Archive for the ‘history’ Category

Bear Flag Revolt

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

This past weekend my wife and I skedaddled to Sonoma for a romantic getaway to celebrate our wedding anniversary. My first priority of course was to bask in her company and to enjoy the chic yet homey North Bay town. However, on the way up I confessed to Paulette that, you know, if on a stroll around the Plaza we just happened to stop by the mission for a minute and maybe take a quick look around, well, that would be pretty cool, wouldn’t it? She said, “riiight.” Am I that transparent?

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Mission San Francisco Solano in Sonoma is in fact a very special mission. It was the final mission established and the northernmost one in the chain. It was founded so late, 1823, that the missions weren’t even outposts of Spain anymore. By that time Mexico had declared its independence from the motherland and Alta California was Mexican territory. Sonoma is literally and historically where El Camino Real ends. There are historic El Camino Real bell markers on Broadway, SR-12, the road that leads right into the heart of town. CIMG0755Saturday, June 11 was International Yarn Bombing Day so the bell in the Plaza was charmingly bedecked with hand-knit California Poppies by a tagger who blogs at knitibranch.com.

I mentioned to Paulette that there were two things I wanted to explore while in Sonoma. The first was a question: how did the padres travel from San Francisco to Sonoma? There was no Golden Gate Bridge to span the mouth of the Bay and the tides there are too treacherous for easy crossing. As coincidence would have it, in our hotel room was the Spring, 2011 edition of Sonoma Magazine which was all about…water! In his article titled “Coming to Sonoma by Water,” Gerald Hill confirmed that Padre José Altamira deliberately sited the mission near Sonoma Creek so ships could sail passengers and cargo from San Francisco into San Pablo Bay up the slough to an embarcadero. “A bridge over the gate was more than a century away, roads were primitive and at times impassable, there was yet no railroad nearby, so in every real sense, the road to Sonoma was water.” El Camino de Agua?

CIMG0802The second thing I wanted to explore was the famous Bear Flag Revolt monument in the Plaza. There, in a coincidence beyond coincidence, we hit pay dirt. That very Sunday, June 12, happened to be the day Sonoma was holding their annual Bear Flag Revolt Celebration. We couldn’t have picked a better time to visit.

The Bear Flag Revolt is a quirky chapter in California history. In 1846 Alta California was still Mexico but it hosted numerous settlers from the United States. Relations between the Mexican government and the Americans were strained over issues of land claims, property ownership, and religion. The recent struggles in Texas were fresh in minds of the gringos who remembered all too well the Alamo. On June 14, 1846—165 years ago today—thirty-three armed Americans stormed Sonoma, took the local Mexican commander Mariano Vallejo prisoner, and pronounced themselves free of Mexican rule. They weren’t authorized to do this in the name of the United States, so they declared California to be a new democratic republic. They raised in the Plaza a hand-painted flag of their own design featuring a lone star in Texas’ honor, a grizzly bear, and the words, “California Republic.” That flag is the basis of the modern California flag flown today. The revolt lasted 25 days after which the U.S. Army arrived and raised the Stars and Stripes. Unbeknownst to the Osos (“bears” in Spanish), the United States had already formally declared war on Mexico and California was on the verge of changing hands yet again.

Happily the brief Sonoma revolt was bloodless; no one on either side was harmed. General Vallejo did catch malaria in captivity but he eventually recovered. History looks fondly on the Bear Flag incident, I think because there is something half-baked and frankly whiskey-soaked about the whole affair. It is after all in the heart of wine country. The revolutionaries were audacious but ultimately successful, and I imagine they fancied themselves Western sons of the Founding Fathers as they played their parts in the unfurling of Manifest Destiny.

So now, every year (off and on) the Native Sons of the Golden West Sonoma Parlor #111 commemorate the Bear Flag Revolt with a festival in the Plaza, traditionally with barbecued chicken dinners. After a whirlwind tour of the mission, Paulette and I stood in the shade around the amphitheater and watched the citizens reenact the revolt with a costumed, scripted play. Well, most of it was scripted. The locals in cowboy hats who portrayed the uprising mob mostly ad-libbed, punctuating dialogue with hearty “Hyahs!” as they fired blanks into the air from their period replica firearms. All the participants clearly enjoyed themselves and so did we.

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Baby Bell

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011

The other day I was watching a video on CNET about AT&T trying to acquire T-Mobile. The video is hosted by CBS’ Kara Tsuboi reporting from Downtown San Francisco. At one point she explains that many stores will probably close as a result of the merger, for example redundant stores which are located near each other. To illustrate the point she stands on a corner that has a T-Mobile store across the street from an AT&T store. So what does all this have to do with El Camino? As the camera zooms in on AT&T, the storefront is obscured by an El Camino Real bell!

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My jaw dropped. I had no idea there was a bell Downtown San Francisco. The only one I had seen in the city is at Mission Dolores. I didn’t recognize the corner but fortunately the street address of the store is clearly visible so it was easy to figure out the bell is at 3rd and Market. Here’s the odd thing: on Google Street View, the bell is not there. Maybe it’s brand new?


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Nope, I found this article which states that bell was erected in December, 2009. There’s more to the story. The first El Camino Real bell was installed in Los Angeles in 1906, but the thirteenth was located a few years later here at 3rd and Mission in San Francisco. At some point the bell disappeared but in 2009 Caltrans found and restored one of the original 100-year-old bells and installed it in the same spot.

Last year I decided that Mission Street in Downtown San Francisco counts as El Camino Real, so I can’t say why the bell is a couple blocks over on Market. My guess is the bell was placed here in 1909 because of its proximity to Lotta’s Fountain which held a special significance to the city as a meeting place after the still-fresh 1906 earthquake and fire. The city commemorates the earthquake here every year on its anniversary, April 18.

It’s surprising that Google Street View for that intersection hasn’t been updated in over a year. The next time I’m in the area I’ll definitely take some pictures. However I must credit CNET with the scoop.


Watch the full video at CNET:

El Camino Real Derby

Tuesday, February 15th, 2011

Turf Race at Golden Gate Fields

Saturday, February 12, 2011 was the 30th running of the El Camino Real Derby, a 1 1/8-mile grade 3 horse race for three-year-old thoroughbreds. This race has been held at scenic Golden Gate Fields in Berkeley for the past three years, but it originated at historic Bay Meadows in San Mateo, just off El Camino Real. Bay Meadows closed for racing in 2008.

This year’s derby was an exciting one. The winner, Silver Medallion, trailed in fourth place on the far side before coming from behind in the final furlong in a dramatic upset, paying $15 on his 1:50.45 time. Early favorite Comma to the Top floated him wide but failed to answer the challenge as Silver Medallion mounted an impressive drive, scoring 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Jakesam who flattened against the inside rail but held on along with Positive Response to finish in the money. I have no idea what I just said but a secret fantasy of mine is to learn to speak horse-racing-ese. It’s way cooler than pirate. Watch the entire race below:


[YouTube]

This was Silver Medallion’s second and biggest win, earning $120,000 out of the total $200,000 purse for owner Michael J. Ryan. His trainer is Steve Asmussen. His jockey, though, is no stranger to the El Camino Real Derby winner’s circle. Saturday he was ridden by the great Russell Baze, who has won this event eight times, more than any other rider by far. He is in fact the winningest jockey in North American history—11,000 victories and counting—and an inductee in the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame.

Silver Medallion, Russell Baze

The El Camino Real Derby is aptly named after the Royal Road because the derby is on the path to the coveted Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. Past El Camino winners have gone on to win one Kentucky Derby, five Preakness Stakes, and one Belmont Stakes. Silver Medallion is off to a great start. Let’s see if he can continue to bring in the gold.

The City with Heart

Monday, February 14th, 2011

When you start a blog about a street, you end up spending a lot of quality time in Google Maps. I have literally covered every mile of El Camino Real with my mouse, paging up and down the state. It’s a form of virtual tourism, a poor man’s hot air balloon ride giving me a bird’s eye view of my favorite road, one I can’t easily get any other way. I was doing just that a while back, mousing up the Peninsula towards San Francisco, when I spotted something that gave me pause: a heart-shaped neighborhood in San Bruno. It’s no accident. The cross street piercing the top like an arrow is called Cupid Row.


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The neighboorhood is subtly laid out with a pleasing graphical design. The heart itself is made of two streets, Carlton Ave and Terrace Ave, joined in a perfectly symmetrical valentine, dimpled at the top and pointy at the bottom. Cupid Row intersects it through its axis, continued by Texas Pl on the other side. It’s encased in the larger loop  of Florida Ave and Georgia Ave, and the whole thing is cleverly mirrored  by Taylor and Chapman avenues. The heart itself is not duplicated though. Kensington Ave and Garden Ave approximate it but lack the dimple. They form more of a shield shape with Mastick Ave, which opens up many possibilities for poetic interpretation. All this is just a block off El Camino Real opposite the termination of Crystal Springs Rd.

San Bruno is proud of  its romantic little secret. I found this article from circa Valentine’s Day, 2004 giving its history.

[SF Gate]

As it turns out the neighborhood was laid out on land formerly occupied by Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the longtime El Camino landmark rest stop on the Butterfield Stagecoach route. It’s not clear to me if the streets were created 100 years ago, or post World War II. The latter makes more sense. Perhaps the “Heart Area” was designed to attract newlywed returning G.I.s.

According to the article the Cupid Row tract inspired a motto for the city, “The City with Heart,” which implies a little dig at their Industrial neighbor to the north. El Camino has much to offer loving couples celebrating Valentine’s Day today—fine dining, flowers, candy, gifts, even secluded getaways. But San Bruno has really taken the holiday to heart, as they’ve taken it to the streets.

This post is dedicated to my own  true love. Happy Valentine’s Day, Paulette!

Wreaths Across America

Sunday, December 12th, 2010

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Remember. Honor. Teach. That is the mission of the annual Wreaths Across America event which just occurred on December 11, 2010. On that day over 100,000 fresh holiday wreaths were laid on the graves of American veterans from all branches of service at over 150 National and State cemeteries around the U.S. and overseas. A ceremony was held here in the Bay Area at the Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno, between El Camino Real and I-280.

This event started in 1992. Morrill Worcester, a holiday wreathmaker in Maine, had a surplus so he brought 5,000 wreaths to Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia and laid them on graves. The striking image captured national attention so the effort continued every year and grew. In 2009 the Wreaths Across America non-profit foundation was formed and now covers every military cemetery.

We weren’t able to attend the early morning ceremony but my family had occasion to be up that way later that afternoon so we stopped by the cemetery to view the wreaths. I’ve driven by it many times on I-280 and have always been humbled by the sight of the orderly rows of white tombstones as far as the eye can see. This was my first time inside.

We weren’t sure where to go so we drove around, taking it all in. At first we only saw a few wreaths scattered among graves. My guess is they were placed there deliberately by family members of the deceased. Finally we found the chapel. In the burial section adjacent every grave had a wreath. I expect that was the focal point of the ceremony. I parked and took several photos and reflected on the service and sacrifice of the men and women honored there. The festive scent of the freshly cut balsam wreaths added warmth to the stark white marble tombstones and the cold ground.

Ironically the wreaths covered up most of the info on the the tombstones. I could read names, but not service information or birth or death dates. That made it impossible to determine the context of the section. Were these all soldiers, or eligible family members? Were they killed in action, or did they die after completing their service? In the end I think it didn’t matter. Every person buried there was a distinct individual with his or her own unique existence, but the act of laying the holiday wreaths temporarily erased their differences, highlighting the sacrifices they all made which now unite them. The community came together to lay each wreath indiscriminately.  Children are often involved, providing a teaching opportunity. It was a day of grace on which we, the people, could remember and honor them, our armed forces. Mission accomplished.

Under El Camino

Friday, December 10th, 2010

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InMenlo.com has published a really cool story about the El Camino Real bridge over San Francisquito Creek on the Santa Clara – San Mateo county line. There are several such bridges where El Camino crosses over all the creeks that flow out of the mountains into the Bay. They offer unique opportunities to literally get under the road and experience it from a completely different perspective. The creeks are frequented by the homeless and by graffiti taggers. Generally I’m not in favor of public graffiti, but tucked away down here it seems wholly appropriate. Click the headline below to read the article and see some of InMenlo’s celebrated photography.

Under Menlo: El Camino Real crosses San Francisquito Creek — InMenlo

El Camino Calendar

Thursday, December 9th, 2010

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A bit of the traditional and a bit of the unexpected this weekend. Don’t forget to check out the El Camino Calendars page for a list of venues all up and down El Camino Real which always have a variety of activities going on.


Santa-Go-Round

Sunday December 12th
CONTESTS! CRAWLS AND CRAZINESS!

Have fun and support a great cause. Santa-Go-Round is part toy drive, part costume contest, part pub crawl and all fun. Come to the Circle of Palms and bring a new, unwrapped toy to be donated to InnVision and participate in what is going to be one of the most talked about events in downtown San Jose since Zombie-O-Rama.

Come dressed as Santa and get discounts on Ice Skating and drink or dinner specials at one of 19 participating businesses.
Downtown San Jose
http://www.santagoround.com/


2nd Annual San Jose Short Film Festival

Opening Night Premiere and Screenings Coming December 2010

Buy tickets online at Camera 3 Cinemas or visit the Camera 3 Cinema Box Office.:

Thursday December 9th Opening Night:
$10 (tickets are limited: includes premiere screening, meet the movie makers forum after screening, pre-show mixer. 6:30pm mixer, 7:30pm screening

Saturday December 11th:
$8 tickets 1pm and 4pm screening times

Sunday December 12th:
$8 tickets 1pm and 4pm screening times

Camera 3 Downtown
288 S. Second Street | San Jose, CA 95113
http://www.sjshortfest.com/
http://www.cameracinemas.com/shortfilmfest.shtml


Deadstök X

Friday, December 10 · 7:00pm – 10:00pm

The Usuals
1020 The Alameda
San Jose, CA

We are bringing-back all Deadstök designs made in 2010!

Expect to see new version t-shirt designs by dNA, Everyday Debauchery, Lost San Jose, Kori Thompson, Lacey Bryant, Michael Foley, Anabella Pinon, Force 129, Wadl, Jane Doe, and more!

Say good-bye to STREETBOT! Say HELLO to the WOW Silog Truck! YUMmmm…

Squareweezy and Cutso from The Bangerz will provide beats in the backroom where we’ll have more to nibble and sip.

Join us for our end of the year EXTRAVAGANZA!

Facebook event
http://www.shoptheusuals.com/


The Nutcracker

Santa Clara Ballet Company
37th Annual, Full-length, Traditional Version

Saturday, December 11, 2010—2:00pm & 7:00pm
Sunday, December 12, 2010—1:00pm & 5:00pm

The Santa Clara Convention Center Theatre
5001 Great America Parkway, Santa Clara
http://www.santaclaraballet.com/


Sweet Memories

Sweet Memories Confectionery
Is Celebrating Its First Anniversary and You’re Invited!

That’s right, we’ve been open a year now and want to celebrate this milestone with YOU.

When: Saturday, December 11, 2010 10am – 10pm
Where: Sweet Memories Confectionery
1395 El Camino Real, Millbrae
What: Anniversary Celebration!

  • Happy Hour All Day (single scoop sundae for just $2!)
  • Free Popcorn
  • Free Hot Tea & Spiced Cider
  • Great Holiday Gifts and Decor!

We hope to see you there!

http://www.sweetmemoriesconfectionery.com/
Facebook flyer


Wreaths across America

Golden Gate National Cemetery
1300 Sneath Lane
San Bruno, CA 94066

The ceremony for the Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno is on December 11th. The ceremony begins at 8:45am. Plan to be there a bit earlier to find the exact location. As you enter the main entrance go to the left to find other vehicles near the ceremony area.
http://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/Locations/California/30-Golden-Gate-National-Cemetery-San-Bruno/View-details.html


Wine & Dine

Vedas Indian Restaurant
Invites You to a Special Evening
Fri., Dec. 10
6:30-9:30pm

A Fabulous Night of the Finest Wines Paired with Exceptional Indian Cuisine
Live Music, Featured California Wineries, Select Indian Dishes

Make your reservations TODAY!!!

560 N Abel Street, Milpitas, CA – 95035
http://www.vedasrestaurant.com/Events.php


The People before El Camino

Saturday, November 27th, 2010

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I’ve already told you that I participated in Day One of the Shellmound Peace Walk on November 17, 2010, and pointed you to the article I wrote for Milpitas Patch. Here’s why I walked.

The Ohlone Indians lived around the Bay for thousands of years before Europeans arrived. The Spanish missionaries arrived in the 17th century and once they baptized Indians, the missionaries treated them as property of Spain. They were confined to the mission compounds and forcibly brought back if they tried to escape. Revolts were answered by lethal retaliation. Physically they were worn down by imposed labor and sickened and killed by unfamiliar diseases. The old and the very young were particularly susceptible. There are reports of abuse of every nature. Their culture was erased.

When the mission era ended and California became an American state, the Indians were set free but their homes and way of life were gone. They suffered horrible persecution at the hands of Americans, from denial of civil rights to murder. Some went underground, pretending to be Mexican just to get by.

The Native Americans did what mankind does. They adapted and they survived. They kept their spiritual roots intact, never forgetting their languages, their songs, their medicines, and their values. In the 1960s and ’70s they reclaimed their identity, shouldered their history, and politically activated. They’re making tremendous strides but many still carry the social scars from the trauma they suffered starting with Spanish contact.

Meanwhile after reaping the benefits of the Gold Rush, agriculture, and the Industrial Revolution, Americans in California started to rediscover the state’s Spanish past. In 1884 Helen Hunt Jackson published her novel Ramona which romanticized the mission era and sparked a new expression of California identity: a western paradise on the Pacific coast infused with Mexican charm. The crumbling missions were literally revived and rebuilt and became cornerstones of communities and tourist draws. El Camino Real was reinvented as a continuous highway from San Diego to San Francisco. Most recently I caught the bug and climbed on board the nostalgia train. I celebrate El Camino, what it is today and what I think it will be. But I have to face its past, and that includes the pain of the Ohlone.

That’s why I went on the Shellmound Peace Walk, to experience the history firsthand. “El Camino” means “the road,” and a road is one of the fundamental ways a people leave their mark on the Earth. Walking a road means following the footsteps of those who went before. Where a bit of nature remained—the Alviso slough, Coyote Creek, the Diablo Mountain Range—I could see what earlier people saw and immerse myself in the immutable sense of place. The physical exertion of walking reminded me of my universal humanity, and sharpened my motivations as I reflected on the multitude of emotions that preceded me there: hope, fear, elation, sorrow. Walking with Indians, some of them descendants of Ohlones, was a gift. Talking with them connected me directly to the people of this land not just through earth, but through flesh, blood, and spirit. Walking with non-Indians bolstered my faith in friendship and fraternity. Injustice shared is peace conceived.

I will continue to celebrate El Camino Real. It has a story to tell and I will continue to listen and share what I hear. El Camino remembers the Ohlone. So do we all.

History Detectives, South City Edition

Friday, November 26th, 2010


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Prepare yourself for sheer hyperlocal awesomeness. El Camino High School and South San Francisco High School have been playing a cross-town rivalry football game annually for almost fifty years. They call it the Bell Game. South San Francisco Patch wrote a great article about this year’s game. It’s a fun read because in finest rivalry tradition, it was a nail-biter down to the finish. Patch published some terrific photos here. I left a comment on the article, asking why it’s called the Bell Game. I saw on a map that both schools are practically on El Camino Real, so I wondered if the name is a reference to the historic El Camino bell markers. South San Francisco Patch editor Drew Himmelstein replied that she wondered the same thing and promised to look into it.

And boy did she.

Read her full account here. Really. Go read it. I’ll wait.

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She made my day, going all out to get to the bottom of this story, enlisting the help of local historian Kathy Kay. Their ultimate findings were surprising, but not disappointing. Let’s just say with a knowing wink that I suspect there is more to the story than even the involved parties were aware of. El Camino Real loves its bells, and works in mysterious ways to get them.

Tukufu Zuberi - World Economic Forum Annual Meeting Davos 2009Drew’s efforts reminded me of one of my favorite TV shows, “History Detectives.” San Jose’s own Tukufu Zuberi would be proud. I just hoped Drew wore protective linen gloves as she was thumbing through those old yearbooks.

Olive Fest

Monday, October 18th, 2010

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Earlier this month I dragged my family up to the Mission San Jose annual Olive Festival in Fremont. I say I dragged them because they don’t even like olives. Me, though, I love ’em. I was a wee bit disappointed then that I didn’t get to taste any.

CIMG0518The Olive Festival is put on by the Mission San Jose Chamber of Commerce. The mission was founded in 1797 by Fr. Fermin Francisco de Lasuen. It sits today right on Mission Road in Fremont. As the literal road to the mission, Mission Road is the nexus of El Camino de San Jose, my name for El Camino Real’s eastern branch. In the last century the area around the mission has developed into a charming little district. In 1909 the businesses, landowners, and residents of the area formed the Mission San Jose Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber holds two big annual events at the mission: the Olive Festival and the Christmas Tree Lighting. This was the ninth year for the Olive Festival, which occurs the first Saturday of every October.

Why olives?  It turns out the Franciscan padres and native Ohlones planted olive trees at the Mission, taking advantage of California’s famous Mediterranean climate. Some of the trees are still there, having lasted over two hundred years.

We arrived that Saturday after lunchtime. We parked at Ohlone College and walked the long block to the grassy slope behind the mission. A shaded bandstand anchored the festival which was enclosed by a ring of vendor booths. About a third were selling arts, crafts, and jewelry. About a quarter offered food, raffle tickets, and kids’ activities. The rest (don’t ask me to do the math) were selling a variety of olive-based products. I saw olive soaps, literal olive branches, and some beautiful objets d’art carved from wood from the mission olive trees (dead wood only). I saw everything except olives, meaning fruit ready to eat. I found out later on Twitter from @aroundfremont that the mission itself did sponsor a booth with olives to taste but somehow I missed it. If you ask me, one booth isn’t enough. I arrived with my palate all set to sample a variety of olives in a rainbow of flavors: garlicky, spicy, au naturel, you name it. I was ready to spit some pits, but it wasn’t to be. All was not lost however because what the festival lacked in olives, it more than made up in its culinary essence: oil. Olive oil, that is. Greek gold. Tuscan tea.

CIMG0507Nearly every food vendor had a wide range of olive oils to taste. Some were plain extra virgin and some were flavored. The oils didn’t have to go it alone though. The vendors also offered matching samples of balsamic vinegars, olive oil’s favorite grape-based emulsion partner. I worked my way from one end of the festival to the other, dipping little bread chunks on toothpick skewers into oleic and acetic sample pots, savoring all. One booth, Lucero Olive Oil, was hardcore. They didn’t mess with bread chunks; you sip their wares neat, straight from their stainless steel dispensers. I made the mistake of chugging a sample of vinegar too fast, causing my throat to seize up and my nostrils to ignite, launching me into a fit of gasping and sputtering. Yeah, I’m a balsamic lightweight.

We purchased a basil/lemon/garlic olive oil gift sampler from Lucero and some hot Tuscan olive oil and dark cherry balsamic vinegar from Big Paw. We also purchased a dry salami from P. G. Molinari & Sons and some fresh pesto from Home Maid Ravioli Company. Yeah, life is good.

CIMG0509We finished out the afternoon bopping along with swing charts from Ohlone’s own Chops Big Band,  enjoying non-olive-inflected hot dogs and sodas from the only hot food seller, and stuffing raffle boxes for prize baskets donated by Chamber of Commerce member businesses. (I didn’t win anything. I rarely do.) We loitered in front of the mission while I took some pictures but we didn’t go inside this time, deciding to leave that visit for another day.

The Olive Festival was really  cute. It wasn’t like the monster street festivals we occupy ourselves with in the summertime; it was closer in spirit to a local church carnival. I loved all the tasting but I felt a little…lubricated…afterwards from the half pint of vinaigrette sloshing around my stomach. Next time I’ll bring my own baguette to sop my insides with. I would have liked to see more solid olives featured. The alcohol tent was selling beer with olives in it which was a nice touch, but martinis would have been fun. I’d like to see a signature dish, like maybe a simple olive sampler plate, or something gourmet like a lamb burger with olive tapenade. (I just made that up. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Ooh, I just found a recipe. Dang, sister, bring me my keys!) Still it was a great event and I have my calendar marked for next year. I hope to visit the area again sooner than that to patronize the businesses up there like the Olive Hyde Art Gallery or Mission Coffee. There’s a lot of heart and character in the East Bay’s kinder, gentler Mission District.