Sunday was mostly a get ready for the trip day, so we went to two very exciting and exotic places: Trader Joe’s and Target! Gotta stock up for the driving. Did you know that Trader Joe’s now has Takis? The world is complete. One amazing reason people live in the Bay Area is that no matter where you go, the views are spectacular. For instance, above is a picture of the panorama from the dog park. It’s hazy, but that’s San Francisco back there. I’d probably walk my dog more if I were looking at that when I did it.

In the evening, we went for a wine tasting on the Oakland Urban Wine Trail in Jack London Square. Eight wineries have tasting rooms within a few blocks of each other. Mahru is a member of the Brooklyn West Winery so that’s where we headed. The people were friendly, and the business is so new that Mahru knows the wine-maker and some of the staff. That made it feel cozy even though it was crowded, especially for a Sunday night right before closing (at 6 p.m.), and Bijan was allowed to come with us. I am not a wine critic just a wine drinker, but I really enjoyed the cabernet and tempranillo, which is Brooklyn West’s signature wine. I sure liked the sound of the name. Apparently, Brooklyn Basin is a depression of land on the waterfront that used to be industrial and now–you guessed it–is another upscale “urban community.” Yawn. Not only is it a little trite at this point, but when I look around and see all the tent cities and people living under bridges, it’s also just another example of how crazy Bay Area real estate is despite efforts to create “affordable” housing. Define affordable around here.

Anyway, we got some takeout sushi at Sushi Go Go, a small, local chain whose schtick is that all their outlets are in gas stations. We ended the evening chilling in the back yard and are now excited to get our Jucy and hit the road!

P.S.: Connectivity on the coast will be spotty, so I am not sure if and when I will be posting again, but don’t worry, I will make sure you don’t miss a bit of the trip.