I took a Beechcraft 1900C prop-driven airplane this morning from Vancouver to Victoria. One sparkling seaside city to another. This is such a wonderland of water up here, it’s all breathtaking from the air…
I have a radio interview in about 45 minutes at CBC Victoria, lucked out to find Bubby Rose’s Bakery, and a piece of “Shaker Lemon Pie,” I swear the best piece of pie I’ve ever had. More later…
Here are a few photos from the SFO International Airport this morning. They have fabulous exhibits there. There were 3 exhibits: Automata: vintage mechanical French puppet-like figures, some of which seemed alive; a stunning exhibit of vintage Italian motorcycles; an exhibit of old microscopes.
Vancouver is one of my favorite cities, similar in many ways to San Francisco. (I’m in Canada for 12 days to do slideshow/book signings and interviews. Schedule is here.)
I got into my hotel too early to check in, so I’ve taken one of their (free) bikes out and am touring around the Granville Market/West 4th St./Kitsilano area, checking out shops, detouring through neighborhoods which are strangely quiet. I like being plopped down in unfamiliar territory where everything is new. Serendipity abounds. Running across the unexpected. Stay tuned; ride shotgun with me this next week.
“My family and I spent the summer and fall of 2011 converting this Dallas City 72 passenger school bus into a home. We devoted our energy to creating an open, warm, bright, and inspiring space for our family. By building up and customizing the back of the bus, we created a very unique and distinctive living space that eliminates the cold, tubular feel of a school bus.…
Model: 1994 Blue Bird TC2000 72 passenger school bus
We put our hearts and souls into making this bus our home and have loved every minute that we have spent living in it. As sad as it is for us to part with it, selling the bus will fund our move to Alaska and give our young growing family a good start there.
If you are interested in purchasing the bus please send us an email and we can arrange a time to meet. We are currently living 9 miles south of downtown Olympia off I-5.…”
https://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/rvs/2958540374.html
From Adam Reitano
I have “content” up the kazoo these days. Don’t know what to do with it all. I’m continuously compulsively shooting pics and making notes. I’m way backed up. I’ll just toss bits and pieces out when I can. 2 weeks ago on the road I was listening to the Elvis station on Sirius radio. Are You Lonesome Tonight is a breathtakingly beautiful ballad. Next they played Elvis doing What’d I Say; never heard this version before. Same arrangement, orchestration, vocal backup as the great Ray Charles original.
Sign at sleazy looking fundamentalist Christian church on the road near Weaverville: “His blood was poured out for your sins.” Yeow! Speak for yourselves, brethren! Patti Smith said it elegantly: “Jesus died for somebody’s sins but not mine…” in the intro to Gloria on Wild Horses, brilliant song, brilliant album.
Last week in Santa Cruz I visited a friend who, like me, is, um, bald on top. When I left he said, “Keep the shiny side up.”
A comedian on Raw Dog said, “…so I took it old school.”
The Stanley Brothers: “I’ll hush up my mug if you’ll fill up my jug with that good ole mountain dew.”
Boy do I love this town! Yes, it ain’t what it was in the ’50s (what is?), but it’s got so much. A lot of it having to do with the town’s Feng Shui, perched as it is on the northern edge of the huge Monterey Bay (Monterey is at the southern edge). There’s a clarity in the air from the ocean. Colors vibrant. That extra warmth we don’t have in the San Francisco zone that allows for the occasional avocado tree, and better corn and tomatoes.
This temple or whatever has been here (West Cliff Drive neighborhood) for at least 60 years.
There’s that Southern Cal vibe. I’ve always felt that southern California starts in South San Francisco. The further south you go, the warmer things get, and the looser. It’s just more relaxed. More fun where the livin’ is easy. Skateboarders flying all over town. Surfers out everywhere yesterday. A town of serious cycling. This morning I’m at the ultra-cool Verve Roasters, 816 41st Ave, serious barista folk, good wi-fi connection (pic below). That’s a Hungarian wild cherry pastry there. In same block on 41st is the Cliff Cafe, great breakfast, the Freeline Surf Shop, The Santa Cruz Skate Shop, Pink Godzilla Sushi — lively hood just a few blocks from the Hook.
It’s 7 AM and I’m at The Java Beach Cafe on Noriega and The Great Highway in San Francisco. On the western edge of San Francisco — Ocean Beach. Been a while since I was at this cafe and in the interim they’ve fixed it up; tables shaped like 1940s Wakiki surfboards, and the coffee is really good, as is the fresh crumb donut.
When I come into SF from Marin county, I usually skirt around the northwestern part of the city. A sharp right after the toll gate, thru Army base, along bay, past Palace of the Legion of Honor, then out to the beach on Geary or Lake.
Then this morning, down Highway One to Santa Cruz, where I’m doing a slide show/book signing at Bookshop Santa Cruz tomorrow at 7:30 PM. 1520 Pacific Avenue. It’s one of the country’s best bookstores. I also get to see 13 months old grandson Maceo, now walking and as well, playing his own set of conga drums.
Santa Cruz is my former turf. I spent 3-4 years there on and off in the ’50s, a rare time for surfers in retrospect, before rubber suits. Think four guys out at Steamer Lane on a foggy morning with 8′ surf (don’t get me started). I love going down there, even though it’s over-populated and expensive. It’s still got that slightly SoCal climate and looseness and the beaches are still there, and there’s a good feeling. People play a lot: surfing, skating, biking, paddling, all kinds of activities possible in the warm climate.
Off I go, making this coastal drive for probably the 300th time, through the fields of mustard and artichokes and brussels sprouts, with waves breaking at dozens of beaches.
Slide show in Arcata last night went great. Packed house. Couldn’t find a place to eat, or a room in Arcata, so about 9PM I got a tank of gas, Sobe soda and some, ahem, Dorito barbecue nachos, and headed east through the hills, destination Reading, on Hwy 5. Found a nice little motel in Weaverville, $50, took hot bath on cold night, got donuts and coffee at bakery this morning and am now in Reading.
I have a problem on the road. I keep seeing things to photograph. My friend, photographer Jack Fulton and I can hardly get anywhere on a road trip. Every 5-10 minutes, one of us will say, “Um…” and we’ll stop and jump out with cameras. In the next few days I’ll post various images from this trip.
Above: Heading north from Mendocino yesterday
Below:Great hunting/fishing/diving store in Eureka. The real thing
(Below: maybe my favorite brewery anywhere, The Lost Coast Brewery in Eureka. Had a 9.5% dark stout, corned beef and cabbage (was St. Patrick’s Day). I couldn’t have eaten a plate of food this size when I was 18 and surfing every day.
Forgot to mention: last night at the slide show, a tall young man came up and said “I’m Caleb.” Turns out his photo is in our book Home Work, at about age 6, living with his folks and sister on a beach in NorCal, in a driftwood house. His mom, Karen Knoebber was there also; I’d corresponded with her when we did their story, but had never met her. Caleb’s become a builder.
Right now am in Moody’s excellent coffee bar in Mendocino, good wi-fi, checking mail and getting ready to drive 3 hours north to Arcata for tonight’s event. I treasure 2 ingredients while traveling: barista-level espresso, and good wi-fi. On the road again…
These spectacular towns like Mendocino or Sausalito, which have succumbed and largely capitulated to the Mighty Tourist Trade, still have some of the old soul in their hearts. Like here this morning. Mostly locals. Semi-sunny, colors bright, surf pounding in the cove. The beauty of a place is often reflected in its residents. Like there’s a feeling in the oasis town of San Ignacio in Baja California, a peacefulness, a vibe in the town square, people are smiling. Now, where was I? Oh yes, it’s a good morning, and Lew Lewandowski just sent me this photo (from Byron Bay, Australia), with the title “Old Soul:” https://mitchrevs.tumblr.com/post/7528547437/heaven
Now I’m off northward, shined upon by Morning Sun, cameras at the ready; goin huntin.
A series of storm fronts is making its way to our coast. There was 2-1/2″ rain a few days ago, the high pressure buffer in disarray right now. Gimme more of that low pressure thing, inviting the storms in off the ocean. I took off yesterday morning, got excellent latte and superb ginger scone at Toby’s, headed up the coast for 2 book signings. I get almost giddy when I take off in my truck for parts not unknown, but not recently visited. Sirius radio a huge boon. Water on the roads — a couple of times I didn’t slow down enough when hitting standing water and water sheeted over the truck, blinding me for a second. Magic Slim singing”I’m a Bluesman,” Willy Nelson’s “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys,” Ralph Stanley “Man of Constant Sorrow.” A pissed-off-looking turkey buzzard, soaked, sitting on a fence post. The Confederate Railroad doing “I Like Women a Little Bit On the Trashy Side.”
Bought a dozen oysters at Hog Isand Oyster Company, rolled through the green hills, water cascading everywhere. Seeing the earth get this much-needed moisture is exhilarating, like taking a deep breath. Acquifers getting recharged, creeks roiling, rivers at power stage.
A couple of buildings I spotted for the first time yesterday:
I got up to Louie’s around 4. We had shots of tequila and olives in his workshop, where he’s now building a concrete Rumford-type fireplace he’ll use for cooking as well as heat.
Louie’s older than me — unique for me, since everyone else I hang out with is younger. We grew up in the days of radio. As kids: Superman, The Green Hornet, The Whistler, I Love a Mystery. As adults: Jack Benny, Red Skelton, the Great Gildersleeve. We both know 1000s of songs. I just have to sing “Everybody’s hand in hand…” and he’ll sing, “…swinging down the lane.” We do this over and over. We both speak this rather rare language.
