A journey from Los Angeles to Seattle on Highway 101, seeking out view spots for picnics… and old car junk for Clark.
Day 8
May 25, 2014
Santa Rosa, and wine country
Old travel buddy Dr. Bill is working nearby at Travis Air Force Base, so he joined us today for a bit of local exploration. His passion is travel photography, as you can see here.
I read part of “The Kid Stays in the Picture” last night, which starts with the premiere of “The Godfather.” In keeping with that theme, we went to Francis Ford Coppola’s winery, a little ways up Hwy 101, in Geyserville. I’d heard it was the Disneyland of wineries, which might be stretching it just a wee bit, but admittedly we went mostly to see the movie stuff, like one of the few Tucker cars. The one they have is worth, we were told, $3 million. Yowza.
Gazing upon the Tucker. Photo copyright, Bill Yeaton.
At the top of the photo you can see the desk used in “The Godfather.” Photo copyright Bill Yeaton.
There were also Oscars, the desk used in “The Godfather,” and costumes from “Dracula.”
One, two, three, four, five.
Wouldn’t want to eat soup while wearing it. Of course, the character who wore it tried to eat a baby in it.
Looks a little like a terrier, doesn’t it? Woof.
Outside, the swimming pool was in full use, and all booked up for the day. We didn’t buy any wine – despite my weakness for Sofia Coppola’s bubbly packaged in pretty pink cellophane, which I’ve had before – and headed off to lunch with Brian’s brother Drew, in Windsor.
We ate at a place called KC’s, full of those reproduction signs that Clark so despises, although they made nifty decorations for a restaurant. Brian humiliated his brother by having the wait staff sing “Happy Birthday” and deliver a sundae. Afterwards, Drew took us to an old chicken slaughter house that is now an art gallery.
Lunch in Windsor; Melanie and Brian on the left. Photo copyright Bill Yeaton.
Melanie eyes a sculpture of bones and… er… not quite sure what. Possibly sea urchins.
Junk? Is there junk in there? Must look.
The temperature was well into the 90s by now, but we trudged ever onwards, and after bidding adieu to Drew, we went to Ledson winery, and had a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc while sitting under the oak trees. I noticed that the heat had started to raise hives on my arms. Time to call it a day, perhaps.
There’s a reason Bill’s hand is in a fist: a ball point pen had erupted in his hand, covering it in ink.
Sweltering, drowsy, wine…. snrrrrrrrrrr
We went back to the house, chatted for a while, and when the heat had made a faint gesture towards pretending to back off, went out for Thai food at SEA Thai Bistro. Which was a good choice, both because it was good, and because Dr. Bill (and his Kiwi girlfriend Katie, who sadly was at home in New Zealand) makes a point of having Thai food in every country he visits.
Bill told some very funny stories, ranging from having met George Bush the younger in a men’s restroom in Montana, before Sr. was president, and silently predicting that neither would ever achieve that role; to having been mistaken for Michael Moore. Brian insisted he himself was often mistaken for Bea Arthur.
And then it was farewells and goodnights, and reading in bed until slumber came.
