Getting Plowed on Christmas

We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at Mom's. Since she doesn't have Internet access at her house, we had to return home to do our preboarding online for our flight tomorrow to San Diego.

It had continued to snow the past 24 hours (this storm has now been officially declared the "snowiest December EVER in Portland") and we weren't sure if we'd be able to get back up our driveway.

The following video explains how we met a fellow named Heath a block from our house, and how he and his Kubota tractor solved our dilemma.




By the way, do you think this qualifies as a significant icicle? :*)




















Friday's forecast includes rain in Portland, but Highway 84 is open through the Gorge, so we should be on our way to San Diego tomorrow afternoon.

Tom & Pennie

Day 8 of Snow: A View from the Loop

I walked out to our mailbox this morning. After negotiating our driveway, I decided to walk on the "sidewalk" instead of the street.

The difference? The street had been plowed yesterday; the sidewalk lay buried somewhere below 2+ feet of powdered snow.

The result? I took about three steps, boots sinking in the snow up to my knees, then promptly fell face first into the snow. It was sort of a slow-motion tumble -- nothing hurt except my pride. I'm sure any neighbors watching from their windows were saying something like, "Honey, come quick, them stumblin', bumblin' Californy bozos are at it agin!"

In any case, after getting up and brushing off most of the snow, I shot the following short (*) video from the mailbox out on the loop.



(*) As some of you already know, when it comes to my writing, videos and story-telling, "short" is a relative term :*)















Boz

Day 7 of Snow: You Can't Fool Mother Nature

Today's lesson was titled "IT'S NOT NICE TO FOOL MOTHER NATURE."

Despite US Weather Bureau warnings about blizzard conditions in Hood River, when it stopped snowing today, we decided to go grocery shopping and visit my Mom. After all, the repeated warnings about driving in these conditions didn't apply to us, did they?

We backed out of the garage and immediately got stuck in the 3-foot snow burm created by the snow plow. The good news is that when the plow scrapes the accumulated snow off the street, the street becomes semi-drivable; the bad news it that the scraped snow gets piled up in the entrance to our driveway and forms a barrier.

No problem (they thought) -- Pennie got out of our car with the snow shovel and shoveled the snow away from our front wheels (I love her spirit and determination), and voila! we were free and on our way.

The following video will explain what happened next, and how our wonderful neighbors came to the rescue of two hapless, helpless, hopeless (and foolish) snow-rookies.



We hope the weather forecasters are correct, and that we'll be able to drive the 60 miles through the Gorge to Portland on Friday for our flight to San Diego.

In any case, we've learned another lesson about life in the Pacific Northwest.

Tom & Pennie

Snow in Hood River

We've been experiencing an unusual cold snap in Hood River, as is all of Oregon for that matter.

(Gee, there's no such thing as global warming -- it's only a cycle --yeah, right!)

With the exception of a couple of hours during the night on Tuesday, the temperature has remained below freezing since last Saturday (Dec 13). This is the longest period of sub-freezing temperatures in nearly 10 years.

Normally, if it snows in Hood River, we would get 2—3", and then it melts and is gone within a day or two. However, it began snowing last Saturday about midnight and has continued snowing almost constantly since then. Currently we have 14—16" or more on the ground, with more on the way. The forecast says the temperature will finally climb to the upper 30s late Monday and the snow will be replaced by rain through Christmas.

For reference, we have included a couple of "before" pictures taken when we arrived in September. Here they are:













































Then we shot the following videos this morning (Friday, December 19, 2008). Here's the video of our backyard…



Here's the video from our front porch…



As a final note, we love the snow, the rain, wind, sun, trees, the Columbia River, Mt Hood, the wineries, the orchards, and all of the other wonderful and wondrous beauties that form our new life here.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,
Tom & Pennie

Dear Friends:

We ran across the following article while surfing the Internet recently. It’s by a New York Times Travel writer and offers an extensive overview of Hood River.

******************


No Ill Wind in Hood River

By SUSAN G. HAUSER
New York Times

On a sunny afternoon in May, I was strolling through the weekly Saturday Market in Hood River, OR., when a great gust of wind came swooshing through the parking lot where it is held. The vendors selling produce and crafts seemed well prepared. A few stretched out their hands to secure a precarious item or two, but most of the goods were already properly weighted or tethered.

I know this wind well; many years ago, when I hit this point on the Columbia River Gorge, my little VW Bug began to resemble Dorothy's house in ''The Wizard of Oz.'' For a moment or two, I was flying.

I can't recommend that weightless sensation to drivers of small vehicles, but in the last 20 years, thousands of windsurfers have made the pilgrimage to Hood River, around an hour east of Portland, so that they too could fly. Thanks to that mighty wind barreling through the gorge, Hood River is considered one of the best windsurfing sites on earth and now is attracting practitioners of the next generation of solo, high-speed water sports, kiteboarding, which uses parachute like kites as sails.

Both windsurfers and kiteboarders are featured at the annual Gorge Games each July, with competition for prize money in those sports and others, including kayaking, mountain biking and trail running.

Across the street from the Saturday Market, the local brewery, Full Sail, has a fine vantage point of the action on the river from its tasting room and adjoining deck. From there, it looks as if a swarm of colorful dragonflies is hovering above the choppy waves. It's just the usual view on a sunny day in Hood River: scores of surfers riding the waves and flying through the air, their sails and kites billowing in the wind.

Windsurfing continues to breathe life into Hood River, aiding the economy and giving the town of about 6,000 an increasing level of sophistication. This once-pastoral farming and logging community now has a half-dozen or so fine restaurants, mostly because some of the food-conscious athletes, attracted by the quality of life, decided to make it their home.

One is Maui Meyer, a world-class windsurfer and a writer for American Windsurfer Magazine, who happens to have trained as a restaurateur at Cornell University. He first rode the waves here in 1984; in 1992, he opened the Sixth Street Bistro and Loft, serving Pacific Northwest fare, featuring seafood and local produce with Pan Asian touches. Other than the dining room at the Columbia Gorge Hotel, it was the first local restaurant to offer sophisticated fare.

Following in his footsteps were Brian McNamara, originally from Philadelphia, who opened Brian's Pourhouse, also serving Pacific Northwest fare, in 1998, and Mark DeResta from Rhode Island, who a year ago opened Abruzzo Italian Grill.

Mike Caldwell was the only local boy to join the foodie pantheon. After working as headwaiter at the restaurant of the Columbia Gorge Hotel and as a winemaker at one of the two Hood River wineries, he and his wife, Shawna, opened three highly rated restaurants starting in 1998. Two remain: the North Oak Brasserie (northern Italian and southern French) and Stonehedge Gardens (steak and seafood).

As Mr. Caldwell, who comes from a family of loggers, will testify, it took awhile for the local residents to accept the changes brought about by the well-heeled sportsmen who began flocking to Hood River to windsurf, fly-fish or ski year-round at nearby Mount Hood. ''We're very fortunate that the sport of choice is very high end,'' he said.

But the orchardists are getting into the act.

''We have farmers here that go back for generations and they windsurf,'' Mr. Caldwell said. ‘‘and the best mountain biker in town is Craig McCurdy,'' an owner of McCurdy Farms.
Many of the farms are part of what is known as the Fruit Loop, an assortment of Hood River Valley fruit orchards, roadside fruit stands, country markets, wineries and even an alpaca farm that open their operations to visitors. Members offer sights, tastes and activities that would tempt a windsurfer to park his or her board for the day, hop on a mountain bike and follow the 35-mile route from farm to farm through stunningly beautiful country.

By bike or car, the Fruit Loop route offers magnificent views. Snowy Mount Hood rises 11,239 feet about 30 miles to the south, and beyond the thousands of acres of orchards to the north lies Mount Adams (12,276 feet), another snowy peak of the Cascade Mountain Range, across the Columbia River in Washington State. In between is the Hood River Valley, home to more than 300 fruit farms, nearly all family owned for generations.

In April, the multitude of trees is bursting with small white blossoms and framed by the two huge, white-mantled mountains.

Fruit Loop visitors can tour orchards and pick their own fruit in summer and fall, depending on what's in season.
Hood River is one of the largest pear-growing districts in the world, especially winter pears, so look for plenty of Anjou, Bosc and Comice pears in the fall. Bartletts ripen in late summer, along with peaches and Gravenstein apples. Several varieties of cherries ripen in July and August, and more varieties of apples in September and October.

Many of the farms and roadside stands also sell homemade jams, jellies and other products. On the edge of town, McCurdy Farms offers a rather unusual product: eau de vie de poire, pear brandy made by Portland's acclaimed Clear Creek Distillery and containing a pear in each bottle.

The bottles are placed over budding pears in early May, removed in August with full-grown pears inside and filled with brandy distilled from the mash of local Bartlett bears. They sell for $80 each ($32 sans pear).

Many of the fruit growers sell their products at Hood River's Saturday Market, from mid-May to mid-October, and at the many fruit-related festivals that fill the calendar. There's the Blossom Festival in April; the Pear and Wine Festival in May, and Cherry Days in July, as well as the county fair at the end of July. Gravenstein Apple Days are in August and the Harvest Fest is in October.

Another way to see the fruit-growing areas is to ride the Mount Hood Railroad. From the Craftsman-style 1911 train station in downtown Hood River, next to the restored 1912 Hood River Hotel, it makes four-hour round-trip excursions through the valley and into the foothills of Mount Hood, passing numerous orchards. Dinner and brunch trips are available on weekends.

Downtown Hood River, which rises steeply from the Columbia River to an area called the Heights, has numerous historic buildings built from 1893 to the 1930's. Many of these now house the trendy shops and galleries that cater to the young, sophisticated, athletic set.

Another unique tourist attraction in town is the International Museum of Carousel Art, in a former bank. It contains about 120 carousel animals from the collection of 750 of Duane and Carol Perron.

There are horses galore, many carved by Charles Looff. The oldest animal is an 1876 blue heron; the most rare is an 1885 sea horse carved by the Dentzel Company.

Just west of downtown is the Spanish-style Columbia Gorge Hotel, sitting on a bluff next to a 208-foot waterfall that gushes to the river below. The hotel was built in 1921 to provide lodging for the adventurous motorists who were steering their Fords through the gorge on the Columbia River Highway, completed in 1915. It is an elegant, antique-filled hotel, famous for its filling, five-course farm breakfast.

A popular event downtown is First Friday, when the shops stay open late to showcase work of local artists and musicians. Among them is a fine bookstore, the Waucoma; a large cookware shop called Annz Panz; and numerous coffee bars, jewelers and galleries. In addition, there are lots and lots of stores selling or renting athletic equipment.

Those needing a mountain bike can choose from four shops. There are even more for windsurfers, whose names (Storm Warning, Second Wind, Big Winds, Windance, Windwing, Windwear, Airtime, Shred Threads) reflect the reverence for the wind that roars down the river like a locomotive.

In the old days, local residents didn't think that much about the wind. It was just something that gave the occasional VW Bug driver an unexpected thrill. Now, more Hood River denizens recognize the roar of the wind as the sound of their community being revitalized.

The derisive jokes about boardheads have stopped, too, as more orchardists have taken up the sport. At Flerchinger Vineyards, visitors to the tasting room can even raise a glass of Bordheauxd Red.


















A picturesque place to play in the snow, ride the wind or pick some fruit.

Getting There

Hood River is an hour's drive east of Portland along the spectacular Columbia River Gorge on Interstate 84.You can also take the slower scenic route partway, along a 24-mile stretch of the historic Columbia River Highway (Route 30), from just east of Troutdale to a few miles after Multnomah Falls. For more information, including a list of festivals, call the Hood River County Chamber of Commerce, (800) 366-3530, or see www.hoodriver.org.

Where to Stay

The Columbia Gorge Hotel, 4000 Westcliff Drive, (800) 345-1921, fax (541) 386-9141, www.ColumbiaGorgeHotel.com, was built in 1921. This elegant Spanish-style hotel has 40 rooms and beautiful gardens overlooking the river.

The Hood River Hotel, 102 Oak Street, (800) 386-1859, fax (541) 386-6090, www .HoodRiverHotel.com, is a charming, European-style hotel with a fine restaurant, Pasquale's. The 41 rooms are furnished with antique reproductions.

Beryl House Bed and Breakfast, 4079 Barrett Drive, (541) 386-5567, fax (541) 387-8833, www.berylhouse.com, is a 1906 farmhouse four miles south of downtown surrounded by a working pear orchard. There are four guest rooms and two shared baths.

Where to Eat

Sixth Street Bistro and Loft, 509 Cascade Avenue, (541) 386-5737, serves lunch and dinner daily in the pub upstairs or in the intimate dining room downstairs. Among the offerings are ribeye steak with garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed kale.

Abruzzo Italian Grill, 1810 West Cascade Avenue, (541) 386-7779, offers dinner Tuesday through Saturday. On the menu are fresh grilled halibut over morel mushrooms and farro topped with organic arugula and white truffle oil.

Brian's Pourhouse, 606 Oak Street, (541)-387-4344, www.brianspourhouse.com, offers lunch and dinner daily, and Sunday brunch. Dinner choices include gorgonzola-stuffed pork loin with apple brandy sauce and potato pancakes.

North Oak Brasserie, 113 Third Street, (541)387-2310, serves dinner daily and lunch on weekdays in a basement bistro. The menu includes things like potato gnocchi with bacon and fontina cheese.

Stonehedge Gardens, 3405 Cascade Avenue, (541) 386-3940, has dinner daily in an 1898 home with cobblestone terraces. A specialty is seared ahi tuna with wasabi crème fraîche.

What to See and Do

At Panorama Point, visitors can see the finest views of beautiful forests, scenic Mt. Hood, and the fruit orchards of the Hood River Valley. Located just 1 mile south of Hood River on Eastside Rd off Highway 35, it is part of the Mt. Hood Loop tour.

The Mt. Hood Loop tour winds around the foot of Mt. Hood, over streams, through thickly wooded forests, and along the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area past many waterfalls including Multnomah Falls. This two-hour tour will give you a taste of the recreational opportunities available in the Hood River area.

The Hood River Fruit Loop passes by 25 member orchards, farm stands, bakeries and vineyards in and around Hood River. Information: (541) 386-7697, fax (541) 386-7315, or www.hoodriverfruitloop.com.

Lavender Farms, an encounter that will delight your senses! Over 70 varieties of different colors and aromas available for U-PICK—all certified organic! Enjoy magnificent views of Mt. Adams, Mt. Hood, and the Hood River Valley. Pick your own bouquet and take home some of their Fine Lavender Oil, shop the store for dozens of handcrafted items, lavender plants, and honey. Located on the Fruit Loop at 3801 Straight Hill Road, (541) 354-9917 or www.hoodriverlavender.com.

International Museum of Carousel Art, 304 Oak Street, (541) 387-4622, www.carouselmuseum.com is open Wednesday to Sunday afternoons. Admission: $5.

Mount Hood Railroad, 110 Railroad Avenue, (800) 872-4661, www.mthoodrr.com, offers a four-hour excursion from March to the week before Christmas. There are also dinner and brunch trips. Trains leave daily except Monday and Tuesday at 10 a.m., with a second run at 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Full Sail Brewing Company, a nationally acclaimed independent brewery located at 506 Columbia Street, (541) 386-2281, www.fullsailbrewing.com, offers 20-minute tours hourly, noon to 5 p.m. Its pub is open daily noon to 9 p.m.


Cathedral Ridge Winery (2007 Oregon Winery of the Year)
4200 Post Canyon Dr, Hood River, OR - (800) 516-8710
www.cathedralridgewinery

Pheasant Valley Winery
3890 Acree Dr, Hood River, OR - (541) 387-3040
www.pheasantvalleywinery

Quenett Winery
111 Oak St, Hood River, OR - (541) 386-2229
www.quenett.com

Hood River Vineyards
4693 Westwood Dr, Hood River, OR - (541) 386-3772
www.hoodrivervineyards.us

Naked Winery
102 2nd St, Hood River, OR - (541) 386-3700
www.nakedwinery.com

WY'East Vineyards
3189 Highway 35, Hood River, OR - (541) 386-1277
www.wyeastvineyards.com

Phelps Creek Vineyard
1850 Country Club Rd, Hood River, OR - (541) 386-2607
www.phelpscreekvineyards.com

Mt Hood Winery
2265 Highway 35, Hood River, OR - (541) 386-8333
www.mthoodwinery.com

Pheasant Valley Winery
3890 Acree Dr, Hood River, OR - (541) 387-3040
pheasantvalleywinery.com


*************************

We hope this gives you some idea of the good life in Hood River.



Please come and visit us,
Tom & Pennie

Oregon Collage

We are constantly amazed by the beauty all around us in our new home -- Hood River, Oregon. From stunning sunrises over our backyard fence, to the spectacular fall colors in the Gorge, the twin wonders of Mt Hood and Mt Adams, the soaring sea stacks along the coast, and so much more.

For those who wonder why we moved to Oregon, and what our impressions of our new home are, we offer this small collection of photos taken during our first two months here:

Press here to view all photos…

Hood River Thanksgiving

We celebrated our first Thanksgiving as Hood River residents by hosting Tom's mom, his brother Jerry (in photo at right) and his wife Rosalie. We tried a number of new recipes and all were very tasty and well-received.

On the Food Channel, Alton Brown (Good Eats) had suggested that brining a turkey produces the most flavorful and moist turkey. Since we had seen his episode on the brining process, and had heard many other chef's lauding the effects of brining, we decided to give it a try. The bottom line is we will never roast a turkey the old fashioned way again -- brining produced the best bird of all.

ALTON BROWN’S BRINED ROAST TURKEY
1 14—16 lb young turkey, frozen

FOR THE BRINE
1 cup kosher salt
1 cup light brown sugar
1 gal vegetable stock (NOT low sodium)
1 tbl black peppercorns
½ tbl allspice berries
½ tbl candied ginger
1 gal iced water

FOR THE AROMATICS
1 med red apple, sliced
½ med onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
6 leaves fresh sage
Canola oil

OTHER ITEMS
1 5-gal bucket with lid
1 digital meat thermometer with probe
1 electric knife for carving

INSTRUCTIONS
Note: There is no basting in this recipe for two key reasons; one, the basting liquid does not penetrate the turkey's skin and thus has no effect on the meat, and two, opening the oven to baste drops the temperature of the oven and thus requires a longer time to roast the turkey. Instead, the recipe starts with the oven at 500° for thirty minutes to brown the bird, then the temperature is reduced to 350° to complete the roasting.

(*) If the turkey has a popup device, do not remove it until the turkey is done roasting and has rested 15 minutes.

Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stockpot, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

On the evening before the day of cooking, combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5-gallon bucket. Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area (like a basement) for 6 hours. Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.

A few minutes before roasting, heat oven to 500°.

Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and cup of water and microwave on high for 5 minutes.

Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard brine.

Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels. Add steeped aromatics to cavity along with rosemary and sage. Tuck back wings and coat whole bird liberally with canola (or other neutral) oil.

Set a timer for 30 minutes and roast on lowest level of the oven at 500°.
Remove the turkey from oven and cover just the breast with a double layer of aluminum foil.
Insert the probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350°.
Set thermometer alarm to 161°.

A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2½ hours of roasting.

Loosely cover the turkey with foil and let it rest for 15—20 minutes before carving.

Here are three of Alton Brown's videos which we found very helpful:

HOW TO BRINE A TURKEY
http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/turkey-brining-secrets/866.html

HOW TO TRUSS A TURKEY
http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/how-to-truss-a-turkey/27751.html

HOW TO CARVE A TURKEY
http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/how-to-carve-a-turkey/27752.html


CREAMY GARLIC MASHED POTATOES
3½ lbs Yukon Gold potatoes
2 cups half-and-half
6 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbl Kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter, chilled
6 oz Parmesan cheese, grated

Peel and dice potatoes, making sure all are relatively the same size (½" cubes).
Add potatoes to a large saucepan and cover with cold water to 1" above tops of potatoes.
Add about 2 tablespoons salt, cover and bring to a boil.
Cook until tender when poked with a skewer, 15 to 20 minutes.
Drain potatoes and put them back in the pan, off heat, to steam dry and release some moisture for 2 to 3 minutes.

Heat the half-and-half and the garlic in a medium saucepan over medium heat until simmering.
Remove from heat and set aside.

Run the potatoes and the cold butter through a food mill or potato ricer or mash by hand with a potato masher.
Add the garlic-cream mixture, and Parmesan; stir to combine.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Let stand for 5 minutes so that mixture thickens and then serve.


CRANBERRY WALNUT DRESSING
2 6oz pkgs Mrs. Cubbison's Seasoned Dressing
1 cup celery, minced and sautéed
1 cup onions, minced and sautéed
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup wild rice, cooked
¾ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1½ cups chicken broth

Preheat oven to 350°.
Place dressing mix in a large bowl.
Sauté onions and celery, and add to dressing.
Toss lightly.
Add raisins, cranberries, wild rice and nuts to the mixture.
Pour broth over the mixture and blend lightly.
Bake in a covered oven-proof casserole dish at 350° for 30 minutes.
Remove cover and bake 5 to 10 minutes longer for a crisper top.


GRAN MARNIER CRANBERRY RELISH
1 lb fresh cranberries
½ cup sugar
1 oz Grand Marnier liqueur
1 med orange, zested and juiced

For best results, prepare a day before serving.

Place all the ingredients in a food processor, pulse several times to breakdown the cranberries and incorporate the ingredients.
It should still be a bit chunky.

Refrigerate for 24 hours, so the flavors can marry.

Allow the cranberry relish to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes prior to serving.

We hope you'll try these simple and tasty recipes. Enjoy.

Pacific Beach Fun Time

It was time. It was time for Matt and Marianne, and yes it was even time for Danny. It was time for them to experience the extraordinary fun of gliding on a Segway. It was time. It was 10:30am on Friday, June 27, and we had gathered at Segway of Pacific Beach for a little fun. About time.

Although this was my third time gliding on a Segway, I still went through the motions during the training sessions. However, the woman providing the instructions must have had a triple dose of espresso and snorted several lines of coke prior to our session because she spoke so fast and bounced from subject to subject like a ping pong ball that the net result was confusion and frustration. Marianne and I got through it somehow and it was time for Danny and Matt to be her subjects. The training took place inside their showroom. After a few minutes up on his Segway, Danny informed Nurse Ratchet that "I'm going to go down to the far wall and stop two feet from the door," which was greeted by her resounding, "No you're not! You're going to do what I tell you to do."

We were introduced to a young woman named Christine who would serve as our glide-guide. She was relaxed and confident, and we were happy to be free of the drill instructor. We rolled through the doorway, received a few more tips, and finally it was time to glide.

We began our journey by heading south along the Pacific Beach boardwalk. It was a sunny, clear day and the boardwalk was crowded with tourists, strollers, tourists with strollers, joggers, skate boarders, bikers and bathers. It was fun and easy to slalom through these folks. Within a few blocks we turned east on San Jose Place and crossed Mission Blvd to the walkway skirting Mission Bay. Christine turned off each of our restrictors, which meant we were now free to zoom along at 10mph, or twice as fast as when we left Segway of Pacific Beach.

Danny was understandably uncertain about the whole gliding thing, never having "driven" a vehicle before by himself. Initially his shoulders were hunched, as he focused on the ground immediately in front of him. Slowly, Danny began to relax and by the time we stopped to glide up and down a steep pathway, he had decided he was having fun.

The view was spectacular as we navigated the northern rim of the bay, and then continued our loop to the south and west. We passed under the Ingraham St Bridge in single file and continued north again toward Crown Point. Soon Christine veered off the path and onto a grassy area where we were encouraged to glide in any direction we chose. There was a hill nearby and we rolled up to the top and down the other side. We had a blast on the grass.



After a few minutes, we retraced our path to the boardwalk, this time turning south toward the jetty. It was quite a distance and we eased through the crowd past stacks of rental surfboards near Hamil's, past the old Plunge (now called The Wave House), and past the roller coaster.



At the park near the jetty, Matt and Danny (now fully comfortable and even daring) danced around each other on the grass. Matt took a minor spill as he attempted the always difficult "reverse backwards inside turn split axel double slkow with 3.8 degree of difficulty" and would have received at least 9.5s from the judges had he pulled it off. Apparently it was not his time.



We made our way north again on the boardwalk and turned into the alley near the Segway shop since our 11⁄2-hour time limit had expired. But just as we thought our adventure was over, the impish Christine asked, "Would you like to go north for a while?" Silly question. We returned to the boardwalk near Olaf's Ice Cream and we were off again.

As we passed Kono's at the Mission Beach Pier we heard a squeal of tires and turned in time to see Marianne and her Segway on the pavement. Matt immediately wheeled back to her to make sure she was OK. She was fine, and we continued our bonus time on the pathway above the cliffs north of the pier. We finally stopped at a small, hilly park and enjoyed the incredible views of the sand and surf below.

Christine led us back to the Segway shop where we stepped off our machines and reluctantly removed our helmets. But we were unable to remove the smiles of joy from our satisfied faces.

It was quite a time.

Press here to view all photos…

Chula Vista Fun Day

A few weeks ago we were watching Wonderland on KPBS, a program that focuses on different cities in San Diego County each week. The host, Noah Tafolla, visits not only the obvious attractions but also the unique or little known businesses in these cities.

One recent episode was about Chula Vista where Pennie was born and raised. There were two small businesses and a nature center we found interesting, so we planned a fun day in the South Bay to explore a few of Chula Vista’s features.

Our first stop was La Concha, a family-owned panaderia or bakery, located in a strip mall on E Street. There were three self-serve display cases filled with a variety of the typical American muffins and pastries, and traditional Mexican baked goods such as empanada de calabasa (pumpkin-filled pockets), maize (corn-shaped cookies), cochinitas (gingerbread pigs) and other cookies topped with coconut and caramel.

Pennie struck up a conversation with the young storeowner and soon found out that he had graduated from Castle Park where she had begun her high school teaching career. His wife’s family was from Chicago, and they were the founders of the bakery. We mentioned we had seen the bakery featured on Wonderland, and he thanked us profusely for our business.

Since there were no tables or chairs in the lobby, we drove west across Highway 5 to the parking lot of the Chula Vista Nature Center. We enjoyed our coffee and pastries as we watched squirrels munching seeds near the edge of the marshland. It was soon apparent why La Concha had been featured on Wonderland. My banana nut muffin was light, airy and fully baked, as opposed to the dense and soggy muffins so prevalent elsewhere. I also had a cream cheese pastry reminiscent of Mom's kolaches, and the icing was rich and creamy. Pennie’s pumpkin-filled empanada was soft and delicious.

In a few minutes the shuttle bus arrived to take us on the one-mile private road to the Nature Center. Opened in 1988, the facility is one of Chula Vista’s best kept secrets, with displays of Green Sea Turtles, shorebirds, hawks, eagles, sharks, stingrays, jellyfish, and other amphibians, reptiles and raptors. In the main lobby area, Pennie watched an eel and a lobster dance back and forth across the aquarium. Until the lobster … er … relieved himself, and we moved on. Next were tanks and containers with frogs, steelhead trout, rattlesnakes and walking sticks — definitely a strange looking insect.

We went outside to a platform and enjoyed a panoramic view of the marsh and wetlands surrounding the Center. Next we watched several varieties of rays in a large pool, and were surprised by one ray when it turned on its side and continued to splash the water as he maneuvered around the edge of the tank. Adjacent was the large shark tank with three viewing windows.

We passed a pool with ducks and shorebirds including the endangered light-footed Clapper Rail (bane of So Cal developers), and a large snowy egret. As we continued on the trail we came to the raptor displays where we saw a Peregrine Falcon, a Great Horned Owl, a Turkey Vulture, a Ferruginous Hawk, two Golden Eagles and, most impressive of all — a Bald Eagle.

We climbed to an observation deck with an unobstructed view of Gunpowder Point, the bay and the Coronado Cays, and enjoyed the freshening sea breeze. Finally, we went to the Green Sea turtle pool, but they were almost completely hidden in a corner of their tank.

We boarded the shuttle bus and returned to the parking lot. We decided to take a trip down Pennie’s Chula Vista memory lane, and she eagerly served as a knowledgeable tour guide with tidbits of information on Carol Brown's term as Demolay Chapter Sweetheart, the renovation of the Vogue Theatre, the renown La Fonda restaurant, Memorial Park (site of Pennie’s graduation) and finally, the office of her dermatologist, Dr. Pappenfort — unfortunately referred to by all as Dr. Poopenfart.

The second small business featured on Wonderland was Santa Fe Meats. This is primarily a Mexican market and butcher shop, but the reason for our visit was the little, five stool food counter carefully concealed in the rear of the market. We had to wait a few minutes for two stools to become available, and we took the opportunity to browse the aisles and the meat display case. The three butchers were friendly and hard at work, preparing thinly sliced steaks and other traditional Mexican meat favorites.

We took our seats at the counter next to an active four-year old, who was playing both with toys and his food. He was the son of one of the two women cooking in the mini-restaurant, and she scolded him whenever she thought he was bothering me. He wasn’t, though he did stare at me and question me in Spanish, but I wasn’t equipped to respond to him.

The two highly recommended items on the menu were the carne asada and the guacamole. We each ordered a carne asada taco, and Pennie added a pollo asada taco, while I ordered a bisteca taco. It wasn’t necessary to ask if we wanted corn or flour tortillas — corn is the only acceptable tortilla for tacos; the flour variety is like eating a paper plate covered in lard.

We also placed a side order for guacamole, expecting a basket of tortilla chips and a bowl of guacamole. Instead, the cook smiled and nodded as she moved to the grilling area. In a few minutes she brought our tacos, each topped with guacamole. After adding a splash of the fiery red hot sauce (an 11 on the 1 to 10 heat scale), we took our first bites of what we later agreed were the best tacos we had eaten anywhere. Carne asada at other establishments is quite often dry and tough; ours was tender and moist, cooked to perfection. The other tacos were equally tasty, and the guacamole topping each taco was indeed very rich and especially flavorful. We will make Santa Fe Meats a mandatory stop whenever we’re in the area.

We drove east on Main, then north on Highway 805 to Olympic Parkway, then east again to our final destination, Otay Ranch. This huge and very upscale shopping center is located on the bluffs of Otay Mesa. Two weeks ago there was considerable hubbub in the San Diego Union about the opening of a new retail-clothing store — the very hip, reasonably priced and nationally known H & M, the first such outlet in San Diego County. We entered the semi-crowded store and were immediately pummeled by the pounding beat of the background music. We were eager to see what the hyper-buzz was all about, and the fashions were indeed very cool, but we soon realized we did not fit their target market (nor their miniscule sizes), and we quietly made our exit.

We left the shopping center and drove to the new Highway 125 Toll Road entrance. We pulled up behind a car with two young women who didn’t understand how to operate the toll machine. Confused, they sheepishly looked around at us, then quickly threw three dollar bills into the metal coin basket and sped off. We laughed, tossed ten quarters into the same basket, and were home in twenty minutes. Another fine, fun day.

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Coronado Farewell on Segways

Because that's how we roll…


We were a few minutes early for our meeting in front of Barnes & Noble at Grossmont Center, and Pennie took advantage of the moment by visiting Starbucks. Chase Meyer was the first former The UPS Store #2869 employee to arrive. Chase had recently become a San Diego County Sheriff, and he described some of the more physical aspects of his training. Soon Tami Colton-Grenier, Jessi Barrer and Linda Hopkins pulled into the parking lot. As greetings were exchanged, Tom asked the group if they had any idea what the surprise was that he had planned as their farewell activity. None even ventured a guess.

The four piled into Tami's CR-V as she informed Chase that he would be driving. They followed Tom & Pennie out of the parking lot and then west on Highway 94.

FAN (Former All-Star Noriko Singler) was in Japan and unable to participate — we all missed her.)

Soon the caravan was driving over the Coronado Bridge which offered a spectacular view of the harbor on this clear sunny morning. We parked near the Coronado Ferry Landing and crossed the street. The group was standing in front of the Segway of Coronado storefront and suddenly realized what the activity would be. Immediately Tami and Linda were on their cell phones calling home with the excited news of our adventure.

Norm, the proprietor of Segway of Coronado, informed us that we were about 30 minutes early, so we walked around the corner to Tartine, a French bistro, and enjoyed pastries and coffee.

At 11:30-am, Jeff, our instructor and guide, began the training session on the two-wheeled Segways. The group donned safety helmuts and slowly conquered their fears as they learned how to mount, balance, roll, stop, turn and go up and down driveways. The process took about 30 minutes and soon Jeff led us across 1st St toward the bay, with Norm following behind.















After a group photo at the Old Coronado Ferry Landing with the amazing San Diego skyline in the background, the group proceeded single file south along the scenic walkway toward the bridge. Tami momentarily lost control near the Marketplace but soon was on her way again with Norn nearby.

We stopped for a few minutes at a mini-pier as a fisherman grabbed his pole and pulled a small sea bass out of the water. Then Jeff turned off the speed control on each Segway which meant we were now free to zoom along at speeds up to 12 mph, instead of just 5. The increase in speed was definitely exhilarating as we rolled along the bay, attracting the gazes of folks walking, skating or riding bicycles along the walkway.

We passed Tidelands Park and paused underneath the bridge as Jeff gave us information about the bridge, Navy Seals and other interesting tidbits about the bay. Golfers stopped and stared as we rolled along a narrow pathway next to the Coronado Golf Course.

We crossed Glorietta Blvd. and continued on the sidewalks in front of the historical mansions and beautiful homes. When Jeff mentioned we were going to continue on Margarita Ave., some in the group thought he said we were going for Margaritas, but alas, it was not to be.

After touring more neighborhoods, we returned to Tidelands Park where we were encouraged to "off-road" anywhere we wanted on the grassy fields. Everyone raced off in all directions on the rolling grass hills, but this momentary free-form riding was over all too soon. We slalomed back onto the scenic walkway toward the Ferry Landing.

Jeff and Norm guided us back to the storefront and our Segway adventure was over. We waited a few minutes as Jeff printed copies of our group photo, a nice touch. As we returned to our cars, Tom was presented with Thank Cards from each member in the group.

Tami, Chase, Jessi, Linda and Noriko — my former employees, and now my forever friends.


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Baja Winery Trip

On the last day of May, we decided to celebrate Tom's first day of retirement with a trip south of the border. We arrived at Balboa Park at 7:30-am, and boarded our bus to the Baja wineries located in the Guadalupe Valley 20 miles east of Ensenada. Our adventure was sponsored by the San Diego Natural History Museum under the guidance of Maria Mitrano, owner of Andiamo Tours, and her daughter Esther.

The border crossing is always easy going into Mexico, and soon we were on the toll highway skirting the Pacific. We had been on two previous trips to Ensenada, and the weather for both was dreary and overcast. But not this time—we were treated to clear blue, cloudless skies over the rolling surf—and fantastic views of the coastline—and some surrealistic views if you count the multi-colored, bizarrely-shaped Mexican hotels, condos and villas.

Along the highway we passed a towering statue of Jesus, the Fox Studios where Titanic and Master and Commander were filmed, and the Tuna pens where the fish are fattened up before being flown to Japan where they fetch a huge price as a prized delicacy.

After making a pit stop just north of Ensenada, we turned east on the winding road and drove past the tiny village of San Antonio de Las Minas, where we had been introduced two years ago to the wonders of Barbecoa—lamb cooked in the ground for 24 hours—and a lecture on the history and production of Tequila, accompanied by many tastings.

But today's trip was all about Baja's burgeoning wine industry, as we focused on three wineries. The first stop was the small, family owned and operated Liceaga Winery. We received a brief tour of the operations before adjourning to the marble-floored tasting room. It was only 10:30-am but we enjoyed five fine tastings, topped off by a tiny, but powerful portion of their Grappa, a liqueur designed to promote paralysis. We purchased a bottle of the 2006 Castillo de Las Minas, a blend of Grenache and Merlot. Our early-morning buzz had begun.

Barón Balch'é, the second winery on our tour was slightly larger in terms of acreage and production. The vintner, Jesus Salgado, led us on the tour down into the cool, dark cellars, repeatedly stressing that he was committed to quality, not quantity. His wines ranged in price from $12 to over $200. Here's a sample of his passion for his product:

The Mission of the Barón Balché Vineyard is to produce the best wines in Mexico for the discriminating palate. Each year our wines attain better quality. The Barón Balché vineyard utilizes 21 stainless steel tanks and each year we bring in 360 new barrels of French Oak and 40 American Oak for the wine production. The Barón Balché winery produces 120,000 bottles of quality wine per year.

The small tasting room featured a long table with the wines placed in a line along the center. Jesus described each wine we tasted, while young men filled our wine glasses and Maria and her son Alejandro provided bread to cleanse our palates between tastings. We were particularly impressed by a blend of Grenache and Cabernet—very smooth and mellow. We made our way upstairs and purchased a bottle, our second of the day.

We sat under a huge grape arbor and enjoyed a fine lunch of paella accompanied by very tasty sliced tomatoes marinated in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Worcester sauce and salt & pepper. Dessert was a cake called Trés Leche, very moist and simply muy delicioso.

Full of wine and fine food, we still had one more tasting scheduled at the massive, totally commercial L.A. Cetto Vineyards. Gilberto guided the group around the huge facilities, dominated by four enormous silos.

We trekked around the pressing buildings and entered one of four aging rooms. This room alone housed over 1500 French oak barrels. Once matured, the wine is trucked to Tijuana for bottling. It's easy to see why L. A. Cetto is Mexico's largest winery. Each couple can bring across a maximum of three bottles of wine at the border, so we purchased our third—a Reserve Chardonnay.

Unfortunately, the tasting room was completely out of olive oil, and some of our fellow travelers registered their complaint. Our tour guide Maria, a resident of Ensenada, knew exactly where Cetto's retail outlet was located, so we left the Guadalupe Valley and headed west toward the coast. Many on the bus took this 30 minute detour as an opportunity to take a wine-aided nap.

The return trip to the border was quiet and uneventful, except for a stop in Tijuana to view a 60-foot high nude statue attached to the front of a dilapidated apartment building. Esther knew the sculptor and described him as kind and sensitive, but one couldn't help wondering, "What the hell was he thinking?"

Our tour bus used a special express lane at the border which allowed us to exit the bus, go through customs (they were surprisingly pleasant this time), declare our wine purchases, and re-board the bus in less than ten minutes.

Near National City, we saw a van which had overturned in the fast lane less than a minute before we arrived. As we continued on Highway 5 toward San Diego, we saw lots of emergency vehicles and police cars speeding to the crash site.

We returned to Balboa Park a little after 8:00-pm. ending a long but enjoyable day in Baja.

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Our Two-Month Anniversary weekend

May 16th was our two-month anniversary so we decided a little celebration was in order. Using a service called OpenTable.com, we made a 5:30 dinner reservation at our favorite romantic restaurant—Chez Loma in Coronado. We were fortunate enough to have a gift certificate given to us by Matt & Marianne—thanks M&M!

Frommers notes, “This intimate Victorian cottage filled with antiques and subdued candlelight makes for romantic dining. The house dates from 1889, the French-Continental restaurant from 1975. Tables are scattered throughout the house and on the enclosed garden terrace; an upstairs wine salon, reminiscent of a Victorian parlor, is a cozy spot for coffee or conversation. Among the entrees are salmon with smoked-tomato vinaigrette, and roast duckling with lingonberry, port, and burnt-orange sauce; main courses are served with soup or salad, rice or potatoes, and fresh vegetables. Follow dinner with a silky crème caramel or chocolate bread pudding. French and California wines as well as American microbrews and a full bar are available.”

We had requested # 6, the only “window-seat” table in the burgundy and blue living room. We began our evening with a pair of wine flights; Tom had the Racy Rhones—Concannon Petit Syrah, Parallel 45, and Chapoutier, while Pennie enjoyed Anything But Chard—Snoqualmie Riesling, Trienne’s Viognier, and DiBruno Pinot Grigot.



For our appetizer we split the Gallete de Crabe—Canadian snow crab cakes in a gingered buerre blanc sauce with a pink-peppered melon. Pennie followed this with the Salade Maison—mixed greens with balsamic vinaigrette, Danish blue cheese, roma tomatoes and kalamata olives, while Tom had the Soupe a l’Oignon—a Normandy style onion soup, creamed with cider and baked Gruyere crouton.

















Our entrees arrived and both were spectacular in taste and presentation. Tom had the Frétan Grillé Oscar—pan seared Alaskan halibut, with crab and asparagus, classic Béarnaise sauce, with whipped potatoes. Pennie ordered the evening’s special—Pork Loin Medallions, with Morel buerre blanc and burgundy cherry sauces, grilled zucchini, mashed potatoes and sautéed broccoli. As always, Chez Loma exceeded our expectations—what a fine, romantic, intimate meal.

We crossed the Coronado Bridge and made our way to downtown for an evening with the San Diego Symphony. We had tickets for the Jacob’s Masterworks Series conducted by Jahja Ling with world-renown pianist Horacio Gutierrez.

The evening began with Chinese composer Bright Sheng’s The Nightingale and the Rose, a short, sad ballet inspired by a story by Oscar Wilde. Then Horacio Gutierrez dazzled the audience with Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece, Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, B-flat minor, No.1, Opus 23. After intermission, we enjoyed the Symphony No. 9, E Minor, Opus 95, From the New World by Antonin Dvorak. For those of you wondering, we may not have be able to identify the Tchaikovsky and Dvorak pieces by name, but each contained many familiar themes and melodies we’ve heard many times.

On Saturday, we went to a Secure Horizon breakfast seminar, then returned home and hung out as the air conditioning battled the 98° heat outside. In the late afternoon we took the new 125 toll road to Otay Ranch Town Center for a showing of Iron Man—a super hero, action-packed movie with Robert Downey Jr as a conflicted billionaire playboy and weapons genius. It was both fun and thought provoking.

After the movie we went to the fashionable Mexican restaurant Frida, located nearby in the center. Tom ordered the Mole Poblano El Rey—chicken simmered in a chile chocolate sauce, while Pennie had the Flautas de Pollo—chicken flutes topped with lettuce, sour cream and queso fresco. Both meals were very good, but the surrounding, pounding noise level—think Mexican disco on steroids—was a little too trendy and did not make for a relaxing evening.

For breakfast on Sunday morning Tom made a Jamie Oliver recipe from the Food Channel—Eggy Crumpets—(substituting English muffins for the crumpets), soaked in eggs (like french Toast) and finely chopped Jalapeño chiles, then topped with Canadian bacon. Yum.

Then we were off to Pelly’s Miniature Golf in Del Mar, where Tom promised to give the braggadocios Pennie a good old-fashioned ass whoopin’. Fortunately, he edged her out by one measly stroke to barely preserve his shrinking macho image.

We traveled south to La Jolla to visit the Stephen Birch Aquarium. Neither of us had been there in years and it was time for a revisit. We took advantage of the air-conditioned exhibits to cool off before venturing outside again to view the tide pools.

We ended our adventure by having a late lunch/dinner on the patio at Point Loma Seafoods. A fine day. A fine weekend. A fine 2-month anniversary.

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Buskers, Bussing on the Bay and The Big Kitchen

SATURDAY: The weekend was here and the weather called for a little outdoor activity. We checked the newspaper to see what was available and found an event called BuskerFest at Seaport Village. The Sign0nSanDiego description noted “Street performers take center stage during Seaport Village's Spring Busker Festival from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The second annual festival will culminate with the top-voted acts earning a Seaport Village contract for the busy summer months.”

We enjoy Seaport Village but parking is both expensive and can be extremely difficult to find an empty space, especially on a beautiful and sunny Saturday morning. We decided to take the Trolley and drove to the Spring Street station in La Mesa where we purchased two roundtrip senior tickets for a total of $4. What a bargain! We boarded at 10:10 and 40 minutes later, after winding through downtown San Diego, we arrived at the Seaport Village station.

We passed the Kansas City Barbeque where the bar scenes from Top Gun were filmed 22 years ago, and crossed Harbor Drive next to the old San Diego Police Station. We entered the eastern portion of Seaport Village and proceeded directly to our first stop, breakfast at Buster’s Beach House Grill and Longboarder Bar.

Our window booth provided perfect people watching as folks strolled by on the harbor-side boardwalk. A group of people lined up to board a large, two-masted ketch chartered by the Hyatt.

After breakfast we stepped outside into the bright sun and watched one of the Buskers--a Michael Jackson look-alike lip-sync and dance to “Billie Jean” and “Beat It.” Several folks were trying to determine whether “Michael” was male of female, but when the impersonator invited some audience members onstage for “Thriller,” the voice was decidedly female. In any case, the dance moves were classic Jackson and the crowd enjoyed the performance.

We continued to wander westward and came upon a group of Polynesian dancers from New Zealand. Nearby we noticed a large blue amphibious vehicle named Seal, which was offering a combined land and sea tour of San Diego Harbor.

After deliberating as to whether this would be fun and worthwhile, we decided to board the vessel for the 90-minute tour. Good things happen when you say yes, and this turned out to be a good thing.

We drove along Harbor Drive and then drove into the bay on Shelter Island. With lots of wind and sunshine, we learned much about our harbor including the Navy’s Midway and Ronald Reagan aircraft carriers, cruise ships, pleasure boats, the Coast Guard’s Jayhawk helicopters, history of Lindbergh Field and Ryan Aircraft, harbor seals, bait tanks and much more.

When we returned to Seaport Village we explored our favorite bookstore—Upstart Crowe and its quirky selection of bestsellers and unique if not oddball offerings.

We boarded the Trolley at 3pm for our return trip to the Spring Street station, and then drove to Grossmont Center for a late afternoon showing of Forgetting Sarah Marshall. The movie was funny at times but inconsistent and uneven. Finally, we returned home in time to watch the Padres Adrian Gonzalez--Pennie's former student at Eastlake High--hit a three-run homer to secure Greg Maddox’s 350th victory.

SUNDAY: Mom was particularly upbeat when we called her on Sunday morning—Mother’s Day. The reason? The weather was beautiful in Hood River and she was going to Down Manor for Sunday supper. The featured item on the menu was barbecued ribs—her favorite.

We were on our way to The Mission, a popular North Park eatery, for breakfast. It seemed like a good idea until we arrived and noticed the large crowd outside who apparently had the same good idea. The wait appeared to be at least an hour so we opted for our preferred South Park breakfast venue—The Big Kitchen.

Unfortunately, the owner - operator - greeter - songstress - dancer - bon vivant - philosopher - activist-and lover of French phrases - Tres Bien - Judy “The Beauty” Forman was not on duty. She was visiting her mother on Mother’s Day so we forgave her absence.

The Big Kitchen is many things—neighborhood hangout, dog meeting place, community bulletin board for all South Park events, and beloved breakfast establishment—but it is not big, unless you count its loyal customer base. The restaurant consists of two tiny rooms that are always jam-packed with Judy’s friends and fellow travelers.

The Big Kitchen is located on Fir between 30th and Fern and has been featured on Rachel Ray’s $40 a Day program on the Food Channel as having the best and most affordable breakfast in San Diego. In 2005, the irrepressible Judy was voted “Woman of the Year” by the California State Legislature for her tireless activism and support for all things liberal.

The walls of The Big Kitchen are packed with bumper stickers and slogans (The Constitution is a shield, not a sword, The Patriot Act: turning citizens into suspects since 2001, Get involved: the world is run by those who show up, Feminism is the radical notion that women are people, Peace begins when the hungry are fed) and photos and art work of rock ‘n roll personalities with a heavy emphasis on the Beatles and Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead.

The ever-present background music can be anything from Cole Porter to Coldplay, from Charles Aznevor to Chuck Berry. In short, The Big Kitchen provides a nourishing feast for the appetite, eyes, ears, mind and soul.

After breakfast we traveled to the Spanish Village in Balboa Park for the Art Glass Guild Patio Show. The bright sun made the various colored glass pieces come alive, but despite this we didn't find anything we couldn't live without.

We took a side trip to Banker’s Hill near 1st and Laurel to see all the splendid Jacaranda trees in full bloom.

Then we made our way to Point Loma for a visit to Fort Rosecrans. We were forced to take a lengthy detour when we were halted by the 98th Annual Portuguese Festival of the Holy Spirit parade on Rosecrans.

The cemetery was crowded which was to be expected on Mother’s Day. Pennie stopped to get a vase—a plastic cone with a spike on the end. We drove to her parents' grave site where she placed the flowers in the vase and tucked them into the grass by the headstone. She had a few private moments and then we left.

We had planned to spend the afternoon on Harbor Island at the annual Gator by the Bay festival—Cajun food including 8000 lbs of crawfish, five stages with Zydeco bands and dancing, and lots of other booths. However, it was overcast and a chilly wind was picking up, so we opted to pass and head back home.

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Tucson Day 5: Sabino Canyon

On Tuesday morning, the skies were sunny and blue as we arrived at Sabino Canyon Recreation Area. We took the shuttle up the canyon and normally it makes nine stops but recent flash floods had wiped out a portion of the road in the upper canyon, so Station #4 was as far as the shuttle could go. We got off and explored the area for a half hour or so. Saguaros peppered the steep canyon walls and bright green Cottonwoods lined the canyon stream.

We boarded another shuttle that took us to the Sabino Dam area. After completing our shuttle trip, we visited the gift shop, and bought some sunscreen for the game.

We returned to Tucson Electric Park for another spring training game, this time against the Chicago White Sox. Our seats were in the third row, near home plate and the Sox dugout.

A much more interesting game than Monday's, and the weather was a sunny 70° under bright blue skies and puffy white clouds. The Padres shut out the White Sox 5-0. Adrian Gonzales and Kevin Kousmanoff, as well as Trevor Hoffman, Jake Peavy and Chris Young were in China playing two exhibition games against the Dodgers. Adrian's brother, Edgar, drove in a run with a deep shot to right center. Khalil Greene also had a RBI. The infield consisted of Edgar at third, Khalil at shortstop, Tad Iguchi at second and Tony Clark at first--they turned an unbelievable five double plays (and barely missed a sixth), to thwart several White Sox rallies. Starter Will Ledesma pitched a fine four innings before giving way to a series of Padre relievers.

We sat next to a group of Chicago fans that were enthusiastic if not informed, with the exception of a white-haired woman who constantly corrected them with stats and expert commentary. Chicago Mgr. Ozzie Guillen and bench coach Joey Cora (both former Padre second basemen) sat directly in front of us (we were in the third row, to the left of the White Sox dugout). Ozzie is very interested in being the center of attention, and spent as much time looking into the stands as he did watching his layers on the field. A fine, fun day.

After the game it was time for a relaxing treatment at Lotus Massage. We arrived early and met with Flora and Steff, our masseuses, who took our information and then discussed the therapeutic techniques they would employ. Pennie and I had selected the "Hot Stone Couples Massage" so we could share the experience in the same room. We spent a quiet hour enjoying the warmth of the smooth stones and their firm, caring touch. The most difficult moment was getting off our tables when they were done--we wanted to nap for another day or two. We thanked them for their outstanding service and headed off to dinner at nearby Pastiche.

A nice quiet meal in the hip, upscale restaurant--Pastiche. Pennie had a glass of Sangiovese and I enjoyed my Gewürztraminer. We split the house salad, and I had the Cajun pasta with shrimp, chicken and andouille sausage, while Pennie had the rosemary-crusted pork tenderloin. Both were well prepared and nicely presented.

Since we would be returning to San Diego in the morning, Pennie wrote the following in the Alta Vista Guest Book:

Dear Gaila, Peter and Emma too,

Needless to say our stay in Tucson will never be forgotten! Our wedding was just the way we wanted it, lovely and intimate. And the "home" you provided for us here at Alta Vista has far exceeded our expectations.

So many ways to comfort and pamper! Others in this book have listed them, so we don't need to do that, but you've gone way beyond…the chilled Champagne when we came back at the end of our wedding day, the lovely card, the rose bouquet (from Mondo & Debbie), etc. We loved the little "wildlife" stuffed critters on our bed; each night our "zoo" grew. And thanks so much for the "Something Blue"! And I'm glad we could share our wedding cake with you.

So, we return to San Diego and our "real" life. But we will never forget the happy experience of being with you at Alta Vista.

Tom and Pennie

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