The Robertson and Sokoloff Grapevine Trail – Day 6
The Robertson and Sokoloff Grapevine Trail – Day 6
If you are following this trail and if not, why not – the day they arrive in San Fran has some of the best life tips you will ever hear. And this being Craig Robertson….very wittily Scottish too….
The Grapevine book locations
Craig and Alex (c) Robertson and Sokoloff
The Grapevine book locations
San Francisco is no place for an RV. Not with the likes of Bradford Street in Bernal Heights which boasts a frankly ridiculous 41% gradient, or the famously winding Lombard Street with its killer switchbacks, so we left the rig in Millbrae and took BART (Bay Area Rapid Transport) instead.
Bradford Street in Bernal Heights
The Grapevine book locations
Quick and easy, it took us first through San Francisco to Berkeley on the eastern shore of the Bay. The city features heavily in The Grapevine as it’s where Abby Gomersall was studying and where she worked a part-time waitressing job on Shattuck Avenue. Lou makes a trip here on the trail of a suspect in Abby’s disappearance.
The Grapevine book locations
Berkeley is also partly where Alex grew up and where she attended University of California, so a familiar destination for us. This time it meant a quick trip to the Barnes & Noble in Emeryville where we chatted to bookseller Elinor and signed some copies of the book.
WM Glen & Son on Sutter Street
The Grapevine book locations
Back on BART, we crossed under the Bay and got off at Powell in search of kilt socks. San Francisco might not seem the obvious place to look for such a thing but WM Glen & Son on Sutter Street stocks all things kilts and whisky and had just what I needed. From there we headed to the historic Ferry Building and visited Book Passage where we dutifully signed copies and chatted to the booksellers.
Historic Ferry Building (c) Robertson and Sokoloff
The Grapevine book locations
We sneaked time for a late lunch at Hog Island looking out across the bay. It was delicious and a perfect setting, but also fatal. By the time we’d had our fill and made our way to the cable car stop at Drumm, we were running out of time to make it to Books Inc on Van Ness before it closed.
San Francisco tram Craig and Alex (c) Robertson and Sokoloff
The Grapevine book locations
The trolley hauled us slowly up the steep and scenic mile-long incline, passing through Chinatown and Nob Hill, but then kicking us out too far from the bookstore for us to get there in time. It wouldn’t have been a problem if we’d been in an RV…
The Grapevine book locations
Sadly however, our mobile home from home had to be delivered back to the rental company. The rig had served us well, and both it and us had survived relatively unscathed. There had been the occasional bit of dicing with death, a wing mirror incident, parking nightmares and the after-effects of the earthquake but all in all, it had been a blast. Just not a blast that we’re in a hurry to repeat any time soon.
The Grapevine book locations
It turned out that writing about an RV is infinitely easier than living in one, but where’s the fun in always taking the easy route in life?
If you’re tempted to follow in our tracks, here’s some advice that may be useful.
1. Always use someone else’s shower and toilet wherever possible.
2. Tie the bloody cupboard doors shut or the banging will drive you crazy.
3. Find two spaces together in the far corner of a parking lot and use both of them.
4. Take wider turns than you would in a car. An RV is huge.
5. Limit the amount of daily driving and maximise the amount of time parked up.
6. Take time to pull over and enjoy the views.
7. Have a beer. It helps. NB not while or before driving.
8. Your wing mirrors are your best friends. Use them constantly.
9. Let other vehicles pass you. Don’t be too Scottish about it.
10. Let your passenger help when reversing into tight spots. Even if it’s annoying. Or they are. Or both.
The Grapevine book locations
This trip had started for me in Providence, Rhode Island, amid the mayhem of the World Cup, and extended through Los Angeles, the Grapevine, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Berkeley, San Francisco and San Jose. We’d travelled by trains, planes, automobiles, boats, trolley cars, metro systems, Ubers and a big old RV.
And it still wasn’t over. Still to come, Chicago and Boston.
Whilst Craig has a lie down 😉 look the other parts of their journey so far:
BookTrail Boarding Pass: Grapevine
Twitter: @CraigRobertson Twitter: @AlexSokoloff
Insta: @craig_robertson_author/ Insta: @alexandrasokoloff/
Facebook : @AlexandraSokoloff
