The Grande Dames of the Delta: Exploring Moveable Bridges

One early Saturday morning I took a self-guided tour of several moveable bridges in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

Walnut Grove Bridge. Photo by Aleta George

I drove across four of the narrow, steel beauties on State Route 160, and sat in the shade on the river to watch the Mokelumne Bridge swing open at its scheduled time.

Here's a link to my article in Estuary News, "The Grande Dames of the Delta." Check out the video I took of an opening of the Walnut Grove Bridge below.

Walnut Grove Bridge opening by Aleta George

Jack London on the Carquinez Strait

The unseasonable rain on June 5, 2022, didn't dampen the spirits of the 30 passengers aboard the Pacific Pearl for a Jack London-themed boat tour of the Carquinez Strait.

Gail Yamamoto Seymour, Tarnel Abbott (London's great granddaughter), and Jack London Society president Jay Williams take in the stories and views from the bow.

As tour guide, I told stories about London and his lifelong relationship with the San Francisco Bay, with a focus on the Carquinez Strait.

 

The chartered tour started at the Vallejo Yacht Club, where London was a member. We then motored up the Strait to Benicia and back. 

"I learned many facts," said Jack London State Park docent Wendy Byrd. "Best of all, I can visualize my readings of Jack London with a context of where events took place. I, too, will never cross the Carquinez Bridge without thinking of Jack in the water."

This event was planned in coordination with the Jack London Society.