A Fantastic Day in San Francisco! September 25, 2013

We were in the Bay Area over the weekend and spent Sunday in San Francisco with Kelly and Jon.  They flew out for Matt and Sierra’s wedding on Saturday.  More on that on another post…

If you had only one day in San Francisco and had never been there, what would you see?  We have visited a few times and decided to take the Alcatraz Cruise over to the island.  We bought tickets online a few weeks ago.  We got the 10:30 ferry.

First was finding parking (A).  We found a lot near Pier 33, paid our $40 for all-day parking and walked over to the ferry.

We arrived right on time and had very little wait.  It was a pretty short ride on the ferry.

And it was a beautiful day to be out in the bay.

The spectacular Golden Gate Bridge poking through the fog

And to the east – the Oakland Bay Bridge

Once on Alcatraz, we heard a Park Ranger give a short overview of the history of the island and then walked up to the top to begin our individual audio tour.

The audio tour was fantastic.  Once you have the headsets, you can move along as directed from point to point on the grounds, or you can pause and take your time.  It was very well done.  Full of stories, history and anecdotes about the people who ran the place and those that lived there.

Originally the island had a lighthouse, then in 1868 became a military prison.  In 1933 it became a federal penitentiary and was closed as one in 1963 by then-Attorney General Bobby Kennedy. Over the years, infamous characters such as Al Capone, Robert Stroud (Birdman of Alcatraz), Machine Gun Kelly and Doc Barker were housed there.  Today it is a National Recreation Park and run by the National Park Service.  

The return trip on the ferry I may never forget!  We had to wait because they were running the last race of the day for the America’s Cup.  Yes – THE America’s Cup.  The ferry got underway after the last race between the Oracle (USA) and the New Zealand boat.  We learned what was going on and Kelly started following the events on Twitter to get a moment by moment update.  Sure enough, the USA boat won both races of the day and were finishing up. 

Meanwhile, we got some good photos –

And front row seats!  All the support and official boats were nearby after the race.  And as far as I could tell, we may have been the closest spectators.  We were stunned!  People pay big bucks and hope to see this up close and personal.  And it happened on our return ferry ride!

We made our way down the wharf and stopped for some lunch.  Mine was a chicken club sandwich on sourdough bread.  

Then we walked along the wharf and down Embarcadero Street to see what we could see.

After a while, we made our way back down to our car which was only a couple of blocks from the area where the America’s Cup was set up.

It was getting late, so we made our way out of the city by way of Lombard Street and Chinatown.  Then we got into the traffic and made our way out to Redwood City.  We found a great Chinese Restaurant there – The Crouching Tiger.  I don’t know if I have every had better Chinese food.

It was a beautiful day in San Francisco and one we will remember for a long time.

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!  And thanks for your comments ~ we always enjoy them.  Until next time.

Randy Warner has posted an update to
http://www.warnerrvnews.blogspot.com

A Day in Napa Valley September 19, 2013

Last week we had a chance to spend the day in Napa Valley.  Better yet – we got some great ideas from Elena on what to see while we were there.  But one day in Napa Valley is not enough, there is way too much to see.  It’s on the ‘Go Visit Again’ list.

I like this map of the area from winetrain.com.  We began or day starting from the lower part of the map.   We drove in a clockwise direction first stopping in Yountville.  Then we went to the Robert Mondavi Vineyard for a tour.  And we made a stop in St. Helena before heading just north of St. Helena on Highway 29 before heading east for a few miles.  Then we drove south through the valley on Silverado Trail to see that side of the valley.

Yountville – our first stop.
Elena gave us some great tips of where to stop and what to see.  We began our day at the renowned Bouchon Bakery for some coffee and pastries. And people watching.

Then over to the Blue Heron Art gallery to see if we could meet water color artist Betty Jo Marsh.

Yay! – she was there (on Tuesdays) and was very gracious and showed us some of her work.  It was getting close to noon by now and we drove just north and easily found the Robert Mondavi Winery.

We checked things out and bought tickets for an early afternoon tour.  Then went went to find some lunch.  Not very many fast food places in this neck of the woods…  So we decided to try a market and hope they had a deli.  Turned out to be one of the highlights of the day.

Wow!  What a great find.  Fantastic burrito and chicken quesadilla!  Can’t get more local than that.  Right in there with lots of vineyard workers.  And it is harvest season so it was busy.

Then back to the Robert Mondavi Winery.
What a great tour!  At $30 a little pricey but worth every penny.  Bill was our guide.  He really knew his stuff and made it fun and very interesting.

Napa Valley had about 20 vineyards in the early 1970’s.  Now it has over 500! In fact up into the Sierras and into the northern part of the state, we have seen more vineyards than we imagined.  I think wine has become California’s cash crop.

Robert Mondavi began his vineyard in 1966 and traveled to Italy and through Europe to learn from the best.  He brought that knowledge back to Napa Valley and shared it will all the other vineyard owners hoping that the valley would become a world class source of top notch wine.  He got his wish.

We walked through the vineyard and Bill explained the whole growing and cutting and trimming process and talked about white and red wine.  And the difference between the $150 dollar bottles and the lesser labels.

Then into the building where the grapes are crushed and processed and put into large and not so large French Oak barrels.

Then on into the private dining room for some wine tasting.

We started off with 2011 Chardonnay Reserve, Carneros.  This wine, “has the intensity and balance to cellar for 6-8 years, but it is enjoyable today with dishes such as roasted chicken”.  Retail: $50/bottle.
Then on to 2011 Pinot Noir Reserve, Carneros.  The writeup says, “Aged 12 months in new French barrels, this silkey wine has aromas of baking spices and red cherry.” Retail: $60/bottle.
And another – 2010 Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon.  “The wine mixes power with elegance, as aromas of blackberry, roasted herb and graphite mingle with supple tannins.”  Retail: $90/bottle.

Well I gotta say, after all that – This Place was a Hoot!  I am a very casual ‘Two Buck Chuck” kind of guy so this was foreign territory to say the least!  But it was interesting and fun!  It was an hour and a half well spent!

St. Helena
After the winery tour, we stopped in St. Elena and found the ‘house’ where Elena grew up.

It has since been turned into office buildings and the area doesn’t resemble the hometown of years ago.

It was getting late in the afternoon, so we headed east across the valley and drove down the Silverado Trail.

We had a great time on our first trip to Napa Valley.  We don’t know when, but we’d like to go back and spend more time.

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!  Until next time…

Randy Warner has posted an update to
http://www.warnerrvnews.blogspot.com

Roadrunner Financials – August 2013 September 17, 2013

This is one of our busiest travel months ever.  The cost of diesel fuel reflects that.

Roadrunner Recap
We made 10 different stops along our route from Boise Idaho, along the Oregon Trail and Columbia River, to the State Capitol in Salem.  Then we headed for the Pacific Coast and spent some wonderful days along it before we saw the Redwoods and ended up in Travis AFB, California.

All told, it was about 1170 miles.  Here is a list of places where we camped:

• Boise, ID
• Wildhorse Resort and Casino RV Park, Pendleton, OR
• Le Page US Army Corps of Engineers (USCOE) / John Day River Park, Rufus, OR
• Cascade Locks, OR
• Salem, OR
• Newport, OR
• Umpqua Lighthouse State Park, OR
• Crescent City, OR
• Redwood Empire Fairgrounds, Ukiah, CA
• Travis AFB FamCamp, Fairfield, CA

Good News Areas Under Budget

We have our diesel fuel back in line after a couple of months of big mileage.  We were also pleased to see the decrease in eating out.  Those expenses can really add up!

Biggest Expenses
One of our largest expense was gas for the car.  But even when we add up diesel and gas, together we are under budget.  Campgrounds were a little high – we had 31 one days in the month at $20 so we were a little over.  In the ‘Misc’ category we bought gifts for Christmas and some sandals which amounted to about $150.
Large One-Time Cost Items
Gifts in the ‘Misc’ category was the biggest.

Monthly Average
After three months in our new ‘Fiscal Year’ – I am pleased with the results that show us to less that $65 over budget.

And we have traveled from Texas to Wisconsin to California in those three months.  But the next three we intend to be in California and Arizona so we expect a lot less spending on diesel fuel.

That’s brief recap of the finances for August ~ Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Randy Warner has posted an update to
http://www.warnerrvnews.blogspot.com

Habitat for Marty September 15, 2013

We went up to Marty’s cabin in the Sierra’s three times over the last month.  It is located about 2 1/2 hours east of Fairfield CA (Travis AFB) where we had the Roadrunner parked.

We like to do projects around the house and the first time we were there, we power washed about 50 2x10s that will be reused for the trellis on the deck that is being rebuilt.

Pam and I and Marty got a system going so it only took us a couple of hours to get them cleaned up.

Another day we started tiling the sauna bathroom downstairs.  The floor had to be swept and then mopped and then we laid down some of the Saltillo Mexican tile.  Marty has kept extra boxes for 25 years for this room.  The first floor upstairs has the same tile throughout.  We wanted to see what they looked like with the spacers and get a feel for any issues we might have.

The task for that day was to lay down the square ones.  Another time we would get the tiles that had to be cut.

We started in with the thin-set mortar by putting water in a bucket and adding until we had enough and at the right consistency.  After mixing it with a hand trowel, we had to let it set up for 10 minutes and then we got to it.  We ended up using the whole 50# bag of mortar.

I got to lay a few but my job was primarily to get the mortar to Pam so she could put it down.

She started out in the far corner and it was pretty steady from there.

Before you know it we had a few rows down.

And then we were done for the day.

The tricky thing about these bad boys is that they are all hand made.  And not necessarily the same size.  Or thickness.  And some are warped a little just to make it interesting.  I guess that is the whole idea – the uniqueness.

We let it dry and came back a few days later.  This time, we needed some more supplies and a tile cutter.  We went to Home Depot and got one more bag of mortar and three bags of grout and a sealer to mix it with.  And a stir rod attachment for my electric drill.  And a few other things.

I was a little leery of the tile cutter.  I had never used one.  Five or six years ago, Pam and Kelly used one to tile our laundry room in our stix-and-brix house.

Home Depot rents them for $68/day.  Arnold Tool Rental had one for $55/day.  Since it was a couple of miles from the cabin, I rented from there.  It has a separate stand and we got it loaded into the back end of the CRV.  Then I unloaded it at the cabin and got it all set up in place.   It took a minute to hook up the water and get it flowing to the blade but it was really pretty easy.

I became the tile guy and Pam did the measuring.  I took us another half bag of thin-set mortar to put down the rest of the pieces we cut.  And then we wiped it down and let it dry overnight.

Then another final wipe down to get the sheen and remove excess mortar and streaks.  In the process, it was a little brutal on the fingers, but after a couple of hours slowly going over each and every edge of every tile, it was finished.

We were done there and returned to the Roadrunner which is parked at Travis AFB.  After we got home, I made a quick trip to Home Depot and returned a few things that we didn’t use.

One bottle of sealant, a bag of grout and a stirrer amounted to a refund of over $42, so it was worth it.

That was our ‘Habit for Marty’ Saltillo Tile project.  We figured it was 20 hours between the two of us and a fun project.  We learned a lot and hope we can do another one.  A couple of things we learned had to do with the equipment

• Kneel pads are essential.  We had the expensive and the cheap (foam type).  Foam type worked best.
• The stirrer attachment for electric drill is a must.  We hand mixed the first mortar batch, but then got a small stirrer attachment.  It made a big difference in the consistency.
• A tile cutter is required.  We wouldn’t attempt the project with out one.  

That’s it for this edition of the Roadrunner Chronicles!  Thanks for joining us today.  Until next time…

Randy Warner has posted an update to
http://www.warnerrvnews.blogspot.com

Elena’s Rabbit Dinner September 14, 2013

Last weekend we were up in the Sierra’s at Marty’s cabin and his wife cooked a rabbit dinner.  Have you ever eaten rabbit?  I don’t think I have.

I didn’t realize it but, rabbit is fairly common and it is also a white meat.  I figured it might taste like a gamey chicken, but…

She could have made this all in one day but did it in two.  She got the meat from a favorite meat market and had to order it.  First, she browned the meat in olive oil and made sure it was all cooked.  Then she put it is a big pot and let it set overnight.

The next day, she separated portions into two pots, added chopped tomatoes, black olives and chicken broth.
I didn’t get a picture, but she also cooked some polenta while the rabbit was warming up. Polenta is a form of corn meal, not unlike grits, although this dish had a darker yellow color and was a little coarser grain.

Next she added mushrooms and more broth and let it simmer for a while.

Then she served it on a bed of polenta and it was outstanding.  Chef Elena did it again.  It was a common dish for her while growing up in the Napa Valley and we got to experience the Italian way.

(If you look real close, you can see the rabbit is on top of the serving of polenta.)

It actually did taste a little like chicken and had no ‘gamey’ flavor whatsoever.  I guess that was because the rabbit was not a wild one, but rather farm raised and fed.

Another unique and delicious meal I’d recommend!

Randy Warner has posted an update to
http://www.warnerrvnews.blogspot.com

Seeing Jerry Brown, and Others September 12, 2013

Actually, we got to see more than the governor on our trip to Sacramento and the State Capitol on Monday.  It was a pretty memorable day.  We started out on our day trip from our campground in Fairfield, California (Travis AFB Family Campground).  We took I-80 all the way to the downtown area of Sacramento and easily found a place to park for a few hours across the street.

We quickly found the front entrance.  There were some protesters getting ready for a noon time rally.  And some ‘Vote for Cindy Sheehan’ tables set up.

Not sure what that was all about but it happened to be ‘California Statehood Day’ and the first day of the new state legislature session.  It was not overly crowded.  We went through security and into the rotunda to the information table and picked up some brochures and maps of the building.  We found the volunteers to be nice folks and had some friendly conversation.

Then we went downstairs and found the Governors Office right down the hallway with some State Troopers outside near the large golden bear.

And a crowd of about 20 which was waiting for the new conference to begin.  “Jerry Brown is coming out in a few minutes and will be making a statement on the prisons”, was the word on the street.

So we waited around and about 15 minutes later, amidst the crowd and TV cameras (and a blogger) he appear with some aides and had a short statement before his prison expert explained what was going on and what they were going to do.

Pam and I were excited to be able to catch a glimpse of the famous governor.

By then, it was lunch time and we went back outside and had a picnic on the nice grounds and people watched some.  We weren’t the only ones enjoying some nice weather at lunch time.

Then we went back in to the capitol for round two.  The building on the outside looks modest, well cared for and very open and beautiful on the inside.

The rotunda, state seal, statue of Christopher Columbus and lighted hallways made for a great first impression.Interestingly enough – like a few of the other state capitols we have seen, it recently has undergone a very extensive modernization to bring it back to its former glory.

Our first stop was up to the second floor and down the hallway to the Assembly.

As we approached, a lady worker out of the “President Pro Tem’s” office was leaving and told us where to the floor of the chambers were.  She let us inside for a couple of minutes as her guest and I took some pictures.

Then we went up to the gallery and found out Jackie Robinson’s widow(Rachel) (yes -THE Jackie Robinson, #42) was going to receive some type of commemoration later in the chambers.  We went upstairs and waited.  And sure enough, her entourage and the assemblyman from LA entered the floor. She is pretty amazing to be in her 90’s and as active as she is.  And she looked beautiful and very gracious.

Then the first session began. There were no pictures allowed after that point.  I was glad I snapped a few before it all began.  After a few minutes, we left and went over to the Senate.  The session there was underway and no pictures.  Missed out on that one.  But security let me take one picture of the open door to the chamber gallery.

In one of the hallways we saw portraits of some of the former governors

On different floors there were some historical displays of some offices in the capitol in the early 1900’s.

Other historical displays showed scenes of the 1930’s and more migration to California during the Depression and Dust Bowl era.

John Steinbeck’s ‘Grapes of Wrath’ was noted in an individual display because it told of life in California during those hard times.

And behind it, Woody Guthrie’s guitar and an original song he wrote in 1940.

Outside on the grounds of the capitol, we found a replica of the Liberty Bell.

In 1955, the U.S. Treasury Department cast 55 replicas of the Liberty Bell and sent them to all U.S. states and territories as part of a Savings Bond drive called, “Save Your Independence”.  Now, when we visit another capitol, we always look for the Liberty Bell.

It was a beautiful day in Sacramento, perfect for seeing the California State Capitol.

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!  And thanks for those comments ~ we always enjoy hearing from you!

Until next time…

Randy Warner has posted an update to
http://www.warnerrvnews.blogspot.com

The Biggest Piece of Gold You’ll Ever See September 8, 2013

Last weekend, we were in California’s “Gold Rush” Area of Calaveras County and took a side trip to see the Ironstone Winery in Murphy, California.  About 15 miles away from the winery, the Sonora Mining Corporation found the largest pocket of crystalline leaf gold.  The surprising thing for me was that this was not discovered in 1849, or even in the 1800’s but in 1992.  In fact December 26, 1992.

How is this for a piece:

Marty, Elena, Pam and I went to see Ironstone Winery last weekend.  While we waited for the tour of the winery to begin, we dawdled in the Heritage museum.

One thing I liked was the Wells Fargo strong boxes.

The area’s most famous/infamous stage coach robber, Black Bart, also liked the strong boxes and was active in the area from his first holdup in 1875. He became Wells Fargo’s Most Wanted Man until his capture in 1883.

Over in the corner of the museum was the massive vault and the gold.

Obviously, this was the centerpiece of the museum and the impressive 44-pound piece of gold.  Hard to comprehend.

Inside the vault, you could go in and walk around the display that was heavily alarmed and covered in a glass case.

Though the museum is not a large one by many standards, it certainly full of interesting artifacts.  We only spent a few minutes in the museum and jewelry store but it was a fun one and a great start to our time at Ironstone Vineyards.

Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Randy Warner has posted an update to
http://www.warnerrvnews.blogspot.com

Roadrunner Recap – August 2013 Travels September 5, 2013

Here are some highlights of our travels in August that took us from Boise, Idaho to Calaveras County California.

Boise, ID
Our main purpose for wanting to stop here was to see the State Capitol.

My impressions of Boise were that it was more hot and arid in the summer than I would have thought.  And the town had the air of a college town about it and a mix of an outdoor loving, rugged people.

Wildhorse Resort and Casino RV Park, Pendleton, OR
We found ourselves along the Oregon Trail climbing over large mountains wondering how those pioneers ever made it.  Once over the top and into the valley, we entered Pendleton and found the historic Woolen Mills.

It was an overnight stay for us and we made a quick trip into town.

Le Page US Army Corps of Engineers (USCOE) / John Day River Park, Rufus, OR

This was not our favorite park, mainly because it was fairly isolated with no cell phone service.  But we did take quite a few day trips including one to the MaryHill Winery across the Columbia River in Washington.  It had an outdoor amphitheater and a summer concert series that included Daryl Hall / John Oates and Willie Nelson.  Unfortunately their appearance dates didn’t match up with ours.

Cascade Locks, OR

Our time at the KOA included a visit over to the locks for a tour.  One of the more interesting places we’ve seen in a while.  The locks were built during the Hoover Administration and provide a electricity to three states.

Salem, OR
We made a stop in Salem Oregon to see another state capitol.

Newport, OR
From there, we went west to the Pacific Coast and stayed in the coastal town of Newport, OR.

It was an interesting place with a nice ‘touristy’ downtown area to walk around.  We saw some fish getting cleaned up and cut up on the dock.

Umpqua Lighthouse State Park, OR
This was our first stay in the Oregon State Park system in a couple of years.  We had full hook ups and were near some good hiking places.

After our daily excursions, we spent some good time around the campfire.

Crescent City, CA

Down the coast we found some more interesting lighthouses.  They played such a key role in allowing sailors access to the bays and inlets along the sparsely populated coasts during the 1850s and beyond.

Redwood Empire Fairgrounds, Ukiah, CA
This is where we started our journey inbound, heading south and more easterly.  We thought summer was over, but found the temperatures back in the 80 degree range.

We didn’t expect to find so many wineries but there were quite a few in this area. We took a drive through the country side and found a lot of folks out for a bike ride on a nice Sunday morning.

Travis AFB FamCamp, Fairfield, CA
It didn’t take us long to get a taste of some of the finer cuisine in the area.

We are here for a few more weeks and enjoying some ‘downtime’.  It was a busy month with lots of miles and some wonderful memories of our time in Oregon along the Columbia River and down the Pacific Coast.

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!  Until next time…

Randy Warner has posted an update to
http://www.warnerrvnews.blogspot.com

Weekend in Calaveras County September 4, 2013

My brother Marty has had a cabin in the mountains for over 30 years.  It is Arnold, CA high in the mountains of Calaveras County.  Over the Labor Day weekend Pam and I joined him and wife Elena for some fun times.

It was only 132 miles but took us over 2 1/2 hours each way.  But it is a nice drive and we saw a lot of the California countryside and the mountains.

We were a little early so we stopped in Angel’s Camp which is home to the Frog Jumping Contest each year.  This is the one and the same place made famous by Mark Twain in “The Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”.  The town is a tourist destination with lots of shops and history from the Gold Rush  days.   I didn’t take any pictures thinking we’d be back during the long weekend.

Next, we made it up to the cabin and it was sporting a new roof and a half-way repaired deck.  The cabin has always been a novelty of sorts.

Marty wanted a dome and my brother Brad the architect found a way to add some room extensions.  I have never seen another one like it.

And it has a great big deck that is currently under repair/reconstruction.  At 1400′ sq ft it is quite a project.

We spent quite a bit of time on the unfinished deck enjoying the mountain air and refreshing atmosphere.

Labor Day weekend was a busy time in the mountain resort community of Arnold and the Lion’s Club had their annual pancake breakfast.

The area where they were set up had a steady stream of customers all morning.  It was  a good fund raiser for a good cause.

The fall Craft Fair was underway nearby so we had to check that out.

There was some unique things there including:
(Pictures taken by permission)
Sculptures by Mark Ross (775) 815-1845

HarvJan’s Crafts

This was ‘like painting in wood’.

Whittle Sister

Fiber Art

Sun Lover’s Place

He heats steel, copper and other metals to get the right color, then puts a fancy lacquer on his creation.

Carllynn by Design

Wood products/tables and furniture

thebigheartbakingcompany

Gluten Free Baking

Later Saturday evening, the Home Owners Association had a pot-luck down near the basketball courts and picnic area.

It was a busy couple of days, but we got to see a lot and enjoy time with Marty and Elena in the mountains.

Hope you are having a good week.

Thanks for joining us on this edition of the Roadrunner Chronicles! Until next time…

Randy Warner has posted an update to
http://www.warnerrvnews.blogspot.com