"The remarkable thing is that it is the crowded life that is the most easily remembered. A life full of turns, achievements, disappointments, surprises, and crisis is a life full of landmarks. The empty life has even it's few details blurred, and cannot be remembered with certainty."-Eric Hoffer
My pal, and Round Robin teammate, Karen, author of the blog, Outpost Mavarin, chose one of my suggestions for the challenges to play this time around. Cool. Thank you for that Karen. Believe it or not, I had to think and rethink what I want to do for the challenge. I pondered doing some photos of some of the more well known landmarks here in the Bay Area such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Coit Tower or even Sather Tower located here in Berkeley, on the Berkeley campus. But let's face it, I have photographed those places to death... don't you think? I love the bridge, and it is definitely one of my favorite subjects to photograph, but it has become a bit too comfortable. So, for this challenge I am not posting my usual Bay Area icons, instead I am going to show you a very special landmark, that is all tucked away in the mountains in the South Bay, Alice's Restaurant, located in Woodside, California.
Named after the song, Alice's Restaurant, made famous by Arlo Guthrie, this Alice's Restaurant is a true country diner gem. While it may not be the original restaurant the folk singer sang about, it has an unmistakable charm that has me looking forward to my next visit. As you know, I like taking long drives for special culinary treats, like the amazing apple juice that can only be found at the Apple Farm, in San Luis Obispo, well now that I have visited Alice's, and had their French Fries, I would most certainly take that drive again for their fries. Hot, crispy, and light on the oil. YUM. I don't usually eat fried foods anymore, but this was a neat little treat. It really hit the spot on that cold snowy day, last week.
The building the restaurant is in, was originally built in the early 1900's and served as a general store t0 support the logging industry in the area. What had been called "Four Corners" was then turned into a restaurant. The building was eventually purchased by Alice Taylor, who renamed the restaurant after herself, and the song. The restaurant was sold again in the 1970's and has been family owned ever since. On summer days you can see long lines of bikers, stopping by for one of the fabulous burgers on the menu. I am planning another trip to Woodside, sometime this summer, and you know I will take lots of pictures. :)
You can get a look at the menu at Alice's Restaurant by clicking here. And if you find yourself in the mountains near Woodside, be sure to drop into the landmark restaurant for a yummy meal, and enjoy the great "Oldies" music they have on the radio. :)
Linking List *Welcome New Members!
Carly... Ellipsis
POSTED!
Karen... Outpost Mavarin
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Sandra... Strong Chemistry
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Betty... Biker Betty
Jill... Letting Crazy Take A Spin
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*Martha... Perception
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Lisa... Lisa's Chaos
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Sandy... Myanderings
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*Shorty... I Couldn't Help Myself
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Gattina... Keyhole Pictures
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Nan... Life Is Like A Lunchbox
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*Rachel... Rachel Schell, Spokane Photographer
Janet... Fond Of Snape
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Vicki... Maraca
*Kim... Rainy Day Diamonds
Marie... Photographs And Memories Too
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Chrissea... Chris-seas Corner
Teena... It's all about me!
*Robinella... Robin's Nest
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*Janet... From The Planet Of Janet
Suzanne R... Living... Suzanne R's Life
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Nancy... Nancy Luvs Pixs
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*Pamela... The Dust Will Wait
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Kim... Nekked Lizard Adventures
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Duane... Life, The Universe And Everything
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Gina... Gina's Space
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*Momma... Sandcastle Momma
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*Molly... Return of the White Robin
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Sarah... Charish me
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Be sure to drop by the official Round Robin blog later this weekend, to find out what our next challenge will be! :)
-OndineMonet
"Alice's Restaurant"
Woodside, California
January 22, 2008
Late Afternoon
