PUSHING ONWARD POST-WEDDING

Steve and Liz hosted a brunch in their seventh floor suite the morning after the wedding.  Quite a few folks dropped by before heading off to their various post-wedding destinations.  Lee's images from the festivities were widely appreciated, and there was lots of good conversation all around.
 

Later in the afternoon the O'Tooles and the Makelas had an early supper at the M Street Cafe on Main Street (a spot Liz has frequented so often over the last several days that they must suspect she's a restaurant reviewer visiting for multiple tastings).

Heidi and Lee then drove over to the Hollywood Bowl for an early evening concert featuring Gustavo Dudamel, a young and very dynamic conductor from Venezuela, and the great tenor, Placido Domingo.  The venue holds 18,000 patrons and was completely filled for this benefit performance coming at the conclusion of a week-long celebration of American music traditions.  Ana Marie Martinez, a fine soprano, joined in the festivities which ranged over classical, musical and Latin song stylings.  We've heard Domingo before, but (at age seventy) he seems in better voice than ever.  The soloists wre particularly effective in their singing their broadway numbers ("Some Enchanted Evening" from SOUTH PACIFIC and "I Could Have Danced All Night" from MY FAIR LADY).  The crowd particularly enjoyed their offerings sung in Spanish, songs familiar to the large number of Latinos in the audience.

The Bowl is an interesting setting, in and of itself.  The boxes seat four and are configured so as to allow picnic suppers to be spead out on removable tables whisked away once the meal is concluded.  We sat on wooden benches off to the side which nonetheless gave us a good view of the stage and the adjacent large video monitors.  Even leaving was much easier than anticipated; "stack parking" puts one car right behind another, often several deep in the same row; however, we were on our way quickly within ten or fifteen minutew after the concert ended.

Overall, a perfect way to end a leisurely final day on the West Coast...

THE BIG DAY

COMMENTARY TO FOLLOW!

WEDDING WEEKEND, DAY ONE

We drove the rest of the way from San Franciso to Los Angeles today, arriving in Santa Monica in the early afternoon in plenty of time to check in at the DoubleTree Suites Hotel and settle in before the start of the wedding festivities this evening.

Along the way we stopped in Santa Barbara for an hour or so to break up the five hour trip.  We strolled around the (rather elegant) downtown to stretch our legs and indulged in a bit of people watching while sipping our high-end espresso coffees seated curbside at a local, organic, hand-crafted coffee emporium.

This evening we joined the wedding party and other out-of-town guests at Hostaria del Piccolo in Santa Monica for a dinner hosted by the Maskiell Family.  The multi-course Italian meal and the outdoor patio setting were both fantastic; and we were able to sit with the bride and groom, Megan and Andrew, as well as with Liz and Steve (Megan's parents), providing ample opportunity to catch up with the latest family goings-on.  Jessica (Megan's sister), her husband, Jess, and their older son (Carter) were there as well, which made the evening seem even more festive.

All appears to be in readiness for whatever the 'morrow might bring, and we're very much looking forward to the events to come.

COASTING DOWN THE COAST

There are few places on earth quite as extraordinarily spectacular as the highway wending its way between Carmel and San Simeon along California's Pacific coast.  The route along California Highway One takes effort and time but is well worth both for the rewards provided.

Today's drive began somewhat inauspiciously when we stumbled into a Classic Car Rally in Carmel mid-morning.  Unable to even think about finding some place to park, we headed out of town chagrined at having to forgo a visit to one of California's most picturesque coastal towns (and one of our favorites, to boot).

However, as we motored down towards Los Angeles, we encountered one "old fash" after another en-route to the week long showcase further north in Carmel.  At times we didn't know where to look: at the coastal beauty on the right or at the classic cars whizzing by to our left!

The weather all day was perfect -- cool and sunny with a touch of fog hanging low over the Pacific.  We stopped for lunch al fresco at the Big Sur River Restaurant (where some lucky folks can sit on wooden deck chairs mid-stream, dangling their toes in the cool river water).  We pulled off the highway to admire the scenery on numerous other ocassions as well - as the following collage attests.
 

This evening we are lodging at the Sand Pebbles Inn in Cambria immediately across Moonstone Beach Drive from the ocean.  We arrived early enough to witness the evening fog roll in as we wandered along the beach boardwalk before heading into town for a light supper at Linn's (clam chowder and quiche).
 

 
Tomorrow we complete our drive to Santa Monica, the site of Megan and Andrew's wedding on Saturday.   This, however, has proven to be one of the most rewarding days of our trip - even the elephant seals lazing on the beach in San Simeon cheered our progress down the coast towards LA. 

What more could one possibly desire than that?

BACK "HOME" IN PALO ALTO

The Arbor Guest House provided the expected hearty breakfast and lively conversation (plus several rounds of bocce ball) early today prior to our mid-morning departure.
  

We first stopped off at Cuvaison Estate Winery, a beautifully situated spot where we shared a wine tasting of some really nice varieties and vintages, including an especially tasty Chardonnay.  We called our connoisseur son Jon in Illinois while lounging on the patio looking out over the vineyards, wine glass in hand;  "Mom," he exclaimed, "It's only 11:00 in the morning!"
 

 
Once back on the road, we returned to Walnut Creek for lunch at a Rossmoor restaurant with Helen and Dave before driving on to Palo Alto later in the afternoon.

This evening we had dinner with SCOTT SUTORIOUS whose family lived in Shaker Heights (and were active members of Plymouth Church) for years before moving back to the West Coast to be with Scott's mother here in Palo Alto.  We missed seeing his wife, CAMELIA, because she was off in Florida settling HER 90-year-old father into a new condo there.  We enjoyed our evening together, catching up on the activities of their four sons as well as those of the parents, and look forward to seeing some of them again, at least, at on a future Ohio visit.

A DAY IN THE VALLEY

Beautiful weather -- four great wineries -- seven delicious wine "tastes" -- an informative tour -- a picnic lunch -- glorious flowers everywhere -- a "pause that refreshed" overlooking acres of vineyards from a hilltop patio at the end of the afternoon - a light supper at Celadon in Napa to round out the day -- great company -- scenery to die for -- the Arbor Guest House, an elegant,  quiet and comfy bed 'n breakfast...

What more needs be said?
 

ON THE MOVE AGAIN

In the mid-seventies, one Sunday, when Heidi and Lee settled into the pews of Plymouth Church of Shaker Heights for the very first time, we came to realize we had done so on the day a new senior minister was to deliver his very first sermon to the assembled congregation.  That new pastor was DAVID REES.  And we were impressed, both with what he had to say and the way in which he said it, so much so that soon after we, too, joined the congregation ourselves, which has remained our church home ever since.

DAVE and HELEN, together with their two daughters, SARAH and REBECCA, evenually moved on to serve churches in Berkeley, California, and Miami, Florida.  Summers, however, the family always returned to their lake cottage on Lake Mohawk outside Malvern, Ohio; and the Makela family were frequent weekend visitors.

Over the years, we basked in the sun, rode around the lake in DAVE's boat, swan off their dock (after a lengthy trek down several flights of stairs to the shoreline), ate many a meal on their open-air deck, played lots of games and enjoyed endless stimulating conversations.

One summer we even stayed in the Berkeley home while they were off in Ohio.  We also stopped by to visit them in Florida on a couple of occasions, and they stayed with us at our timeshare on Hilton Head Island.

More significantly, DAVE presided over the marriages of all three of our children (two at Plymouth; one in Cincinnati).  And together we all watched their two kids grow up, marry and begin families of their own.  It came as no surprise, then, that, when DAVE finally retired, they would choose to move back to California where both daughters' families had taken up residence.

Today we drove up to stay with them at their new condominium apartment in Rossmoor, a retirement community on the outskirts of Walnut Creek, and to visit with both Sarah's and Rebecca's families.  It was wonderful to meet Sarah's husband Dave Carroll for the first time, to visit with Rebecca's Alex again, as well as to meet all three grandchildren: Dylan, Oliver and Lola.  Dinner at Marica in Oakland was also a special treat.  And, not surprisingly, the conversation all along the way was as stimulating as always.
 

Tomorrow the four of us members of the senior generation will be off to Napa Valley for an overnight visit to Wine Country, fulfilling a pledge we made one another once we knew the REESES were moving back to California.

Details to follow (once we sober up) ...