Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, Best Saturday

My personal favorite way to spend a Saturday in San Francisco is at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. Since 1992 the growers better called artisans have been selling heirloom vegetables that cannot be beat, anywhere. They also are California certified and the market follows a sustainable food system in operation and education. One interesting thing is the incredible variety of produce; tomatoes have names such as Lemon Boy and Purple Thunder. I learned that because of the industrialization of agriculture, almost 96% of commercial vegetable varieties available in 1903 are now extinct. Thank god the market strives to preserve the amazing products left. I also tried some amazing cheese from the Achadinha Cheese Company that has won numerous awards. It is said that a true San Franciscan can tell just where the heirloom tomato on his plate comes from, I could make studying that every Saturday a must if I lived here!

Harleys Hurtle Down Silverado, Napa

The wind whipping through your hair as you sit on your Harley while cruising prime grape growing territory, ah Napa time. Unfortunately I happened to be in an SUV watching from behind while Drew and John were living it. Any way you explore Napa is going to be a pleasure and stops along the Silverado is going to get you some fine sipping. The beauty of the area will stimulate the palette and some prime food fits in well, lunch at 25 Degree Brix was my favorite meal on my trip so far. We got a few bottles of ZD’s pinot noir for a pre-dinner cocktail party, their 40th harvest this year. Make no mistake, the California wine industry is doing just fine and future vintages are coming down the pike. Mount up and head to Napa!

Nobbing on Top of Nob Hill

It is a great benefit to be visiting family that live in a city, they know were to go to munch. Drew and Tippy picked another fine restaurant choice last night. The Nob Hill Café had dishes that were hearty and made with fresh ingredients. They also brought some very good wine with them and that made the wait to sit more like an outdoor cocktail party on the top of Nob Hill. From JW Marriot it was a truck up the hills of SF but once there the views of the city stunning. Is there a prettier city in the US? I don’t think so. It is on to Napa in the morning.

Street Theater in San Francisco

The beauty of San Francisco is matched only by its street characters, varied and entertaining. True there are some who solely sit with cups looking for a handout; one guy today had expensive sneakers looking brand new. I prefer those who show a little style in their approach, like the guy asking for donations for alcohol research or a guy on stilts with a gig going. A little effort goes a long way with me.

San Francisco Promenade

It has been two years since our last visit to SF and the city maintains its special status in my mind. The light is magical casting its aura in every direction, things just plain look better. Minus Bee and Barnes we took the Union Square to Pier 39 promenade, a big stretch goes through Chinatown. It isn’t hard to see why my nephew and Tippy love living here, who wouldn’t!

Food Stars at the Foreign Cinema, San Francisco

Last night we finally made it to the restaurant Foreign Cinema in the Mission District, wonderful eclectic food in a tremendous setting. I love sitting at a big table filled with family and this was the perfect place to do it! After we strolled around this lively area filled with funky bars and shops people watching all the way. Street murals mix with street chic though done in a laid back way.

The Lions of Pier 39

America's Most Untypical American City, San Francisco

This Thursday I am heading to one of my favorite American cities, San Francisco, it is also the most untypical US city. Besides seeing my nephew and his wonderful fiancée Beth, I plan on seeing some new places. As luck would have it one of my favorite travel mags National Geographic Traveler cover the city in this months issue. I plan on using some of there picks such as Golden Gate Park, over 1000 acres complete with Japanese Gardens. In keeping with the Asian mode I plan on going to the Tien Hau Temple the oldest Chinese temple in the country. For a glimpse into early SF a stop at the Mission Dolores, dating from Spanish colonial times is a must for me. A definite is the market at the old ferry terminal, time to get Drew to make his fantastic tomato salad for a trip to Napa. Best of all will be dinners with family.

John Burroughs, Living Green Long Ago in Ulster County

Even with the cost of gas higher than a 737 I cannot help going for rambling afternoon rides. Today we visited the retreat of naturalist John Burroughs named Slabsides, a small cabin left pretty much as Burroughs had it. For the last 20 years of his life he came here to write and be amidst nature. In his guest book are the names John Muir, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and Teddy Roosevelt. From 1897 to 1921 John had his own Green Movement going at Slabsides, just 8 miles from my own little retreat here in Ulster County.

Living Near Mt Monadnock

This month Yankee Magazine features an area I spent a lot of time in, the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire. I went to Franklin Pierce College in Rindge then lived there for a bit after. I shared a house on Monadnock Lake with a few others and paid $85 a month. The house had a huge stone fireplace, large rooms and a deck right on the water. Many a party took place there. It has been years since I have been back to Dublin, Jaffrey, Peterborough and Keene. After reading the piece I full intend to return for a visit, seems like the area has weathered well and it is time.

Summer Fades but the Memories Last

Summer fades fast and autumn will soon arrive, I love cool nights on the back deck. This is Lil’s and my real last summer weekend, we head to California next week. Then the weekend after I head to Paris, Champagne and Burgundy, back to the traveling life I live. Lil will return to the class room and the regular cycle begins. The summer has been one of peace and reflection, deciding just what is important and what is life fluff. Tonight just the two of us will sit on the deck with the hurricane lamps lit and dinner complete with our own garden vegetables and listen to the fading summer sounds. A night to remember when I am thousands of miles away over the coming year, a place I call home.

Sunrise with the Amish. Lancaster County

I awoke early this morning to see the sunrise over the Lancaster County farms this morning, they are amazing in beauty. Only the clip clop of Amish buggies greeted me. The 2 gig card was filled in no time, so much to snap. When I read the Intelligencer Journal at breakfast I learned that a report stated that the Amish population has doubled in the last sixteen years, many Amish though have had to start new communities in states such as Missouri, Maine, and Kentucky. In the quiet of the morning I had my own temptations of joining. Then again I love throttling in a jet and seeing other communities and turning on electric lights, still they got a good life.

Traffic Jam in Intercourse PA

Visiting the Amish in Lancaster PA

It has been a summer of getting the house together, barn painted and new windows in the office being key. Gardening and yard tending have filled the days and a few small trips have been taken. We decided to head to Lancaster PA better known as the Pennsylvania Dutch country in the morning, another place I have never been even though 8 million people a year do. The name Pennsylvania Dutch was a complete mistake, the Dutch really deriving from Deutsch or German. I am looking forward to seeing the Amish and sharing the slower pace that they do. While I will be traveling in my motorized buggy unlike the wagons they use, I plan on taking back roads. I downloaded some routes from the CVB site and settled on the one that passes many covered bridges, PA was the birth place of covered bridges. Lancaster County has the largest concentration with over 30, many still in use. Fittingly I switch on the TV early this morning to find the movie Witness on, it was filmed in Amish country with a look inside the lifestyle. Chicken and dumplings will surely fit in somewhere.

Fields of Summer Gold

Healing With Bob Dylan

This pic is for my brother-in-law Chuck, one of Dylan's biggest fans. Chuck goes to more Dylan concerts a year than I do countries. Chuck recently lost his dad and I suspect Dylan's words will some how play a part in his feelings. My heart goes out to all the Le Blancs.

Some Poems and a Massage with C.J. Krieger, In Woodstock NY

Hearing that the Clintons were in Woodstock NY reminded me that I haven’t been in awhile myself. On this rainy Friday I decided to head up and also book a massage at the River Rock Spa. While I like the town I have to admit that after living there in my younger years the tie dyed tee shops are kind of a drag. Still I enjoyed my walk until it was time to get relaxed under the talented hands of C.J. Krieger, winner of the best masseuse of 2007 in Hudson Valley Magazine. C.J. has been a soldier, engineer, philosopher, musician as well as a martial arts expert. His latest endeavors are however as poet and writer, he gave me two of his newest books. I got home and read some of the poems, perfect for a guy with not a knot to be found after an amazing massage.

Bill and Hill Clinton Come for a Visit

Bill and Hill Clinton are touring my home zone here in the Mid-Hudson Valley, a little down time pre-Denver perhaps. Yesterday they were kicking around Woodstock and the day before eating lunch at the Beekman Tavern in Rhinebeck. I have to love the fact that the visit seems to be for the sheer pleasure of enjoying some great scenery. I only wish I could have run into the couple to get their opinion of my home turf!

Mohonk Mountain House, a Beacon in Stone Ridge

As I ride the local roads in Stone Ridge and Cottekill, I can see Mohonk Mountain House high above. This old resort has been a vacation destination for more than 100 years. Guest from the past included John D Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie and Presidents Hayes, Roosevelt and Taft. It was built by the Smiley Brothers between 1879 and 1910 and still remains in the Smiley family. It also has been featured on the Travel Channel’s Great Hotels and America’s Castles. To those who live around here it is like a beacon high above especially if you are lost on one of the many back roads. Not likely unless you are new to the area.

Rondout Valley Growers, Buy Locally

Harvesting at the Gill Farm, Ulster County New York

Picking produce isn't an easy job but these guys at the Gill Farm here in Ulster County were doing just fine and smiling. Every year the same folks come back to harvest the great growth. They have living quarters and their own lifestyle. It is great to see people working hard and taking pride in hard work. I doubt if it fits my rambling but markets and farm stands have always drawn me in.

Route 7A Vermont, Visual Delight

After a delightful couple of days in Manchester Vermont it was time to head home. Often I will take back roads when time permits. Today’s drive on Vermont route 7A was relaxing and filled with photo ops, Passing through little town such as Arlington and Bennington gave us time to slow down and soak up Vermont’s visual beauty. In many ways I flashed back to road trips in southern France, primarily because of the stunning fields of sunflowers, my favorites. Once again this summer I was stunned by the traveling options available right near my home. We stopped at some farm stands and picked up some corn, time to compare it with the great Ulster County ears. We will light the hurricane lamps and candles on the deck tonight, some vacations shouldn’t end to soon.

Quarry Jumping in Dorset Vermont

Is there anything better than a quarry swimming hole on a hot day in the Northeast, not likely. This afternoon we came on to one that is special, the first marble quarry in the US dating from 1785. Near Dorset Vermont one Isaac Underhill cut the Vermont marble in huge cubes for use around the new country of the United States. Now a days it is filled with cool mountain waters and folks looking to jump from the lip down. Young and old alike stepped up to the edge and leaped into the air, screams trailing their fall. It adds years to your life and keeps you feeling young, a Vermont fountain of youth!

Anniversary in Manchester VT, A Lucky Man

For years I have been sneaking away to Manchester VT. It seemed fitting for Lil and I to pack an overnight bag and celebrate our anniversary and my birthday by doing just that. Is there anything better than just taking back roads through breathtaking beauty with someone who shares the ride, and enjoyment. Before heading out to dinner we are sitting on the hotel's deck and watching a huge thunderstorm blow by, the reverberation of the thunder echos off the Green Mountains. I look at Lil and her smile, I am a lucky guy in so many ways!

Bard College, Weed and Eat, Princeton Review

I took a ride across the Hudson River today to visit Bard College, beautiful campus. While driving around I came across the Community Garden, all are encouraged to work in it, to plant, water and partake in its growth. All are allowed to pick and make use of the vegetables that are grown. The project started in 1997 and has grown steadily since. Food is also sent to food kitchens in Kingston. On Wednesday evenings there are potluck Weed & Eat parties, people gather to work and eat together. I had to laugh a bit on that news since Bard recently came out first for toking in the Princeton Review, herbal smokables of a medicinal nature. The gardens were a pleasure to behold and I commend Paul Marienthal for his dedication to a fantastic undertaking.

Kosher Nibbles in JFK's Terminal Four

Recently I was running for a plane at JFK's terminal 4, when I noticed these kosher vending machines. Perplexed I popped in $4.50 and got a perfectly cooked hot dog. Hot Nosh wasn't bad and the convenience factor fantastic. Quicker than I could say shalom, I was heading to the gate wiener in hand. Some of the other food items are onion rings, pizza and knishes. There are about 100 of these culinary cooking machines around the US, Wal-mart and Boston's Fenway Park to name a few. Now if they could only develop a Italian vending machine with perfect chicken parm!