An Alarm in Sacramento

I pulled my car into a spot in front of an old shop lined by boardwalks. That November morning was chilly but I didn't mind. I was excited to be living a part of my adventure I'd planned weeks prior to that day. Breakfast on the Delta King and exploration of Old Town Sacramento was on my agenda that day and I was so excited for the experience.

After dealing with the pesky parking meter I made my way over to the old riverboat, The Delta King, which was now converted into a hotel and restaurant. I knew that having breakfast on the Sacramento River would be a unique experience and I was right. The bright white boat with red trim beckoned as I made my way down the gangway and boarded the boat. Inside the boat was elegant, rich wood gleamed in the morning light, paired with crisp blue details in fabric. Tables were set for service with white linen giving the diner a feel of a luxurious experience. Thankfully, the breakfast menu was not pricey which made this experience possible for me. I had a wonderful view, right at a window looking out at the river as I ate. The boat rocked gently on the water as I watched various watercraft drift by. 

Just a little way up the river stood the tower bridge, a large yellow-gold bridge. I wondered why it was called the tower bridge as I studied it over the last sips of my coffee. I didn't wonder long though. As I made my way back up the gangway to land I heard a loud siren and bells. I knew it had to be coming from the bridge. I hurried past the riverboat toward a metal ramp that led to the water and saw a sailboat, silently gliding down the river heading toward the bridge. I wondered what would happen then suddenly the center of the bridge began to lift. A huge section of metal, concrete, and asphalt, all designed to hold vehicles and withstand terrible weather, lifted. Despite the amazing feat of engineering, when the alarm and bells stopped, it was remarkably quiet from where I stood. 

In the nick of time, the bridge cleared the sailboat as it moved underneath. Then the bridge, ever so slowly, lowered back to its original position. As it settled and stilled the alarm sounded and bells clanged again. I saw little arms on the bridge lift allowing pedestrians, bicyclists, and cars to once again cross back and forth over the bridge. The old Tower Bridge stood gleaming in the morning sunlight, I stared at it a bit longer, wishing for another sailboat to come cruising up the river. It was amazing to see the bridge in action, definitely a unique view. Next time though, I'll have to make a point to explore the bridge, perhaps walk across it. Who knows? Maybe I'll get lucky enough to be getting ready to cross when the alarm will sound, bells will clang, and the bridge will rise right in front of me.

Tell me, what have been your experiences with interesting or unique bridges?

A Riverside View

It had been a long day already. I'd been on a plane since six that morning and it was now nearing three o'clock. My mission, West Yellowstone, Montana. I'd flown into Idaho Falls and was now driving north, nearing the Idaho-Montana border. The drive started with leaving the small city of Idaho Falls and making my way onto the high plains, which really are anything but plain. Beautiful is another word I'd use to describe the space. The ground began to rise and fall gently as I made my way north, gaps in the ground and little bridges indicating rivers became more frequent as I traveled. I desperately wanted to capture the views of the rivers, the plains, and the distant mountains that were now slowly getting nearer but speeding down a two lane highway was not exactly conducive to photo ops. Suddenly there was an opening, a small road just off the right of the highway. Seeing no one was behind be I slowed the car and pulled off.

The view was amazing! Just hidden off to the side of the highway was a river, gorgeous and blue flanked with green blankets of grass. I couldn't believe it, I was there beside this wonderful view and cars just zipped by, never noting this little treasure right off the road. I climbed out of the car to get a better look and of course get some of those pictures I'd been desiring. The moment I stepped out of the car, the cold wind whipped across my face and lifted my hair. Despite the wind I could hear the river as it flowed past, a soft gentle sound coming from the blue.

Even now, as I write this, I feel as if I were back. The cold wind blowing on me, the gentle river flowing, the trees behind me, their sound mimicking the river as the wind rushed through the leaves. Although the rest of my trip through Montana was amazing, it was this little gem of a moment that has stuck with me. It always amazes me how it's the little moments of a trip, just a couple minutes of time in the space of a week, that have the largest impact. On this trip of high mountains, and extreme geothermic exploration, this one peaceful moment standing by a river was the one that grabbed me by the heart.

Pier 39

I stood in the middle of the dock early that morning, the shops weren't open yet. The fruit stand people were just setting up their displays of fresh berries, bananas, and apples. A smattering of restaurants had opened their doors for those who had ventured out for breakfast or coffee. I held in my hand a lovely latte and biscoff cookie that I'd purchased from one of the open places. Other than employees who drifted past, on their way to open the stores, I shared the space with just a small handful of others who had made their way to the water this early in the day.


It was a serene setting in the quiet morning. No loud chattering of tourists, raucous music that would surely enliven the place in just a matter of minutes had yet to

begun, even the carousel was still, it's music only existing in the memories of children who'd ridden it the day before. In the quiet early morning setting, I could hear the bark of seals and calls of seagulls who graced the bay outside of the pier.

I wandered to the back of the pier and heard a bell clanging in the distance, fog had not yet burned off giving the Golden Gate Bridge a mystical quality. I observed Alcatraz in the distance and Sausalito even further out. I wondered what secrets both locations held in store. I wouldn't be visiting either location on this particular trip but earmarked them for future vacations. Armed with the knowledge that it would be best to book an Alcatraz tour in advance and allow a full day in Sausalito I happily accepted I would be spending another day exploring San Francisco. I had so much still to see. I hadn't been to Union Square nor hunted down the delectable treats Ghirardelli Square had to offer up. Plus Coit Tower was still calling my name. For the moment, I enjoyed the serenity of the morning, the cool air that brushed my cheeks. and the fog that floated over the water. It was a perfect moment, I had no where I had to be and a full day of exploration ahead of me.

I sipped my latte and noted as the stores began to open, other tourists began to trickle in. I spied a hop-on-hop-off tour company selling tickets and made my way to them. I sighed with pleasure. It was time to begin my exploration of the city.

Snacks for the Journey

On almost every road trip I've taken, I've had some sort of snack food in the car with me. Most of the time the snacks are just to fill a need until I can stop for food. However, sometimes those snacks have been what kept me going until I hit my next destination without having to stop. On long driving days, I will sometimes just  hit a point where I just don't want to stop, I just want to reach the end destination so  just much on snack food until I get to my destination.

I always have some staples, beef jerky, a mix of nuts and dried fruit, bottles of water, and some form of chip or cracker. Then if I have the time, I make a special stop in Phoenix for my favorite road trip food destination, New Tokyo. This wonderful little store has the perfect little snack foods that are tasty and travel well. I've crossed the roads in California while sipping an Ornamin C Soda, or munched on rice crackers from New Tokyo. Sometimes I've chewed on rice paper candy with my friends as we made our way to the beach or Knottsberry Farm.

On my first epic solo road trip I remember the struggle of finding a parking space while visiting Yosemite. Unable to locate a place to stop and have lunch i opted to go for broke and head on over to San Francisco. Having my snacks helped make a yummy lunch. I remember munching on an apple and beef jerky while admiring the high mountains of the park. It made my trip enjoyable as the stress of finding a parking space and a decent place to eat melted away as I munched on my makeshift lunch. I popped the top to an iced coffee handily stored in my travel cooler and enjoyed the refreshing beverage while shooting photos of an amazing waterfall.

While my trips don't revolve around having food in the car, it certainly has helped in the past when stopping for food was a challenge. Some of my desired go-to snacks have changed, adding in more fruit and veggies and fewer bags of chips, but the constant desire to keep something handy has remained the same. In the future, I know my trips will continue to include a small travel cooler of water and tasty drinks and a small bag of snacks to munch on should the need arise.