Our Sausalito Sojourn

• March 12, 2017
• Mari Bickmore
• 2 comments

SUBTITLE:  Things you should never do

Just last October, my Texas Travel Buddies and my Norwegian daughter took a little trip to Sausalito.  May I just say that I LOVE Sausalito.  Always have, always will.  I would retire there if funds were not an issue.  By the way, I identify as a wealthy woman.  Will the government supply the funds to ease my identity crisis now that we are dealing so positively with these crises?  Or perhaps making an undocumented withdrawal from the bank would be looked upon favorably?  I’ll have to make enquiries.

In any event, what a lovely trip.  We rented accommodation from an AirBNB owner that had a fabulous view.  It was actually in Mill Valley–Suki’s Mountain Retreat.  I’ve driven all over Europe,  more than a few places I shouldn’t have driven, but that driveway that night scared me.  I didn’t know if the car was going to make it up such a sharp incline without rolling backwards.  Okay, not as scary as Paris in the afternoon when the sun is truly blinding you and you don’t know where you’re going, but fairly scary.  Anyway, it was an interesting place.  Kind of like staying at your grandmother’s if your grandmother had a fantastic view and fruit trees that you were allowed to pick from and bougainvillea dripping off the house.  Those oranges weren’t perhaps the best oranges I have ever tasted. They WERE the best oranges I have ever tasted.  And it was quite near Muir Woods which is a magical and wondrous place to take a hike/walk.

My first story about the trip falls in the category of:  THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER DO.   It was my friend Beverly’s Birthday and we went to a lovely place to eat, Buckeye Roadhouse. As you can see, they have wonderful food.  Seated next to us was a nice-looking family…mom, dad, son, daughter.  Somewhere along the way my friend whispers “can you hear what they’re saying?”   The conversation was really unbelievable.  Mom and dad proceeded to tell their children, In A Restaurant, that they were splitting up but that things were going to be wonderful!   They tried to make it sound like they would live in a perfect world now.  The daughter, around 8-10 years old, was crying and the 14-year-old boy was trying to keep a stiff upper lip.  THEN…get ready for it…they pull out a birthday card for the little girl!  No really…it was her BIRTHDAY.  Those chose to impart this bitter message in PUBLIC on her BIRTHDAY.  I see a lot of therapy in her future.  So I’m just telling you, this is something that you should never do.  What ever possessed them to think this was a good idea is beyond me.  It has just occurred to me that it was the little girl’s birthday and Beverly’s birthday.  Maybe I thought about it at the time but that’s a little foggy.  I’m not too foggy about the food…it’s a definite return again visit and that was a return visit itself.  The empty plate was the dessert..enough said.

My second story is much better.  Next morning we drove down our steep driveway (much easier on the way down) to spend the day in Sausalito–art galleries, cute shops, and lovely food spots.  Looking for a place to park we saw a young woman go to her car so we put our blinker on to wait for the spot…and waited…and waited.  My brave friend Beverly decided to very nicely ask her if she was leaving or not, so out she jumped.  Then they started talking…and talking.  I saw another spot just up the road slightly and took it.  Turns out the poor girl had just been dumped–and had a baby.  She was looking for God and had went to a church the night before and sat in the back but no one had approached her.  My friend had kind words and counsel and had come along at just the perfect time to a perfect stranger to be a shoulder to cry on and some help along theis journey we call life.  I cried, she cried.  Maybe you  had to be there, but it was truly inspirational.

My last story is just a series of disjointed events really.  Next day we went to San Francisco and had great tacos, but I don’t remember the name of the cafe.  We shopped around awhile but had to leave in time to get my Norwegian girl to the airport.  We got to our car in plenty of time to have her there a few hours before her flight, or at least we thought we did.   In two hours we went maybe 4-5 blocks.  Needless to say, we never even got out of the city in that direction, gave up and went back to our little house in the sky.  She is fairly sure her boss never believed that story.  But I’m here to tell you its true.  It was a week before she went home.  So she got to go with us to St. Helena the next day.   Oh, Bev got that genuine fox coat at a Buddhist Temple Rummage Sale for $5!

This is a seriously cute little town.  There is even a castle there…Castello di Amorosa.  Well here’s another little story.  We had just gotten out of our car here at the castle and there was a couple there who looked pretty serious, so we walked really slow so we could eavesdrop (just being honest).  He was proposing to her with a ring and flowers  and everything.  Oops!  She said no.  At least he didn’t do it on the screen at a hockey game!  Yet they stayed and walked around the grounds, but they looked so sad after that.   He did take the flowers and everything and put back in the car, probably so we wouldn’t have to look at them and stare.

On a brighter note!  I would highly recommend that you all visit Farmstead in town, on a warm day so that you can eat outside.  The food was oustanding.   I wish I had filmed us eating so that I could post it like a travel show.  You would be salivating and wishing you were there, kind of like I do when I watch “I’ll have what Phil’s Having.”  Why was there only one season?!?!  I plan to visit next month with a friend who is coming in from Ohio.  Perhaps I will film it then.

RIght now I’m in the D.C. area for  my daughter-in-law’s baptism and feel so blessed!  Planning on some Maryland Crabcakes.  Tata and Happy Trails!