Berkeley Thanksgiving - Part I

Susan took a rare whole week off to maximize her visit with Leo in Berkeley. She was bound and determined that Leo would not spend his first Thanksgiving so far away from home alone so she planned cook a Thanksgiving dinner at his Berkeley home on Thursday. Me? It was a no brainer. I checked the weather in Michigan..... naaah, to cold. Georgia, maybe but then I would have to cook for myself. Northern California.... nice weather, nice scenery.... we'll just book two tickets.

We flew Delta out of Atlanta early Monday afternoon, leaving behind a cloudy, drizzly day and being greeted in San Francisco with sun, clear skies, and mid-60 degree temps. Very nice! Everything about this flight went great; from the close parking spot at ATL, to the no-wait security line, to the on-time flight, and to the quick delivery of baggage at the SFO carousel.

Our first adventure was taking the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) light rail train to Berkeley. Compared to riding MARTA in Atlanta the price was a bit steep, but it took us almost exactly where we needed to be - something that rarely occurs with MARTA's limited rail service. One-way from SFO to the North Berkeley station cost us about $9 each, but well worth it considering other options. It was then about a 1/2 mile walk to the Holiday Inn. Leo stopped at the motel after he got out of class and we enjoyed a light dinner together in Berkeley.

Tuesday held a number interesting adventures. Using Leo's car we first headed for the Berkeley Bowl. Don't confuse this with ten-pin bowling, the Berkeley Bowl is a grocery store - one that is filled with the largest and freshest selection of veggies and fruit that I've ever seen. At the Bowl we stocked up on most of what we needed for Thanksgiving dinner.

Susan, on the right, wanders in the organic produce section while I show off a stalk of brussels sprouts.

We met Leo and his friend, J.R., at a local coffee shop for lunch before walking around Berkeley, browsing a few bookstores, and generally people-watching and enjoying the nice weather.

Leo hooked up with us again when his afternoon classes ended and we had dinner at a Thai restaurant. I had the curried pork which was good, but not as great as Aunt Sue's. Next we walked over to Haas Pavilion and watched the #23 ranked UCal Bears men basketball team blow out Jacksonville (FL) University.

Wednesday and Thursday promise to be filled with more adventures. Stay tuned for pics of our walk across the Golden Gate Bridge and Thanksgiving Day with Leo and Tracy in the Berkeley Hills. Happy Thanksgiving to y'all.