The "Sideways" Route, My Way: Staying in So

Since the movie "Sideways" came out 10 years ago, I've had "doing" the route that Miles and Jack took through the Santa Inez Valley/Santa Barbara County on my wish list.  Finally, I got to make this journey…and, what fun we had!

"Sideways the Map" of their route is still available online, but is no longer in print.  One page is the map, pictured above, and the second page identifies 18 of the movie locations, with addresses and details of their role in the movie.  

Last week, Jim and I set out for a 5-day trip to the Santa Inez Valley, with "Sideways" on our mind. What we wound up doing was tasting wine and eating at several "Sideways" locations as well as going to places recommended by friends and that we discovered as we explored the area. We "did" "Sideways" our way. 

We stayed in Solvang, a Danish city, which was founded in 1911 by a small group of Danish teachers. Solvang is next to Buellton, the city where Miles and Jack stayed in the movie. When you get off Highway 101 south, you turn left to head into Solvang. Their motel, Days Inn, complete with its windmill, is visible on your right, as you drive down the off ramp. 

We chose Solvang because we could easily walk around the town from our hotel. Miles and Jack's hotel down the road was not as convenient a location. Also, I've been interested in seeing this Danish-themed city but have never been here.

My impression of Solvang has been that it was a Danish-themed tourist spot. Those who just pass through for a few hours, will come away with that impression. There are more Danish Bakeries in the small downtown than I could count, all offering pretty much a similar assortment of Danish pastries. And, most of the architecture has a Danish theme.

But, as is often the case, by staying several days in a town, we got to "know" Solvang and truly enjoyed our time here. Solvang's main street is Mission Drive (Highway 246). One block over to the south is Copenhagen Drive, which is less touristy and has a nice variety of art galleries and shops, as well as Danish attractions.  The streets off both of these main streets take you off the beaten tourist path.

We relaxed and made Solvang our "home." Each early morning, Jim would go out for a long walk and always returned with a discovery or two, including the only building in town that still has a real thatched roof (all the others have replicas of thatch on their roofs). 

and Solvang's Mission Santa Ines.  

Since many wineries do not open until 11 a.m. , we had plenty of time to wander around Solvang and enjoy being "locals."

While, I did find most of the authentic Danish pastries in the bakeries are sweeter than what I enjoy, observing the popularity of the bakeries, I know that my taste is that of a minority. We did stop for coffee and a little something sweet at both Mortensen's and Olsen's Danish Village Bakery. And, we made sure to bring home one of the buckets of butter cookies that all the bakeries sell…it's a good souvenir or gift for your pet sitter or the neighbor who waters the garden and keeps an eye on your house while you are away. 

Mission Santa Ines was founded in 1804. It is the 19th of the 21 missions built in California from 1769 to 1836 by Spanish Franciscan priests, led by Father Junipero Serra. Masses in English are celebrated in the chapel every day; in Spanish on weekends and Holy Days. Visitors can do a self-guided tour of the Mission's museum, chapel, gardens, and cemetery every day 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. ($5 fee) and enjoy the exterior of the Mission and its views of the Santa Ynez River Valley and the Santa Ynez and San Rafael mountain ranges any time of day. 

The only Solvang restaurant that Miles and Jack ate in was the Solvang Restaurant, which serves breakfast and lunch daily and is known for Arne's Aebleskivers, a traditional Danish pancake/waffle that is formed into a ball and served with raspberry jam and powdered sugar. Other popular Danish restaurants in town include the Red Viking and  Bit O Denmark.

Danish Sausage and Meatballs are popular lunch and dinner fare. They frequently offer a Danish Smorgasbord, an all-you-can-eat buffet of traditional dishes. Several Danish restaurants feature open-faced Danish sandwiches. 

We enjoyed a some of our meals in Solvang's other restaurants. 

On our first night, we dined in the restaurant at our hotel, Hadsten House. Our meal was excellent, as was the service.  We shared a Fritti of Calamari, Green Beans, and Fennel to start.  Jim had a vegetarian dish, Pasta Leopoldo, and I had the evening's special fresh fish, Grilled Shark. With our meal, we drank local wines: A Bratcher Pinot Noir and a Casa Cassara Pinot Noir.  

Another night, we dined in town at an Italian restaurant, Cecco,

which features pizzas baked in their wood fire oven. We shared a salad and the Cinghiale pizza (wild boar sausage, tomato, smoked mozzarella, and braised kale). 

After visiting Mission Santa Ines, we stopped for lunch, a short drive from the Mission, at the El Rancho Marketplace where we'd been told they had the best deli in town and had considered buying food to take for a picnic at a winery. Seeing their pleasant outdoor patio, we decided to eat right here at the market. 

 Not only did they have an amazing deli, they had beautiful produce and a delightful coffee/tea/gelato/etc café.  El Rancho seems to be where everyone in town shops. Prices at the deli are moderate and, while you wait for your order, there is complimentary coffee to sip and food samples to try (they brought out a freshly-baked pizza while we were in line).

I so wanted to buy some of these beautiful fresh sweet onions at El Rancho but managed to talk myself out of them after deciding that, after the long ride home, everything in my car would be infused with onion aroma.

Our next post will follow us on our wine tasting and for more meals in and around Solvang...

Rosie The Riveter Visitor Center in Richmond, CA

Last week, to celebrate Dixie's birthday, Dixie, Mary Ann, Kathy, and I headed off to Richmond to the Rosie the Riveter Visitor Center. The Center is part of the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park.

Dixie, who grew up in California, remembers the Rosies when they were building ships at this location during World War II. While she wasn't a Riveter herself, she still has many memories of that time.

Earlier this year, several of the Riveters traveled to Washington D.C. to be honored for their service to the United States. Their visit was the subject of the radio and TV news and the newspapers.  One of the Riveters, Kay Morrison, even gave President Obama quite a kiss!

We planned our visit several months ago.  As it happened, our timing was perfect timing for us to get a preview of the new exhibits in the Visitor Center that are opening this coming weekend (Memorial Day weekend).

 

Our first stop was at the Visitor Center where we were greeted by four of the Riveters. They are here every Friday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. In the picture above, they are, from left to right, Priscilla Elder, Kay Morrison, Agnes Moore, and Marian Wynn. Kay, proudly, is the one who kissed President Obama and, as she said to me, "He's my president. I can kiss him!"

What delightful and enthusiastic women they are!  They introduced themselves to us and told us what their jobs were during the War and in which building they worked. We got to chat with them several times during our visit, each time learning more about what it was like for them to work building war ships.

The Kaiser shipbuilding plant, which was here, completed a ship nearly every day. The Riveters worked 'round the clock. The record time to construct a ship from start to finish was that for the SS Robert E. Peary which was constructed in less than 5 days; the average time was less than a month.

Dixie recalled that their salaries were very good. At that time, she was earning 50 cents an hour in an office job, while the Riveters earned $1 an hour for their first 40 hours of work during the week. If they worked on Saturdays, they earned time and a half, and, on Sundays, they earned double time. One of the films we watched in the Center's theatre said that the average work week for them was about 60 hours long.

During our visit, there was a press preview of the new exhibit and we got to see it too. There is a riveting station set up where they display their riveting technique. Several videos about life during the war play continuously.

The Visitor Center is open daily. While the Riveters are usually here only on Fridays, volunteers and National Park Rangers are here every day.  Everyone we met was well informed and eager to talk about the World War II years and about Richmond as a Bay Area boom town.

RIVETING

VIDEOS/DISPLAYS

OTHER PARTS OF THE EXHIBIT

We took a break from the Visitor Center for lunch at Assemble, the restaurant in the former Ford Motors Assembly Plant next door to the Visitor Center. During World War II, President Roosevelt banned civilian automobile production. During the war, this Ford Assembly Plant assembled 49,000 jeeps and put the finishing touches on 91,000 tanks, half-tracks, armored cars and other military vehicles destined for the war.

Lunch, too, was a delightful adventure.  The "decor" of the restaurant is that of an automobile assembly plant. Ironically, as if in tribute to the restaurant's delicious and creative menu, there are video screens in the dining room playing reruns of Julia Child television shows. Three noted Bay Area chefs, Richard Massera (César, Chez Panisse), Terumi Shibata-Mazzera (Downtown, Corso) and Maggie Pond (César) have created a menu of "re-tooled American classics."

Assemble is popular at lunchtime. I suggest making a reservation. They serve lunch weekdays, brunch on weekends, and dinner Wednesday through Saturday.

Some of Assemble's food is grown in their on-sight Victory Garden. Many items on the menu are throwback dishes to the war time, but are prepared with fresh, local ingredients.

We started our meal by sharing an order of Spiced Boiled Peanuts, described as a "Dixieland Delight" and prepared in a broth with chilies, coriander, and fennel. They were fun to eat and so tasty that Kathy even drank the broth that remained after all the peanuts were gone.

Dixie's lunch choice was the  Grilled Cheese Sandwich, made with swiss, cheddar, and pepper jack cheeses, and a cup of Tomato Soup.

Mary Ann had the Chicken Pot Pie with Cheddar Cheese Crust.

Kathy had the Triple Club Sandwich (chicken breast, roast turkey, pepper bacon, a fried egg, tomato, and avocado aioli, all on Acme bread.

My choice was the Blackened Catfish Sandwich.

Servings are very generous. And, despite our saying that it was way too much to eat, we ate every last bite.  And, we even shared a slice of Key Lime Pie, Dixie's birthday dessert.

We spent most a day just at the Visitor Center and having lunch at Assemble.

But, there is more to see/visit within the Park.  Of particular interest is the Rosie the Riveter Memorial (open year 'round, dawn to dusk) and the SS Red Oak Victory ship.  The Red Oak is in the process of being renovated by volunteers and can be boarded for visits on Weekends, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.).  To get to either or both of these attractions, you will need to drive from the Visitor Center.  There are maps, information, and a printed Self-Guided Auto Tour in the Visitor Center.

The Ruth Bancroft Garden: Inspiration for Drought-Tolerant Planting & Landscape

In this year of drought in California, the thoughts of many Californians are turning to plants and landscapes that can tolerate dry weather conditions.

Earlier this year I was invited to a private tour of The Ruth Bancroft Garden. Although I live just a few miles from the Garden, I had come to take its presence for granted and rarely visited.

Spending a few hours at the Garden with docent Adrian D'Souza (pictured above, pointing out a very large Agave Americana variegated) reminded me that the Garden is a true hidden treasure in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is now high on my list as a tranquil and inspiring spot for gardening insights, as well as a lovely spot to relax and to bring visitors.

More than 50 years ago, Walnut Creek, California, resident Ruth Bancroft, who is now 105 years old, had already planted her 3.5-acre garden with succulents and other plants that could thrive with very little water. She had purchased her first succulent plant in the 1950s and continues to acquire them. Mrs. Bancroft was, and still is, well ahead of her time with respect to plants and gardens that thrive in arid climates.

In 1989 the Garden became the first preservation project of The Garden Conservancy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving exceptional American gardens. The Garden has been open to the public for tours and visits since 1992.

Mrs. Bancroft's first drought-tolerant plant was an Echeveria. These lovely rosette-shaped plants remain a part of the Garden's landscape.



There are at least 150 species and hybrids of Aloe and and 50 species of Agave in the Garden.

This photo shows both Aloes and Agaves, as well as other succulents.



These are more succulents that intrigued me.

The Ruth Bancroft Garden consists of much more than succulents.

In the foreground of this photo is an Xanthorrhoea, an Australian Grass Tree. Behind it is a Washingtonia filifera, a California Fan Palm.

Here is a cluster of the Fan Palms. The dead leaves that hang down over the tree trunks form a protective area that provides a habitat and shelter for such creatures as birds, insects, and small rodents.



This Kapok tree was not in bloom when I saw it in January, but chances are that it has leaves by now.


The Garden is open to visitors Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.; admission is charged (free admission the first Tuesday of each month; members visit for free all the time). Children are welcome (they will be given a special "Children's Garden Quest" to guide them through the Garden). There are picnic tables on site.

Visitors can do self-guided tours (booklet available with admission) or take a docent-led guided tour (April-October: Friday, Saturday, Sunday; November-March: Saturdays). Private group tours can be scheduled in advance.

Also, when you visit the Garden, you will receive a map and numbered "What's in Bloom?" guide to what's blooming that month. The guide includes horticultural details of each plant included in the guide.



The "What's in Bloom?" guide also indicates which plants can be purchased in the Garden's nursery. Be sure to save time to browse, and be tempted by the plants and decorative garden items that are for sale in the nursery and in the main office.



Coming up on Saturday, April 12, 2014 is the Garden's Spring Plant Sale (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.). It is said to feature the Bay Area's best selection of succulents, cacti, and other drought-tolerant plants. Staff and volunteers will be there to provide dry garden advice. While the Garden's Nursery offers plants for sale throughout the year, the best selection is available for this Spring sale and their Fall sale in October. Admission is Free on Plant Sale days.

Other events (some require advance reservations) in the next few months include:

•  A Private Tour of Ruth's Gardens: Saturday, May 10, a tour of the gardens around Ruth Bancroft's home which is behind a fence on the property.

•  Mother's Day, Sunday, May 11, a family day at the Garden with special guided tours and activities. Bring a picnic to enjoy in the Garden, or reserve for a catered Mother's Day Tea (reserve online; two seatings).

•  Sculpture in the Garden, June 13 -July 13, with special events on the opening weekend, which is Father's Day weekend.

•  Bluegrass Sunset Social, August 15, featuring the Alhambra Valley Band.