s cover story for January 2017 throws down the challenge. So over lunch at Plates2Go I read through the list and realized that I have very little to do before I die.
Of course I have lived here most of my 54 years so it is perhaps not surprising that I have done so much of what is on Anna Quinlan’s list.
So here is what I have done: (using their numbers)
2. Drink a $2 beer with the River Cats… I have been to numerous River Cats games, plus the Assembly vs. Senate ballgame, plus a 107.9 concert with SmashMouth. Great venue on a summer’s eve.
3. Dance on the Patio at The Pheasant Club. I have not danced, but I have dined at the Pheasant Club many, many times, including on the patio. It was former County Supervisor McGowan’s favorite place to meet. I sometimes wonder if they saw a dip in business when he got his Governor’s appointment. Supervisor Oscar Villegas prefers Broderick.
4. Find some food-truck fare. Not hard around the Capitol. But I have also been to Sactomofo.
5. Pack a picnic with items from Corti Brothers. I have shopped at Corti Brothers and it deserves respect for having a wide selection of gourmet items before anyone really appreciated gourmet in Sacramento. But if I am packing a picnic lunch, I am going to Selland’s on H Street.
6. Get a roast beef sandwich at Bud’s Buffet. OMG, get anything there and your delish meter will tilt, as will your fat and carbs meter. Funny how those are related.
7. Don’t walk past Moxie’s front door. It is in my neighborhood so I do walk past the front door, but I have also gone in and enjoyed an amazing dinner or two.
13. Cheer on the dachshund races. I have been to Picnic Day at UC Davis numerous times and I got close to the races, but could not get in. Happily settled for sheepdog trials instead.
14. Milk a cow at the State Fair. I have visited the livestock barns many, many times over the years…as a 4Her, as a cousin of a 4Her, and as a summer employee of the State Fair. I did not milk a cow, but I did get to ride a Budweiser Clydesdale early one morning at the Cavalcade of Horses.
15. Bet on the horses at Cal Expo. I remember when there were trotters.
17. Row a scull at the Port of West Sac. Okay this shouldn’t count but I’m going to try anyway… my daughter rowed one season at Lake Natoma and I watched.
20. Cheer on cyclists at Amgen Tour of California. YES! As a cycling fan I don’t miss this unless I am in Italy watching the Tour d’Italia.
21. Ring a cowbell at a Kings Game. Okay so I’ve sat a quarter at courtside courtesy of Southwest Airlines, and I have sat through many other Kings Games. I may not have rung a cowbell but my basketball days are done, so check.
25. See an indie flick at the Tower Theatre. Too many to count…
26. Take a friend to the drive-in… saw the first Star Wars there.
27. Pregame a show at Crest Theatre with drinks at Empress Tavern. Been to both more than once.
29. Go sledding in Strawberry. Check.
30. Check out the corpse flower at UC Davis Arboretum. I have walked around the arboretum too many times to count and I recommend you do too if you haven’t experienced it yet. My favorite is the oak grove.
31. Take a walking tour of the Christmas lights in the Fab 40s. My P.O. Box is right in the thick of the Christmas light traffic. Walking is a good suggestion. I have walked Dove Court in Orangevale with my family to see the Christmas displays. Counting it.
32. Tour the Old City Cemetery at Halloween. I have gone on a tour with a group of mystery writers. Highly recommend this experience with a knowledgeable docent any time of year.
33. Run to Feed the Hungry. Check.
35. White knuckle white-water rafting trip. I did this with a group of colleagues from the US Bureau of Reclamation as a team building exercise. Got my adrenaline pumping!
36. Take a historic river cruise. Check. Several times. They actually want you to take a cruise where they tell you the history. Technically I have done the river dinner cruise, and I’ve spent several evenings on the Delta King for various fundraisers.
37. Get a foot massage and Thai coffee in Sacramento’s Little Saigon. Thanks to my friend Anita and the Happy Day Spa, I’ve done this. Good times.
43. Tour the Capitol. It is a gem.
44. Pan for gold in Coloma. I was a 4th grader in Sacramento; my two children were 4th graders in Sacramento. Need I say more?
Santa Lucia bringing cookies to the celebrants at St John’s Lutheran 2016
45. Light a candle at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. I have attended concerts at this beautiful church, but I regularly attend St John’s Lutheran and we have a wonderful tradition of celebrating Santa Lucia Day. At the end we light candles and process to a light supper and dancing round the Christmas Tree.
46. Go on a dive bar pub crawl. I’ve met people at these establishments over the years and I hosted a pub quiz crawl fundraiser one year.
47. Grab a late night sweet at Rick’s Dessert Diner in midtown. Check.
49. Refuse to share a buttermilk bar from Marie’s Donuts. Well not the buttermilk bar per se…
50. Scream for Ice Cream… Yes, I have tried all of these ice cream establishments except Burr’s.
51. Customize a box of chocolate at Ginger Elizabeth. I lived above this shop for a year so I have eaten my fair share of delicious chocolate.
These ideas are worth pursuing:
One. Go to an event at The Barn in West Sacramento. Good idea, I hope to someday soon.
8.Score a ticket to the Tower Bridge Dinner. Want to take me?
9. Eat at The Kitchen. I am probably the only one of my friends who has not eaten there.
11. Get a degree from Cocktail Academy at Hook & Ladder. I don’t drink much but it still sounds like a fun and useful skill to acquire with friends.
18. Take your down dog off leash at Yoga in the Park. I enjoy yoga. I might try this. I did take my dog Radar to McKinley Park for dog training many Saturdays ago–so I’ll watch where I put down my mat!
19. Join the Tower Bridge Battalion at a Sac Republic Game. Really, really want to do this.
24. Dance at the Crocker Ball. I am not an enthusiast for getting all dolled up, but I do love to dance. And I love the Crocker Art Museum. Maybe if the right fella asks me.
38. Dance to the sound of Taiko drums at the Buddhist Church bazaar. I love percussion. I am game for this.
39. Eat a gyro at the Sacramento Greek Festival. Sure why not.
Sorry, I am not into that…
10. Ride the SacBrewBike. Oh, they are ubiquitous on a summer evening in Midtown. I don’t begrudge them their fun, just would rather ride my own bike to Big Stump Brewery for Pub Theology with St John’s Lutheran crew.
12. Book a limo tour of Amador County’s best wineries. Pass.
16. Get your butt kicked at SacTown Fit Crawl. Nope, if I am going to get sweaty it will be a Zumba class with Paco at Sierra II.
22. Let your freak flag fly at SacAnime. Hey, I enjoy seeing you all come into Starbucks when the the various conventions are going on, and I enjoy looking at Bill Reid’s photos of “freaks” but I will stay on the sidelines thank you.
23. Wear white after Labor Day at Diner en Blanc. I don’t enjoy getting dressed up. In fact, I have a friend’s fancy dress birthday party on the Isle of Wight in June and I am already getting stressed about what I’ll wear. Besides I’m sure to spill and then it would be Diner en blanc, and green, and yellow, etc.
28. Go paddle-boarding on the river. They are suggesting paddle-boarding from Discovery Park to Crawdads. Hmmm. I participated in Young Life’s Raft Race back in the day and I’m not sure I’d recommend paddleboarding on the Sacramento River.
34. Get on board the beer train. No thanks.
I’m not a super huge live music enthusiast: 40. Claim a front row picnic blanket at Pops in the Park; 41. Rock out with Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera; 42. Be an audience for One Man Band. I have enjoyed the Sacramento Gay Men’s Chorus holiday concert.
47. Smoke a hookah and watch the belly dancers at Kasbah Lounge. Allergic to smoke.
I was looking for something to watch other than sport or politics and I found A Few Good Pie Places on PBS.org. Most of the places they featured were east of the Mississippi. One of the exceptions was Ikeda’s in Auburn. How had I not heard of their pie before? Afterall, they sell 80-100,000 pies a year!
Meanwhile, my friend Dan Macon was also celebrating a milestone–24 of his photographs from his 365 Days of Sheep are featured in art show in the Auburn City Hall. I called my Mom and invited her to join me to taste the pie and see the photos. She added Machado’s to our list of places to go.
We went straight to Ikeda’s to enjoy pie. Surprise, they serve breakfast and lunch too. I had a delicious western chicken sandwich combo and my mom a burger. Then we shared a piece of wild blackberry pie (yum) and tasted the french apple (too sweet). There is also a complete store of fruit, vegetables and other delicious foodstuffs.
We then proceeded a short distance to Machado Orchard. I bought a bag of Empire apples and a slice of classic apple pie. The filling was delicious but Mom and I agreed that the crust was doughy.
We were feeling ready for a nap! We pressed on to find the Auburn City Hall. Google seemed a bit confused. We parked at the beautiful courthouse in Old Town and walked the block to the City Hall. Alas, it is not open on weekends. We could see some of the photos through the doorway and we definitely will return.
Most people in the greater Sacramento area think of Apple Hill at this time of year for pie and fruit (east on Interstate 50). Auburn is about equidistant from downtown but east on Interstate 80. It has a growing number of small farms. October 9 is Placer Grown Farm & Barn self guided tour from 10-4.
The Journey, Up With People performance, last night was excellent. It made it even more fun to have met the cast beforehand. Their energy and enthusiasm is inspiring. I loved the original songs especially Peace Party and Won’t be Afraid. If you have the opportunity to go, do. And if you have the opportunity to be a host family, volunteer. Your faith in the next generation–from around the world–will be reaffirmed.
am taking my Mom to our first Up With People performance. This program is celebrating 50 years of youth leadership. Originally posted on LeadersCompass.org.
Up With People is in Sacramento this week. The program participants exercise their leadership by organizing various events including a leadership round table. Fourteen local leaders, including me, joined the 100 cast members to talk about leadership. In each group of about 6 people, we could ask each other anything, follow any aspect of leadership. We talked for about 10 minutes and then moved on to the next circle.
I was very impressed by the young people from around the world who are a part of the program. They are a terrific reminder that many 20 somethings are ready to take on leadership and make our world a better place.
They also sing and dance. If you are in the Sacramento area, please support this terrific program by attending their performance on Friday September 30 at 7:30 p.m. at Memorial Auditorium. Tickets available on-line or at the box office. $25…
A group of colleagues needed to find lunch after a meeting. Sergio1 found a Mexican restaurant with 4.5 stars on Yelp so we all plugged it in our Map app and met up at Nuestro Mexico Restaurant.
I have a specific time in June when I will be in Hampshire county and Winchester, so I will be able to see three exhibits at the Winchester Cathedral where the novelist is buried:
We went straight to Ikeda’s to enjoy pie. Surprise, they serve breakfast and lunch too. I had a delicious western chicken sandwich combo and my mom a burger. Then we shared a piece of wild blackberry pie (yum) and tasted the french apple (too sweet). There is also a complete store of fruit, vegetables and other delicious foodstuffs.
We then proceeded a short distance to 
americanjulie.com 