Crystal and I just booked a flight for San Francisco later this summer. On the itinerary: Vesuvio Cafe (where Jack hung out drinking and missed his meeting with Henry Miller in Big Sur), City Lights Bookstore, Jack Kerouac Alley, the Beat Museum, and just generally walking where the beats walked. Then we're heading down the coast and checking out Big Sur on our way to L.A. to visit my son Jason for a few days. While there I hope to take Crystal to Venice Beach, a place full of beat characters!
The non-beat itinerary includes eating at the Stinking Rose, riding a trolley, seeing the sea lions at Pier 39, touring Alcatraz (maybe), checking out Lombard Street, driving the coast highway from SF to LA, seeing a redwood tree, visiting Joshua Tree, kayaking the ocean at Monterey, visiting with Crystal's friend, Penny, and the list goes on. So much to see and do!
Oh, you'll notice I'm reading a collection of interviews with famous poets, including Allen Ginsberg and Robert Creeley (the latter I am just now learning to appreciate). Recommended.
P.S. Kudos to US Airways customer service rep Becky, who last night on the phone helped us do a multi-city roundtrip with one of us using dividend miles and the other a credit card. She was friendly, helpful, and informative. She also demonstrated an articulate command of English, which, given that it's my native and only language, is quite important when two people are trying to communicate by phone.
Always wanted to get down to San Fran. Lots of cool beats sites, as you outlined. Ah, one of these days. Enjoy the trip!
ReplyDeleteThat poets on craft book looks really good. Auden, Sexton, Ashbery -- along with Ginsberg and Creeley. Will be checking it out for sure. Thanks for the recommendation!
I'll try to give a detailed report on the trip.
ReplyDeleteI've read the interviews with the five you mention - very insightful.
I had just read Ann Sexton's "Wanting to Die" this morning - a powerful poem - and then found out this afternoon that someone I knew killed herself yesterday.