Belabor the Day pt 3

We left Napa earlyish, after some truly awkward family photos (two children, two spouses, two grandparents, one nephew, both of us). 

The ride back down to the Bay Area was the least pleasant of all days, tempered only by the fried chicken we'd been sent off with (it did not last well, but for a while, it was tasty). In downtown Napa, you could still see the destruction wreaked by the earthquake that had shocked the town - and the whole Bay - just weeks earlier. Caution tape still encircled piles of debris, and "Unsafe to Enter" signs plastered building with missing facades. For the most part, though, it all survived intact.

We took 229 down to 29, through American Canyon. We really just road on the shoulder of the highway, trying to avoid broken glass and careless trash. It was hot, bright, and urban. We got lost in Vallejo and stopped at a mall for lunch. Haven't eaten Aunt Annie's since, but that pretzel dog, grease and all, kept me going over the bridge and down through Richmond.

Actually the bridge and the climb that came after showed off some gorgeous views of the Bay Area. We stopped briefly at the Dead Fish to fill up on water and use the loo. My aunt and uncle have taken me there before... I highly recommend the savory seafood stew. It's a deep red and the biggest portion comes in a bowl bigger than my abdomen.

We essentially just made our way along side streets beside 80 for most of the trip, until we reached the bike path in Albany that cut right to Rachel's apartment in Berkeley. We got in around 6. I think we finished the day with piping hot Udupi (southern Indian food), like always.