May 10 to may 13 1997 san ...

Tuesday, May 13, 1997
San Francisco, California, United States
May 10 to May 13, 1997 San Francisco/Sausalito, CA A celebration of Mother's Day and Susan's new job!

In 1885 William Barrett, a transplanted Vermonter who had made a fortune in lumbering, built his dream house on the hillsides of Sausalito. It was an Italianate Victorian pile, with marble fireplaces, stained-glass windows and extensive iron grillwork, set in an impressive terraced garden overlooking San Francisco Bay. Barrett's Villa became the showplace of a community of gracious homes. It later was a hotel, bordello, and in the 1950's a crash pad for the beatniks. Robert Heri Deschamps, a restaurateur with a fine sense of Continental elegance, restored it in the 1960's. He leased the hotel and installed Le Vivoir, a French restaurant of such excellence that San Franciscans, who know something of fine cuisine, immediately declared it one of the premier establishments in the Bay Area. In 1976 John Mays, an attorney with the eye of an artist bought it. Mays restored the upstairs rooms to their original grandeur. Deschamps continued running Le Vivoir on the first floor. This became the Casa Madrona Inn and is featured in all good Bed and Breakfast and Inn books, including the 1980 Architectural Digest Book; Country Inns of America Series for California/North. In the mid 1970's I had a job in San Francisco, stayed over a weekend and stayed here and vowed someday to return with Susan, so on a cold February 16, 1997 I made reservations and..............

On Saturday, May 10, 1997 we caught a 8:00am flight on United airlines for San Francisco. After a four and a half hour flight we arrived at 10:24am San Francisco time. As we approached San Francisco it was rainy, foggy and dreary. We checked in at the Casa Madrona Inn, 801 Bridgeway, Sausalito in room #311, "The Honeywood" on 2nd. floor They had a Jacuzzi, but we didn't use it. They have a web site.

We walked to the east end of the harbor where the popular Spinnaker restaurant (would have been wise to phone for reservation from Chicago! 332-1500 sometimes weeks ahead, particularly for mother's day!) for lunch. It is obvious that the hostess prefers the well heeled locals in large parties who were seated before us. We waited at least 30 minutes, more likely 45 to 60. There are only a few tables for two and those are located against a wall with cushions lining a wall. The magnificent view of the San Francisco skyline across the harbor/bay is obscured/blocked by two rows of tables; those in the center and the choice ones next to the windows. We enjoyed a creme shrimp and saffron soup. I had a lobster dish which I enjoyed. Susan had an average Crab Louis.

Afterwards we walked along the waterfront park to the Marina and then out to the end is a miniature Tja Mahal built as a house boat! We did not go down hill at Liberty ship Way to Schoonmaker's Building which houses artists lofts, some often open to public. We cruised the high end commercial tourist strip along Bridgeway lined with chic clothing, art galleries and souvenir establishments such as one featuring only refrigerator magnets! One shop that had very striking Japanese Kimono inspired dresses by a Japanese designer was GG's at 755 Bridgeway.

We returned to the Casa Madrona to change into more appropriate and warmer clothes for our 6:30-7p, 2-2½ hour Sail on captain Tom's catamaran under the Golden Gate bridge at sunset on the Apparition, a very sleek 38 foot performance cruising catamaran captained by owner Stan Schilz of Sailing Adventures. 331-8730. ($100 per couple includes dinner at the Mikayla. restaurant. She boasts two double staterooms, a single cabin, full galley and a spacious main cabin with a cat who once we got going slept through the entire trip curled up in a corner of a couch. The inherent stability of a catamaran allows level sailing even while achieving double-digit speeds, which we didn't. It was crewed by Kathy, a friend of his who is getting a doctorate in science education and hopes to teach mostly to young girls. Stan lives on the ship as quite a few others do in the large harbor area.

Stan biked over to the Casa Madrona and since we didn't have a car, we walked the mile or so where the boat was docked. Along the way we got to know him a bit and learn about the unique characters and life style of folks who live aboard some interesting floating, but not moving, "house boats" permanently moored in the harbor. Some were built on old life boats salvaged from a ship that sunk close in the harbor. It had filled in with silt and grass was growing in the "shadow" of the hull. I have a few photos of both, but they are not that good. Most were shot too far away. They are not in the photo album. We also walked through an area of squatter's housing created from old boat hulls, scrap lumber and metal and steel shipping containers that remind you of a small railroad box car. These and the houseboats are the only remnants left from the bohemian and artsy community of the 40's to the 70's. Replaced by high priced and trendy decorative artists in chic galleries with decorative/planned interior and sales people dressed to the nines backed up with 3 ring binders with Xeroxed articles & repros from well placed articles in chi chi magazines all created to create the illusion of the painter as a real artist, when in reality they are merely clones!. All the products of pr agents and artists marketing reps. Oh, it is all so slick!

The weather on our cruise was truly lousy. A fog rolled in from the ocean and as it came up and over the high hills above Sasulito it looked like fingers of cotton descending on third of the way down. Further north up the harbor in Marin County/Mill Valley, it was sunny. As we cruised past Sausilito we returned folks waving from their apartments and condos. Some raised champagne glasses since it was dinner time. As we approached the Golden Gate Bridge to celebrate its 60th birthday this month, it was pretty well bathed in a light mist. I took some snaps, but don't expect anything except record shots. No dramatic sunset as planned nor moody partial fog across the bottom or top! This was all excused and explained away by Stan as micro climates in different areas short distances from one another.

Had a wonderful 8:30p, moonlight 3 course dinner at Casa Madrona: Mikayla; chef: Terry Lynch. Get a window table to view moonlight on the bay. which wasn't due to the heavy fog Which rolled in! order rack of lamb.

Sunday, 5/11/97 MOTHER'S DAY

We had an early breakfast in the Mikayla and saw two scullers & kayaks out on the fairly still waters of the bay.
If we hadn't I planned to stop at La Cigale de Provence, Boulangerie et Pâtisserie (1001 Bridgeway at Caledonia they have the best croissants across the street from the best Cappuccino at the Cafe' Trieste, 1000 Bridgeway.

At 10:50am we caught the Golden Gate Ferry over to "the city" arriving around 11:20am. at the Embarcadaro. $4.25. (The other ferry is more geared to the tourist trade since it lands at Pier 43½ at Fisherman's Wharf [Red and White Fleet: 415-5462628] $5.50) We Walked two or three blocks to the Jewish Museum (121 Steuart; S. of Market & Mission Sts, above Howard) to see the photos of Russian Jewish photojournalist Yevgeny Khaldei who had fantastic black and white photos from W.W.II up until 1994. I tried out silk scarf painting with Russian artist Natasha Foucault who was giving a workshop. I used my heart with rainbow design which didn't work out too well because I was testing various techniques at the same time. After we left the museum I discarded it in a garbage can!

We walked around a bit in the financial district and then caught the J-Church Muni street car underground at Powell and Market which took us on Market St. & then down Church to 24th in the Noa neighborhood, SW of DT.

Here we enjoyed a wonderful Mother's Day Afternoon Tea at Lovejoy's 415-648-5895. Well worth the return. Out of the way, but easy to get to on the street car.

Afterwards we walked around the neighborhood which I would liken a bit to like Armitage Avenue near Halsted in Chicago with its gift shops, bars etc. It doesn't have very many restaurants.

We caught the last ferry at 7:30pm and missed by about 20 minutes a nice sunset which did not set under the Golden Gate Bridge, but quite a bit further more north up along the coast behind the steep hill above Sausilito. We had some ice cream and took a leisurely stroll along the main drag past all the shops back to the Casa Madrona. When we got back we stepped out on the verandah of the second floor and looked out on a very calm harbor. We spoke to a couple who were staying there and enjoying the view as well. They had just returned from six hours of voga!

Monday, 5/12/97
We checked out of Casa Madrona, walked three blocks and took the Golden Gate 8:15 am commuter ferry to the Embarcadaro. It only takes a half an hour. (www.goldengate.org; $4.25 free buses to/from ferry terminals; free transfers between ferry and SF Muni) Snapped a nice morning light shot of a statue of Ghandi walking with a staff and some buildings frame within his arms and legs. There was a yellow dandelion flower stuck in both of his sandals. Met a woman who bikes in from Mill Valley and works a an urban golf course designer. She had the lightest bike I every lifted made of Kevlar or something like it. It couldn't have weighted more than 5 to 7 pounds!
Checked into the charming Petite Auberge at 863 Bush St. $140; 800-365-3004.

We took the cable car down to Fisherman's Warf to take the ferry to Alcatraz, but discovered you need to make reservations sometime in advance. Upon our return Stephanie and Charlotte Lill reminded us they had told us this!

We had a bite to eat and caught the cable car again up the hill and came back to the hotel and walked up two blocks to check out the Mary Elizabeth Inn that is for women only with meals included. It is very similar to the Eleanor Club where Susan will begin working one week from today!

We then took a long walk around our hotel's area including the theater district, Union Square/Maiden Lane with its chic shopping and just a bit of Chinatown. While in the theater district we had falafel sandwiches at Jerusalem opposite the Geary theater at 420. It is "Glatt Kosher."

One of the reasons we came to San Francisco was to go to the Bellachino Paper Store. (Spelled incorrectly, Susan has it) Unfortunately it is closed on Sunday and Monday! It is just south of Market St.

Tuesday, 5/13/97

I was up and out walking the hills by 6:30 and looking for photos by starting up into the Knob Hill area with views don the cable car tracks with the TransAmerica Building and the Bay bridge silhouetted by the sunrise and glare of sunlight on the water.. Didn't really get really too much, but enjoyed the walk, stopping up at a coffee shop opposite the Cable Car Museum and ended back in Chinatown.

Returned at 8:30am and had a liesurely buffet breakfast in their charming French Country dinning area. (have post card in album). Afterwards we sat next to a fireplace reading the San Francisco Chronicle, New York Times and the Wall Street Journal amidst bears sitting and perched everywhere. I took a few snaps.

At 1:30p, we caught a flight back and arrived around 7:35pm, Chicago time.

Immediately upon arrival at home we unpacked and ran a couple of loads of clothes. In less than a week Susan embarks upon her new adventure.

This trip was a disappointment to some degree. The Casa Madrona is not like it was when I stayed there in the early 70's when it looked like a bordello of past with red velvet walls. Totally redecorated in semi-cute and lacking the lusty themed rooms from Sausilito's navy past.

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