Friday, September 18, 2009

San Francisco - Day 2

1. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art http://www.sfmoma.org/pages/explore

The building is cool - five floors overlooking the main entrance. There's a lot of organic-looking stuff (can go through that pretty quickly) then some interesting photography, especially the Oriental shots with recognizable scenes of China. I really liked the early modernists(?) - Georges Braque (cubist phase), Picasso, Kandinsky, the original Flower Vendor by Rivera (Myrtle has a reproduction - it's neat to see the original) and a Frida Kahlo of Diego Rivera (her husband) and herself (a new one to me). I may become a fan.

2. Coit Tower (Don couldn't remember having been there). http://www.inetours.com/Pages/SFNbrhds/Coit_Tower.html
It was a beautiful day and we could see far. The Golden Gate Bridge had some fog around it but everything else was clear. We especially enjoyed the murals around the inside of the building. The elevator ride wasn't my favorite thing to do but we survived.

3. Grace Cathedral. What an amazing structure - very much like being in a European cathedral: http://www.gracecathedral.org/welcome/overview/
I walked the outside Labyrinth (indoor one was being cleaned) and decided I'd had my steps for the day. It was pretty neat.

4. Alamo Park. Don was looking forward to seeing some of the older homes and there are some wonderful ones around there.
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/North_America/United_States_of_America/California/San_Francisco-755471/Things_To_Do-San_Francisco-Alamo_Square-BR-1.html

That was enough.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Fall Trip 2009 - San Francisco


San Francisco Opera and one of my favorites: Il Trovatore. It was wonderful - what else can be said!

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Fall Trip 2009 - Caspar

Phase 2 is checking out the new digs of niece Monica and Michael, Innkeepers at Jughandle Creek Farm in Caspar, California (between Mendocino and Fort Bragg). It's a nature preserve with a farmhouse built in 1870, cabins and campground. Their home is a former creamery nicely fixed up and they are doing well.

(Monica is pointing out the mailbox slot from our 1928 house)

Dinner included fresh salad from the garden.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Fall Trip 2009 - Yosemite

Labor Day has happened and it is time to travel. Kids are back in school, the weather should still be good and our annual San Francisco Opera adventure beckons. Cousin Norm has graciously invited us to travel with him in his beautiful RV.

First major stop - Yosemite. The Big Meadow fire in the Park was contained and the major road into the park opened the evening before we arrived. We stayed in the Yosemite Lakes Thousand Trails and pretty much had the place to ourselves.
The first day was the Park and Village, Day 2 was Hetch Hetchy.