CM # 30: Oakland, Forbes Island, and San Francisco Asian Museum
Make sure to check the other links for things to do
Hi Friends!
It’s Saturday the 8th of July. It’s almost time for Christmas in July, right?
It’s our 30th edition of the newsletter on the platform Substack. Thanks for reading and being part of our family. We appreciate each and everyone one of you for being here and helping us grow.
Be Well! Stay Safe!
Mark & Patti
P.S. I warned you a little experimenting over the summer starting with an intro video that after it gets moving along I found soothing and thought you might like it.
(1) Huffington Post posted a list of 17 natural pools and hot springs in the world that you should check out. I was originally going to post the only one listed from California which is the Travertine Hot Springs but thought about it and decided you need to know all of the 17. So here they are.
People spend big sums of money to stay at hotels with epic swimming pools or to build their own at home.
But too many travelers forget that there are stunning places to swim that aren’t man-made at all. And no, we’re not just talking about oceans and lakes.
Below, we’ve rounded up 17 natural swimming holes ― from hot springs to waterfalls. While this list is by no means comprehensive, we hope it will inspire some future travels and spark a desire to connect more with nature.
(2) How are you about fried chicken sandwiches? When I go to order one from one of the fast food places Patti gives me that sideways look as if to say “you know this isn’t healthy.” What do I do? I listen to her after everything that’s happened and hope for a healthy fried chicken sandwich.
I don’t know if such a thing exists, but the Michelin guide listed some spots for the best (maybe not healthiest) chicken sandwiches in California.
When people think of chicken sandwiches, they usually think of fast food fare from Popeyes or Chick-fil-A. And while those can be satisfying as on the go options, there’s nothing better than the juicy chicken sandwiches from MICHELIN Guide spots. And leave it to the Golden State to deliver on flavor, texture, and innovation. So whether it’s a sun-soaked corner of Sunset Boulevard or a brunch by day, steakhouse tavern by night restaurant, below, we've rounded up some of our Inspectors favorite spots for an indulgent bite.
(3) I think ghost towns are cool and worth visiting. So when I saw this post listing the 24 best ghost towns from Atlas Obscura I couldn’t resist posting it. Let us know if you visit or have visited any of the ones listed or ones not listed. I’m sure our readers would love to hear about your travels.
Ghost towns are often described in terms of “what was” or “what could have been.” During their heydays, these once-booming places were often filled with both people and hope. Today, they are decaying shells of promise and prosperity. They can be haunting, sad, exciting—sometimes perfectly preserved time capsules.
(4) San Francisco like Boston is full of hidden gems that are worth finding and learning about. The hidden steps of Lyon Street are one of those gems. I’ll let SF Gate tell you more.
Located on the edge of Pacific Heights, one of San Francisco's most posh neighborhoods, and tucked against the expansive and wild-by-city-standards Presidio are the tightly manicured and very steep Lyon Street Steps. Built in 1916 by famed architect Louis M. Upton, who also designed many of the neighborhood's mansions, this 332-step public staircase offers some of the city's best views and will get you as close and personal to Pacific Heights mansions as you can get without trespassing.
(5) Another San Francisco hidden gem or attraction is the floating island known as Forbes Island. It’s been resurrected by a group of nautical radicals that wanted to keep the floating island alive. Here’s more from SF Gate.
ThatForbes Island — a 700-ton vessel that’s 100 feet long and 50 feet wide — is relaunching as an event space and campground in the Sacramento River Delta more than 40 years after it first floated onto the water. For many in San Francisco, Forbes Island thrived as a quirky restaurant for nearly 20 years that served French-style seafood along the Pier 39 shoreline. Access to the island required a short ride on a shuttle boat, often captained by the island’s creator and namesake, Forbes Thor Kiddoo.
(6) When you think of Oakland, California what are your first thoughts? I tend to think of the former Oakland Raiders or the soon-to-be former Athletics, but there is more and SFGate has this story as to what makes this East Bay City special.
Let's start at the beginning. The majority of the City of Oakland lies on Ohlone land: the Confederated Villages of Lisjan Nation have lived in the territory of Huichin, which encompasses most of the East Bay, for thousands of years. The Ohlone is a collective of around 50 tribes with related languages that have lived in Northern California for the past 10,000 years. As a non-California native, I learned about the Ohlone through my kids and field trips to the Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont, where you can see Ohlone artifacts, including a shellmound, a traditional burial site. Out of recognition of the historical and cultural importance of this land and the people who have lived here for generations, in 2022, the City of Oakland returned five acres of Joaquin Miller Park to permanent Indigenous control, through the Sogorea Te' Land Trust.
Other Links To Check:
Beach Getaways in Hercules, California
Visiting San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum
9 PLaces to Visit for First-Time Visitors of California
Skinny Dipping Spot in the Valley
That’s a wrap for this weeks 6 things to visit, do, or eat. Hope they give some inspiration if you’re planning a vacation during the summer.
Thanks for reading and please share the newsletter with others. Word of mouth is the only way we keep growing and it’s been working so thank you all.
Mark & Patti