So, because it feels like it has been forever since I picked up my camera, Thor indulged me as we drove home from Lost Wages last week.
He had to drive the long way home- and off the beaten path as it were, so lucky me, I got to take some new views in and saw things from what looked like another place and time. They were actually.
Amboy CA. and Roy's. A once working motel and gas station it has become just a speck on a map and a place for travelers to stop, buy expensive gas and soda from a machine, and take in the brightness that is almost too hard to look at in the midday sun. It's advertised as a "movie set" currently and there is a "security guard" who will talk to you if you ask. There is also the Amboy School tucked behind the blinding white rooms of the hotel, some history there, but you'll need to dig for it. (chronologically this was stop #2)
The old Spanish style church is in 29 Palms, just across the street from the entrance and visitors center into Joshua Tree . To me, it looked like I was in a scene from a Mexican movie. I really couldn't stop taking photos of it. The church is open; and Catholic, and sadly that is all the information I have on it. (stop #3)
Kelso (stop #1) has a rich past as a depot stop halfway between nowhere and been there in the Mojave Desert. Literally the only building for hours. It has been restored -or kept in tact, nicely.
As we walked through, the staff busied themselves while asking politely if you required anything, then left you to explore on your own. If asked, they pointed directions, offered antidotes, and always smiled. They also joked with each other in the basement (which is being made into an art museum) as they hung photographs, old and quite modern, of the surrounding area.
There are three floors, many of which are left as they were used in the past. A small gift shop, and plenty of free handouts with pertinent information readily available. The famed "lunch room" is closed for business. You can stroll all around the marble counter and sit in the lacquered swivel chairs all you want, but no tuna sandwiches, no cherry phosphates will be forthcoming from the kitchen.
I took liberties with the photos. Changed them just a bit with the computer. They just didn't seem as nice in true colour. What do you think?
Monday, February 18, 2008
Kelso, Roy's, & Joshua
Friday, October 19, 2007
Field Trip Friday, The Getty, and C.A.S. in 'Frisco
Field trip this week will take you to L.A. and San Fransisco.
The Getty is absolutely fabulous! First off, it's FREE! Second it's beautiful. Third, there is always something new and interesting going on. This weekend we have the Family Festival!
Will you be in the Bay Area this weekend? Then we have a nice trip planned for you out at The Steinhart Aquarium.
For all the fun details click here!
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Coit Tower, San Francisco
Lillie Hitchcock Coit was a little girl when she was playing with friends in an abandoned building. The building took fire and she was rescued by volunteer fire fighters. Later in her youth as she was walking home from school she saw the Knickerbocker Engine no.5 struggling to get up those infamous hills to yet another fire. Dropping her school books she ran to their aide and yelled at others standing in the street to help the volunteers. Lillie was hooked. She loved the firemen in their uniforms, but more so for their heroic efforts time and again.
Going to the links will give you plenty of history and more information on the tower itself, so much so that yesterday's blog went into cyber space never to be seen again! That said, there are stories of Lillie abandoning her hubby at the alter to run after Engine no.5 still dressed in her dress and veil! After hubby died at age 47 Lillie went to France and entertained the likes of Napoleon all the while her heart still with those Knickerbockers. When she died at age 86 she left one third of her vast fortune to San Francisco and asked that it "be expended in an appropriate manner for the purpose of adding to the beauty of the city which I have always loved." (The other two thirds of her fortune went to the Universities of California and Maryland - nice gal!)
Controversy and politics were the order of the day and after all the dust settled the city decided upon what we have currently up on Telegraph Hill. The tower itself rises some 212 feet giving the folks inside a 360 degree perspective of the city. After a $3.00 ticket purchase on the main floor, one rides the elevator. 20 or so more steps spiral you out into the open air.
This is one of the photos I took. So many structures! So much concrete, steel, and asphalt that finding any green is near to impossible. Like a Where's Waldo? game.
Find the green and you win! There are spots here and there, but it is always amazing to me how the buildings are on top of each other. There are actual places in this city that only get a few moments of direct sunlight each day because the buildings are so high and built so close. Until I spent time wandering around the neighborhoods, I didn't notice how most of the city homes are actually one huge building with connecting/shared walls; (Victorian Houses)
with facades that are painted and designed to resemble individual houses. It is a hard concept for a gal from SoCAL where in my (lower middle class) neighborhood everyone is required to have at least 1/2 acre per single residence. I look at my "tiny" back yard differently now. Across the street from our hotel we saw that most of the housing had a penthouse suite and that roof access was often used to provide an outdoor patio, sunroom, or even gardens. While standing perched atop Coit Tower it is interesting to see what the different neighborhoods use this space for. We saw the afore mentioned, but also solariums, shuffle board and tennis courts, and even a school playground!
From this vantage point one can see Alcatraz, Lombard Street, ChinaTown, Fisherman's Wharf, the TransAmerica Building, and both the Golden Gate and Oakland Bay Bridge, among other landmarks.
Here is a link to the Virtual Museum on line where you can click and point your way through many of the sights and history for yourself! This is a video documentary of events leading up to, during and shortly after the 1906 earthquake. Have fun, take a tour, enjoy!
Monday, June 27, 2005
The Palace of Fine Arts
One of my favorite places to visit in San Francisco is the Palace of Fine Arts. Built by Bernard Maybeck in 1915, it stands near the bay in a terrific neighborhood surrounded by elite homes and green gardens. Land obviously is at a premium in the Bay Area, and to see the green lawn and the reflection pools is a treat.
The pool is actually an ancient wet land used by Maybeck purposely to reflect the structures beauty. Unfortunately Maybeck could not or did not see the future and the the pool is has begun to sink into itself, taking the surrounding flora with it! There is danger of the entire grounds being destroyed and evidence that the structures themselves are already pressured and stressing.
The solution? A bake sale. Well, not exactly, but the city of San Francisco has designated a committee to oversee the reconstruction and repair of the entire park. The city has also approved and set aside $4.9 million for the project and asking for another $16 million in donations! The work has already begun with the tagging of trees and structural reinforcements. In the mean time it takes some of the beauty away from the park, but not much - it's still so peaceful and thought provoking to walk these grounds and listen to the birds and water while seeing a new piece of the monument you missed the time before.
This photo demonstrates how the trees' roots are unsupported and the weight of the plants, trees, and foliage pull into the lake. Trees all along the edge of the water have already been swallowed whole, exposing their root balls to the sky as if a giant reached down and plucked them out of the ground like an errant weed; tree tops under the water and limbs reaching out like a drowning victim. It is sad to witness and one hopes that it can be saved in time.
The walkways are also in danger; some have been blocked from use. The black asphalt border that surrounds the perimeter looks as if it has been melted and rolled under the surface. Chain link fencing has been put up as a safety precaution. One cannot walk near the water's edge as in years past. It it an enormous sink hole.
If you are interested in the history of this edifice or would like to contribute to it's restoration, please visit the link in the title of this post. (All private donations up to $500,00 will be doubled thanks to Maurice Kanbar.) There are so many facts, interesting tidbits, and many photos- that I would be here all day repeating what has already been written. Click here for a virtual tour, enjoy!
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Carlton's Chocolate Log!
Chocolate! Today was the exciting trip to the Chocolate Exhibit in San Francisco.
Where do I begin? After parking the car and walking down a block or my thoughts were interrupted by a man sitting in the corridor of the building. "Hello." "Good Morning." "How are you ma'am? Everything going o.k. for you?" "Yes, thank you. And yourself?" "Not so good. I pay $575.00 for a room. ONE room. So I sit here to try and get my food money. I mean I have a room, but the rest I try to get help with. Can you help me?" "I am sorry, no, I can't, I only carry my ATM card. Can I bring you a burger later?" "No, ma'am. Are you sure you're o.k.? I mean, I got $5.oo I can give you it right now if you need it." "No thanks, I have enough." "You sure, you look like you could use $5.00." "No, thanks, I need to head into the museum now. See you later." "Sure ma'am. Bye and God bless you." I guess I should have dressed better.
As I walk into the museum there is a sea of lime green shirts on very small people. When I say a sea, I mean if you were between the ages of 6 and 14, you were at that museum to day. Yeowsers! I allow the kids to get in ahead of me, I figure (correctly) they will fly through the exhibit while I tend to linger a tad more. I took two pictures of the display case before the entrance and then a security guard comes over to me and very aggressively informs me that "THERE ARE NO PHOTOS ALLOWED IN THE MUSEUM!" well o.k. then. I crawl past him and enter the exhibit, slowly regaining my original size.
The first part of the exhibit is rain forest education and just how the trees that produce cacao are grown and where. There is a Really -really- creepy Leaf Cutter Ant LIVE diorama. This display case is Gynormous with about 80BILLION red ants going all Geoffrey Dalmer on these fake trees with actual branches. They are chomping and carrying the bright green dime sized pieces back to a small container behind the scene. This diorama extended the entire length of the wall (24 feet?) and about 8 feet tall. (The whole point being how everything in the forest is symbiotic and the ants help fertilize the tress, yada yada yada...)
Next came ancient pottery and the uses of cacao by the Myan Culture. Cacao was prized and expensive and used by the elite and also as sacrifice for the gods. Special apparel was worn while drinking a cup of the then bitter elixir made from the cacao and water. Not just any cup would do, special urns, pitchers, and bowls would hold the spectacular liquid. During the processing, again, only the special grinding bowls and basins would be used. Drinking the cacao required special clothing and adornments of high quality. In the display there were rich dark green beads made from an unnamed rock, but polished and spherical about an inch in size and long enough to hang around a man's neck and still reach his navel. At the center of the strand were ornaments of the rock in odd designs, I presume were symbolic carvings. Ear plugs were mentioned and shown twice as was a beautiful 5-6 pointed flat star-shaped white shell carving with a spiral cut out of the center. This piece was noted as specific to honour Quetzlcoatl; the god they worshiped above all others.
After the Aztecs came the Spanish! And they kept their secret passion for chocolate for quite some time. But when they finally shared the secret (1600-1700) it hit big with those who could afford it's "intoxicating" and "addictive" taste! Neither of the prior terms are truth, but ask any chocoholic and they may tell you differently! The rich and famous eventually created shops similar to Starbucks where they could meet, chat and enjoy a hot cup of (the still bitter) drink. Charles II of England tried to pass laws and policies that would eventually close these shops. His concern? Political! It seems that his political enemies would gather around a steamy hot cup and plot his demise! (dun dun duuuuun!) Also invented in this era was the infamous saucer! Prior to chocolate drinking it seems no one cared too much about spilling! But with the popularity of cocoa among the elite and wealthy the stains peaked someone's interest into saving the costly clothes that were being dribbled on, hence, the saucer. At the show there were exquisite examples of the fine china sets that rival any tea sets you may seen. These delicate beautiful sets were thin porcelain and hand painted with scenery, flowers and graphic designs. One particular set that caught my eye was a covered cup that would hold about half cup of cocoa. The lid was domed and had a red rose bud for the handle. Gorgeous! The saucer was also very interesting as it had an intricate scroll-work cut cup-holding bowl formed into the saucer. Shaped like a small bowl, the cup would fit into this bowl (with a small slice cut through to the saucer to accommodate the handle) to avoid spillage. It too, was hand painted with red rose buds and other small flowers.
"It's strengthening, restorative, and apt to repair decayed strength and make people strong!" Louis Lemery 1702 (I'm not sure, but I think Louis here thought chocolate made you strong...)
This brought us to the slave trade that boomed when the demand for cacao/cocoa rose. The 17/18th century brought a new awareness of the benefits of drinking cocoa. Adding sugar added a demand for this product and that increased the demand for slavery as well. William Cadbury saw the slave trade and the influence cocoa and sugar had on it and began to protest. When abolishion came, working conditions for the freed slaves did not. In 1907,William was so displeased with the industry and it's work ethics that he called for a boycott among all the cocoa producers in England and Europe. His letter to other owners of companies helped to improve the former slaves and all others who worked to bring chocolate to the masses.
During 1875, Daniel Peter added condensed milk to chocolate. Along with the added sugar, the added milk made the chocolate affordable and tasted "better" to the common people. (S'mee!) The more sugar and milk added -the further the cocoa went, eventually others added everything from eggs to bread to cocoa to help make a variety of products.
"Candy making should be taught and acquired as one of the womanly accomplishments. Each household should have on hand a small stock of fancy molds." - Sindney Morse, Household Discoveries, 1913 (dang that women's lib anyway!)
Approximately 1890, Robert L. Strohecker invented the beloved easter bunny!
Scientific fact: The chemical phenylthylamine is in chocolate and it is the same chemical the body produces when the person producing said chemical is feeling "in love". oooh la la!
Scientific fact: Chocolate contains theobromine, which enlarges the blood vessels. Medical professionals now are using this as a treatment for high blood pressure! (this could totally explain S'mee's tendency towards extremely low blood pressure!)
Scientific fact: Chocolate does indeed contain caffeine, but in too small of quantities to affect the brain, such as in a cup of coffee or glass of tea.
Other facts: The U.S. is #1 in the world for grinding cacao and getting it ready for processing.
In the 1970's the demand for cacao peaked! In 2000, there was such a surplus of cacao that it exceeded 1 million tons! This created an all time low and prices went to the basement! Today, June 16, at approx. 11:30 a.m. Chocolate was down $16.00 at the New York Stock Exchange. Call your broker and BUY!
Cacao MUST be hand harvested, creating jobs (both good and bad). The pod, about the size of a pineapple, is rooted right onto the trunk of the tree. It takes a tree at least 2 years before a pod is ready to be harvested. The pods look similar to the pods in Body Snatchers. Once removed from the tree, the pod is opened and scraped clean of the fiberous and slimy and smaller seed pods inside. The seeds inside are about the size of your thumb tip and are left out in the sun to dry on banana leaves and ferment for at least a week. After a week the size, taste and colour of the seeds have changed from a creamy white to a slightly wrinkled dark brown. The dark brown cacao seeds are then packed in burlap or other air infusing material for shipping. They seeds need to remain dry to prevent molding (ugh!).
Cacao is best grown in the shade and tropical climate. This is beginning to devastate the rain forests in some area, however grower are beginning to use the outer edges of the forests, which do not effect the crop nor the forests at all. Great solution! The largest producer is in Africa, Ivory Coast, where there is concern about child labour. There are laws that prevent child labour and efforts are being made to see that producers eliminate children from there work force all together. The U.S., England, and most of Europe refuse cacao products from farmers who use children; which is helping to force other farmers to more ethical practices in the fields and factories.
One item on display fascinated me. It was a sculpture depicting the Day of the Dead, a celebratory day for honouring relatives who have gone ahead of you, so to speak. The sculpture, according to the museum notes, was designed to show the history of the holiday. "It represents the "Tree of Life" as based on Mexican "folklore" mixed with Biblical histories." Interesting. The base is a woman's skeleton and has many levels for dead loved ones to reside according to the life they earned while on earth. There are devils nearer the base and owls towards the top. Other fancy and colourful birds are sprinkled throughout. The top has a place for seven candles. Again, interesting.
For even more information check this out. For recipes here's where you want to be!
Enjoy!
p.s. as I was leaving it was raining. Nice. I was wearing a white tee-shirt. Needless to say I ran to the garage where the car was parked! lol The Street-guy was no longer in the corridor. Perhaps he went home, out of the rain.
Posts
