How many types of sweet potatoes?

When one needs to clear the head, there is really nothing better than to go on a walk-a-bout.  Now this phrase may be a bit old-fashioned (and foreign for that matter - it is an Australian saying), but it really is true.

On Saturday morning, I looked about my apartment, took a deep breath and said to myself, "Self, you cannot put this off any longer."  The crustiness in the kitchen and rather unspeakable stuff in the bathroom needed to be eliminated.  So... I spent a rather long, lonely day cleaning up the place.  To treat myself after the day of cleaning, I watched one of my favorite movies - Blazing Saddles.

That brings me to Sunday.  I got up and decided that I just needed to get out.  But, where?  That is where Blazing Saddles comes into play.  The name of the town in the movie is Rock Ridge.  Could there be a Rock Ridge, California?  Yup.

As I pulled up and parked in Rockridge, the first thing I see is The Sock Hop which I know would tickle my daughter to no end.  A sock store.  That is one of the most wonderful things about this area.  The towns are littered with shops like these.  There is an almost abhorrence to the chain stores.

A bit more wandering had me back in Berkeley and at the Stained Glass Garden.  This is in a really wonderful part of Berkeley on fourth street.  This shop is fascinating with mosaic and stained glass supplies.

Lunch was at Vik's Chaat & Marketplace.  This Indian restaurant is nestled in (what looks like on the outside) a rather warehouse looking building but the food is really good.

Now after lunch, I was driving about Berkeley when I spied a grocery with produce spilling out the front entrance.  I cannot explain why, but this sight piqued my interest so I parked the car and ventured inside.  The name of the place is The Berkeley Bowl.  To be perfectly frank, dear readers, I have NEVER seen so much produce.  I mean there were four different types of sweet potatoes all piled together.  Name a type of vegetable or green and they had it in multiple varieties.  Of course, I had to buy a couple of things...

So overall, this was just what the doctor ordered.  Beautiful scenery, eclectic visuals, and (of course) a beautiful fall day to enjoy it all.

On the road to...

Fremont, Saratoga, Los Gatos, Gilroy, Dublin, San Ramon... the list goes on and on.

There are a lot of wonderful smaller towns in the mix here. While there are the three major cities, San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose that form a bit of a triangle around the Bay area; in between each of these cities are a line of small towns that dot the landscape.  And each one of them has their own personality and design.

They each have a downtown area that is lined with shops and restaurants.  My current favorite restaurant in the area is the Bella Saratoga.  It is an Italian joint that is housed inside a house (Wow, diagram that sentence...).  But I also recently enjoyed Satomi Sushi in Fremont.

It really is a ball to discover new places in these little gems.  While the cities of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose have almost anything that a person could want, it is really nice to just take a side trek and visit the town/cities of Palo Alto, Berkeley, Mountain View, Cupertino... well, you get the idea.

Just pull up to the downtowns in these places and get out of the car.  Roam around and find the most interesting things and places.  I will bet that you will find a new favorite place again and again...

Finding a draft card to burn...

When I was a young fire brand college student, I became fascinated with the 60s movements and the people involved.  I could not read enough biographies and manifestos.  Being the political science major that I was, I just really enjoyed learning about that period of time and how it has affected American history.  That is one of the reasons that I am looking forward to this weekend.  I am heading to Berkeley, California.

Berkeley is home to the University of California, Berkeley and it earned it's wings as one of the major meccas of the anti-war movement of the 60s.  It is a place that has been on my bucket list for quite some time and I am looking forward to roaming around.  Now, I am not expecting to run into Thomas Hayden or any of the Chicago Seven but it will be nice to see what I can see.

Roaming around a college town is always a treat to begin with.  There are the funky bars and restaurants, the second hand shops where you can find a treasure or two usually line the streets.  The students are back in session so it will be great to hear and experience.  There is NOTHING better than gaggle of 18-22 year olds in all of their glory and righteous indignation (that is a compliment).

So off we go.  I wonder... if I let my beard grow and find some old bell bottoms...