Valley Views: Rethinking vacations

We are still discovering the fallout from the pandemic of the last year and a half. Heck, we are still experiencing the pandemic. And one activity/industry to sustain a blow has been travel.

The world used to be our oyster, so many locations beckoning, so little time. My favorite overseas destination became Berlin 20 years ago when my son moved there. We have varied each trip to include other destinations — London, Prague, France, other areas of Germany — and Berlin itself became an even stronger magnet after my son’s twins were born, exactly five years ago today.

But otherwise the pandemic has made me rethink my definition of a vacation. I am talking about trips undertaken just for fun, as a break from daily life, for a change in scenery and to see and experience something new.

Television ads are urging me to keep my vacations — and dollars — in California. I totally buy into this. Partly to support my fellow/sister Californians, but also because there is so much in our Golden State that I have yet to see and do.

If you are like me, you only go to some of our local “tourist” sites when people visit from out of town, which is when I finally took an Alcatraz tour. But now may be the time to explore more on my own, plus there are places I would like to revisit, such as the 17-mile drive at Pebble Beach.

One California vacation goal of mine is a tour to view lighthouses; apparently there are 30 still standing and 16 of them are open to the public. A whole coastline of sand, waves and sea sunsets is within a few hours’ drive, or you could make a week of it. The mountains are, sadly, out of bounds for now.

The Pleasanton Senior Center has its VIP Travel, although it is currently closed. I took a daytrip with them to Apple Hill some years ago, a carefree way to let others handle the logistics that I will certainly consider again.

Wineries! The Livermore Valley is right here. And Napa, Sonoma and Russian River wineries are not that far away. While you are at the Russian River, visit Bodega Bay (be sure to watch Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds” first). Another draw in that area is the little town of Occidental with its Union Hotel, which used to serve ravioli family-style dinners that were to-die-for. I see from the website that this has changed, although ravioli are still on the menu.

My husband and I loved spending the day in San Francisco with friends. We would BART in and just explore. One memorable day we walked up The Embarcadero to Levi’s Plaza, across from Pier 23, then through the plaza to locate the staircase that climbs up and up through picturesque backyards until you reach Coit Tower. After inspecting the old murals at the tower’s base, we continued down Telegraph Hill Boulevard until we were in North Beach. It sounds ambitious now but I don’t remember it being particularly tiring, although I did pause to catch my breath on those uphill stairs.

Here in the East Bay, it is my mission to convince everyone to drive to the peak in Mt. Diablo State Park. Perhaps because I remember my family going there from San Jose for a picnic when I was a child — and that was before freeways. But it is a place I bring out-of-town visitors and also just visit by myself now and then.

My second mission is to introduce folks to the Eugene O’Neill National Site in Danville. The grounds are relaxing, the views are stunning and the Tao House is fascinating as is the story of O’Neill and his wife Carlotta Monterey.

In Berlin I’m happiest at an outdoor cafe sipping a Milchkaffee, letting the Euro scene unfold before me. Here, too, I love sitting outside, enjoying a snack or a meal and people-watching.

After I visit Berlin, I plan to stay close to home because there is so much nearby to explore and enjoy. Does anyone have day trips to recommend? It would be great to hear from you: dciardelli@PleasantonWeekly.com.

Editor’s note: Dolores Fox Ciardelli is Tri-Valley Life editor for the Pleasanton Weekly. Her column, “Valley Views,” appears on the second and fourth Fridays of each month.