San Jose
Woke
up at a decent hour for once, 0730, could hear something banging so I decided
to get up and go help my bro in law fix breakfast. When I walked out into the kitchen however,
there was no Bro in law….in fact, I could hear the shower running. Found out later that he also woke up to the
banging and thought it was me in the kitchen.
Turns out it is the crows. They
get various nuts from the trees and then get on the roofs and try to crack the
shells open by banging the nuts against the tile roofs. Damn, I hate those birds!
I
took care of some emails, phone calls, etc., then loaded the bike up and
strapped everything down. It was easier
today. Was on the road by around 10 am
and just took a leisurely ride down the 880 heading for Danville.
My
objective for the day is to visit the Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site,
then Rosie The Riveter Memorial, over to the John Muir National Historic Site
in Martinez, then up to Sonoma to visit the Mission in Sonoma and possibly
another site. Well, that fell apart
slowly.
Riding
up to Danville was a nice leisurely ride.
I was in no hurry. Earlier calls
to the Site confirmed that I did not need a reservation for Saturday and that
shuttle service was mandatory from the town.
So I enjoyed the ride varying between 60 and 70mph….no need to hurry.
When
I arrived in town, per the Garmin, I was at the site…yet there was nothing at
that point that looked like a National Park.
A few more blocks and all I could find were shops so I turned around and
headed back to where the Garmin said I had arrived. The only thing I found was the Danville
museum. So I parked and went inside to
ask for directions. Gentleman inside was
counting cash in the gift store and he told me that the shuttle did a visitor pickup
out front and that one should be arriving in a few minutes. Outside is where I then noticed the A-framed
sign on the sidewalk….and the next shuttle was an hour and 10 minutes from
showing up!
Actually,today
was my lucky day . In order to
visit the Eugene O’Neil Historic Site one must have reservations….typically 2
weeks or more in advance. Except
Saturdays J. And here I was…on a Saturday…and the last
shuttle of the day was an hour away!
Hunger
set in. Gazing up and down the streets I
could see some café’s (over priced), a sports grill (crowded and noisy) and a
Subway. Yep…my fav subwich shop is where
I headed. Unfortunately this one was not
one of the better stores. No restrooms
to wash, very less than enthusiastic employees…but at least they assembled a
very good sandwich for me. Back at the
shuttle stop I settled in on the park bench, provided for the city bus, and
began munching on one half of the sub.
Sipping my coke I checked the time and noted the shuttle would arrive in
about 15 minutes. Deciding to put away
various pieces of gear, and to get Snoopy, I walked across the street to put
the stuff away. But having an arm full I
decided to leave my Subway coke on the bench.
Just as I finished securing the saddlebag the shuttle arrived so I quickly
returned to the bench to retrieve my coke…and it was GONE!! I exclaimed, “Where’s my coke?” A lady talking to the park ranger told me she
put it in the trash because it looked like someone had left it. I can’t believe it…not even 5 minutes!!
So
I teased her about ditching my drink and she volunteered to buy a
replacement….I suggested a beer J.
After she left, probably disgusted with me, I chatted it up with Brenda,
the Park Ranger driving the shuttle and learned a bit about Eugene and the reason
for shuttle only access. The shuttle
must ride through a gated community to enter the historic site and also the
road leading into the site can only accommodate a single vehicle at a time.
While
chatting with her I noticed a couple admiring Sophia and taking a photo of
Snoopy, which I had forgotten to bring to the shuttle. The mongrel was at it again, flirting! I went back to the bike and introduced myself
to the couple…they were from Italy touring the area. So I invited them to sit on the bike and take
photos for their collection…and got one myself of them. They are Lamberto and Sandra, cute couple,
no?
Finally
all the O’Neil visitors were loaded onto the shuttle and taken to the
site. I don't know how Snoopy did it but he convinced Ranger Brenda to let him drive the van into the drop off point!
The community leading up to the
site is very nice, very quaint in a way as the homes are typically all older,
non-tract style homes…each with their own personalities. The home where Eugene and his wife Carlotta
lived is situated on a hill overlooking Danville. It is a simple 2 story home with small rooms
that included the Piano (Rosie) room, living room, library, upstairs was the
bedroom and his study/work room.
I
was surprised to learn that the house was named Tao (pronounced Dao) House and
was furnished with many oriental (I believe all Chinese) furnishings. Carlotta pretty much administered to
everything allowing “The Master” to work on his plays. I can see how living in such a location, away
from distractions, allowed Gene to focus on his passion.
While
visiting the site, Snoopy again misbehaved.
I found him in Gene’s work study trying to imagine what it was like to
be a great playwright. In fact, Ranger Tad Shay caught him and was going to
apprehend him. Sure enough, Snoopy
warmed up to Tad and got a reprieve.
Later
Snoopy visited Blemie’s gravesite and paid his respects. Blemie was Gene’s Dalmatian, and is probably
the only dog in history to leave a last will and testament. Afterwards he had a photo session posing
driving the shuttle and at the site sign with Brenda. And then he had a private photo session with
one of the young girls. I asked mom to
take the photos for the shy young lady.
Oh,
lest I forget, had a group photo with three ladies, Florence, Vivian and Pat
(she’s the lady who tossed my coke!).
And then he invited Brenda to walk down the driveway to the big sign
located upon entering the grounds.
Snoopy
had quite a day, started at 9am and returning home around 6pm. A whole day
spent to visit only one National Historic Site.
But it was well worth it.
I
hope Snoopy will be a more refined Beagle now and perhaps be a little more
appreciative of the literary arts.
C ya mañana,Gonzo
Twitter: @GonzoCrossUSA
Email: GonzoCrossUSA@gmail.com
Cell: 949-433-0761
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