Delta Blues and San Francisco Highs

On the trolley with Petey and Mary, San Fran

Traveling has its off days. Staying at the RV park on Bethel Island wasn’t a bad experience, but we didn’t love it the way we love some places. OK, we barely liked it. They do have good showers. To a large part, we blame our malaise on the bridge incident--lamenting the scrape on Biggie Moms, and the hassle of ordering and replacing the steps. But there is also something about the energy of the place that feels closed in. Realistically, on the road or off, one is going to experience the ebbs and flows of life. One of the good things about being in a trailer is we can hitch up and move on.



Annette, Kristy, Shug: San Fran

Of course, the week gives gifts as well as woes. We love our long walks at the regional parks where a breeze born over the ocean blows a delightful coolness into the mornings. Our day-trip into San Francisco to meet friends is joyful from beginning to end. Driving into the city across the Bay Bridge and seeing the architectural beauty amazes us with what humans create. Spending time with Petey, Mary, and Bret reminds us why it’s worth the effort to connect with people we love. And who doesn’t like knocking around San Fran? First, we explore Castro Street neighborhood holding hands on the rainbow crosswalks and grabbing a quick bite at Harvey's.  We hop on the F line and rattle down the street car tracks while taking in the views of Market Street with Petey playing tour-guide. Sea lions at the wharf sunning their glossy bodies and throwing themselves on top of each other while jockeying for better wharf position entertain us. For a grand finale, Petey treats us to an Uber tour that culminates with a lurching trip down the tight curves of Lombard Street and then delivers us safely back to the Castro neighborhood. Truth be told, our day in San Francisco is not Shug’s favorite day. We rescue her from her truck guarding duties and take her on a long, wind-swept walk to a hilltop park with amazing views. Shug forgives all and gazes into the distance where San Francisco's beauty and bustle spill down the hillsides into the bay.

Bethel Island with Petey and Mary

The next day, Mary, and Petey visit Bethel Island to try out trailer life. Kristy bakes black bean burgers and we sit outside sipping beers, eating, and reminiscing about their 30 year friendship and how life changes and changes us. Together, we walk the sloughs along the river and enjoy talking about future reunion plans.

After Mary and Petey return to San Francisco, we start planning our escape route from the Delta. Choosing routes in unknown places presents challenges with a big RV. All anecdotal advice has to be taken with a grain of salt. Maps provide some information as does the DOT website, but it’s still a crap shoot. We pick a route, Hwy 160, and head out on a narrow, traffic-filled road along the river. Several draw bridges--called that because we draw our breath in and hold it as we drive Biggie Moms across--switch from east bank to west bank, from west bank to east bank, etc.  A quick stop in Walnut Grove to take Shug for a walk and buy a flat of fresh-picked cherries at a roadside stand proves a good decision. Shug barely makes it to a patch of weeds on the curbside and pees a gallon. She's probably had her legs crossed for the last 25 miles while we freaking out about the road. Shug channels our unnerved emotional state so she needs a decompression walk. Piling back into the truck we munch on cherries and look forward to our next stop at our friends' house in Folsom.  

Mariposa Lily/ Black Diamond Regional Park/ Antioch, CA