I spent the better part of last Tuesday’s lunch hour checking out the Concord Farmers’ Market in Todos Santos Plaza.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past several years, you’ve probably noticed these outdoor grocery stores popping up all over the place. In addition to Concord you can hit Farmers’ Markets in Clayton, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill and dozens of other Bay Area cities.
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(photo courtesy of Clayton.com- All other photos by Joe Romano)
I recently introduced you to Clayton, CA, a small town in the shadow of Mt. Diablo.
After many years of political wrangling, Clayton finally managed to move forward with its plans for The Grove Park, which is now a focal point for many of Clayton’s downtown activities.
Situated between Main St., Center St. and old Marsh Creek Rd, the park is home to what was once a huge orchard of Eucalyptus trees, referred to by locals simply as “the grove.” As a kid I spent many a 4th of July in the grove. Residents would gather there after the traditional 4thof July parade to enjoy barbequed corn-on-the-cob, hot dogs and watermelon. There were greased pole climbing contests and other great activities. Nowadays the grove is home to a local farmers market and some fabulous evening concerts. Saturday night Lisa and I took in local act, Mamaluke.
Billed as one of “the Bay Area’s premier classic rock dance bands,” Mamaluke was also one of two finalists in KFOX radio’s “Last Band Standing” competition. Adding to their local roots, two members, lead singer Kenny Byers and guitarist Chris Rossi, graduated from Clayton Valley High School. And, to drill-down even further on the local slant, I was in Mr. Almond’s 5thgrade class with Chris Rossi, and worked at Skipolini’s Pizza with Kenny Byars. Did any of this earn me a guest vocal during last night’s show? Performance fail!
Nevertheless, take one warm summer night, mix in a pitcher of sangrias and one of Skipolini’s famous pies, and top off with some great rock and roll; result - a guaranteed great time. All of Clayton’s local eateries literally surround The Grove, and all of them offer food to go. Or you can even save a few bucks and bring your own picnic.
There’s also the Clayton Store on the south end of the park for those last minute snack and beverage purchases. I’d suggest arriving a little early to stake out a nice spot on the lawn. Throw out a blank, have a beverage and a snack, read and enjoy the sunshine before show time.
The Grove Park also has a playground and plenty of room to run, so Concerts in the Grove is definitely a kid-friendly event.
To check out upcoming concerts, click here –> Concerts in the Grove - 2009 <— there.
The Grove Park
Main St. and Marsh Creek Rd.
Clayton, CA, 94517
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“And back there is the soaking pool,” said Tim, continuing the tour.
“Where?”
“Walk past the theatre and take a right,” he said, motioning with his free hand, the other holding one of the beers that they make on-site.
I walked by a restaurant, pub, hotel rooms and an old meeting room before getting there.
This wasn’t your regular trip to the movies, the wood-oven baked pizza on our laps and pitchers of golden pale ale underneath the retro couch hinted at that - but then again, Bend, OR, isn’t your average town.
The McMenamin Brothers knew that. They were good at finding places like Bend. And inside these hidden secrets of towns, they were even better at finding things like this old Catholic school. Or sheds. Barley mills. Chapels.
You get the idea.
For more than 30 years, the Portland-based duo have been taking old run-down locales and transforming them into what they call ‘Kingdoms of Fun’ - historical buildings remade into pub-based spaces that usually include three-to-four star accommodation, breweries, conference halls and more. In fact, as long as it’s ‘not too formal, too complicated or too orthodox’, they’ll probably be interested.
So should you ever be passing through the Pacific Northwest, give one a try.
Chains? Well - sure. In theory.
But it won’t be long before you - like the others before you - consider experiencing the other 44.
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(photo - Wm Crovo)
The first weekend in May was the 2009 Annual Clayton Art & Wine festival; the 14thyear for this local crowd-pleaser.
As is typical with these events, the weather is great in the days preceding, but on the scheduled weekend, in roll the rain clouds.
If there’s one thing I hate, it’s Art and Rain. I don’t like my art soggy. Wine and rain I can handle, however this time around I opted for the Beer and Art. Which brings up a question; why is it that we never see “Beer and Art” festivals? Beer drinkers can appreciate art as much as those sommelier types. Well I could I suppose, if I knew what actually constitutes “art.”
Every festival involving “art” puts me into a state of confusion. I’ve discovered that, try as I might, I just don’t understand art. Be it a nude woman fashioned from wrought iron, or a life-size likeness of Paris Hilton made of rabbit droppings, what is it that that constitutes something as “art”? Why is it that some things are considered “works of art” while others are works of crap?
I’ll tell you the difference; if someone is willing to pay for it, it can be called art. If no one is willing to pay for it, it’s crap.
But of course that’s why booze is always served at these festivals. Promoters know that after John and Jane Public down a couple of pints, or a carafe of some local hooch, that wine rack made of papier-mâchéd toilet paper rolls is suddenly going to look a whole lot more appealing.
My but I’ve digressed.
So the rain had pretty much subsided by Sunday, so the boy and I took a couple of hours late in the afternoon to check things out. Ten dollars granted me a commemorative pint glass and one (1) beer ticket. Wow. Fortunately, being a local, I “know” people, and more importantly they know me. And by “know” I mean that they gave me free beer.
I’m not much of a shopper but I love walking around these types of festivals. They’re a great place to people watch, take the dog for a walk, and frankly just get a little fresh air and exercise. Free beer doesn’t hurt either. There are plenty of food vendors offering everything from chicken teriyaki to bratwurst and burgers. The boy opted for the fried calamari. He’s got class. If you’ve got young ones there’s a very over-priced kiddie area, with a rock-climbing wall, a few bounce structures and some games. You’re better off taking them over to The Grove Park and letting them play for free.
Incorporated in 1964, Clayton is “nestled at the bucolic base of picturesque Mt. Diablo.” A community of just over 10,000 residents, Clayton has retained its small town charm while managing to become something of a destination city. Its old-West downtown boasts many great little eateries, including Skipolini’s Pizza, a local favorite since 1974 and the workplace of a certain blogger circa 1982. There’s also Ed’s Mudville Grill, a sports bar serving great pub grub, Ed’s more upscale steak joint Moresi’s Chophouse and a nice little Italian restaurant, La Viranda Café. You’ll also find the Cup O’ Jo coffee house, and of course the famous/ infamous, Clayton Club.
(Photo - Pete Laurence)
The only thing missing from Clayton is a nice Bed & Breakfast. Seems it would go nicely with the small town’s “bucolic” atmosphere. But then I’ve never been much of a fan of the B&B, preferring to enjoy my B&B in private. At most B&B’s there’s always some chatterbox who wants to tell you their life story over coffee and a scone.
Sorry, I’ve digressed again. But a B&B really would be a nice touch and something Clayton should seriously consider. If you do happen to attend this event and need a place to crash, there’s always the Holiday Inn Express just up the road. Or you can have my couch. I’ll even make you breakfast and tell you my life story. (photo - Clayton Historical Society)
In any event, at next year’s Art & Wine festival I’m planning to display my “Rocks Reclining with Pigment and Adhesive” sculptures. And, as much as they may appear to just be rocks glued together and spray painted, once some drunken art lover hands me some scrilla, they will magically transform into “works of art;” may you be that art lover.
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Disney has done it again. The house of mouse has teamed up with Amtrak and Hewlett Packard to bring you Christmas in July (also, May, June, August, September, October and November). No jacket required.
In support of Disney’s new Robert Zemeckis vehicle “A Christmas Carol” staring Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman and Colin Firth- a capture-motion 3-D event, they are putting Charles Dickens’ classic tale on wheels, or tracks as the case may be. If I’m not being clear, I’m talking about a train.
What’s great about this free family-friendly destination is that it will be stopping in 40 cities as it makes its way from Los Angeles to New York City, meaning at some point it will be a short daytrip for most of America.
The train itself is not just a promotion for the upcoming film, but also a traveling shrine to author Charles Dickens made up of artifacts on loan from London’s Charles Dickens Museum.
Who knew Disney holiday magic delivered?
Los Angeles- May 22-25
Los Angeles Union Station
800 N. Alameda St.
Grand Canyon (Williams, AZ) - May 29-31
Williams Depot
233 North Grand Canyon Blvd
Santa Fe, NM - June 2
Santa Fe Depot
410 S Guadalupe St
Albuquerque, NM - June 5-7
Albuquerque Amtrak Station
214 First Street Southwest
Denver, CO - June 12-14
Denver Union Station
1701 Wynkoop St
Salt Lake City/Ogden, UT - June 16
Ogden Union Station
2501 Wall Avenue
Sacramento, CA - June 19-21
California State Rail Road Museum
111 I Street
San Francisco/Redwood City,CA - June 26-28
Port of Redwood City
675 Seaport Blvd.
Portland, OR - July 1
Portland Union Station
800 Northwest 6th Avenue
Seattle, WA - July 3-5
King Street Station
303 South Jackson Street
Spokane, WA - July 7
Spokane Amtrak Station
221 W. 1st Avenue
Whitefish, MT - July 10-11
Whitefish Amtrak Station
500 Depot St
Fargo, ND - July 15
North Dakota State University
1301 12th Avenue North
St. Paul, MN - July 17-19
Amtrak Midway Station
730 Transfer Road
Chicago - July 24-26
Chicago Union Station
225 South Canal Street
St. Louis, MO - July 31- August 2
St. Louis Union Station
550 South 16th Street
Memphis, TN - August 4
Memphis Central Station
545 South Main Street
New Orleans, LA - August 7-9
Riverview in Audubon Park
6500 Magazine Street
Houston, TX - August 11
Houston Amtrak Station
902 Washington Avenue
San Antonio, TX - August 14-16
San Antonio Amtrak Station
350 Hoefgen Street
Dallas, TX - August 18-19
Dallas Union Station
401 South Houston St
Oklahoma City, OK - August 21-23
Oklahoma City Santa Fe Depot
100 South E. K.Gaylord Blvd
Kansas City, MO - August 25
Kansas City Union Station
30 W. Pershing Road
Omaha, NE - August 28-30
Durham Museum
801 South 10th Street
Detroit/Darborn, MI - September 4-6
Henry Ford Museum Greenfield Village
20900 Oakwood Blvd
Indianapolis/Bagersville, IN - September 9
Downtown Bargersville
24 North Main Street
Louisville, KY - September 11-13
Louisville Union Station
1000 W. Broadway
Cleveland, OH - September 18-19
Cleveland Brown’s Lot
1085 W Third St
Albany/Rensselaer, NY - September 22
Albany Rensselaer Rail Station
525 East Street
Boston, MA - September 25-27
South Station
2 South Station
Baltimore, MD - September 30
B & O Railroad Museum
901 W Pratt St
Washington DC - October 2-4
Union Station
50 Massachusetts Ave. NE
Atlanta/Duluth, GA - October 6
Southeastern Railway Museum
3595 Peachtree Rd
Spencer, NC - October 9-11
NC Transportation Museum
411 S. Salisbury Ave
Savannah, GA - October 13
Savannah Amtrak Station
2611 Seaboard Coastline Dr
Miami, FL - October 16-18
Gold Coast Railroad Museum
12450 SW 152nd St
Jacksonville, FL - October 20
Jacksonville Amtrak Station
3570 Clifford Lane
Charleston, SC - October 23-25
Ansonborough Field
Washington and Concord Streets
Philadelphia, PA - October 27
30th Street Station
2955 Market Street
New York, NY - October 30 - November 1
Grand Central Terminal
42nd Street and Park Avenue
Dates, pictures and map provided courtesy of the Walt Disney Company.
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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Cleveland, OH
The weekend of April 4, 2009 the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will welcome it’s newest members. Historically, the induction ceremony takes place at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City but this year the ceremony moves to the home of the actual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, OH. This year’s inductees include Jeff Beck, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Bobby Womack, Run-DMC and Metallica.
I will not be attending the induction ceremonies or, for that matter, any of the numerous activities during the week prior to the ceremony. My reasons are not quite as angst ridden and anti-establishment as those of Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols whose band was inducted in 2006.
Sex Pistols Hall of Fame Acceptance Letter
Don’t get me wrong, I love traveling to the city. Cleveland has a world class art museum, the Children’s Museum is one of the finest around. The zoo is fantastic. And it’s home to three professional sports teams: The Browns (football), The Cavaliers (basketball) and The Indians (baseball). But the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Eh. I’ve been there. It’s been checked from the list and fortunately, you’re not required to repeat checked items–unless you want to. I’m gonna pass even with the free admission they are offering on induction day April 4.
If you go, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is located at 751 Eerieside Avenue in downtown Cleveland just a block east of the Cleveland Browns Football Stadium. Take East 9th street and turn left just before you fall into Lake Eerie. You can’t miss it. The building, a seven story tower with an enormous glass pyramid extending from the front, was designed by renowned architect I.M. Pei and I must say is absolutely amazing to see. It’s breathtaking, actually.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (photo Jason Pratt)
Unfortunately, that’s where my fascination with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is going to end. The museum contains exhibits and memorabilia that chronicles the history of rock and roll from it’s earliest blues and gospel roots through today. Heavy emphasis on the early period. Unless you are a die-hard rock and roll historian, there’s probably not a great deal of appeal.
I was also perplexed as to why some of the bands I considered extraordinary were nowhere to be found in the Rock Hall. At the time I was unaware, but a band or person is not eligible for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame until 25 years have passed from their debut. Most of my favorites aren’t even eligible yet.
And I can almost guarantee that your children will know less than 15 of the artists represented there. (I think that’s pretty generous.) Unless you enjoy explaining rock history to your children and unless your children enjoy listening to you explain rock history to them, they will not have a good time.
I suppose there were some interesting things, though. Some of the stage outfits were kind of cool and there were some pretty neat signed guitars and letters. Did you know that Jimi Hendrix was a doodler? And a pretty good one to boot. But overall, it really just wasn’t enough to keep me intrigued.
The Hard Rock Cafe Cleveland (photo hardrock.com)
Should you get hungry, there’s an overpriced and very inadequate grill on one of the upper levels. All in all, considering what you actually get for your admission fee (which at $22 per adult and $13 for children 9-12 could actually feed a village in Sudan for a month) it’s just not worth it. I suggest that if you want Rock and Roll and memorabilia go to the Hard Rock Cafe on West Huron Road. You’ll definitely get more bang for your buck–and the food is better.
Unless otherwise noted all photos public domain.
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Haven’t we all read the Peanuts books or watched the television specials that showed Snoopy fearlessly flying across the fields into enemy territory? I for one recall sitting in my bunk bed when my grandmother would babysit, and pretend I was Snoopy chasing the Red Baron across France. Ra-ta-ta-ta-tat!
Last spring I got to live out my fantasy and ride in a red open cockpit bi-plane. Vintage Aircraft Company has been around for ages. If you drive to the wine country on a regular basis, you will recognize them because their sign and location is on Highway 121 just before the final turn towards Napa Valley.
They have several different vintage planes including a World War II Warbird. My choice was definitely one of their Boeing PT-17 Stearmans, and on the day I went up they had a bright and shiny red one ready for me! It can accommodate two passengers but I wasn’t about to share this ride, so I had a great time sliding about the 32″ seat.
When we got there I learned they offered aerobatics for an additional fee of $50 on any of the planes including my open cockpit bi-plane. Of course I said yes to that and I think they gave me a “famous Cuban Eight” but I couldn’t tell you because unlike regular planes, you don’t get a headset with a mike connected to the pilot. It is a bit like water skiing, just tap your head to ask them to slow down or give the slashing across the neck if you are done.
My 20 minute tour over the beautiful Sonoma Valley was the best. After I stopped thinking about the reality of my possible death, I loved soaring just a few hundred feet above the fields and vineyards.
If you want more they also offer 40 minute flights:
The Wine Country tour: Catch an Eagle’s View of the world renowned vineyards of the Sonoma and
Napa Valleys, heading east across the bucolic Carneros region to Napa, Turn north to St. Helena, West
to glen Ellen then back south through the lush Sonoma Valley. Grapes galore.
West to the Pacific: Aviate over rolling hills and open pastures of Sonoma, Novato and Petaluma;
then head out to Tomales Bay and absorb the Majestic magnificence of the Pacific Ocean.
Spires of “The City”: Drift south toward San Francisco. A panoramic outlook of the Sausalito and
Tiburon Harbors: outlying views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Marin Headlands,
then circle Mt. Tamalpais en route to Point Reyes and your safe Sonoma return.
And this adventure is also available for kids too. They can accommodate a child about 40 inches tall with their booster cushion, though all kids under 10 years must fly with an adult.
When your ride is over there are lots of great Sonoma Valley restaurants nearby or drive a little further into Napa Valley for world class restaurants or maybe just a slice of pie at Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen.
Here is me "Amelia Snoopy Earhart" in my shiny Boeing PT-17 Stearman
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A delicate kiss at Delicate Arch, Utah
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Bay Area Farmers’ Markets - Choose Fresh