Seattle - liveable and beautiful

It isn’t hard to see why Seattle is regarded as one of America’s most liveable cities. After being there for a very short time I thought to myself, I could easily live here. It has a wide range of restaurants, bars, varied cultural attractions, is safe and reasonably easy to find your way around. It is surrounded by Eliot Bay, Puget Sound, Lake Washington and Lake Union and is close to Mount Rainier and the Olympic Mountain Range. On the downside it rains a lot. The people seem to take great pride in where they live, but not in a boastful way, they are laid back and easy. What seems to be the prevailing attitude was summed by the response from the hotel concierge to an inquiry about dress codes in restaurants. The response, “Don’t worry, this is the West Coast”.

The smart Sheraton with its twin towers was a great place to relax in comfort and style. Some people would find it all a bit impersonal, but we really liked it. We were on the 22nd floor; the room was well appointed and had some nice personal touches such as Dale Chihuly prints on the wall. The location in the centre of town was excellent. The only drawback was the pool and Jacuzzi were undergoing maintenance.

If I had to chose one thing that made me feel like I could live in Seattle it was the abundance of fantastic food shops. Market Place lives up to its’ name, you name the food and you can be sure you’ll be spoilt for choice by a stall selling it, in this part of town. It made me want to do a big food shop and go home and cook.

It was some consolation that the restaurant scene was so good. The first night was a Pan Asian fusion adventure. When restaurants present themselves as doing fusion food I'm very weary, fearing the ego of the chef is way ahead of their talent and that they’ll create something which is daft and tasteless. Not the case at Ginger Spice, where the food was good quality and well executed. All the meals in Seattle were good, but this was the best.

The most famous building in Seattle must be the Space Needle. It is inevitably very touristy, but worth going up there and watching the sunset. A less well know building, but one that is worth a visit is the Smith Tower. You get good views from the top of here too, but if nothing else go into the foyer and admire the grand marble entrance. Look out for the brass post box, it is linked to and gathers mail from all the 35 floors of the building. It was a little sad to see that not all grand old buildings had been maintained. The main railway station’s once great architectural features are in need of loving renovation and largely hidden behind boards.

Bainbridge Island is a commuter Island, which is an easy ferry trip. It offers a good way to spend a few hours, but isn’t Seattle’s Sausalito (see earlier post).

Some parts of Seattle have beaches and you can still enjoy the waterside views in the areas with no beaches at a cafe or public areas such as the Sculpture Park.

This part of the world isn’t known for its wine, but that is because they don’t produce it in big enough qualities. What a pity that is, because it is really rather good.

In just a few days one can only do a few things. There are enough things which weren’t included and enough onward destinations to make Seattle a city which deserves to be on the list of places to visit again.

From San Francisco to Seattle in Chugga Boom

Getting out of San Francisco

The coastal route from San Francisco to Seattle is a drive of just over 900 miles. It offers a diverse range of towns, spectacular scenery and a chance to taste a slice of small town America. Although there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the coast, much of the road is slightly inland, so it isn’t a case of driving along and having a view of the ocean the whole time. The most difficult bit of the trip is getting out of San Francisco. I drew the short straw and was the designated driver for that part of the trip. My first time driving an automatic and an unfamiliar city was a combination I found somewhat challenging and I did worse than a nervous learner driver on a bad day. Driving across Golden Gate Bridge was a relief and my driving improved.

The car was a Chrysler PT Cruiser. I have always thought they look like a cross between a London Taxi and Chugga Boom (the car driven by the Ant Hill Mob in the cartoon series Whacky Races). The car served its purpose, but I wouldn’t want to drive one of these strange vehicles on a regular basis.

We broke the trip down into five legs. This allowed us to take several short stop-offs on the way to each over night destination and arrive at them in the late afternoon to early evening. There were certain attractions that we didn’t have the time to fully appreciate, such as the coastal wilderness of Point Reyes National Seashore or the redwood forests. Enjoying the hiking and photography opportunities required a couple of extra days that we did not have.







The north California coast
The prettiest village of the whole trip was Elk, it has a population of a couple of hundred people. The village is dotted with clapper board houses which have picket fences and the main street has a lovely old church. Take the cars away and it could be a village from a century earlier. Mendocino is just as pretty, but larger with more facilities. It has an arty independent feel to it and apparently is home to some artists and writers. Both Mendocino and Elk are built on cliffs which provide good views of the ocean and they have accommodation options for the tourist.

Our first overnight stop was something of a contrast to Elk and Mendocino. Fort Bragg wasn’t arty or particularly pretty and in places felt a bit more like wild west, than west coast. On the edges of the town there are a series of drive-ins, motels and supermarkets. We opted for a standard motel. We did a bit of exploring and soon got talking to the friendly locals, but there wasn’t much doing, so we decided to eat at a diner attached to the motel, called TWs. We didn’t have high expectations, just to get some basic food in clean surroundings. TWs failed even to meet the low standards we had set. The place needed a deep clean. The most off putting thing was the staff uniforms which were covered in dried-on food. Looking back on it we must have been hungry and tired to have eaten there.
A typical seascape view



Mendocino

Fort Bragg

From California to Oregon

North of Fort Bragg is the tiny village of Westport, it has a small motel which gets some good reviews. There is nothing there really, but I understand it is a great place to have a sunset picnic on the beach. Another option for a place to spend the night in this area, is the Howard Creek Ranch Inn. This place looks full of character and charm, but has varied reviews. Reading between the lines of the reviews, I think it is a case of going with realistic expectations.

Beyond Westport the scenery is a combination of redwoods and seascapes. The beaches on this stretch of the coast are spectacular and have lots of rocky outcrops. Many of the towns on the immediate route lack charm and are ugly, but one town that is worth spending some time in is Eureka. We made the right choice in choosing Brookings as the next overnight stop. I’d recommend the Best Western Beachfront Inn. As the name suggests it overlooks the ocean. It is just across from a decent restaurant called the Smugglers Cove and short walk from a pretty harbour.

The Oregon coast

Driving north from Brookings there is a good stretch where you have a view of the ocean as you are driving along. The beaches are good to walk on and have lots of interesting rock formations. Bandon is a small seaside town which offers a good lunch stop. There is a choice of places to eat. We opted for fish and chips at a tiny little kiosk, which was doing a roaring trade. The owner periodically popped her head out of the window to see if people were enjoying their lunch.

Further north the coast changes totally and there are vast windswept sand dunes. The road comes inland a little on this stretch of the highway and it isn’t possible to see the dunes as you are driving along. Eel Creek is a good stop to experience the dunes. The sea is miles away and we were the only people on the dunes, had it not been for the nearby forres it would have felt like being in the middle of the desert. Walking around is hard work because of the very soft sand, the wind and the steep dunes. Well worth the effort though and quite surreal.

Our next overnight stop was Florence which is one of the larger towns along this part of the coast. It has lots of historic buildings and good range of shops. It was a good option for an overnight stay. North of here there are plenty of places to stop off and enjoy a happy hour or two. Yachats is a tiny coastal village which has a pleasant sleepy feel about it. Newport is a larger town, which we would have stopped at if we’d had more time. We made the mistake of stopping at Seal Rock, which is a pile of tourist nonsense. We didn't see many seals, but did see lots of tacky souvenirs. Rockaway beach made for a good rest stop with its long white sand beaches.

Me on the windswepts sand dunes


Rockaway Beach

A night in Astoria
The final overnight stop before Seattle was Astoria. We stayed at the Holiday Inn and were delighted with the size of the room and the view. The town has a new development by the waterfront front and we had a satisfying meal at a recently opened wine bar and restaurant. In conversation with the waiter we found out that he was soon to visit London so gave him some bar and restaurant recommendations. On the way back we went to a local bar. On walking in it was obvious this wasn’t a regular haunt for tourists, but we were not made to feel out of place. A guy came over to us and to our amusement said “Gee you two stick out like two sore thumbs, where are you from?” We engaged in conversation and he insisted on buying us a drink. He seemed pleased that we had done what most tourists don’t do and go into a local bar. It was a fitting end to our last night in a small west coast town. The following morning we were on our way back to a big city, Seattle.

San Francisco sunset

I love to watch the sunset, even if it's only from the back garden. A sunset in a far away place is all the better, add the backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge and it's perfect. These pictures were taken from Municipal Pier, which is close to Fiserman's Wharf. It's a great spot for seeing the bridge at sunset. You get a good perspective and don't have to battle with huge crowds for that all important vantage point.

Wonderful Sausalito

Sausalito is easy to get to from San Francisco. You can drive over the Golden Gate Bridge or take a short ferry ride from the Ferry Building or Fisherman's Wharf. Driving in San Francisco isn't much fun for the tourist (see a later post), but a ferry ride is relaxing and you get great views of the San Francisco skyline. The Ferry Building is the best departure point. Fisherman's Wharf has lots of souvenir shops and mediocre restaurants which are overrun with tourists. The Ferry Building on the other hand has a range of interesting shops, a good range of restaurants and is worth seeing in its own right.

In the 1960s Sausalito was something of a hippy and bohemian enclave and many people lived in houseboats. The houseboats are still there, but very wealthy residents have taken over. It is hard to imagine anyone but the well heeled, being able to buy anything in Sausalito today, even a houseboat. It is sad that many ordinary people have been priced out, but fortunately the arty alternative feel to the place has remained.

It would be easy to spend a few days in Sausalito as well as, or instead of the city. The views of the San Francisco skyline are great, there are good range of quality restaurants and a choice of places to stay. The Inn Above the Tide is a small hotel, which as the name suggests is right on the waters edge. Unfortunately it isn't possible for non residents to go in for a drink.

The wealth of the town is obvious, not just by the property, but the size of some of the yachts in the marina.

A couple of hours is enough to get a taste of this lovely place, staying for a night or two would be even better. It is the top of my list of what to do while in San Francisco.

In Search of Blossom Hill

Discovering the Napa and Senoma regions on a wine tasting tour is an easy day trip from San Francisco.

Tourists have a range of options including a wine train trip, large coach tours, private tours in a limo and small group tours. The large coach trips sound horrendous. Sixty people on a coach visiting a limited range of vineyards and getting sloshed on Californian plonk. Not my idea of a good day out. The private trip in a limo seems an odd way to do a wine tasting trip. The train option didn’t really appeal either, it offers the opportunity to see lots from the train, but the chance to experience where you are visiting is limited.

To my mind the small group tour offers by far the best option, allowing interaction with other tourists, the guide and offering an opportunity to influence the vineyards visited. Choose the right trip and you can also include a gourmet meal. We were lucky to have a foodie couple on the trip, restaurateurs from Canada. They were fans of Gordon Ramsey. I sang the praises of Nigel Slater and made some book recommendations to them.

The vineyard which we will remember most was Arger-Martucci. The wine was good, but what really made it was the host. If you were to invent someone to do this sort of job, you’d be hard pressed to do better than this guy. He had a sardonic disarming wit and described each of the six wines he served with enthusiasm and knowledge. He also served the most delicious olive bread to go with the wine.
http://www.arger-martucci.com/arger-martucci/index.jsp

As well as including visits to several vineyards, the trip we chose included lunch at The Brix in the Napa Valley. This was without doubt the food highlight of the whole holiday. The Brix is in an idyllic setting, the service is attentive without being oppressive and the food sublime. Surprisingly the usually reliable Trip Advisor has mixed reviews about this place.
http://www.brix.com/

We were amused that no one we spoke to knew about Blossom Hill, a characterless Californian blend which is ubiquitous in the UK. Our guide said that lots of people from the UK mentioned this wine, but he hadn’t got a clue where it came from. I guess it is the leftovers from various vineyards, blended together by the guiding principle of not offending anyone’s taste buds and sold to UK pub chains and supermarkets.

The Napa and Senoma lack the dramatic beauty of somewhere like Paarl and Stellenbosch in South Africa, but this was a great way to spend a day enjoying a tipple, some great food and meeting some interesting people. We used Extranomical Tours and I recommend them to others.
http://www.extranomical.com/HTML_PAGES/WINE_COUNTRY_LOVERS_ITINERARY.htm

The Royalty of Jazz are at the Rrazz

I get regular emails from the Rrazz Room, a jazz venue in Hotel Nikko on Mason Street, San Francisco (just a few blocks from Union Square).
I see that Cleo Laine and John Dankworth are performing there for the next few days. It was a great pleasure to see them at the same venue last year. The years have done nothing to curb their enthusiasm and enjoyment of performing.
The most memorable song was of all things 'Tea for Two'. As a general rule, I really dislike this song, but Cleo made it sound good.
The Rrazz Room isn't my favourite jazz venue and is somewhat lacking in atmosphere, but this pair of octogenarians liven up anywhere.

China Town, San Francisco - Best enjoyed with Linda Lee

Many cities across the world have a China Town. San Francisco has one of the larger ones, it can be easily explored and is safe, but it is much more instructive with a good guide.

We were lucky to have Linda Lee, a Chinese American who really understands the Chinese community and China Town. She runs a tour called 'All About China Town', meets you at a prominant point and takes you on a walking tour in a small group. She runs trips for tourists and school groups.

Her experience of dealing with silly children was an asset. One of the people in our group had a short attention span and was showing off by trying to make smart comments at Linda's expense. The deftness with which she dealt with him was a joy to behold and almost worth the price of the tour in itself.

On the tour you see where many people in the Chinese community learn, worship, meet, shop and live. You learn about the history of the Chinese people in San Francisco and how they live today. The tour is authentic and gives as good a feel for the 'real China Town', as is realistic to expect on a short trip.

Some may find certain parts of the trip too authentic. The visit to the fresh food store, selling live frogs, fish and poultry was an eye-opener and definately not something for the faint-hearted. But you get plenty of warning and and can of course opt out of this particular option.

A food shop everyone will enjoy seeing is the fortune cookie factory. I'd always wondered how they got the message inside the batter and now I know because I have seen it done. Nimble fingers and manual dexterity are a plus. Not sure about the hygiene standards though.

A delicious way to end the trip is to enjoy some Dim Sum. Follow Linda's recommendation and you won't go wrong.

You can find out more about the trip on http://www.allaboutchinatown.com/