Talent just continues to show up on the Mendocino Coast. I had the pure enjoyment of taking publicity photos for the opera double-bill The Medium by Gion Menotti and Jewish Humor from Oy to Veh by Seymour Barab. I saw both the first dress rehearsal and opening night at MTC.

For a different and memorable evening, give it a whirl. It is playing tonight (Saturday, May 10) at 8, Sunday at 2 PM and the following Friday and Saturday, May 16 and 17 at 8 PM at the Mendocino Theatre Company. For reservations, call 937-1018 or get tickets at the door.

Here is a printable (PDF) schedule of events. These pictures are from previous Heritage Days events.

Jim and Arlene are the former owners of the Joshua Grindle Inn in Mendocino, and Jim has devoted much of his retirement time to preparing for his first public show (he whined stated that it is too much like work!). Come on up to the Gallery on Friday, May 2, and check out his work. The guild’s gallery is located in the Company Store in Fort Bragg, at the corner of Main and Redwood. Check out Jim’s Web site or the Guild’s Web site for more examples of his work and the other guild members.

If you like opera, or even come close to liking it, you might want to see Opera Fresca’s latest, Barber of Seville. It is playing at Cotton Auditorium this Wednesday and Saturday at 7:30 PM.

The six leads are all up and coming stars from around the world – Venezuela, Spain, New York, etc and super talented. The staging is beautiful and the opera is very funny and approachable – no Wagnerian arias. I had the enjoyment of photographing the two dress rehearsals, then went on Sunday afternoon. I am going again on Saturday. It is amazing to see such talent in little Fort Bragg. (Bring a coat – it is cool in Cotton Auditorium).

The attached photo will give you a feel for what you are in for.

Larry

Here’s a great way to help out this worthy cause and have lots of fun meeting interesting people coming in for the festival. Volunteers are needed for the Film Festival, May 29 - June 1, at venues around Mendocino to help take tickets, make popcorn, usher, etc. We are also looking for specialists who can help as projectionists and venue managers.  Volunteers receive a voucher to attend a screening during the festival and are invited to the post-festival volunteer thank you party. Contact: Mendocino Film Festival Volunteer Coordinator, Aimee Hanson, toll free at 877-685-7152 or by email at Aimee@OuiOrganize.com.

This past weekend, my friend Wild Bill and I took a quick overnight camping trip to Gualala Regional Park, located on the south side of Gualala River, in a grove of redwoods, including a grove with some old growths. Fantastic beaches, walks and a nice little town nearby. I also saw my first sign for $4 per gallon gasoline at the Chevron in Gualala.

We stopped at Queenie’s Roadhouse, one of our favorites, in Elk for breakfast. As we waited for our meal to arrive, the fog ended two beautiful clear days. After breakfast we head to Point Arena to hike out to Stornetta Preserve’s waterfall, which also was shrouded in some fog. By the time we got to School Creek road, we hit the fog-free sunbelt. (more…)

APRIL 16, 2008

18th Annual 4-Day California Mille 1000-Mile Back Roads Tour to the Mendocino Hotel

The California Mille (MILL-ay) salutes Italy’s famed Mille Miglia (thousand mile) race that ran from Brescia to Rome to Brescia from 1927-1957. Cars that could have qualified for the original event are eligible to apply for entry in the California Mille to Mendocino.

This year’s cars will include some l5 Jaguars, 11 Alfa Romeos, 9 Mercedes-Benz as well as such rarely seen and exotic makes as Talbot-Lago, Nash Healey, Allard, Aceca-Bristol, Hudson Hornet, Kurtis, Cisitalia, Cunningham, and Delahaye. Participants are expected from l5 U.S. states and six nations: Australia, Colombia, Switzerland, the U.K., Canada and the U.S. Three 2008 Mille entries completed last year’s Peking-to-Paris marathon.. The 1000-mile route will take the Mille west on California Street, into the Presidio, and across the Golden Gate Bridge, then northeast to the wine country. A number of the guests are staying at the historic Mendocino Hotel and Garden Suites and the Hill House Inn where special food and beverage offerings will be made available to the race participants as well as other guests, visitors and locals who wish to enjoy this spectacular car collection. On Day 3, the 180 Mille guests will assemble at the Mendocino Hotel for a gourmet dinner and then return to the San Francisco area.

The California Mille, a not-for-profit event presented by Amici americani della Mille Miglia, is one of series of motoring tours under the direction of Martin Swig. The Mille is sponsored by San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel, Blancpain Watches, the Lodi Wine Growers, British Motors Jaguar, KSFO 560 AM Radio, Symbolic Motor Car Company, the Nob Hill Gazette and UBS Switzerland.