Aug 28 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Welcome to Napa
So I actually left the county for a couple of days. My passport remains dusty and sad in a drawer, wondering what happened to our relationship. “You used to take me out all the time – now we never go anywhere. I hardly ever see you!” it reproaches me. I think it expires next year, and for the first time in my life, I may not renew it. Why spend $100 on something I never use?
It’s a good thing I have a GPS*, since I’m geographically and map challenged. To me, it looked like you went to Healdsburg and took a left and that was it, whereas in reality you have to go south of Petaluma (about 40 minutes from San Francisco) and then take a labyrinthine highway, where there is road work (see above). It took almost as long to get there as it does to get to the city.
Also, for some reason I thought I was going to Sonoma, not Napa. Sonoma has the biggest public plaza in California and the northernmost Mission of the string founded in the early 1800s, like the one that starred in “Vertigo”. Napa seems to be nothing but wineries and overpriced antique stores. If you’re not into daytime drinking or overpriced antiques ($85 rusted metal garden chair, anyone?) or $25 plates of pasta, there’s not a whole lot to do there in the oppressive inland heat. Oh, and visitor guides cost $5.
However, all this was more than redeemed by the reason for the trip: seeing the legendary Brian Wilson in concert:
I happened to walk by the theater the morning of the show, and caught the roadies unloading the equipment for the show:
The concert was held in a beautiful old movie theater:
It was a great show. From the first notes of “California Girls”, the crowd was on its feet and Brian held us in his spell.
It was worth the drive.
*Jill, the GPS voice, does not enjoy those wacky foreign names. It’s hilarious to hear her pronounce things like “Carneros” and “Embarcadero”.
4 Responses to “Sunday, August 28, 2011”
Glad your trip was not in vein, sounds like you quite enjoyed the concert and in an old theatre to booth, there’s usually always something good about any venture.
I love that everybody names their GPS device (ours is Julia). Glad you enjoyed the show.
My GPS came with the names programmed in. Jill is “American Female”. Maybe I should try out the other accents!
We use GPS with Daphne calling the shots…..unfortunately, she seemed to develop laryngitis for our return trip…not a peep came from her…. so I had to relay her directions instead….But, on the whole GPS is pretty handy….
Glad you enjoyed the Concert….
jx