8/12 Sacremento and Sonoma
Pictures of Today's Activities
The morning started with a guided bus tour through Sacramento. Highlights of the tour included a drive through Old Sacramento, the Stanford family house, and the city's golden yellow bridge. Sacramento is full of a variety of beautiful trees, many of which are located on the lawn of the capitol building. Our guide filled us with interesting facts about the city, which boomed during the Gold Rush, before taking us to the State Capitol Building. We were all in awe of the beauty of this building, which was restored in the 1980s to its full glory. The building features a beautiful dome full of light, detailed painting, and bear carvings. The Senate chamber, very regal in its own right, was also a treat to see. The building was full of unique features from the ceiling to the mosaic floors, governors' portraits, statues, chandeliers and stairways. The group was excited to get a chance to stop by Governor Schwarzenegger's office. We were able to snap a quick photo of part of the group next to a portrait of Arnold and Maria. The secretary told us that he is a very pleasant man.
We then headed to Napa Valley and the center of California's wine country. We spent the afternoon in Sonoma's Town Square. The town featured many boutiques, a park, and a historical mission and barracks. The Cheese Factory was a popular spot for lunch. After a few hours of shopping, something many of us have gotten very good at doing, we boarded the bus to visit the first of two wineries on the agenda for the day. The Buena Vista Winery , established in 1857, is California's oldest premium winery. Much of the group lined up to try their most popular spirits, while others explored the large, hand carved barrels and demonstration vineyards. We then traveled just down the road to Sebastiani Vineyards and Winery Sebastiani is a rather large site that included not only a wide variety of wines in the tasting room, but also the world's largest carved barrel collection and an extensive gift shop. A few of us snuck over to their vineyard that produces grapes for Merlot to get a closer look at the extremely well established vines and their ripening fruit. Sebastiani has been in business since 1904, though their vineyard dates back to the 1800s.
We took a drive to view more of Napa Valley's extensive vineyards before returning to Sonoma for dinner at the Swiss Hotel. As good as the food was, the true highlight of the evening was reliving the week with our newfound friends. Everybody shared their fondest memories about the trip with each other and enjoyed hours of laughter about a variety of topics, which have been promised to secrecy! This day was especially enjoyable for Ruth R. as her niece Linda, whom she had not seen for 10 years, joined us for the afternoon. Linda's visit marks the fourth interaction our group had with relatives and friends while on the tour.
This trip was wonderful, mainly because of the people that comprised this fun group of travelers. During tonight's recount of our activities, Ruth R. stated it best when she described the week like a quilt, with the great people and friendships formed as its center square, and the visits made and experiences gained as the patchwork that completes the quilt.
We are spending the night back in the greater San Francisco area as we prepare to leave this great area tomorrow morning. On the way back into the city we were able to enjoy a beautiful sunset and evening drive over the Golden Gate Bridge.
8/11 Yosemite
Pictures of Today's Activities
The group left Oakhurst and headed off to Yosemite bright and early. Everyone was quite rowdy this morning and Jerry, who took over the co-pilot's seat, kept everyone on time and moving ahead as we had a lot of ground to cover in the amazing national park. The first stop was a moderate hike up to see the Giant Sequoias in Mariposa Grove. The Grizzly Giant seemed to be very popular and most of us posed for pictures in front of the massive trees that tower over everything else in the forest. Out of breath and ready to explore, we then visited some of the parks many waterfalls, including
Bridalveil
Fall and Yosemite falls. It seemed everyone was impressed with the falls and many couldn't keep out of the water! Kevin, Shirley, Emily, Tracy and Jill were seen dipping their toes and fingers into the cool waters of the park at one time or another.
Though the falls were beautiful, it seemed to be the giant granite mountains that captured everyone's attention. We stopped at the Tunnel View overlook to see El Capitan and Bridalveil Fall rising from Yosemite Valley. We later got an even better look at El Capitan, which rises almost 3,000 feet above the Valley floor and is the largest monolith of granite in the world. One can easily see how Ansel Adams was inspired by the rock - it was massive and amazing. We enjoyed lunch in the valley center, where Lowell and Dee ran into some of their friends from Cocoa! It should be mentioned that the biggest squirrel any of us had ever seen was inside the cafeteria, roaming from table to table in search of fried food. He was eventually chased out of the building by the center's staff - but, one look at this fat-bellied creature told us that he knew his way back into the restaurant!
With full bellies of our own, we set out to get a closer look at the giant rock formations. As we headed back to the bus from our valley floor viewing of El Capitan we noticed a family intently studying the side of the rock. When we asked them what they were intrigued with, they pointed out two rock climbers slowly and carefully making their way down its facade. They were visible with the naked eye, but a pair of binoculars loaned by the family helped Shirley, Ruth. Nancy and Emily get a better look at the two brave soles dangling thousands of feet in the air. We learned that it would probably take these climbers three days, and a few nights sleeping in dangling hammocks, to travel down to the valley floor. What a view they must of had!
We left the park awe inspired by its beauty. After a few hours of highway driving we were back to civilization in Sacramento, the state's capitol. Our hotel connects by tunnel to Old Sacramento, where much of the group ventured out for dinner. Old Sacramento resembles a movie set of the wild west with shops and restaurants fashioned to look like the gold rush era. It was a neat stop.
Tomorrow is another busy day with plans to tour the city and Capitol and then head to Sonoma for lunch and awine tasting. Maybe we will run into the "Governator."
8/10 Exploring the Treasures of the San Joaquin Valley
Pictures of Today's Activities
The group left Paso Robles this morning en route to the San Joaquin Valley, which produces more than 300 agricultural commodities. We started the morning off with a stop at a Visalia farm specializing in tomatoes and garlic, among other things. The group was intrigued by the mechanical tomato harvesting, which is very different from the handpicked Florida tomato crop. Kevin, the superintendent of the ranch and company, who manages approximately 12,000 acres, explained that mechanical harvesting is possible because the tomatoes were going to be used for paste or other processed tomato products. Florida on the other hand is know for table tomatoes. The garlic harvesting operation smelled like a fine italian restaurant. It wasn't too long before our group was in the field scouring for leftover garlic cloves and tomatoes. There is something very refreshing about eating a tomato off the vine!
One of today's most popular activities was our roadside stops at nut groves. We had the opportunity to see and touch pistachio and almond trees. I should mention that Californians pronounce almonds as "amands," as they shake the "L" out of them. Though the nuts still had their hull, they will be ready for harvest in about a month or so. We also stopped to view the Harris Farm feedlot and later ate at their restaurant, which of course, features their beef products. We then "moo-ved" on to the Dejong family dairy. Case, the patriarch of the family (he and his wife have 10 children and 40 grandchildren!), was a hoot. He is a real character and quickly made us feel at home in his front yard, which overlooked his substantial natural pool and bizarre collection of animals --including peacocks, sheep, geese, goats, a horse, two monkeys and a few other critters.
Case was eager to show us his newest barns and milking parlor, which are part of his 5,000 acre dairy and crop farm. Many of us were surprised to learn that California was number one in milk production. His facility was state-of-the-art and very neat. We were particularly interested to learn of the waste filtration system his brother designed. Talk about recycling - the process removes the solid manure waste from the water, uses the newly cleaned water for irrigation of crops by gravity flow, and returns the solid waste, once dried, as material for the paddocks. Case also grows olives and sent everybody home with a bottle of california olive oil. We have been hearing a lot from Adin, our technical guide, about the difference in the process and taste between italian/spain olive oils and those processed in California.
We said our goodbyes to Adin in Visalia, as we headed off to Oakhurst for the night. Jerry and Jill were able to visit with some old friends living in the area before calling it a night. Tomorrow we head for Yosemite, the inspiration for much of Ansel Adams' photography. We are all very excited to experience the beauty of the famous national park.
8/9 Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous: Hearst Castle and a Winery Visit
Pictures of Today's Activities
Today was about experiencing the good life. On the way out of Monterey the group stopped at the National Marine Sanctuary where we learned about the sensitive habitat, conservation partnerships with farmers, and efforts to educate the public about the amazing 300+ miles of ocean and beachfront covered under the sanctuary. We were most surprised to learn that Heather, our guide at the sanctuary center, was a UF graduate of the class of 2000-- it appears Gators all over the place!
We were able to experience miles of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary as we drove south on the curvy roads to San Simeon and the Hearst Castle. Apparently this is some of the most beautiful coastline found in California --though it was hard for us to tell through the thick fog (we were told by a local artisan that this was the worst fog the area saw all year). However, blue skies would occasionally prevail and we were all impressed with the cliffs that met the ocean. It was surprising to see cattle grazing on many of the bluffs.
Just before reaching the Hearst Castle we stopped to view the Elephant Seals lounging on the sandy beaches. It should be mentioned that we also stopped earlier to view what we though were whales. It was later determined that we were looking at rocks! Though some in the group swear they saw the giant mammals. Either way, there were plenty of seals and otters to view.
Hearst Castle, the primary draw for many joining this trip, did not disappoint. It is hard to explain the size and ambiance of the compound built by William Randolph Hearst, heir of his father's mining wealth and newspaper mogul in his own right. The property features not only a beautiful main house and guest quarters, but also gardens, terraces, what used to be a zoo full of exotic animals (rams, elk and zebras still roam the property) and unparallel views. Perhaps most impressive were the estate's two pools, which are said to be indicative of the talents of the site's architect. Julia Morgan, the only female architect in California and one of only two in the U.S. at the time the estate was built, worked with Hearst to design and build the castle, which took 15 years. Most in the group were impressed and amazed by the property, its design, and extensive art collection. Though many of us agreed it was not decorated in our tastes. It is hard to imagine what Hearst''s guests of yesteryear must have thought as they pulled up to this oasis in the middle of nowhere. If we were impressed in the year 2005, the facilities must have shocked visitors of more than 65 years ago. All of us could just imagine Hollywood's glamorous elite (Charlie Chaplin, Marion Davies, Howard Hughes, etc.) socializing and frolicking on the 127+ acre estate.
The group left the Hearst Castle and attempted to come back down to reality to travel to Paso Robles. Still not ready to completely leave the lifestyle of the rich and famous, and eager to get a taste of the good life, the group headed to an area winery. Several wines were tasted at the Eberle Winery before we headed down for a tour of the wine cave where the wine is cured and stored. It was interesting to see the vats and oak barrels used to turn the grapes, just yards away, into some of the most recognized spirits of the region. Needless to say, the bus ride on the way to the hotel was full of a lot of laughter and smiles. Everyone has headed out to test the restaurants located around the town square. This was an especially fun day for Shirley who got to visit with her daughter who drove up from Venice, CA.
Tomorrow we are off to site visits in the San Joaquin Valley, famous for more than 300 agricultural commodities. Adin, our technical tour guide, has also arranged for a tour of the area's largest dairy farm.
8/8 The Salinas Valley and Monterey
Pictures of Today's Activities
After having such a great time in San Francisco it was hard to leave the city. Everybody had fun telling each other about their adventures as the bus headed to new destinations: Salinas and Monterey.
On the way to Salinas we stopped at Garlic World in Gilroy. As the name suggests, this place had garlic in every form and fashion. Though nobody was brave enough to try the garlic ice cream, many of us did try the pickled garlic cloves. We were skeptical as we picked up our first whole clove to chew on, but before long, we were popping cloves like potato chips. After leaving Gilroy, which by the way smelled like garlic from the highway, the group headed to Salinas and the Steinbeck Museum. The museum offered a neat marriage between literary history and agriculture. Many of Steinbeck’s pieces focused on the rich agricultural history of the area and therefore the museum showcased an ag exhibit, including an antique tractor. Salinas has an old fashioned downtown that offered many lunch options, though much of the group was spotted at the Brewery.After lunch, we were joined by John Inman, our technical guide for the day. John, an ag engineer and former county extension director, took us to view the most popular crops of the Salinas Valley. Lettuce, bunch onions, broccoli and cauliflower were among the many crops we saw. The group seemed most enamored by our visit to Castroville, the artichoke capital of North America. The thistle vegetables, which we were told are most abundant during March, April and May, had a very unique look that made the crop very identifiable from the road. We also viewed lettuce being field-packed before it headed off to the cooler. It was amazing to see such vast agricultural land and only six miles from the Ocean!After saying goodbye to our guide, the group headed to Monterey and California’s scenic 17 Mile Drive. The winding roads featured Monterey Cypress trees, which greatly resembled giant bonsai. The multi-million dollar houses were impressive, but the views of the ocean were second to none. Speaking of oceans, a thirty-year old promise was upheld today. It seems that soon after marriage, Jerry promised his wife Jill that they would stick 10 toes in the Pacific Ocean. Some 30 years later, that promise was fulfilled. They bravely headed into the cold ocean waters. Though it may not have been as dramatic as they envisioned (i.e. no huge crashing waves) it was a delight to see them reach that milestone. The group stopped again along the route to look at the ocean and sea life at Bird and Seal Rock There were hundreds of birds and seals frolicking in the area. We were surprised to see squirrels living among the birds on the rocks of the beach. We were even more surprised to see hoards of deer on the golf courses (including famous Pebble Beach). They seemed to have no fear of people or the possibility of being hit by an errant golf ball.
After an exciting day of travels we headed back to Monterey proper and our hotel. Many in the group hit the town in search of their favorite wharf-side delicacies. It is hard to explain how refreshing the weather is here. In fact, this area’s summer weather is cooler than most of Florida’s winter days. Tomorrow brings another exciting day and plans to visit the marine sanctuary, Hearst Castle and a Paso Robles winery!
8/7 San Francisco by Foot, Trolley, Boat and Limousine?
The group had a free day in San Francisco today. Regrouping at the hotel tonight we learned that everybody had a fantastic day exploring the area's many neighborhoods, cultural sites and restaurants. Everybody returned to the hotel tonight with tired feet and legs from the miles of walking. However, several of our travelers explored San Francisco not only by foot, but also by boat. The Fishermans Wharf features many boat ride options that take passengers under the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz (Spanish for Pelican). Seeing the sites and viewing the city skyline by water was amazing (and very windy and cold too).
Of course many in our Gator group took the traditional trolley or "muni" rides about the city -particularly to get to Chinatown. We are not sure if there is going to be room on the plane for all of the goodies that were bought there by this Florida entourage. San Francisco is a busy city on the weekends, and the trolley lines are long. Not wanting to wait in line again, Jack and Angie got creative when deciding how to get a ride back to the hotel from Chinatown. They negotiated a $3 limousine ride through the city! Chinatown must have gotten them in the bargaining mood --they first turned down the $5 ride offered by another limo driver.
Ghirardelli Square was an equally popular stop for our travelers - there appear to be a few chocoholics in the group. But the chocolate was much deserved for these Gators that hiked all over the city: Kevin took in a sold-out baseball game (San Francisco vs. Houston - Clemens was pitching); Jerry, Jill and Emily watched New Zealand tribal dancers on the beach (grass skirts and all); Lowell and Dee took a spin around the Maritime Museum before going to Chinatown; Tracy spent some time at Alcatraz (though she eventually escaped); and Jean, Ruth E., Ruth R. and Nancy single-handedly helped Chinatown meet its yearly revenue goals.
It is 55 degrees Fahrenheit as we head off to bed. Tomorrow brings another busy day as we explore Monterey and stops at Garlic World, the Steinbeck Museum, and farms.
8/6 San Francisco at Last
pictures of today's activities
After boarding an early morning flight from Orlando, the group arrived in beautiful San Francisco to find blue skies and 60 degree weather. Everyone agreed this was a nice change from the sweltering Florida heat! Saturday was a busy day. We immediately boarded our charter and headed over the Golden Gate bridge for lunch at Sausalito. It is foggy season in San Fran, so as we passed over the bridge we could only see the very top of its spires. That didn't stop the cyclist though --there were what seemed like hundreds of cyclist finding their way over the foggy bridge and down the winding streets to Sausalito.
Once in Sausalito, a cute town with lots of restaurants and boutiques overlooking a boat-filled bay, the group dispersed to find the eateries of their choice. Some of us enjoyed a park-side wedding that was occurring in the center of town. Jon, our bus driver and tour guide extraordinare, gave us amazing insight into this hip town, which at one time was run by a madame!
With no time to waste, we boarded the bus and headed up the very winding roads to Muir Woods. What a neat place! We enjoyed an hour in the woods, which featured tall redwoods. One tree was determined to be 2,000 years old - and its height made that believable. We learned that the redwoods are very unique in that their bark is resistant to insects. That resistance to insects means there are very few animals in that area - no insects, no insect eating animals, and no animals that eat them! Though we did spot a lone chipmunk.
Back on the bus once again we headed over the Golden Gate Bridge (which was more visable this time) to San Francisco. We enjoyed a bus tour through some of the city's most notable sites including Golden Gate Park, China Town, Japan Town, Haight Street (site of the 60s drug culture and free love movement), and the beautiful victorian "painted ladies," which denote houses that exhibit more than six paints in their exterior design.
After a long day we arrived at Fisherman's Wharf and our hotel. The group enjoyed a wine tasting in the lobby before heading into a Gator Reception. We were joined by Steve "Gator" Wood, "Swamp Master" (president) of the San Francisco Bay Area Gator Club, and his wife Cullen, also a huge Gator fan. Gator did a great job explaining the activities of the club, the important role alumni play in supporting the activities of the university, and of course, all of the top spots we should enjoy while in San Francisco. Many in the group were delighted to hear that Gator has a background in agriculture -he was president of his FFA chapter, State Farmer, and spent a year at California Poly Tech studying agriculture, before transferring to UF.
It has been a long day but most of the group has headed out to enjoy dinner at Fisherman's Wharf. Tomorrow brings a free day in San Fran for the group. I am sure we will have a lot to update our friends and family about!
