Take electric scooter to marina to avoid driving car? CHECK!
This was one of my ideas for a clean energy trip back and forth to the Glen Cove Marina. I had to use a little foot power to help myself on the inclines since the scooter slowed down to almost nothing, but I didn’t need to drive my SUV to go to the marina. Plus I got to store the scooter safely on the dock while we went out on the rowboat!
It was a pretty cold morning, but we’ve had worse! Had to catch this mega-ship behind us as we rowed.
Here in Glen Cove, Vallejo, we have lots of very cool nooks and crannies that I’m starting to get to know from different perspectives that I would never see with a car, and might not necessarily reach on foot!
The scooter is a fun way to get around for some things, but this has inspired me to buy an electric, foldable, fat-tire bicycle soon. The scooter will maintain its appeal and will still be super convenient for many uses.
Shando and I finally got to check out the gorgeous Quarters Coffee House in an old officer’s quarters on Mare Island. What a cool spot with great indoor and outdoor seating. It’s dog-friendly too, so we brought a couple of our dogs and remained outside!
I regret that I didn’t take any long shots of the front of the building, since I love the architecture so much, but you get an idea of what the building looks like from the design of the one next to it in this first picture.
I forgot to take a picture with my friend Lisa Gutierrez-Wilson, but it was her idea to check this new place out. What a jewel in Vallejo and one of our many hidden treasures. Mare Island is full of surprises!
Above and beyond the Visions of the Wild event, the monthly Vallejo Art Walk was a lot of fun. We met our good friends Noel and Mark afterward on the gorgeous Vallejo Waterfront for dinner at the Mare Island Tap Room, but not before soaking in the gloaming and taking some sunset pictures from there. We also snapped some pictures in front of my favorite mural in Vallejo at Sacramento and Georgia Streets.
These first two pictures are of a newly displayed statute in one of the storefronts in downtown Vallejo. I noticed right away this Black girl was pledging allegiance to the flag of the USA while giving the Black Power sign. I later found a reference to her online as “Genius Girl.” As you can imagine I thought of my daughter when I saw this, who is now a strong woman of color.
I’m feeling philosophical today on the THREE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY of us moving to Vallejo! It’s been great buying a place here and setting roots. I was already very familiar with the Bay Area, having lived about half of my life in my home state in this part of California, but after years of considering the geographic convenience, natural beauty, weather, culture, racial diversity, robust queer community, affordability, and other factors, choosing to move to Vallejo was one of the best decisions we ever made, especially finding a house that had all of the boxes checked. We were welcomed with open arms by our neighbors and folks online since it was in the beginning of Covid, prior to vaccinations, and during the orange skies of wildfires that had just burned down homes in other parts of Solano county, including the home of a friend of ours. In fact, when we went to our closing in Vacaville, there were homes STILL SMOLDERING. We have become heavily invested in our community and we’re trying to make the most of that now that the pandemic has waned. I love this city and all of the new friends we have made here. I hope to be an ambassador for this corner of the Bay Area and we are optimistic that with our activist friends, we can make this city, county, region, state, country, and world a better place in the future for our lives and future generations.
Saw a lot of friends at Oakland Pride, many of whom I had not seen since before Covid. Despite the way it might look in the pictures, it was very well attended. I was also pleased to read that the two competing Oakland pride events from last year had reached a detente, so they were consolidated this year.
We parked at a nearby lot and walked a few blocks through the City Plaza, which had some gorgeous architecture and murals. I also realized that the amazing oak tree in front of City Hall is the one featured in the Oakland logos. When I first saw the Corinthian columns, I didn’t even realize the ornate building next to me was City Hall.
We were really touched by the Breonna Taylor monument, which has its own history worth reading about.
One of the buildings reminds me so much of the Flat Iron building in New York City.
This evening was exceptionally lovely having dinner by the Napa River and watching the sunset afterward beneath the white eucalyptus trees. Thanks for suggesting the RIPARIAN location, Noel & Mark! You have made our move to Vallejo so much more valuable with your amazing friendships, Covid notwithstanding. It doesn’t hurt that Mark is a big Streisand fan like me!
Even in the reflection of the window, you can see the Mare Island Causeway, which is so cool.
After the picnic in San Francisco, we decided to go down to one of our favorite dog-friendly beaches, Montara. Amazingly we found great parking in both SF and at the beach (with a little patience). It was the first time we’ve taken Snoopy and Polar to the Coast and I was particularly proud of how well Snoopy minded, since he had been quite a runner when we first got him and before he was neutered.
