DAY TRIPPING

Picture above from Wikipedia source, and photo is Public Domain.  The cluster of tall buildings near the water's edge happens to be the condo complex that my sister recently  moved to. 

The following day was spent touring the area around my sister's new home.  I freely admit that she has a plethora of  good eateries and fine restaurants in her vicinity.  There is also abundant shopping and a fantastic mall devoted completely to oriental cuisine and shops, which could have been an all day adventure in itself.   Unfortunately during this excursion my camera was left back at my sister's condo, not on purpose - just an oversight or a case of forgetfulness on my part.

Once my sister, Norma, gave us a taste of the area close to her condo, she then took us to The Legion of Honor,  where we viewed their exhibition of,  "18th to 20th Century Neoclassical through Post-Impressionist Art".   Though my camera was with me this time,  I felt it was inappropriate to take photos of these famous pieces of art, especially if a flash would be required.  

Above - Dancer by Edgar Degas

Now here I must make a confession.  First of all I am not a person who can spend 30 or 40 minutes staring at and studying a painting, I'm doing well to spend 5 or 10 minutes in deep contemplation. Secondly, my hubby, though he can appreciate art, is hard pressed to spend 5 or 10 minutes in an art museum period ! 

Above - Still life by Paul Cézanne

Therefore after having spent a couple of hours wandering about looking at the incredible works of Seurat, Cézanne, Renoir, Degas, Monet, Picasso and many other impressionist artist,  John and I had more than our daily quota of high brow culture for the day.  So when Norma suggested several other, highly cultural, exhibits we could tour, it was no surprise that both John and I voted unanimously to see the "Rosie The Riveter" exhibition.

 

I won't go into extensive detail about this exhibit but I will tell you we all enjoyed it immensely and I would not hesitate to recommend it to others who are visiting the San Francisco area.   

The exhibit is primarily dedicated to women's contribution in the work force during WWII, theirs' was an era when women were thought of as wives, mothers and homemakers and society, as a whole, felt that a woman's place was in the home.  It was an eye-opening revelation to see how many women back then defied this stereotypical conception and came out in force to help their country.

 

 

 

Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park was established in 2000, and their visitor center opened its doors in May 2012.

This is a national park, which explores and honors the efforts and sacrifices of American civilians on the World War II home front.  Come to the Visitor Center, watch a film, view exhibits, to find out how Americans lived, worked and got along. Many faces, many stories, many truths weave a complex tapestry of myths and realities from this time of opportunity and loss.

Address: 440 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond, CA 94804
Phone: (510) 232-1542



Moving on - Finally

As far as the progress of my trip out West is concerned, I believe I left everyone at a rest stop in Oregon.  4th of July came into focus, along with a couple of July birthdays and a few health issues and I became distracted . . . it could be that I suffer from undiagnosed ADHD, though I'm not at all sure about the "hyperactivity" part.

My hubby and I spent the night in Medford before driving the rest of the journey to San Francisco, where my youngest sister, Norma, lives. 

After trying unsuccessfully for several years to sell her large home in Novato, California, Norma was finally able to sell it this time around and for a much fairer price than she would have gotten a couple of years ago.  She has now purchased a smaller condo that over looks San Francisco Bay.  The view is spectacular, and the area around her offers a lot to do and to see but I'm sure the downsizing is going to take a bit of getting use to.

Photo above - View from my sister's balcony overlooking San Francisco Bay. 

Photo below - Even though there was summer fog, we were able to see the City of San Francisco from Norma's condo.

Photo below - The Bay Bridge that connects the city of San Francisco to Oakland and Berkeley.

 

Photos below - And then of course there's the Golden Gate Bridge.  Yes I know it's a long ways away but with my cheap little point and click camera, my zoom capacity is about 3X or 5X, which is almost nothing.

 

 

 

 

A tiny mission at the end of the mission trail

Hello from Boise, Idaho !
The day has been long and tiring, amazing how tired one can get from sitting in a car all day long. We left Issaquah, Washington early this morning, around 8 a.m. and drove from Washington state through Oregon and now, after about 7 hours of driving ( between 75 and 80 mph), we are in Idaho...Boise to be exact. I will keep this short as I can hardly keep my eyes open.

Our stay in Navoto, California was a short one and we really didn't do a whole lot of sight seeing. I did get to have a lovely visit with my sister which was the primary purpose of our stopping in the San Francisco area.

Photos below are of the Mission San Francisco Solano in Sonoma, California. This is the last and finale mission on the California mission trail.

Photo below...Love the little pomegranate tree at the front of the mission.

Photo below...Front entry of mission church.

Photo below...another lovely old mission door.

Photo below...Mission's historic plaque.

Photos below...The historic City Hall of Sonoma California.

Photo below...The largest Eucalyptus tree I've ever seen. Had to get a shot with my sister and hubby next to it.

Forgive me for cutting this so short but as I said the day has been long and tiring and we have gone many miles since we first arrived in Los Angeles California. I hope to get the photos of Bend Oregon posted tomorrow but tomorrow is also going to be another 7 or 8 hour drive...this time from Boise to Rock Springs, Wyoming. Pardon me while I go crash into bed. zzzzzzz

Another long drive before we reach the San Francisco area

As I write this I find myself discouraged and wondering if I am merely wasting my time and efforts on this chronicling of my excursion along the Western states. It's as though I'm calling out into a wind with no one out there to hear me or to care. Perhaps I am mostly alone and my energy would be better spent on doing other things ? But today I have these photos to share so guess I'll give it another shot and see what happens. Perhaps fate will be kind to me...and then again perhaps not...what will my karma be ?

Photo above...After driving through the mountainous desert regions of places with names like Maracopa, Taft, Ventucopa and buttonwillow you're faced with the finale descent into the lower valley lands of interior California.

The trip up from Ojai to the San Francisco area is a long and winding drive through hillsides and mountain terrains. At times the views are scenic with tall trees and breathtakingly steep mountain cliffs, at other times it's dry, barren dessert where vegetation is sparse, punctuated by occasional sagebrush and tumbleweeds. Most of the flat land, whether it was high mountain valleys or low interior valleys, were fertile agricultural land, all that was needed was water ! Unfortunately water is a dear commodity in the Southern areas of California's San Joaquin Valley.

Photo below... A winding road awaits us. At the far right of this photo is a small patch of lush green. The promise of what miracles water can achieve.

Photos below...The view was massive, expansive and impressive. Stretching out as far as the eye could see...rolling hills and clear blue sky and a tiny ribbon of a road beckoning us forward.

The next stop will be after a 3 hour drive to my sister's home in Novato, California. From here on out my journey will continue, but should I continue to post about it ? I keep asking myself this...and all I get are question marks ?????