Photos from a Saturday Drive

Matt and I spent about six hours driving east and north of San Diego last weekend. We were able to fit in a meal at Miner Diner in Julian, our favorite (somewhat local) unsuccessful mining town (where the temperature was a markedly chillier 50 degree), before heading north on route 79 and eventually winding our way back west around Cleveland National Forest. San Diego County has 10 climate zones, and I think we drove through at least half on our outing.

MASTERS OF MID-CENTURY CALIFORNIA MODERNISM — Evelyn and Jerome Ackerman

If you come to visit us in San Diego soon, we recommend stopping by the Mingei Museum in Balboa Park to see the exhibit MASTERS OF MID-CENTURY CALIFORNIA MODERNISM — Evelyn and Jerome Ackerman.

Anza Borrego

Last weekend we decided to catch the tail end of the desert wildflowers in Anza Borrego Desert State Park. After a stop in Julian for a bison burger at the Miner Diner, we headed southwest into the park. We didn't do much hiking, just a walk through a trail leading to a number of palm groves (we made it only to the second grove), but it was a lovely, mild day in the desert. Julian was actually chilly, as a storm was predicted to drop rain on the mountain town.

The desert wasn't in vibrant technicolor, as I'd hoped/imagined, but cacti and other plants were flowering. Here are a few images from our day.

Simple, Well Made, Modern, Functional Design

Two new additions to our household--one a bit easier to accommodate in 900 sq ft.

Russell Wright Sugar Bowl--now that I'm using sugar in my morning coffee, I felt a sugar bowl was warranted. For years, I've coveted the sugar bowls and creamers he designed. I'd go to eBay occasionally and see what was being offered. When my sister asked what I wanted for my birthday, this year there was no hesitation. Luckily, she and I share similar design sensibilities, so there was no explaining what I was looking for. The Russell Wright stamped, cream sugar bowl with loop handle arrived within a week.




Vintage Danish Modern Table and Chairs--we went to Klassik, a vintage modernist furniture store in downtown San Diego, to look for a desk. Once we sat in the chairs of this dining set, all thoughts of desks left our minds. Matt was sold immediately and felt territorial when others came into the store. He later told me that he wanted us to move away from the table so that others wouldn't be interested in it. One of the aspects that we both loved was that the two extensions were housed in the table--one just pulls them out from underneath. Smart design works well when lack of storage is an issue.

We took just about 24 hours to decide--which is lightening quick for us. It helped that we have guests coming and family moving to town, and we only had a small, high, retro soda shop table, which maxed out at three people, to dine upon. We were able to do some negotiating, so we felt that we got a deal and supported a local merchant. The owners are nice and didn't charge us for delivery. They said they would just rather have us come back and buy more. We'd prefer that as well.

Celebrating Presidents and Love in San Francisco

Blogger, Flickr, Facebook--so many place to upload photos. Will uploading them to only place work? We'll see.

Mariposa Bakery

Another reason to love the Bay Area is Mariposa Baking: "Our mission is simple -- create gluten-free baked goods that are indiscernible from the finest, high-caliber gluten-based products available."

I came across their gluten-free, sour cream coffee cake in a market in Mill Valley last weekend, and I was giddy at how good it was. It pretty much tasted like my grandma's recipe, which I've had great success at making gluten-free. Matt loved it, of course. But even our gluten-loving, Italian friend didn't miss the gluten. After taking a bite, which he clearly was not expecting to enjoy, he looked at me, eyebrow raised, and asked, "This is gluten-free?"

While Mariposa does sell some of their goods online, it's not going to be economically feasible to purchase many items. I just need to swing by their store in Oakland on our next visit to the area. In the meantime, I'll have to make Grandma Welling's sour cream coffee cake to fill the craving. The danger with that is neither Matt nor I can stop at just one piece. I made a batch last night, and we've devoured half the pan.

Low, Low Tide At Point Loma

Colorful barnacles revealed.

Matt had to take photos of the striations in the sandstone.


Life abounds in the tidepools! A tiny crab carries a shell and a hermit crab.



Matt traversing the slick stones. An egret waiting for a meal.