SAN FRANCISCO, CA to TRAVIS AFB & FAIRFIELD, CA

SAN FRANCISCO, CA to TRAVIS AFB & FAIRFIELD, CA

4-5 May

While in San Francisco North of the Golden Gate Bridge, we spent the weekend and waiting for our appointment at Midway Truck Repair for our rigs brakes. As there are only a few RV parks in the San Francisco area Marina RV Park is pricey, but sometimes you have to bite the bullet and take what is given when safety plays a key role of your travels. Waiting for our appointment, these last two days we got some well deserved extra sleep in time, relaxing and laundry.  However, we still had time to get back to the Golden Gate Bridge and see it from the other side along with walking on the bridge. Today the weather was more helpful and clearer. We even saw helicopter tours were they flew under the Golden Gate Bridge. About the half way point on the bridge the wife was looking over the edge and saw how high up we were. She held and pulled my arm so tight hard, she almost torn it off. Needless to say, we had to turn around and head back.

6-12 May

With our rig having to be dropped off at 7:00am on 7 May, we made the hour or so drive to Travis AFB FAMCAMP (military camp ground: Family Campground... get it? Military and their abbreviations!). We arrived around mid day on the 6th. We did not do much, just sat around and looking for actives to do while we are here for about a week or so. Some sad news, two days before we arrive we just missed the Travis AFB air show, but it would not have been fun as a stunt pilot lost control of his plain, crashed and died.  Story This is second time in as many weeks we arrived somewhere and a death occurred.

We woke up at 5:00am on the 7th and was at Midway Truck Repair by 6:45am. Within a few second of looking they knew that the brakes were gone and to prevent uneven driving it was recommended that all four brakes get replaced. Lucky, for me when replacing the back brakes they found that inner tire of the rear had a nail in it. The tire was not flat I guess the nail was keeping the air in, but they replaced it with my spare and now I need to get a new spare.... when something goes wrong it just keeps piling up. The repair shop would not allow us to spend the two night in our rig while it was not being worked on, so we headed back to the base and stayed at the Air Force Lodge. Two night in the room was the same price as a week in the FAMCAMP. I have to keep in mind the RV is like any house and repairs will be required, the down side it's a vehicle too and required the same maintenance as our car. We still love our rig, while driving we don't have to leave to enter the living space and fight the rain, snow or whatever. When we are parked for long periods of time our driver seats turn in to great storage space.

Even without our rig we still had our car and we did all the sightseeing stuff we would have done anyways. We went to Jell Belly factory, Travis AFB Heritage Center, Napa Valley for lunch, wine and bread and even found time to stop at a local baseball card shop.

JELLY BELLY FACTORY

https://jellybelly.com/info/visit_jelly_belly/california_factory_index

Unfortunately, there is no photo or video on the tour. Sorry, no behind the scenes sneak peeks. The tour is free and they show you how they are made and give you samples along the tour .. free jelly beans.. SCORE! At the gift store, you can get even more free samples. I had to try some of their new product like tabasco, booger and baby wipes. I have not had a beer in almost 2 1/2 years, but after I tried the beer jelly bean I now have a craving for a beer... how long can I hold out? We got some of the chocolate covered Jelly beans. For you fellow military personnel, there is a 10% discount with any purchase. 

Along the walls there are Jelly Belly art and most are of President Ronald Reagan.

TRAVIS AFB HERITAGE CENTER

https://travisheritagecenter.org/

First, it's nowhere close as Pensacola Air Station ... That's because it's Air Force and not Navy. Go Navy beat .... everyone!

The entrance is free and if you do not have military ID card to get on base, you will have to check into the visitor building just before the main gate and get a base pass.  Inside is a few displays and test cockpits you can seat in.

However, outside is where you want to be to see all the plains. 

NAPA VALLEY

The wife loves fresh bread and sweets. She read a Japanese blog about someone trip there and since we are in the area we had to make a stop at Bouchon Bakery. I'll go and do anything to make her happy. A happy wife is a happy home.

The Napa Valley is know for wine making, there are wine tasting rooms all over this town. As we walked around the prices range from $15 - $20 for 4 or 5 sample glasses. There is even modern art and fits the landscape pretty well.

I don't drink wine and the wife is drunk after one glass, so she got her ONE glass of wine when we ate lunch. She had a salad and I had buffalo wings. 

BASEBALL CARDS

I started to have withdraws and we found time to stop by a local baseball card shop. Finding an actual store bring me back to my youth. Small or large, in a stores I feel a connection with the owner that he cares about the hobby and not in it for a fast buck. Now a days there are not many stores as most dealers sell on eBay (and other like platforms) with over priced shipping and handling fees and try to save cost on rent and other overhead of a store.

This spring training I got a lot of Cleveland Indians stuff signed, so I'm looking to restock for next spring. While I drive around the Pacific Midwest these players are not in high demand and I should be able to save a few bucks.

I got a few more Travis Shaw (my favorite player) cards to add to my growing collection (311) and restocked some key players along with some new rookie minor leaguers.