Jack London Square, Oakland, CA 12/28-29

Here's something you probably don't know about us - we love Jack London Square in Oakland California! We've stayed at the Waterfront Hotel for the last four years or so around Christmas time and love it. The hotel is on the Oakland Estuary, and abuts the Port of Oakland, one of the five largest ports in the United States. There is also a ferry just steps from the Hotel that can take you to San Francisco. The Square itself is very lively with lots of restaurants and bars (none of which we go to), and a movie theater! For two people who live 40 minutes from a movie theater, this is very exciting.

Jack London had a strong connection to Oakland and Berkeley and later moved further north to the Sonoma area. The Square has preserved the log tavern where he drank, and the Square has about 5 sculptures from different aspects of his life - including one of White Fang.

So we had two lovely nights here, got to see more of Trianda and Gunther, and our other dear Berkeley friends, and then, Friday morning, we reunited with our dear Camper, and headed to our last port in California before heading east - Malibu!Read more