Wick’ed Ways at the Walters

We enjoy extended family in the DC area.

Bob and cousin Barbara from Philadelphia took us on a tour of Baltimore rowhouses. In the past, residents painted their window screens to differentiate the homes and to provide privacy when windows were open on hot summer days. The remaining screens are decorated with primitive scenes of lakes and hillsides adding charm to a small ethnic neighborhood.


We then joined the Steinberg/Levy clan at the Walters Museum for Games, Gizmos and Toys in the Attic, created by Walter Wick (no relation to the museum Walter’s). Ranging in age from nine to seventy, all of us were delighted by these ingenious works of art. For a real treat, check out his web site at www.walterwick.com.



A creative construction artist and master photographer, he designs and builds fantasy creations that enchant young and old. He has created the I Spy series of books, put his own twist on classic children’s stories and challenged collectors of Games Magazine. His works provided us with a wonderful afternoon.

No trip to Maryland is complete without a meal that centers on crab.

Nick’s Restaurant was so good we plan to eat there each time we visit DC.

Museum Mecca

DC is a museum mecca. Our first stop was the Building Museum, an old building that has been converted to a beautiful tribute to the building trades.

We went to view a Lego exhibit of such famous structures as the Hancock Building in Chicago, the Pyramid of San Francisco the St. Louis Arch and Falling Water by Frank Lloyd Wright.




Anna Lee, Jeff, Cheryl and Dave enjoyed exercising their creative side by seeing what they could build with the supply of Legos that were available at the exhibit.

Next we headed down the street to the Smithsonian American Art Museum to see joint Norman Rockwell collections owned by Stephen Spielberg and George Lucas (pictures not allowed). We had visited the Rockwell Museum in the Berkshires in 2009 and were pleased to enjoy his charming and thoughtful illustrations again.

Thanksgiving in DC

November 23, 2010 was the day we did not let the world slip through our fingers. Instead of a PanAm flight, we hopped on Southwest on the first leg of a trip around the world. We will see exotic sights, wild animals, different cultures; first stop Washington, DC.

We are spending the Thanksgiving holidays with son Jeff, daughter Cheryl and son-in-law Dave in DC. Our first day was practice eating at neighborhood restaurants and doing the requisite last minute shopping.

The evening was dedicated to the first of several theater opportunities. Superior Donuts at the Studio Theater is the story of a Polish donut shop owner, his young black assistant, and the good and bad people of their declining Chicago neighborhood. The story was poignant and humorous, an excellent small theater presentation.

We started the great feast day with a Turkey Trot along the Potomac. The 5K run (Cheryl) walk (the rest of us) was a fund raiser for a local charity and a fun activity.


Then it was home to prep for dinner. As befits their excellent cooking skills, dinner was delicious.

Jerry’s famous apple pie was a luscious finale. We enjoyed spending time with guests Juliette (friend of C’s from UCLA) and her friend Mark and C’s swim and book friend Steve.

Another day in San Antonio

The other two couples left San Antonio on Friday and we devoted the day to another old friend. Arnie, who, along with his late wife Carol and their three daughters lived next door to us way back in the 70s and early 80s when we were all in Carmichael. Arnie retired from the Air Force and, after a second career, finally settled in San Antonio. The three of us did a tour of the fabulous hundred and fifty year old houses in the King William area followed by lunch on the river walk.
These are a few of the beautiful old houses in the King William area



Arnie took us to Felix’s, his favorite Mexican restaurant, where we enjoyed a great dinner seasoned with fond memories of times past.

The next morning, we finished our trip to San Antonio with a brisk paced River Walk. Without the crowds, we were able to enjoy the sights and see the art work of the Museum Reach area.

Leaving the hotel, we had made a cursory walk through the Mexican Market and were unimpressed so we decided to make a quick stop at La Villita. Unfortunately, this made us wish we didn’t have to hurry to catch our flight. The galleries were filled with excellent and, to us, unusual pieces, especially some wonderful copper and wood works. This photo is of the interior of the church at La Villita.

We look forward to having our old Texas friends come to see us in California so we can repay the great time we had in San Antonio.

Although this was the end of our short trip to Texas (go Giants), there is more to come. In a little over three weeks, we will embark on a much bigger trip that will finally carry us "around the world".

Fredericksburg

Our day in Fredericksburg was divided by gender. After a German lunch in this German-founded town, the men headed off to the Admiral Nimitz Pacific War Museum (Nimitz was born here.).
Being told to allow three to seven hours to see the museum and, honestly, the guys concluded that it would take at least two days to see it. On entering the museum, you start with an excellent history of the relationship between Japan and the USA from the time of Admiral Dewey to the embargo of Japan after their invasion of China. Jerry related the story of when he and Anna Lee were in Japan and their atomic bomb museum’s time line starts in 1943. The exhibit continues with the attack on Pearl Harbor of which this is a midget submarine that Japan sent into Pearl Harbor to do additional damage that their bombers missed.

Here is one of a bomber that is similar to the one the Doolittle Raiders used to bomb Tokyo. The guide gave an interesting history of how to take off from an aircraft carrier with one of these. Again, not an easy task.

After seeing this display, visitors follow the Pacific War until the final surrender of Japan.

A separate area is called the combat zone where visitors can see PT 309 (not JFK's boat) which is the only surviving PT boat that actually saw combat in WWII.

The boat was larger than I expected and they only went out at night because, being made of plywood, they were an easy target if the enemy could see them. Tough duty.

The women wandered the street going in and out of the varied shops, stopping occasionally to help the economy. To their delight, the shops were not typical tourist traps but, instead, filled with varying and quality inventory.

We returned to the River Walk seeking dinner and enjoyed good old Texas BBQ at the County Line.

MMMM good man food. We then joined the crowds on the River Walk for an after-dinner stroll.

Reunion in San Antonio

It all began decades ago at Lowell High School in San Francisco where four guys became great friends. Three had known each other as young lads, the fourth joined up later, and the bounds continue to this day.

In recent years, their occasional lunches in northern California changed when Bill and his wife Linda moved to San Antonio. This left the others, Jerry and Anna Lee, Harold and Coral, and Pete and Anne with no choice but to plan an invasion of Texas.

All visits to San Antonio are centered on the river. So, shortly after putting our luggage in our rooms, we were on the River Walk, first seeking dinner, a tough choice amidst so many wonderful restaurants. We chose the Iron Cactus and discovered they laid claim to really good margarita’s.


Our table on the river afforded us a beautiful view while we enjoyed a luscious Mexican dinner. We then took a river boat tour enjoying the spectacular beauty of the buildings and the glittering lights.





San Antonio is most famous for the Alamo which today is only the chapel and barracks of the original fort destroyed by Santa Ana. The museum displays memorabilia of the battle and from such famous defenders as Bowie, Travis and Crocket as well as items from the movies made depicting the battle. The docent’s history lecture reminded us of the battle’s place within the history of North America.


We met up with Bill and Linda at the Carriage House on the grounds of the Botanical Gardens. There over a very good lunch, the men updated each other on their lives and the women got better acquainted. Bill and Linda left us wandering through the Botanical Garden.


The gardens and conservatory were quite lovely and the collection of playhouses amusing. The shop also had some worthy offerings.

For dinner at Silo Elevated Cuisine, Bill had suggested mess dress attire (he is retired navy) but relented and permitted us to be more casual. Elevated is the word for this elegant upstairs restaurant as well as its cuisine which rivals in presentation and preparation that of any major city.

As soon as we saw the entry with its gleaming copper wall, we wondered if we should have heeded his advice, but our private room enabled everyone to relax. He and Linda hosted a fabulous dinner After our server offered us a tray filled with slices of oranges, lemons, limes, and cucumbers for our water, we toasted each other with some good Texas wine. Then came a large plate of appetizers that included fried oysters and beef lettuce wraps.


California wine accompanied dinners of seafood, steak or lamb, all outstanding.
This is the entire group.


Later, a visit to Bill and Linda’s home with a view of the lights of San Antonio included delicious desserts that we had little room for and after dinner drinks. Best of all was the conversation and chance to be together.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon

What a pleasure to take our RV into a national park. Our campsite was surrounded by towering trees and the scent of pine. With no electricity or water, we just had to do a little rationing, well worth the small inconvenience for the pleasure of being in such a lovely forest.

Sequoia National Park provided the trees Dave sought. We paid proper respect to General Sherman, the largest tree by volume, height and girth, in the world. Sequoia trees are not just big, they are also beautiful with their foliage swaying way above our heads.

In travel, we all discover that cherry on top of the sundae, the extra treat beyond the main dish. For us it was the Discovery Tour of Crystal Cave. Our guide first told us of the Monachee who made their home in the area. Then, giving us each a flashlight, he led us through the spider web gate on a tour of the caves. While providing some history and geological background, he let us find the marvels of the deep on our own. With just our flashlights and flash cameras we felt a hint of the wonder that early explorers experienced.



As another “treat” in the park, we came as close as we dared to a black bear. We followed her on the road, from the safety of our car, as she went to join her two cubs up feasting in a shrub.

Adjacent to Sequoia is Kings Canyon National Park. We drove to the end of the trail, the last stop before having to foot it over the Sierras. The V-shaped canyon was filled with smoke which, ironically, added to the beauty of the area.

General Grant stands in the midst of a large grove of sequoias, some named for various states. The walk through the grove is quiet, lovely, and intimidating, those trees are really big.

We took short paths to two waterfalls, still beautiful because of the late winter in the Sierras.


While Jerry, Anna Lee, and Cheryl opted to enjoy the view from comfortable chairs in the campsite, Dave went off and found himself another bear and a deer. Between the four of us, we took over a thousand pictures in four days and found what we wanted and more.