Bear’s-Eye View of Alameda for August 27, 2023
This weekend saw the inaugural run of the City’s Alley Up, which is a shuttle bus that takes folks around to the various wineries, breweries, restaurants, and other attractions at Alameda Point so people can drink and not drive until they are done with their visit and get into their car to drive home. I think it’s a great idea, so I started a walking adventure to check out some of the stops.
It was not possible for me to make every stop, because this shuttle covers a lot of territory. My human companion is a member of the Urban Legend Wine Club, so I started there. I don’t know anything about wine, but I was very interested in the “growler,” because it sounded canine-ish. But, I was wrong.
If you go to Urban Legend, you could do a two-fer tasting, because Dashe Cellars is right next door. It is so close that you don’t need to wait for a shuttle. However, Building 43 Winery is a bit further away. So, unless you are in good shape, I suggest taking the shuttle.
I never made it down to Almanac Beer Co., but I did manage to swing by Humble Sea Brewing Company (they have a dog enclosure) and The Rake at Admiral Maltings. You all should stop by these three locations and let me know how the brews are.
For more info on the Alley Up Shuttle, visit the City’s Website.
Although it’s not in any way related to the shuttle, I did see a pretty major accident right past Main Street and West Atlantic Avenue. Somebody’s car jumped the curb, took out about twenty feet of landscaping, flattened a sapling, and kept going right into a parked car. The force was so great that the first car hit the next car and pushed it up into the planter strip curb.
Sidewalk chalk was front and center this week on Alameda sidewalks. Someone asked the question, “JUSTICE IS…” and others wrote answers, including “equal opportunity” and “hard.” I learned what lichens were from another inscription.
One morning this week, when I started out on my morning walk, I was immediately confronted with a car that not only blocked the fire hydrant (all night?) but also managed to block the sidewalk at the same time. The location is the corner of Chestnut Street and Alameda Avenue— which is a very busy intersection because parents are driving go St. Josephs’s to drop off their kids. This parking job blocked the view of drivers, some of whom drive at speeds well over the 25 MPH limit.
I didn’t see this theft reported in the police blotter, but someone stole “S”’s life-like dinosaurs. Now they are looking for donations to fill the void. That’s so sad. I chewed up all my dinosaur toys, so they aren’t very life-like anymore—unless you want to see what it looks like when a T-Rex goes on a rampage.
A quick note the folks at Alameda Island Rocks, I found a well-worn strawberry rock in front of the Meyers House and Garden yesterday. I always enjoy the hunt and the excitement of finding one. You know, they would be easier to find if you would rub some bacon grease on the finished product. It would seal in the color and make it easier to find, too. Just sayin’.
On a final note, most of you know how I feel about holiday decorations going up right after Halloween and bypassing Thanksgiving. So, it might seem a little contradictory for me to get so excited about seeing Reese’s Peanut Butter Pumpkins in the store before Labor Day. But it IS Halloween after all. Best holiday EVER.
Mouf, Roving Reporter
Bear’s-Eye View of Alameda
Mouf and his human companion can be reached via [email protected]. Their stories are collected at AlamedaPost.com/Jeff-Cambra/. All photos by Jeff Cambra.
