We spent our first two days in California in Oakland with my brother, Zeke. My husband, Dan, and I had arrived on Friday evening, checked into the Best Western Bayside, then had a quick dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant with Zeke. Our hotel had a beautiful view of the water from the room window, but the front side faced a highway and a blighted area with the word "Decolonize" spray painted in large letters on the wall. We were a short Uber ride from Zeke who lives near Lake Merritt. Saturday we met Zeke for a walk around the lake and a visit to the Farmer's Market, where in addition to a variety of vegetables and mushrooms we saw many vendors of afro-centric arts and crafts. Sunday we met my friend Laura and her husband, Sander at Fenton's icecream shop for lunch, then spent the afternoon walking down Piedmont Ave., visiting a mausoleum, shopping, and stopping at a Mexican restaurant for lunch. We had dinner one evening at a scenic restaurant in Alameda called Pasta Pelican that served "Chilean Sea Bass" that closely resembled talapia.The service was great, and the vegetables were delicious, however. We took the ferry to San Francisco on the third day.
We discovered that our Clipper Cards for the Bart system could be used to ride the ferry, and it became our favorite way to go to San Francisco from Oakland. Monday we walked to the Hotel Pickwick, the long way, through Chinatown, where my family stayed in the 70s. I can't believe that old hotel is still there. It seemed so much bigger when I was a kid. We had a delicious lunch of ceviche at La Mar Cebicheria. Later we took the ferry to Alcatraz. Alcatraz was very grim and forbidding, but also had beautiful gardens in unexpected places. After coming back from Oakland on the ferry, Zeke made us chicken piccata, and we saw Blood, Sweat, and Tears at Yoshi's in Oakland. That had been one of my Dad's favorite bands.
Tuesday we took the ferry to San Francisco again from Oakland's Jack London Square. We had a fancy seafood lunch at Scott's Seafood Grill & Bar- Oakland before embarking. In San Francisco we walked down Fisherman's Wharf before going to Haight Ashbury, which was far more Yuppie than hippie. We only went into a few shops and decided to leave. I was really annoyed when a woman in one shop tailed me so closely that I was reminded that though I'm a tourist spending valuable dollars, I was still shopping while Black. I put back the $60 in gifts I was about to buy and left. That neighborhood had more homeless people camping on the sidewalk than I saw in any other neighborhood. In its heyday Haight-Ashbury was 40% Black, but it is now only 3% Black. We walked to Golden Gate park, through the AIDS Memorial, rode a ferris wheel, and walked through the Botanical Garden before heading back to the ferry. That night we ate dinner at a very fancy Thai restaurant called Farmhouse Kitchen Thai Cuisine . The meal was delicious, but I lost my temporary crown, and from then on had to avoid crunchy food.
Wednesday we spent the entire day in Oakland and visited the Oakland Museum of California. We saw the spectacular Afro Futurism exhibit, and I also posted some pictures from the Black Panther and Gay Liberation exhibits. The Black Panthers were based in Oakland. I highly recommend the cafeteria here. The food is delicious, and I had a kumquat daiquiri slushy. This museum is a short walk from Lake Merritt scene of the famous Barbecue Becky video. Our visit was cut short by my futile attempt to visit a local dentist. I was told my tooth could not be touched because the crown was made specifically for it as it is now. That night Zeke made another delicious dinner for us accommodating my missing tooth.
Thursday and Friday we visited wineries. Thursday we took a half day to Napa Valley tour from Tower Tours, where we visited Madonna Estate, and Kieu Hoang Wineries. Friday we got a more personal tour from the lovely and vivacious, Laura Ackley, who I befriended at the GSD, and whose wedding I attended almost 20 years ago. She is the author of San Francisco's Jewel City: The Panama-Pacific International Exhibit of 1915, and a local history expert. She drove us around Sonoma Valley in her antique convertible car, and we visited Benziger and the Muscardini Winery Afterwards we had yet another spectacular meal at Vintners Resort and John Ash & Co. with her husband, Sander. We were later joined by the lovely, talented, scary smart, and outrageously funny, Lissette Chao. She kept everyone on their toes, and collapsing with helpless laughter simultaneously. I really am fortunate to have such amazing women friends.
Saturday was our last day in Oakland. After checking out we spent the day with my brother Zeke and Kyle. We walked the three miles around Lake Merritt, went to the vendors at the Farmer's Market. It was a scorching hot day. We did at least 10,000 steps every day we were there. We took the red eye back and got barely any sleep. We enjoyed our vacation thoroughly, but are happy to be home with our kitties again.
I am a librarian who loves cooking, knitting, jewelry making, tango, and bellydance. As a woman, and a bi-racial African American I am interested in exploring and encouraging themes of diversity, inclusion, and acceptance and respect for differences in self-expression.
