The Meridian Jacobs Farm Club usually spends their days at the farm playing with sheep and fiber, but last fall we started thinking about a field trip when FC member, Kathy, told us about the Home of the Native Daughters of the Golden West. (Apologies to recent FC members because the reservations were made long ago. We’ll definitely do this again.)

This was the weekend and what a weekend it was! The weather was gorgeous (apologies to everyone who does not live in CA.) I picked up Shelby and Jackie in Suisun and then we all drove to Napa to pick up Kathy. What a bummer that Tina had to stay home with the flu.

How much stuff do 4 people need for a 24 hour trip? (We wouldn’t want to run out of projects or books.)

We drove from Napa to 101 and then turned south. We took the last exit before the Golden Gate Bridge and drove through the Marin Headlands, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. First stop was to get out and look over the cliffs to see sea lions below. Can you believe that view?

The next stop was the Marine Mammal Center. There were only a few sea lions there right now but we were told that the place would be full in the next month or so because it’s almost birthing season for sea lions. (Is that calving?) The goal here is to heal the animals brought here and then send them back out to sea. Do you think Kathy wants to trade her goats for one of these?

Shelby wants to take home this full size elephant seal.

After a brief side trip to a yarn shop in Sausolito so that Kathy wouldn’t be the only one without a knitting project we drove into San Francisco and arrived at the Home on Baker Street. This home was designed by Julia Morgan, who also designed Hearst Castle, and built in 1928.

These are other nearby homes, referred to as “painted ladies”.

This is the entrance hall to the NDGW Home. I can’t remember the name of the lady on the wall, but she is the resident ghost of the home. It’s hard to describe this home. It was built and is now maintained “for aid and comfort of NDGW members”. There are 27 (?) bedrooms, a huge kitchen, dining room, meeting room, atrium, magnificent parlor, pioneer archives, museum and it’s all available for members to use for a nominal fee. Wow! A place of sanctuary in the big city. The NDGW  raises money for a variety of worthy causes besides maintaining the home–scholarships, children’s medical care, preservation of the CA missions, maintaining a pioneer roster, etc. Members  must be born in California. I’m a 4th generation Californian and I’m going to sign up!

The rooms are all decorated differently with beautiful old furniture. It didn’t take Jackie long to get out the knitting.

We walked a block to a great Mexican restaurant and spent the rest of the evening knitting in the parlor wearing our pajamas.

There is a huge fully outfitted kitchen at the Home, but we didn’t think ahead enough to bring groceries. However, there was a great pie and ice cream shop just up the street. We brought this lemon buttermilk pie home for our breakfast.

Before leaving on Sunday morning we nabbed a passerby who took this photo.

And in case the pie wasn’t enough for breakfast we made one more stop before getting back to Napa.

Back to the farm. This is Kathy’s place and her goats, Willow and Lily.

Great friends, great weather, great weekend. But’s its always nice to get home.

I spent Wednesday and Thursday at Asilomar in Pacific Grove, CA attending the Eco-Farm Conference. Good topics, great food, and look at the view from the room!