October 18, 2016

Pt. Richmond: Golden State Model Railroad Museum; things to do

900 Dornan Dr./Garrard Blvd., (510) 234-4884.  Apr-Dec; closed Jan-Mar.  View layouts only, W 11-3 & Sat 12-5; free.  Trains operate only on Sun 12-5; $4, 63+ & 4-11 $2, families $10. 

The immense layout of the Golden State Model Railroad Museum is operated by the East Bay Model Engineers Society, which started in 1933 and is one of the oldest continually operating model railroad clubs in the country.  Club members are seen popping up here and there like meerkats amid the 10,000 square-foot layout, which is the largest in Northern California and which incorporates three scales of toy trains--O, HO, and N--traveling through a miniature California.  My grandkids quickly found the wrecked trains in a gully and injured play animals--one had lost its head.  Oddities abound.  When you arrive, ask for a scavenger hunt worksheet so you can try to find items in the display such as a haunted house and an occupied outhouse.  Theme days occur on the fourth Sunday, and an exciting annual Wreck Day in November finds trains derailing and havoc reigning.

exterior of Golden State Model Railroad Museum in Pt. Richmond, California
exterior of Golden State Model Railroad Museum in Pt. Richmond, California


entrance to Golden State Model Railroad Museum in Pt. Richmond, California
entrance to Golden State Model Railroad Museum in Pt. Richmond, California


interior of Golden State Model Railroad Museum in Pt. Richmond, California
interior of Golden State Model Railroad Museum in Pt. Richmond, California


interior of Golden State Model Railroad Museum in Pt. Richmond, California
interior of Golden State Model Railroad Museum in Pt. Richmond, California






child points out wrecked train at Golden State Model Railroad Museum in Pt. Richmond, California
child points out wrecked train at Golden State Model Railroad Museum
in Pt. Richmond, California


club member at Golden State Model Railroad Museum in Pt. Richmond, California
club member at Golden State Model Railroad Museum in Pt. Richmond, California


layout detail at Golden State Model Railroad Museum in Pt. Richmond, California
layout detail at Golden State Model Railroad Museum in Pt. Richmond, California


More things to do in Pt. Richmond.

More things to do in nearby Richmond.

More ideas for exploring Northern California.

images and video ©2016 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

October 14, 2016

Brooks, in Capay Vally: Séka Hills Olive Mill and Tasting Room; things to do

19326 County Road 78, across from Cache Creek Casino, in Brooks, (530) 796-2810.  W-Sun 11am-6pm.  Tours for 10+.  Olive oil tasting free; wine tasting $8. 

Owned by the Souverign Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation and operated with Cache Creek Casino profits, the Séka Hills Olive Mill and Tasting Room has 250 acres of certified organic fields, grazes cattle, and grows 16 different crops--including wine grapes and 82 acres of olives.  In the Tribe's native Patwin language “seka” means “blue hills,” which were misty on the rainy spring day I visited this lovely property.  Tasting takes place in a gigantic new building that resembles a barn and carries through the theme with reclaimed old barn-wood floors.  Using equipment from Florence Italy, the mill processes super-premium olive oil--no granite wheel pulled by a donkey here.  An employee describes it as “an automated noisy, messy process.”  An array of olive oil varietals are produced and stored in tall stainless-steel tanks, some holding as much as 14,500 gallons.  Other growers also process their olives here.  The season runs mid-October through November and is a particularly interesting time to visit. 

During my olive-oil sampling in the gigantic tasting room, I learned to twist the tiny cup holding the olive oil in my hand, in order to warm it up and release the fragrance, and then to slurp my sip across my tongue to release the flavor.  I also learned that color means nothing but does add visual interest.  We tasted four varietals, as well as balsamic vinegars—elderberry, fig, and pomegranate--plus local wildflower honey.  Walnuts and almonds, too.  Our guide, Alison, helped us with pronunciation:  “It is “all-munds” on the tree, “ah-munds” off the tree.  You’ve got to knock the ‘l’ off them to get them off the tree.”  Wine tasting is also available, and the gift selection includes olive oil in a box.

exterior of Séka Hills Olive Mill and Tasting Room in Brooks, in the Capay Valley of California
exterior of Séka Hills Olive Mill and Tasting Room in Brooks,
in the Capay Valley of California


picnic area at Séka Hills Olive Mill and Tasting Room in Brooks, in the Capay Valley of California
picnic area at Séka Hills Olive Mill and Tasting Room in Brooks,
in the Capay Valley of California


Jim Edders guides a tour at Séka Hills Olive Mill and Tasting Room in Brooks, in the Capay Valley of California
Jim Edders guides a tour at Séka Hills Olive Mill and Tasting Room in Brooks,
in the Capay Valley of California


stainless-steel storage tanks at Séka Hills Olive Mill and Tasting Room in Brooks, in the Capay Valley of California
stainless-steel storage tanks at Séka Hills Olive Mill and Tasting Room
in Brooks, in the Capay Valley of California


tasting room at Séka Hills Olive Mill and Tasting Room in Brooks, in the Capay Valley of California
tasting room at Séka Hills Olive Mill and Tasting Room in Brooks,
in the Capay Valley of California


tasting at Séka Hills Olive Mill and Tasting Room in Brooks, in the Capay Valley of California
tasting at Séka Hills Olive Mill and Tasting Room in Brooks,
in the Capay Valley of California


tasting cups at Séka Hills Olive Mill and Tasting Room in Brooks, in the Capay Valley of California
tasting cups at Séka Hills Olive Mill and Tasting Room in Brooks,
in the Capay Valley of California


tasting nuts at Séka Hills Olive Mill and Tasting Room in Brooks, in the Capay Valley of California
tasting nuts at Séka Hills Olive Mill and Tasting Room in Brooks,
in the Capay Valley of California



Things to do in nearby Woodland.

More things to do in nearby Davis.

More ideas for exploring Northern California.

images c2016 Carole Terwilliger Meyers


October 12, 2016

Dixon: Pedrick Produce; things to do

80 North

Pedrick Produce  

6850 Sievers Rd., I-80/Pedrick Rd., in Dixon, 5 mi. S of Davis, (707) 678-1814.  Daily 7am-7:30pm.  

The mega Pedrick Produce stand is located right off the freeway inside a large recycled aluminum building dating to World War II.  Prices are good, and the selection is expansive.  And there is more than just produce—think candy, nuts, dried beans, salami, sauces, jams, and a wall full of hot sauces.  Not to mention fresh pies and tamales that are ready to eat or to go.

exterior of Pedrick Produce in Dixon, California
exterior of Pedrick Produce in Dixon, California


entrance to Pedrick Produce in Dixon, California
entrance to Pedrick Produce in Dixon, California


interior of Pedrick Produce in Dixon, California
interior of Pedrick Produce in Dixon, California


strawberries at Pedrick Produce in Dixon, California
strawberries at Pedrick Produce in Dixon, California


wall of hot sauces at Pedrick Produce in Dixon, California
wall of hot sauces at Pedrick Produce in Dixon, California


political hot sauces at Pedrick Produce in Dixon, California
political hot sauces at Pedrick Produce in Dixon, California


Things to do in nearby Davis.

Yolo County Visitors Bureau.

More ideas for exploring Northern California.

images c2016 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

October 7, 2016

Esparto. in Capay Vally: Manas Ranch Meat Market; things to do

26797 Hwy. 16, Esparto, in Capay Valley, (530) 787-1740. 

All the meats sold at Manas Ranch Meat Market are fresh and local, including housemade sausages (Grandma's recipe is used for chorizo).  Pies are made in the kitchen from fruit grown on the farm.  Their own fruit jams are also made on site, and the no-sugar versions just might be even tastier than the regular sugar-added version that is also available. 

Try to be here in peach season, because their Manas Ranch claims to have “the best peaches in the West” and sells them fresh, just down the road a spell at #25838 Road 21A.  Apricots, cherries, and apples, too.  And without using insecticides. 

exterior of Manas Ranch Meat Market in Esparto, Capay Valley, California
exterior of Manas Ranch Meat Market in Esparto, Capay Valley, California


roadside sign at Manas Ranch Meat Market in Esparto, Capay Valley, California
roadside sign at Manas Ranch Meat Market in Esparto, Capay Valley, California


meat counter at Manas Ranch Meat Market in Esparto, Capay Valley, California
meat counter at Manas Ranch Meat Market in Esparto, Capay Valley, California


Laura makes an aprictor pie at Manas Ranch Meat Market in Esparto, Capay Valley, California
Laura makes an aprictor pie at Manas Ranch Meat Market
in Esparto, Capay Valley, California


jams at Manas Ranch Meat Market in Esparto, Capay Valley, California
jams at Manas Ranch Meat Market in Esparto, Capay Valley, California



Things to do in nearby Woodland. 
 
More things to do in nearby Davis.

More ideas for exploring Northern California.

images c2016 Carole Terwilliger Meyers


October 4, 2016

Berkeley: Berkeley Repertory Theatre; things to do

2025 Addison St./Shattuck Ave., in Downtown Arts District. 

This Tony Award-winning company has established a national reputation for ambitious programming and dynamic productions.  The Berkeley Repertory Theatre is well known for presenting important new dramatic voices and fresh adaptations of seldom-seen classics.  Multi-talented Rita Moreno, now a local resident, appears in some productions.  Past productions have won 5 Tonys, 7 Obies, 9 Drama Desk Awards, 1 Grammy, and many other honors.  Performances are held in two spaces:  the 400-seat Peet’s Theatre, and the 600-seat Roda Theatre.  A cafe provides a vibrant gathering space before curtain and during intermission; a simple snack counter is also available. 

“It Can’t Happen Here” seems the perfect production at the perfect time.  Written as a novel in 1935 by Sinclair Lewis at a time when fascism was rising in Europe, the book was adapted into a play by him in 1936 and Berkeley Rep has just made a new stage adaptation.  It tells the fictional story of a presidential candidate who is a businessman with racist and anti-woman tendencies, and who runs against Roosevelt and wins.  Sound familiar?  Sound scary?  Signs solicit audience reaction from the stage (applause and boos), adding to a sense of involvement.  Runs through November 6, 2016, ending two days before the election.  Coming next, “The Last Tiger in Haiti,” beginning October 14 in Peet’s Theatre.

view an interesting background slide show about "It Can't Happen Here" and the Federal Theater Project


Trump Troll greets theater-goers at Berkeley Rep's opening of "It Can't Happen Here"
Trump Troll greets theater-goers at Berkeley Rep's opening of
"It Can't Happen Here"


bar at Berkeley Rep in Berkeley, California
bar at Berkeley Rep in Berkeley, California


interior of Berkeley Rep's Roda Theater in Berkeley, California
interior of Berkeley Rep's Roda Theater in Berkeley, California


More things to do in Downtown Arts District.

Way more things to do in Berkeley.

More ideas for exploring Northern California.

images ©2016 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

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