I have also wanted to see Silicon Valley also to enquire what jobs they have out here. We needed accommodation, therefore required wifi to check, found a Barnes and Noble book store to browse for accommodation.
The rates around San Jose are fairly high and not the back packer rates! Luckily Sangeet found a Comfort Inn, 1071 E. El Camino Real. Sunnyvale, CA 94087. The rate was reasonable. So have settled in for the night…..
Driving south to Sacramento we passed gorgeous golden fields, you can tell this is a very big farming area.
We arrived in Sacramento, drove through downtown and went to The Plum Cafe.
The Plum Cafe
2315 K Street
Sacramento
California
CA 95816
Tel + 1 916 706 3302
www.plumcafebakery.com
This is a vegan cafe and a lot of options are gluten free. Sangeet had the California Burger, which she enjoyed very much! I had a cupcake (I had a big lungar at the Gurdwara earlier!) which was gluten free and vegan. It was amazing and I was hooked on them! The staff are very friendly and the service is good.
Afterwards we walked to the Capitol building which was about ten blocks away. You would never notice as the city is flat – walking feels so easy. The temperature was around 85 degrees f which for me was good.
The Capitol building is amazing and the grounds around it are so pristine. On the way back to the car we passed through the Capitol buildings gardens, they had the amazing Redwoods and other trees/plants which were all labeled, and some interesting shops. The atmosphere in Sacramento is really relaxed – nice city.
Orange tree in the park!
Before leaving ‘Sac’ we went to a shop that specialised in gluten free products, Sangeet wanted to see it as she had never been to a totally gluten free shop before.
Gluten Free Specialty Market
2612 J Street #1, Sacramento
Tel +1 916 442-5241
Mon-Fri 10am-7pm
Sat 10am-6pm
Sun 10am-4pm
Instead I was in heaven and stocked up, Sangeet only bought a yoghurt (just to keep me company)! I bought hummus, cookies and crostini.
We got back to the car and headed south on Interstate 5, west on 580 and then south on 680 to San Jose (silicon valley!)
After checking out of the motel we drove to the Gurdwara on Bogue Road.
Sri Guru Nanak Sikh Temple
2269 Bogue Road
Yuba City, CA 95993
Tel: (530) 671-9816
The Gurdwara is situated in a great location, in between orchards and is built in ten acres of land which was donated by a member of the local Sikh community.
After bowing before the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, we had lungar.
Afterwards we walked around the Gurdwara grounds outside and some elderly Sikh community members called us over and asked where we are from, what are we doing in Yuba, have we family in Yuba…the usual! Then a gentlemen called Gurbax Singh came over, he had brought hot samosas for all. As I was very full from lungar I declined and just had some coke. He went on to say ‘all the orchards do not mean we are rich we are also in debt…..’ not sure what brought this on, I think he thought we were interested in moving to Yuba City to start farming. He then asked me what caste am I?!?! (As Sikhs we do not believe in a caste system) I just replied saying I am a Sikh…he then guessed from my turban style that I was from East Africa (I am very proud to be from East Africa) I said yes and he gave me a lecture on Idi Amin!
The time spent with the elderly sangat members was very enjoyable – between them they gave us a positive and negative perspective on the farming business.
Sri Guru Nanak Sikh Temple in Yuba City, California was opened in April 1980 and serves over 15,000 Sikhs in the area since the area is home to many Sikhs. 10 acres of land was donated by Chanchal S. Rai to construct the Gurdwara and a committee was formed. This Gurdwara is also 6 miles away from another Gurdwara in Yuba City on Tierra Buena Rd (we went there yesterday). The Gurdwara has a main Langar hall, and prayer hall and welcomes those from all faiths (or none!).
By the way, we received an email from our close sister, she mentioned that Chardi Kala Jatha will be doing Kirtan in Yuba city this weekend, something not to be missed!
As we were travelling to the Gurdwara we saw a couple of shops Delhi Fashions and Apna Bazaar. So after the Gurdwara we went to the shops. Delhi fashions, as you can imagine was an Indian clothes shop. Apna Bazaar was selling the usual Indian spices. From the bazaar we bought a kulfi lolly each. Mine was pistachio and Sangeet’s was cream of milk mmmmmm tasty!!!
We said our goodbyes to Yuba City and headed south on interstate 5 to Sacramento, the state capital of California.
We decided to stop in Acarta for the night, as most places I go, I try and find fe wifi! There was one showing up saying Hotel Acarta, so we looked for the hotel, the rates were very reasonable and we booked a room. The reception give you a parking permit allowing you to park overnight for free. After securing the room, we wandered around the downtown shops. Boy you can just smell the marijuana in the air.
“The Hotel Arcata is a National Historic Place and fully operational hotel located in Arcata, California. It was built to accommodate visitors to Arcata, California, drawn by the Humboldt State Normal School (now Humboldt State University) and delivered by the Northwestern Pacific Railroad. In 1920 the Redwood Highway, US 101 provided more access to Arcata.
The hotel was renovated in the 1980s and was acquired by the Big Lagoon Rancheria, becoming the first off-reservation Native American-owned hotel in California.”
Hotel foyer:
Also what was nice was the number of people saying Sat Nam to us. They may not know that we are Sikh but they do know Kundalini yoga and can link us to that, amazing!
Whilst we were walking we passed the Minor cinema, one of the oldest, if not the oldest theatre in the USA. The Minor Theater, located at 1015 H Street in Arcata, California, is one of the oldest buildings in the United States built for feature films that is still open and showing movies. It was the first building in Humboldt County to be built as a “true movie theatre. We walked in and decided to watch the 9pm showing of ‘Trouble with the curve”
We walked down to Wildflower cafe for dinner, which was again fantastic, we can definitely recommend this restaurant.
After the meal we headed back to the hotel to freshen up before going to the cinema. The theatre was small and very nice. The movie, which has Clint Eastwood and Justin Timberlake, had a great story line and very good acting from all.
Had a great walk back and saw a few people ‘high!’ Entered the hotel and you could smell marijuana walking to our room……this will be a fun night!!
Walk through the corridors at Hotel Arcata, passive smoking will make you high!
About 66 miles into the journey we stopped at a fantastic vista point, Sangeet suddenly said “where is my green bag” then we realised that it was left at the cafe! Both our mobile phones did not have coverage so we had to rush back, we arrived at a town called Willow Creek where we managed to call the cafe, they said they had the bag…phew! I still wanted an excuse to drive fast on the winding roads so put my foot down and made good progress! I miss the sports car!
We picked up the bag from the cafe and then decidedly explore Acarta some more, we parked up, the majority of parking in Acarta is free but limited to two hours, we wandered and sat in the Acarta plaza, a piece of grass marking the middle of the town. There were many students. Some guys practicing yoga and some juggling, what a fantastic atmosphere.
Acarta Plaza:
After the inn manager gave us a very good deal on the second night we decided to stay!
After a relaxing morning we drove to the Redwoods National Park. As we got onto interstate 101 after leaving Trinidad, we passed the same beach as yesterday and decided to stop there for a few minutes. Me being a lover of water decided to go as far as I dare and risk the waves. At first the waves were gently massaging my feet, after some time they were getting stronger and almost making me fall….I was soaked but had a great time.
We then drove to the visitor centre near a town called Orick (population of 650):
Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center
Information, exhibits, bookstore, park film, passport stamps, restrooms, picnic area, beach access. ranger-led activities and programs (summer only), Junior Ranger programs (summer only) and Activity Booklet.
Location
US Highway 101 at Orick, Calif.
Hours of Operation
Spring-fall: Open daily, 9 am to 5 pm
Winter: Open daily, 9 am to 4 pm
Closed: New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
Phone
+1 707-465-7765
We required a pass as we wanted to do the Tall Trees Grove hike (4 miles) this hike is fantastic and highly recommended….only 50 passes are available in any day but this time of years quiet, only 4 passes were supplied today, including ours! Remember to take food and water!
Unlike most national parks, there are no fees and no highway entrance stations at Redwood National Park, so it’s imperative to pick up the free map at the park information centres.
Crescent City Information Center
Information, exhibits, bookstore, live video feed from Castle Rock National Wildlife Refuge, passport stamps, restrooms, picnic area, Junior Ranger Activity Booklet
Location
1111 Second Street, Crescent City, Calif.
Hours of Operation
Spring-fall: Open daily, 9 am to 5 pm
Winter: Open daily, 9 am to 4 pm
Closed: New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
Phone
+1 707-465-7335.
Interpretive Activities
Junior Ranger activity newspapers are available here.
Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center
Information, exhibits, bookstore, park film, passport stamps, restrooms, picnic area, beach access. ranger-led activities and programs (summer only), Junior Ranger programs (summer only) and Activity Booklet.
Location
US Highway 101 at Orick, Calif.
Hours of Operation
Spring-fall: Open daily, 9 am to 5 pm
Winter: Open daily, 9 am to 4 pm
Closed: New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
Phone
+1 707-465-7765
Interpretive Programs & Activities
Patio talks and coast walks occur during the summer. Redwood National and State Parks’ Junior Ranger activity newspapers are available here.
Hiouchi Information Center
Information, exhibits, park film, passport stamps, restrooms, picnic area, ranger-led activities and programs (summer only), Junior Ranger programs (summer only) and Activity Booklet
Location
US Highway 199 at Hiouchi, Calif.
Hours of Operation
Summer: Open daily, 9 am to 5 pm
Phone
+1 707-458-3294
Interpretive Programs & Activities
Ranger-led walks, junior ranger programs, and evening campfire programs held in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, across the street. Programs occur during the summer season. Redwood National and State Parks’ Junior Ranger activity newspapers are available here.
Jedediah Smith Visitor Center
Information, exhibits, bookstore, passport stamps, restrooms, picnic area, trailheads, ranger-led activities and programs (summer only), Junior Ranger programs (summer only) and Activity Booklet
Location
US Highway 101 at Hiouchi, Calif.
Hours of Operation
Summer: Open daily, 9 am to 5 pm
Off-season (mid-September 2011 to mid-May 2012): Closed.
Phone
+1 707-458-3496.
Interpretive Programs & Activities
Ranger-led walks, junior ranger programs, and evening campfire programs occur during the summer. Redwood National and State Parks’ Junior Ranger activity newspapers are available here.
Prairie Creek Visitor Center
Information, exhibits, park film, passport stamps, bookstore, restooms, pincic area, trailheads, ranger-led activities and programs (summer only), Junior Ranger programs (summer only) and Activity Booklet
Location
Just off US Highway 101, along Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway.
Hours of Operation
Summer: 9 am to 5 pm
Off-season: As staffing permits-please call ahead.
Closed: New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
Phone +1 707-488-2171.
Interpretive Programs & Activities
Ranger-led walks, junior ranger programs, and evening campfire programs held in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park during the summer season. Redwood National and State Parks’ Junior Ranger activity newspapers are available here.
After the walk we drove north on the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway a very scenic drive!
On the way back to Trinidad we stopped again at the beach only for a few minutes. We carried on then saw a turning for the lagoon…this place was amazing. A VERY quite lagoon with the sun setting in the background. BEAUTIFUL!!
Afterwards whilst driving we saw the sun setting over the ocean so stopped and watched it set.
As all the restaurants in trinidad are fish restaurants we decided to head to Murphy’s grocery, Sangeet bought mutter paneer and pizza o and ice cream! I have nachos with salsa and good staple diet!
We ate back at the inn, after a few hours updating emails, the blog, Facebook, backing up the pictures we went to sleep……!
Hi, thanks for visiting my blog, feel free and have a look around. Here is a bit about me, as you may or may not have guessed my name is Mandeep, I work to travel as opposed to work to pay bills and die! Every trip for me is an adventure, I have been very fortunate to stumble across amazing places and meet awesome people along the way.
Why gaygoat? When I first started this blog I was a vegetarian, so gaygoat – happy goat! Also you have to admit it is catchy and a URL you will not forget!
The countdown has begun…..!
It is finally here…..!
The Shop is now Live…..!!
I came to Thailand at 95 kg and leaving at…..
Weekend Getaway…..
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