July has been very good to us. Last week we had Kirk, Julie and Mathilda in town. They were housesitting for old friends up in very south Berkeley. I knew that neighborhood when I worked at Cody’s 4th St. It was mostly rented shotgun Victorians that weren’t well kept up. But the wheels of gentrification are turning. The place the kids sat is a really nice Craftsman bungalow, bought at the bottom of the market ten years ago and now a spiffed up sweetie. It’s happening all over. As I drove my old way home after dropping them off, on every block there were four or five houses already fixed up and others on the way.
We dined with them, visited with them and then on the final morning my Saunders men being silent together. Kirk seems well, the blood numbers stay low and he eats well. Julie is in good shape with some taste and smell vagaries because of her traveling companion. When Mathilda was on the way all Julie wanted was water. All this person wants is pickles. The baby is due in early January. We are starting to talk of going up for Thanksgiving.
Because of scheduling at work, Philip and I weren’t able to take our anniversary weekend until 07/01. On the traveling day he got himself home as soon as he could and everything was packed up. I was hoping to get us to Murphys by sundown, but the I 5 had other ideas. So, we drove up to the hills shrouded in gloaming. But we found the place because our hostess gave perfect directions. Our room was just as advertised, cozy, very private with an ensuite bath, good wifi and a nice strong ceiling fan. It gets really pretty warm in the Sierra foothills in early July.
Breakfast appeared magically out our door and we headed out and down to some dear smartass winemakers. Some may want fortune, some may want fame, I want to be recognized at the Twisted Oak winery in Vallecito California when I walk from the car. (We hadn’t been there in two years and it was the only wine club we held onto, hoping for better days.)
We were welcomed with two cases and a full description of their contents. I confessed having an ‘06 Spaniard to the lady of the house and she was sharp with me. She forcefully (well, forcefully for her) told me that we must drink it right away and send a review.
Once down the hill and back into beautiful downtown Murphys. There is a little service station on Main whose color changes from time to time, and it is the home of Milliaire Winery. It is our other fav in Murphys. We had cancelled our wine club membership with them but they were so welcoming. We tasted and bought and put the cases (yes that is plural) in the back of the Cruiser. (Otherwise known as the Little Blue Opera House—we can get to Murphys with one opera and an oratorio. What? you thought we listened to the local radio??)
We had a lovely lunch and checked out two of the other 22 tasting rooms in that little town. It was in the second room, Tanner, that a problem raised its head. Power went out, and then it came back on, and then it went out for good. There was a fire a valley away that brought down a tower, so phone, electricity, wifi all were gone. The last time we heard anything was that it would be up by 5:30. So we went back to our digs to relax, read and wait. It didn’t happen. We drove to Angels Camp, no power; in fact we were told it was out all the way down to Farmington. California Highway 4 was dark and would be till Sunday afternoon.
So we went back, packed up, left our lovely little nest and headed out towards Lodi. We’d planned on a night there after the two nights in Murphys. As soon as we turned right on the 49, just out of a dark Angles Camp, there was electricity. We could see lights in houses, there was power in San Andreas and in Valley Springs where we stopped at a lovely little bistro called Taco Bell. But no place for our heads. So, we pointed our faces down into the hot darkness of the Central Valley.
We stopped at the big gas station at the junction of Old 99 and the curve of the 12. There I phoned the Motel 6 with whom we had the next night’s reservation. But there was no room for us. They were full because of the fire. Yet fortune smiled and we found a Budget Inn where the sign said “Vacancy.” Would there be rest for the fire-chased weary?
There was. We were greeted by a lovely young South Asian gentleman who answered the pertinent questions. “Yes, we have a room, yes, we have wifi. Just sign here.” Our room was just past the still populated swimming pool, where children cavorted in the chlorinated air and gentlemen spoke amongst themselves. Worn but clean it had a big old hotel air conditioner that made a hell of a noise and just pumped out the cold air. It was perfect. Philip had been able to nap in the afternoon but I hadn’t so he enjoyed the joys of being reconnected and I turned into a blissed out turnip.
The next morning, with the fire behind us (power did not come back to Murphys until Sunday afternoon), we were in search of breakfast and after that, wine. We came to Lodi to taste the Zinfandels for which this appellation is duly famous. But breakfast was necessary as was the cancelation of our reservation at Motel 6. This was far more complicated than I could have imagined. Since I hadn’t left a credit card #, I thought to call just as a courtesy. But no, there was a whole phone process that happily ended as expected. Cancelation without fee.
We found the Denny’s, just off Kettleman Ave. This is clearly where the elite meet in Lodi. Sitting on the bench and waiting to be called, we were told that a specific waitress was the best in the place. And so she was. I was able to inform her that Mr.Sandoval recommended her mightily.
Have you ever watched line cooks at Denny’s or Ole’s or any other short order place? Well my friends, hear me talking to you. One can go to the Cordon Bleu or the CIA, and these are great institutions, but the grill line at any cafe is where you learn to cook.
Our first stop wasVan Ruiten Winery. We knew little of it but that was also true of Milliaire and Twisted Oak when we first found them over 15 years ago. We went in and started to be simply blown away. This is a very delicate terroir and its base is white clay. Van Ruiten makes clear, specific wines including a Pinot that knocked Philip right to the floor. Having been struck by lightning once, we had some mercy on the suspension of our little blue opera house and headed home.
I love the 12 as it crosses the Delta. There was more rain this year and everything looked lush. After that wonderful breakfast, lunch at Isleton or RioVista seemed superfluous. I just wanted to go home.
And so we did. It had been an eventful and wonderful 25th anniversary trip in the best place in the world, the glorious state of California. With the very best husband, Philip Milton Saunders.
We dined with them, visited with them and then on the final morning my Saunders men being silent together. Kirk seems well, the blood numbers stay low and he eats well. Julie is in good shape with some taste and smell vagaries because of her traveling companion. When Mathilda was on the way all Julie wanted was water. All this person wants is pickles. The baby is due in early January. We are starting to talk of going up for Thanksgiving.
Because of scheduling at work, Philip and I weren’t able to take our anniversary weekend until 07/01. On the traveling day he got himself home as soon as he could and everything was packed up. I was hoping to get us to Murphys by sundown, but the I 5 had other ideas. So, we drove up to the hills shrouded in gloaming. But we found the place because our hostess gave perfect directions. Our room was just as advertised, cozy, very private with an ensuite bath, good wifi and a nice strong ceiling fan. It gets really pretty warm in the Sierra foothills in early July.
Breakfast appeared magically out our door and we headed out and down to some dear smartass winemakers. Some may want fortune, some may want fame, I want to be recognized at the Twisted Oak winery in Vallecito California when I walk from the car. (We hadn’t been there in two years and it was the only wine club we held onto, hoping for better days.)
We were welcomed with two cases and a full description of their contents. I confessed having an ‘06 Spaniard to the lady of the house and she was sharp with me. She forcefully (well, forcefully for her) told me that we must drink it right away and send a review.
Once down the hill and back into beautiful downtown Murphys. There is a little service station on Main whose color changes from time to time, and it is the home of Milliaire Winery. It is our other fav in Murphys. We had cancelled our wine club membership with them but they were so welcoming. We tasted and bought and put the cases (yes that is plural) in the back of the Cruiser. (Otherwise known as the Little Blue Opera House—we can get to Murphys with one opera and an oratorio. What? you thought we listened to the local radio??)
We had a lovely lunch and checked out two of the other 22 tasting rooms in that little town. It was in the second room, Tanner, that a problem raised its head. Power went out, and then it came back on, and then it went out for good. There was a fire a valley away that brought down a tower, so phone, electricity, wifi all were gone. The last time we heard anything was that it would be up by 5:30. So we went back to our digs to relax, read and wait. It didn’t happen. We drove to Angels Camp, no power; in fact we were told it was out all the way down to Farmington. California Highway 4 was dark and would be till Sunday afternoon.
So we went back, packed up, left our lovely little nest and headed out towards Lodi. We’d planned on a night there after the two nights in Murphys. As soon as we turned right on the 49, just out of a dark Angles Camp, there was electricity. We could see lights in houses, there was power in San Andreas and in Valley Springs where we stopped at a lovely little bistro called Taco Bell. But no place for our heads. So, we pointed our faces down into the hot darkness of the Central Valley.
We stopped at the big gas station at the junction of Old 99 and the curve of the 12. There I phoned the Motel 6 with whom we had the next night’s reservation. But there was no room for us. They were full because of the fire. Yet fortune smiled and we found a Budget Inn where the sign said “Vacancy.” Would there be rest for the fire-chased weary?
There was. We were greeted by a lovely young South Asian gentleman who answered the pertinent questions. “Yes, we have a room, yes, we have wifi. Just sign here.” Our room was just past the still populated swimming pool, where children cavorted in the chlorinated air and gentlemen spoke amongst themselves. Worn but clean it had a big old hotel air conditioner that made a hell of a noise and just pumped out the cold air. It was perfect. Philip had been able to nap in the afternoon but I hadn’t so he enjoyed the joys of being reconnected and I turned into a blissed out turnip.
The next morning, with the fire behind us (power did not come back to Murphys until Sunday afternoon), we were in search of breakfast and after that, wine. We came to Lodi to taste the Zinfandels for which this appellation is duly famous. But breakfast was necessary as was the cancelation of our reservation at Motel 6. This was far more complicated than I could have imagined. Since I hadn’t left a credit card #, I thought to call just as a courtesy. But no, there was a whole phone process that happily ended as expected. Cancelation without fee.
We found the Denny’s, just off Kettleman Ave. This is clearly where the elite meet in Lodi. Sitting on the bench and waiting to be called, we were told that a specific waitress was the best in the place. And so she was. I was able to inform her that Mr.Sandoval recommended her mightily.
Have you ever watched line cooks at Denny’s or Ole’s or any other short order place? Well my friends, hear me talking to you. One can go to the Cordon Bleu or the CIA, and these are great institutions, but the grill line at any cafe is where you learn to cook.
Our first stop wasVan Ruiten Winery. We knew little of it but that was also true of Milliaire and Twisted Oak when we first found them over 15 years ago. We went in and started to be simply blown away. This is a very delicate terroir and its base is white clay. Van Ruiten makes clear, specific wines including a Pinot that knocked Philip right to the floor. Having been struck by lightning once, we had some mercy on the suspension of our little blue opera house and headed home.
I love the 12 as it crosses the Delta. There was more rain this year and everything looked lush. After that wonderful breakfast, lunch at Isleton or RioVista seemed superfluous. I just wanted to go home.
And so we did. It had been an eventful and wonderful 25th anniversary trip in the best place in the world, the glorious state of California. With the very best husband, Philip Milton Saunders.
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