Raven's Roads
Living an interesting life: the travels and musings
of motorcycling author Linda R. Moore

Once in a while, I forget that old lesson, “look beyond the surface.” How often have you heard people say, “The real beauty is inside?”

It applies to old gray buildings, too.

I went a-hunting landmarks today, and Amber knew that the main post office in Stockton was on two historic registers. So that’s the one she chose…and the first thing I said was, “Gee! What a boring building!” She kind of chuckled.

(more…)

This photo essay is part of a series. Here’s the first one.

06 March 2008

In the evening I set out for another walk. This time I picked up the cycle path round about where I’d left off, i.e. at the visitor center, and went to see where it was. The entire time, I saw a grand total of one cyclist and no other walkers. I guess in season it’s busier around here, but it was delightfully quiet when I went there.

At the start of the path was a swathe of this golden bush, reminiscent of gorse.

(more…)

This photo essay is part of a series. Here’s the first one.

06 March 2008

I set out in the morning to pay for another night (it’s usually done in an honesty box at this time of year, though they do check sometime during the day). I spotted a large, well-fed cat having some fun in the grass.

(more…)

See also: [A second day on Brannan Island] [Evening on Brannan Island] [A walk on the Sandy Beach]

See additional posts and photos on: [Raven's Roads] [Raven's RV] [Raven's Range]

On the 5th of March Don and I headed off to Brannan Island State Park for our monthly jaunt into the country. For my part, it was a sanity-saving exercise, an opportunity to unhook and unwind.

I wasn’t in the mood for anything intellectual while I was there; I just needed to relax and detoxify from the unexpected intensity of life behind a keyboard. And it’s because of this that rather than try to find words to write you a travel essay, instead I’ll do a series of simple photo essays for a change.

Mostly what I did out there was walk. I went on several different walks and brought my camera along. This was the first walk, which I took on 6th March in the early-ish morning, when the dew was fresh on the grass and everything smelled earthy and warm. (more…)

When I visited Yountville Cemetery, I was looking for one historical marker. I failed to spot it until the very end, and did a tour of the whole place. I’m glad: had so much going for it that I saved a bunch of photographs for this photo post. (more…)

Coming back from our Wine Country snarfari, we had spotted the Western Railway Museum on the map, and decided to pull in. The rain had cleared and we headed in without knowing anything about the place. A little old lady took our $10 admission, and we went forth to explore.

Click on each image to get a larger view.
(more…)

Click the thumbnails to see a larger image.

New Year. New Day. The sun was shining in an ice-cold sky swabbed by cotton-puff clouds. Part of my New Year’s ritual is to be in the saddle on New Year’s Day, so I got out a map and picked my route. (more…)

Last weekend Don and I took a little road trip up to Calistoga and environs. I left the bike at home, and this was therefore my first time traveling in the RV since we did the test ride over three weeks ago. (I missed my Beastie, but I’m glad I did: the battery died, and it rained almost without letting up from Friday night until Sunday morning.) (more…)

I spent an afternoon with Amber about a week ago. She is my good friend and erstwhile neighbor and we appear to be slowly following one another around California. We both lived in the same apartment complex in Mountain View–a few years apart. We both lived in the same area of Sunnyvale–a few years apart. Then we lived in Sunnyvale only a couple of blocks from one another, and met through Book Crossing. Finally, she moved away, and now we’re within ten miles of one another again. (more…)