Fort Collins, Gardnerville, & Genoa

Finally, after almost three months of not being able to get there, I made it to SF MOMA's Gertrude Stein exhibit. Not that the eleven weeks have been devoid of art, food, wandering, et al. I managed to make it to Fort Collins Lincoln Center opening at the formerly Mini, now Magnolia theater. PB&Jam children's theater inaugurated the new space with its production of Jungle Book. And, in a class act gesture, Lincoln Center management asked all the child actors to autograph a first-production-in-the-new-space certificate that would be kept for posterity. Way to support those budding thespians.

Right across the street is Lucile's Creole Cafe. This popular place serves up a dash of New Orleans, even Beignets. Along with the Beignets, we had Eggs Ponchartrain—trout & sauce bearnaise—and Cajun Breakfast—red beans, poached eggs, and hollandaise. Delicious.

Also managed to get to Gardnerville, NV for the annual July 4th Pops Concert in Heritage Park, and then over to Genoa for a late afternoon outdoor concert. The Genoa concert is a big event in the Douglas County-Carson Valley area and attracts musicians from all over—including some from the morning concert in Gardnerville. It attracts hundreds of listeners, too, who come for the music, a silent auction, picnicking in the country, and for the thunderous roar of shots fired from a Civil War cannon to end the 1812 Overture.

Now a historical site, Genoa started out as a trading post on the Overland Emigrant Trail, then became a Mormon settlement. One of the settlers in what was then Utah Territory was assigned to help define the border between California and Nevada—what is now South Lake Tahoe is just over the mountain. He also changed the name from Mormon Station to Genoa. Legend has it, that he named it for Genoa, Italy, the birthplace of Christopher Columbus. But, as more than one person reminded me, remember to pronounce Genoa as juh NO ah, not like the pronunciation for the Italian city.

Well, there it is, a take on the Stein exhibit will have to wait—tomorrow, maybe.