11/29/21
Another beautiful sunny day here in California!
I packed up my rig this morning and bade farewell to Mimi and the two adorable cats, and headed south to Oakland, where I landed at my new spot for the night, a cohousing community near Jack London Square. After dropping off my trailer, I ventured out to meet a friend (someone I met a few years ago, on an Amtrak train trip!) at nearby vegan bakery Timeless Coffee. We had a good chat, and afterward I decided to spend the remaining couple of daylight hours just enjoying Lake Merritt.
It’s such a nice centerpiece to the city. There is a small Japanese garden on the north shore, which I had hoped to visit (along with the adjacent bonsai collection) but sadly both were closed today.
But I still enjoyed pedaling slowly around the lake, stopping on benches here and there to soak in the sunshine and the lake and tree views.
When it started to get dark, I got some takeout dinner at longstanding vegan Chinese place Nature Vegetarian Restaurant, and then headed back to my guest room.
After dinner, I hung out a bit with my Warmshowers host in the cohousing community, and her partner. They shared some of their dinner as well, and also showed me an intriguing new (to me) fruit phenomenon: hoshigaki! You can see in the photo that they are just beginning the process, but after several weeks they should have a bundle of dried, naturally sugared persimmon treats to enjoy and share with friends.
I’ve so enjoyed my time in the East Bay! Tomorrow I will board the ferry back to San Francisco, pick up my pants from the alterations place (where I trust they have been mended by now) and then head south toward Palo Alto on the west side of the bay.
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Love the pics here! Lake Merritt is such an old home for me. When I first moved to CA in 1979, I lived only a short walk away from Lake Merritt. I walked or jogged around the lake often. Thank you for reminding me of its magic!
Glad to hear it, Marc! Yes, I’ve visited Lake Merritt various times over the years, and really appreciate it. It was great to see it again this time.