Home from Home for the Holidays

We figured Christmas Day might be a good day to fly – going West to visit our girls in the San Francisco Bay Area. 10 am flight, get in 1:30pm PST, plenty of time to enjoy the holy day. Well, of course there were airport delays at Newark, no surprise, but it wasn’t the weather, although an atmospheric river was still raging out West. No, they didn’t have a tug driver to tow our plane to the gate – it had arrived the night before. That was 2 hours, plus another hour for SF airport window. So, closer to 5pm pickup by Sam’s boyfriend Angelo and over to Oakland, still good timing for Christmas dinner – better for the hosts actually, they are late starters.

Both our girls are in their 30s – our oldest, Samantha was born in California, north in Humboldt County where we lived for 10 years. We left for Sue’s roots in NJ when she was 8 months old. But now she’s found her own roots and has no plans to leave. Sam just launched a decoration business Brookeley Adornment. Our younger, Caroline was born in NJ, but she’s been stationed in San Francisco for two years working on a Masters Degree in psychological counseling (Somatic therapy), and she may stay westside too.

We had only 5 days, but we made the most of them:

Boxing Day, disc golf with a couple of old buddies from my disc golfing beginnings nearly 40 years ago. The River was blowing out, very windy conditions in the East Bay, tough for everyone, actually leveled the playing field for rookie Angelo. And we did get rained on, but we had Sierra Nevada Celebrations (‘Cellies) to keep us going. Thanks Mike Belchik! After a brief stop at Alameda Brewing for supplies (recommend the Coast Classic West Coast IPA, also check out the takeouts next door at Monkey King), over to artist Gabe Coke’s place in Alameda for a get together, family and faces old and new.  Later family dinner at fantastic Columbian restaurant, Parche – great food and cocktails (entire menu gluten-free).

Dec. 27, blue skies and a visit to our old friends Bruce and Michele who live in Hall’s Valley over the eastern ridge from San Jose and Silicon Valley. Bruce’s relatives had ownership of an old empty schoolhouse up there and back in the 1980s, he convinced them to sell it to him on the condition he restored it. He and Michele have been living there ever since.  A few years ago neighboring Joseph D. Grant County Park Grant expanded its area, and the schoolhouse is now inside the park. It really is a sanctuary, complete with an eagle’s nest at the end of their driveway.

 Dec. 28, waking up in SF, we’re with Caroline who’s renting a room in the house of another old friend, Henry. It’s worked out well for them both. Henry, a recent octogenarian is still going full tilt, or at least ¾ tilt. Well known in the business community, he heads a South of Market business group as well as running his own construction consulting firm.

Today, we gaze at artwork in Golden Gate Park De Young Museum, try for a hike at Lands End, but the sun is out and so are people after 5 days of rain – there is no place to park. We find a spot over by the Cliff House and are able to get in a decent walk over to the Beach Chalet for lunch – a respectable, and now long-running brewpub with good food and a great view of the ocean. We catch sunset over the Pacific on the walk back to the car and watch a sand artist at work.

Later, Sam and Angelo join us at Noe Valley neighborhood bar The Valley Tavern with my old English buddy Simon, who like me traversed Atlantic and country to settle on the West Coast. The 49ers were playing the Chicago Bears and it was raucous, but a great feel for the locals. Angelo, a Chitown native was probably the only Bears fan in the building but it didn’t matter, staff and customers were very friendly and the Niners won a nailbiter. One of my West Coast favorites, Russian River’s Pliny the Elder is among the multiple tap offerings.

Native American art at the De Young

Golden Gate Park

Marin Headlands

Dec. 29, sun is still shining so it’s over the Golden Gate Bridge to the Marin Headlands and Rodeo Beach. Once home to Fort Cronkhite, a U.S. Army coastal defense post built in the late 1930s and early 1940s as part of the Harbor Defenses of San Francisco, it is now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area with biking and hiking trails along the Pacific cliffs.

Back in SF, Sue and Caroline drop me off in Golden Gate Park for more disc golf with Angelo and friend – he’s hooked on the sport! I have time to saunter through the park, so much to see and so many people of all origins out and about to enjoy it. The course is busy and we banter with several locals. I’m tired – my legs logged 11 miles over the past two days. Great way to finish is at our girls’ favorite Noe Valley restaurant, Novy.

Dec. 30, clouding over, time to leave, but not before a stroll up and down 24^th Street and a stop at Noe Valley Bakery for Sourdough Bread, and Caroline’s favorite Martha and Bros. Coffee Co. (For bone broth fans, try Trad Bone Broth – all kinds of flavors on tap!). Only a 45-minute delay at the airport and we’re out before it begins raining again for the next five days! (Bonus – I found Pliny again on tap at the airport, so had a big one before boarding.

We arrive to a frigid midnight NJ welcome, but with warm memories in our hearts.