Your I-5 memories make me smile. We are a Northern California/Washington family too, and I’ve always bragged that I could easily put the exits in order for that stretch of many many hundreds of miles (long before they added the mile post numbers!). I’m devoted to the Burgerville chain based in Oregon, learned about it from the old Jane and Michael Stern column in Gourmet magazine. If you ever feel the need to explore the Skagit Valley north of Seattle I have a big farmhouse up there you are welcome to use as a base. I even have a little cocktail cottage on the property positioned in the best place to watch the sun set over the San Juan Islands… 😎🍸🥃
Thank you for these wonderful reflections. I love reading about the life journeys of people I admire. It’s always inspiring to see how it all unfolds.
Also, that chartreuse note is so funny because I’d literally never heard it referenced in present day until I read the most recent Louise Penny novel and the plot involves chartreuse! It’s in the air these days, for some reason, maybe I’ll need to try it.
There’s soo many so wonderful things about what you’ve built and wholeheartedly agree that the current sf re naissance is centered in the Jackson square/ ICA neighborhood
As an SF native I loved this as well as your previous reminiscences about The City back in the day, especially the bit about Tim Stannard who was a friend of my sister’s from high school :) Definitely brings back warm memories so thank you!
Yolanda, your travel posts and black books are the best, very inspiring! Thank you!
As an SF native I am always sentimental about places long gone. My grandparents , Northern Italian on both sides lived on Potrero Hill. My parents belonged to the Verdi Club, just across the street from The Slow club was our favorite too. Miss that place!
Spruce is the chic spot. My brother Tom still has an antique shop at Sacramento & Locust.
He had a 1970's Citroen Brake Station Wagon that we had for several years and had some restoration work done. It was fun to hear that your family had Citroens as their everyday car!
This post was some of the darned best (and most uplifting) writing my eyes have read this year. I'm a sucker for good writing about my favorite topic, travel; This update/trip report/reflection hit on so many notes: relatable, authentic, emotive.
Your reflection on the travel of your family in your youth brings me to thinking of similar auto-travel: being in the backseat, my father at the wheel as we drove "down the Jersey shore" from Philadelphia to stay at a Wildwood (NJ) hotel with a "groovy" exterior, a day-glo swimming pool and free ice.
This reflection on my introduction to travel, leaves me with a feeling of tremendous gratitude. Gratitude that I'd started with fairly modest travel roots and now look forward to 2025 trips to three continents. My gratitude, importantly, extends to you (and YOLO).I appreciate you not only for sharing your sage travel advice, but for sharing your life, your feelings, your travels, and bringing your readers to the memories of their life's journeys. As I pack for Rome & Puglia over New Year's, I'm full of "all the feels", extremely thankful for the journeys of life and hanging out here, with my "travel tribe".
They say our souls travel slower than our bodies which is why we feel the sense of limbo on a plane and jet lag afterwards, it’s called “soul delay.” Akin to jet lag, soul delay occurs when you have physically arrived in a place but your body – or in this case your mind – is still elsewhere
The Verdi Club had dinner dances , my parents would take me to my grandmothers nearby when there was a dinner dance. I looked at their website and they still have dinner dances and other events!
Feel this on so many levels! Love it. Love having you in SF
You can add great writer to your list of talents. I loved the flow of current observations and past memories.
Ellen! Made my day 🙏😘
Your I-5 memories make me smile. We are a Northern California/Washington family too, and I’ve always bragged that I could easily put the exits in order for that stretch of many many hundreds of miles (long before they added the mile post numbers!). I’m devoted to the Burgerville chain based in Oregon, learned about it from the old Jane and Michael Stern column in Gourmet magazine. If you ever feel the need to explore the Skagit Valley north of Seattle I have a big farmhouse up there you are welcome to use as a base. I even have a little cocktail cottage on the property positioned in the best place to watch the sun set over the San Juan Islands… 😎🍸🥃
🙏😍
Thank you for these wonderful reflections. I love reading about the life journeys of people I admire. It’s always inspiring to see how it all unfolds.
Also, that chartreuse note is so funny because I’d literally never heard it referenced in present day until I read the most recent Louise Penny novel and the plot involves chartreuse! It’s in the air these days, for some reason, maybe I’ll need to try it.
Man, you’re the best. I loved reading this so much. I’m so happy you’re back on Substack, and I’m so sad I wasn’t home for your return
“Be curious. Be nice”. Love it!
There’s soo many so wonderful things about what you’ve built and wholeheartedly agree that the current sf re naissance is centered in the Jackson square/ ICA neighborhood
As an SF native I loved this as well as your previous reminiscences about The City back in the day, especially the bit about Tim Stannard who was a friend of my sister’s from high school :) Definitely brings back warm memories so thank you!
Yolanda, your travel posts and black books are the best, very inspiring! Thank you!
As an SF native I am always sentimental about places long gone. My grandparents , Northern Italian on both sides lived on Potrero Hill. My parents belonged to the Verdi Club, just across the street from The Slow club was our favorite too. Miss that place!
Spruce is the chic spot. My brother Tom still has an antique shop at Sacramento & Locust.
He had a 1970's Citroen Brake Station Wagon that we had for several years and had some restoration work done. It was fun to hear that your family had Citroens as their everyday car!
Thank you!! Love this. So curious about the Verdi Club!
Beautiful post, Yolanda.
🙏 Brooks!
This post was some of the darned best (and most uplifting) writing my eyes have read this year. I'm a sucker for good writing about my favorite topic, travel; This update/trip report/reflection hit on so many notes: relatable, authentic, emotive.
Your reflection on the travel of your family in your youth brings me to thinking of similar auto-travel: being in the backseat, my father at the wheel as we drove "down the Jersey shore" from Philadelphia to stay at a Wildwood (NJ) hotel with a "groovy" exterior, a day-glo swimming pool and free ice.
This reflection on my introduction to travel, leaves me with a feeling of tremendous gratitude. Gratitude that I'd started with fairly modest travel roots and now look forward to 2025 trips to three continents. My gratitude, importantly, extends to you (and YOLO).I appreciate you not only for sharing your sage travel advice, but for sharing your life, your feelings, your travels, and bringing your readers to the memories of their life's journeys. As I pack for Rome & Puglia over New Year's, I'm full of "all the feels", extremely thankful for the journeys of life and hanging out here, with my "travel tribe".
They say our souls travel slower than our bodies which is why we feel the sense of limbo on a plane and jet lag afterwards, it’s called “soul delay.” Akin to jet lag, soul delay occurs when you have physically arrived in a place but your body – or in this case your mind – is still elsewhere
The Verdi Club had dinner dances , my parents would take me to my grandmothers nearby when there was a dinner dance. I looked at their website and they still have dinner dances and other events!