After Bob and I finished checking out the Mission Dolores on the morning of Tuesday, June 15, 2010, we had just two more brief stops to see a few celebrity graves before departing San Francisco and its suburbs and heading inland. Well, that and an additional quick stop at Royal Donuts for a filling ham and cheese croissant, which we got out of the way first. By the time we got to our first cemetery, it was about 10:45. Actually buried in the city of Colma at the Holy Cross Cemetery was baseball Hall of Famer, former Yankee, and once Mr. Marilyn Monroe, Joe DiMaggio. A bat that a fan had left at the site provided a ready photo prop.
With the Yankee Clipper
Elsewhere in the cemetery was the grave of Vince Guaraldi. In recent years, I have become enamored with the music of Guaraldi. You may know him best as the jazz pianist who wrote and performed the music for all of the Peanuts TV specials from their earliest days until his passing in 1976.
The next time you hear Peanuts Christmas music, think of this gentleman
And finally at Holy Cross, it took as a while, but we also located the grave of John Chapman, a Civil War soldier and Congressional Medal of Honor recipient. This is Bob’s newest initiative – which I have opted out of because of the sheer number of recipients. It doesn’t stop me from paying my respects when we visit though.
Look what I found at Holy Cross
We quickly moved over to the next cemetery in town, the Hills of Eternity – a Jewish cemetery also in Colma. Although Wyatt Earp was not Jewish, his wife was and she had him laid to rest here. Earp, of course, was a frontier lawman who was most famous for his participation with Doc Holliday in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.
Finger Fight at the O.K. Jewish graveyard
After this, we loaded ourselves in the car and begin the long journey eastward toward Nevada, passing through Erin’s former city Benicia, (where her sister Kerry and her Mom and Stepdad still reside), and near Sacramento where we would be returning the next day. We attempted to stop in the town of Soda Springs around 2:30pm that afternoon in hopes of eating at the Royal Gorge Rainbow Lodge. Unfortunately they were closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The place offered a nice view though of the South Yuba River. We continued on through the Donner Pass, the route traveled by the famous cannibalistic party.
A nice view in Soda Springs
As we continued east, we soon began to travel along the north shore of Lake Tahoe. As the lake made its apperance, it struck me as one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. I immediately texted Erin to tell her that she was right when she said I was foolish to have this area at my disposal and only want to visit the Hard Rock.
Bob and I stopped at one of the scenic rest stops around Incline Village on the Nevada side of the lake. I took a walk down to the rocky shore to breathe in the crystal clear mountain air and admire the deep blue waters – which represented a perfect reflection of the sky. The clear waters reached depths of up to 1645 feet in the 22 miles-long, 12 miles-wide lake. How clear was it? In some areas you could see something 75 feet below the surface. Absolutely gorgeous and a place I’d love to come back and visit for a longer duration.
Overlooking the amazing Lake Tahoe
By this time we were only about 45 minutes away from Carson City, Nevada. As we neared the city, it really struck me how desolate the state of Nevada was. I had seen the deserts on the road to Las Vegas several times, but I was now seeing that it was really like this almost everywhere – except for the few small districts where cities had popped up. In this case, it was Carson City, which was located in mammoth valley.
Carson City is the United States’ smallest metropolitan city. It was odd when we entered it to see a short strip of hotels, businesses, and restaurants, and smack dab in the middle of it all was the State Capitol building. This, of course, was the reason that we were here.
The Capitol was built between 1869 and 1871. At one time, it housed all branches of the state government, but in 1937 the Supreme Court moved to an adjacent building, and then in 1971 the Nevada Legislature moved to a building next door. Today it only serves to house the office of the Governor and a museum of state history. The Capitol was small enough that it only took us about 20 minutes to check it out.
My first State Capitol visit of the year, thirteenth total. Fortunately I wouldn’t have to stay on this unlucky number for very long.
Historic plaque outside the capitol
Judging others in the old Supreme Court
Hooray for the Assembly Chambers
The Senate Chambers has been converted into a museum
With the painting of Henry G. Blasdel, Nevada’s first official Governor
Outside the office of current Governor Jim Gibbons
With a statue in Capitol lobby of Sarah Winnemucca, defender of human rights, and first Native American woman to secure a copyright and publish in the English language
With the newer Nevada State Legislature building next door
After we were done, we went across the street for a 5pm dinner at the Firkin & Fox pub and restaurant. I had some disappointing bangers, beans, and mash. We left Carson City at about 5:45 and headed to Reno. It took us just about 45 minutes to get there.
Enjoying some british cuisine in the Firkin & Fox
The first thing that struck me about Reno, known as ‘The Biggest Little City i the World’, was that it was nearly abandoned. It looked like a wanna-be Las Vegas with just a few major casinos and several that had closed up shop. In juxtaposition to the thriving activity and night life of Vegas, this looked like an abandoned ghost town. Of course, it depends on your perspective on whether this is preferable or not, but I found it kind of sad.
The desolate scenery of Reno. This is located right in front of the impressive sign seen at the top of the posting.
Bob and I went to the local Walgreens and stocked up on loads of snacks and junk food to bring along with us to the convention. Then we headed to our lodging, the Grand Sierra Resort. There actually was a good number of people here in our hotel, and it was very nice, very cheap, and there was lots to do. But after dismissing the notion of seeing a movie, all Bob and I could come up with was to visit the Grand Sierra Bowl for a humiliating evening of bowling.
Now even though I had just bowled less than two weeks earlier, you must remember that it had been at least seven or eight years before that when I had last partook in this frustrating sport. Although I had a couple of great frames near the beginning, Bob didn’t have to worry. I felt like my form was decent but my aim was pathetic. Conversely, Bob looked to have no consistent form but his aimed with dead-on accuracy almost every time. He beat me in the first game 129 to 93. And the second game was even worse when I lost 152 to 88. In the end, I was only appeased in my sorrowful loss by a milkshake from the Johnny Rockets located in the casino.
The neon glow of the Grand Sierra Bowl
Bob’s questionable form and deadly aim
My acceptable form and crummy aim
The boys and their neon balls and shoes
Getting the after-bowling shakes
I’ve never been much of a gambler, but I think I lost more money here than an any casino ever. I started out just putting $5 on number 12 in roulette at Erin’s request. When I lost that, I tried to win it back by dropping another $15 in roulette. I broke even in the first spin and then lost the next two. The Ultimate Poker slot machine didn’t do much better for me as I lost another $10 in that. I did, however, play quite a long stretch on the first $5 I had put in there. So in total, $30 down the drain. I made a Facebook plea for each of my friends to send me six cents to recoup the loss.
Losing $30
Bob and I turned in relatively early – at least by Reno standards – a little bit after 10pm that night. We’d have to get an early start to make it back to see a few more things and make it back to Sacramento but the time the convention would be commencing.
The Northern California road trip will conclude in the next posting…
Is that the remains of a house behind you in the picture at Soda Springs?
Did Fredo’s body resurface while you were at Lake Tahoe?
Chris
August 31st, 2010