Phi Beta Kappa
Northern California Association, Inc.
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| History |
Join us for a 2-hour history cruise aboard the
USS Potomac, which served as Franklin Roosevelt's
presidential yacht from 1936-1945. FDR used this "floating
White House" to relax and to entertain and
meet with world leaders and dignitaries. We will
meet at the visitor's center where we will view
a 15-minute video on the history of the yacht.
The yacht departs at 1:30 p.m. for the two-hour
cruise. The route follows the Oakland estuary past
Oakland's modern container port, a major gateway
for the US-Asia trade, then crosses the Bay to
San Francisco to view historical vessels moored
there. The cruise returns by way of Treasure Island,
site of the 1939 World's Fair. Clearly visible
today are the Fair's surviving Art Deco architecture
and facilities used by Pan-American Airways Clipper
seaplanes. Wear comfortable shoes, dress in layers
and bring a sun hat.
Date: Saturday, June 22, 2002
Time: 1:00 PM at Visitor's Center
Deadline: May 21, 2002
Cost: $33.00
Directions: Franklin Roosevelt Pier, Foot of Clay
Street, corner of Embarcadero. From San Francisco:
Take I-80 across the Bay Bridge to Route 980, which
will take you south to I-880. Exit at 12th; follow
Brush to the traffic signal at Fifth St. Turn left
and follow to Washington, then turn right onto Embarcadero.
From San Jose: Take I-880 north to Oakland. Exit
at Broadway; turn left at the traffic signal and
follow to Embarcadero. Turn right onto Embarcadero
and go one block to Clay St. From Contra Costa Co.:
Take Route 24 west through the Caldecott Tunnel and
head toward downtown Oakland via I-880. Exit at 12th,
follow Brush to the traffic signal at Fifth St. Turn
left and follow to Washington, then turn right onto
Embarcadero. Parking can be found in the Washington
St. garage on Embarcadero, between Clay and Washington.
Oakland's Paramount Theatre, a National Historic
Landmark which first opened in 1931, is a spectacular
Art Deco building designed by renowned San Francisco
architect Timothy L. Pflueger. Pflueger commissioned
many talented Bay Area artists to carry out the
details of his vision. For those that have access
to the current (March/April) issue of AAA's VIA
Mag-azine, please note that the Paramount's breathtaking
lobby is on the cover as a lead-in to an article
on the fabulous movie palaces built on the West
Coast in the late 1920s.
A private 90-minute behind the scenes guided tour
of the theatre has been arranged for our group. Besides
getting a chance to see lovely art work and art deco
details "up close", we will learn about
the history of this landmark. We will hear of its
glory years in the 1930s, its decline after World
War II and its rescue and restoration in the 1970s
by the Oakland Symphony Orchestra Association and
the City of Oakland.
Date: Saturday, May 25, 2002
Deadline: May 3, 2002 (limited to 30 participants)
Time: 11:00 AM
Price: $8.00/person
Directions: Paramount Theatre, 2025 Broadway (at
21st St.) Oakland. From San Francisco/Bay Bridge:
Cross the Bay Bridge and take the first exit on the
right, West Grand Ave./Oakland Army Base. Follow
West Grand Ave. to Telegraph and turn right onto
Telegraph. Go two blocks to 21st St. and turn left
onto 21st St. From Fremont/880 North: From 880 N.
take 980 Downtown Oakland exit to 17th St./San Pablo
Ave. exit. Turn right onto 17th St. Go four blocks
to Telegraph Ave. and turn left on Telegraph Ave.
Go four blocks to 21st St. and turn right onto 21st
St. From Hayward/580 West: From 580 W. take the 980
Downtown Oakland exit to the 27th St./West Grand
Ave. exit. Continue straight to West Grand and turn
left onto West Grand. Go one block to Telegraph and
turn right onto Telegraph. Go two blocks to 21st
St. and turn left onto 21st St. From Concord/24 West:
Follow 24 W. through the Caldecott Tunnel. Take the
980 Downtown Oakland exit to the 27th Street/West
Grand Ave. exit. Continue straight to West Grand
Ave. and turn left onto West Grand. Go one block
to Telegraph Ave. and turn right onto Telegraph Ave.
Go two blocks to 21st St. and turn left onto 21st
St. From Richmond/80 West: From 80 W. follow 580
E. and take the 980 Downtown Oakland Exit. Exit at
27th Street/West Grand Ave. Continue straight to
West Grand Ave. and turn left onto West Grand Ave.
Go one block to Telegraph and turn right onto Telegraph
Ave. Go two blocks to 21st St. and turn left onto
21st St. Parking: Closest parking lots are located
at the corners of 21st and Telegraph, 21st and Broadway,
and 20th and Telegraph. Street parking is also available.
One of the legendary companies of Silicon Valley,
Intel Corporation was founded in 1968 by Robert
Noyce (co-inventor with Jack Kilby of the integrated
circuit) and Gordon Moore. Andrew Grove who had
played a critical role in the development of metal
oxide semiconductor (MOS) LSI technology joined
them. Led by these three men, Intel evolved into
a multi-national, multi-billion dollar company
that was responsible for two of the most important
innovations in micro-electronics: large scale integrated
(LSI) memory and the micro-processor. The 1980s
era IBM personal computers that launched the PC
revolution used as their central processing unit
(CPU or "brain") an Intel microprocessor.
Continuing to this day, millions of personal computers
manufactured worldwide contain an Intel microprocessor
(hence the slogan "Intel Inside").
A private one-hour docent led tour of the Intel Museum
has been arranged for our group. Besides learning
more about Intel's history, we will learn about computer
memory chips, clean rooms, transistors as the building
blocks of the microprocessor, how the microprocessor
works and the pervasiveness of microelectronics in
the gadgetry of our everyday life.
Date: Friday, May 17, 2002
Deadline: May 10, 2002 (limited to 20 participants)
Time: 11:00 AM
Price: $6.00/person
Directions: Intel Museum, Robert Noyce Building,
Main Lobby, 2200 Mission College Blvd., Santa Clara.
(Enter the museum to the left of the main lobby of
the Robert Noyce Building.) From Highway 101: Take
the Montague Expwy. Exit. Turn left on Mission College
Blvd. Turn left into the Intel Corp. Campus. Visitor
parking is on the right. From Highway 880: Take the
Montague Expwy. Exit west. Turn right on Mission
College Blvd. Turn left into the Intel Corp. Campus.
Visitor parking is on the right. From Highway 280:
Exit on Highway 880 north to Highway 101 north. Take
the Montague Expwy. Exit. Turn left on Mission College
Blvd. Turn left into the Intel Corp. Campus. Visitor
parking is on the right.
The San Jose Museum of Art is the first stop on
a national tour for a major retrospective exhibition
of the works of Bay Area artist, printmaker, and
Stanford professor Emeritus, Nathan Oliviera. Oliviera,
of Portuguese heritage, was born in Oakland in
1928. He came into national prominence in 1959
when his work was included in a groundbreaking
New York Museum of Modern Art exhibition "New
Images of Man" which focused on figurative
art instead of Abstract Expressionism which was
then in vogue. Peter Selz, who was later to become
the founding director of the UC Berkeley Museum
of Art, curated the 1959 exhibition. Fittingly,
this current exhibit of about 70 Nathan Oliviera
works is guest curated by Peter Selz.
A private docent tour of the Nathan Oliviera exhibit
has been arranged for our group. We will see and
receive commentary on the five thematic sections
of the exhibition including "Windhovers" a
series of paintings inspired by the hawks and kestrels
that populate the Stanford hills. (As a bonus for
those that come early or stay late, the Museum has
a wonderful café and a gift shop with many
intriguing, one of a kind items.)
Date: Saturday, May 11, 2002
Time: 1:00 PM
Deadline: May 4, 2002
Cost: $9.00/person
Directions: San Jose Museum of Art, 110 Market St.
(at San Fernando), San Jose From 280 (North or South):
Take 280 to the Downtown San Jose exits. Take 87/Guadalupe
Parkway North. Exit at Santa Clara St. Turn right
onto Santa Clara St. Go straight five blocks to Market
St. Turn right onto Market St. Go straight two blocks
to San Fernando St. Turn left on San Fernando St.
to park. Museum is located at the corner of San Fernando
and Market Sts. From 101 going south: Take 101 South
to the 87/Guadalupe Parkway exit. From 87 take the
Park Ave. exit. Turn left onto Park Ave. Go straight
one block to Almaden Blvd. Turn left on Almaden Blvd.
Go straight one block to San Fernando St. Turn right
on San Fernando St. Go straight two blocks to Market
St. Museum is located at corner of San Fernando and
Market Sts. Continue past the Museum on San Fernando
to find parking.
There are a number of open pay parking lots on San
Fernando between Market St. and First St., First
and Second Sts., and Second and Third Sts. On weekends
free parking is available at the San Fernando & Third
St. Lot between Second and Third Sts., at the Pavilion
Lot on San Fernando St. between First and Second
Sts., and the Pavilion Garage on Second St., between
San Fernando and San Carlos Sts.
Marin County is gaining recognition for its fine,
artisan-produced food products, one of which is
gourmet honey.
Marshall's Farm, a 4-½ acre ranch, located
near Napa in American Canyon with headquarters at "The
Flying Bee Ranch" produces dozens of varieties
of delicious natural and organic honeys. Marshall's
Farm honey is used in recipes by noted chefs in some
of the Bay Area's finest restaurants. Join us for
a 2-hour "agri-tour" of the farm to learn
about the art of beekeeping and to see how honey
is processed. We will finish with a visit to the
tasting room and country store. Wear comfortable
walking shoes and bring a sun hat. (Please note:
Of the hundreds of tourists and students who have
visited the ranch, only two people have ever gotten
a bee sting. The bees are far more interested in
honey than in you. However, if you are afraid of
bees or experience an allergic reaction to bee stings
this is not the trip for you.)
Date: Sunday, May 5, 2002
Deadline: April 27, 2002
Time: 2:30 PM
Price: $10.00/per person
Directions: The Flying Bee Ranch, 155 - 159 Lombard
Rd., American Canyon. From South of Napa: Take I-80
to the Marine World, Columbus Parkway exit that is
about 5 miles north of the Carquinez Bridge. Follow
signs to Napa. From Hwy. 101 get to Hwy. 37 and head
East to Hwy. 29. At the intersection of Hwys. 37 & 29,
head North on 29 (toward Napa). Go approximately
3 miles to Napa Junction Rd. (just one road North
of Rio Del Mar Rd.). Turn left onto Napa Junction
Rd., crossing the highway going west. Take the first
right onto Lombard Rd. The Flying Bee Ranch is on
the left. From Sonoma or Napa: Get to Hwy. 29 via
Hwy. 12 from I-80 or 121/12 from Hwy. 101. Take Hwy.
29 to Napa Junction Rd. (one road south of Green
Island Rd.) Turn right onto Napa Junction Rd. Take
the first right onto Lombard Rd. There are only two
properties on Lombard Rd. - a mini-storage facility
and The Flying Bee Ranch. Both are on the left. The
highway is on your right. You will see the Honey-Colored
buildings & Little Red Barn.
Join the PBK NCA Board in celebrating this year's
accomplishments in the charming setting and collegial
atmosphere of the UC Berkeley Faculty Club. Take
this opportunity to meet and be inspired by the
dedication and achievements of our scholarship
and teaching excellence award winners. Social hour
begins at 6 p.m. and dinner will be served starting
at 7:10 p.m. Choose between salmon, roast prime
rib of beef, or vegetarian wok. No host bar during
social hour but dinner will include house wine,
coffee or tea, and dessert in addition to your
pre-selected entrée.
Date: Saturday, May 4, 2002
Deadline: April 23, 2001
Time: 6 p.m.
Price: $45 (includes parking)
Directions: On the campus of UC Berkeley (University
Avenue exit off I-80) At the end of April, registrants
will be mailed a "Faculty Club card" that
will include driving directions and a foldout campus
map with parking instructions.
For thousands of years the Ohlone Indians inhabited
the area that is now known as the San Francisco
Presidio. In 1776, Spanish soldiers and missionaries
arrived, disrupting Ohlone culture and beginning
218 years of military use of the area. The Presidio
served as a military post under the flags of Spain,
then Mexico, and then the United States. On October
1, 1994, the Presidio became part of the Golden
Gate National Recreational Area, jointly managed
by the National Park Service and the Presidio Trust.
Our group will meet at the Presidio Visitor's Center
and after a brief lecture take a 90 minute historical
walk around the Main Post area. We will see and learn
about some of its historical buildings, its coastal
defense fortifications, its National Cemetery, its
historic airfield and some of its geological wonders
(saltwater marsh, forests, beaches, and native plant
habitats).
Date: Saturday, March 2, 2002
Deadline: February 19, 2002 -Limited to 35 People
Time: 10:00 AM
Price: $7.00/person
Directions: Main Post, Presidio of San Francisco.
From the Bay Bridge: Take Fremont St. exit from I-80 (right lane). Turn left onto Fremont. Turn right at Harrison Street. Continue 3 blocks, turn left onto Embarcadero. Turn left onto Bay Street. Turn left onto Gough Street. Turn right onto Lombard Street, stay in the left lane. Highway 101 traffic veers right after Divisadero-move into the left turn lane at Richardson/Lombard, and continue straight into the Presidio via the Lombard Gate.
From the South Bay via I-280: Take I-280 north towards San Francisco; follow the signs to the Golden Gate Bridge. Follow the signs for 19th Ave./Park Presidio and continue north. Continue through the MacArthur tunnel and follow signs for Downtown/Lombard St. exit. Follow signs for Lombard St.; turn right onto Lyon Street and turn right into the Presidio at the Lombard Gate.
From the north: Take Highway 101 south across the Golden Gate Bridge. Follow signs for Downtown/Lombard St. exit. Follow signs for Lombard St.; turn right onto Lyon Street and turn right into the Presidio at Lombard Gate.
From Lombard Gate: Turn right at the T-intersection onto Presidio Blvd. Continue straight at the stop sign, where Presidio becomes Lincoln Blvd. & Graham St. Turn right from Graham at Owen Street into Main Post Parking area.
Stanford University's distinguished outdoor art collection includes important figurative and abstract works by artists of the late 19th century to the present. Examples of the artists represented include Auguste Rodin, Joan Miro, Alexander Calder, Beniamino Bufano, Maya Lin, William Turnbull, Claes Oldenburg and William de Kooning. Docents from the University's Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts will guide us around the beautiful Stanford campus to the various sculpture locations. They will provide commentary and stories behind the acquisitions of these works of art. The tour, which will last about an hour to an hour-and-a-half, will take place rain or shine and range over a wide area. So, wear comfortable walking shoes and, depending on weather, bring either sun hat or umbrella. For those who wish to spend more time on campus after the tour, there will be instructions on getting to the Cantor Arts Center, which will be open until 5 p.m., for free self-guided tours.
Date: Sunday, February 3, 2002
Deadline: January 19, 2002 (limited to 60 participants)
Time: 1:45 p.m. (Tour departs 2:00 p.m. sharp from
entrance to Main Quad.)
Price: $7.00/person
Directions: Stanford University Main Quad. The walking
tour departs from entrance to Main Quad facing
the Oval that rounds off Palm Drive.
Take Highway 101 to the Embarcadero West/Stanford exit. Go about 3.5 miles on Embarcadero. Continue on as the road changes its name to Galvez. Turn right at Campus Drive, then left at Palm Drive. All metered and most other campus parking is free on Sundays. There is a small parking area on Roth Way, to the left off Palm Drive just before you get to the Oval. Suggested parking is the lot for the Cantor Arts Center, which you get to by turning right off Palm Drive onto Museum Way. See the Stanford visitors map website
Following up on SFMOMA's Ansel Adams at 100 Exhibit,
the UC Berkeley Art Museum through March 10, 2002
will be presenting: "Ansel Adams from the
University of California Collections". This
exhibit presents a wide range of photographs by
the artist, including images of the UC Berkeley
Campus, commercial projects, rare publications,
and candid self-portraits. A specially arranged
tour by Jessica May, an art history graduate student
researching early 20th-century documentary photography,
will reveal a surprising side of Ansel Adams career
in its emphasis on his work as a commercial photographer "hanging
out his shingle" and trying to make a living
through his craft. Through the juxtaposition of
little known early work, commissioned projects,
and famous images, we can follow how Ansel Adams
brought his mastery and signature style to bear
on less familiar subjects and assignments. The
materials in the exhibition are drawn primarily
from the University of California, Berkeley collections,
including "The Bancroft Pictorial Collection",
the University Archives, and the Berkeley Art Museum.
By showing work beyond Adams famous landscapes,
the University pays tribute to a California native
son whose singular vision, photographic mastery,
and innovative techniques greatly influenced generations
of photographers and made the natural wonders of
his home state known the world over.
Date: Saturday, February 2, 2002
Deadline: January 22, 2002
Time: 11:00 AM
Price: $8.00
Limits: Minimum 10, Maximum 30
Directions: 2626 Bancroft Way, Berkeley. From I-80,
take the University Avenue exit, east on University
to Oxford. Right on Oxford, left on Durant Avenue.
Museum entrances are on Durant Avenue and Bancroft
Way, between Bowditch Street and College Avenue.
From Highway 24, take 51st Street exit to Telegraph
Ave., left on Telegraph to Durant Ave. Right on Durant
Ave. Or, using the Claremont Ave. exit, left on Claremont
to College Ave.
Parking: Metered street parking is available on all
the streets surrounding the Museum. Public parking
lots are located on Bowditch between Bancroft and
Durant, 2420 Durant, just west of Telegraph; and
other locations.
Public Transit: Museum is only about a 15 minute
walk from the Berkeley BART station.
Jack London, world-famous author of numerous short stories and bestsellers such as The Call of the Wild and White Fang began buying ranch property in the vicinity of Glen Ellen in Sonoma County in 1905. He called his property "Beauty Ranch" and settled there with his second wife, Charmian Kittredge. With advice from his Santa Rosa friend, Luther Burbank, he experimented with innovative farming methods. Our 90-minute "The Farmer" guided tour, will take us around part of the property including the "House of Happy Walls" museum, the Jack London cottage, the Pig Palace and several other buildings on the ranch. Some of these were built by Jack London, and some by the winery, which preceded Jack London's ownership of the ranch. Docents will talk about Jack London's life as a farmer. You might want to bring along a sun hat or umbrella. Wear comfortable walking shoes as the route includes some dirt trails. You are encouraged to bring a picnic lunch for after the tour. After picnicking on the park grounds, visit on your own, parts of the ranch not included on our guided tour such the remains of "Wolf House", the gravesite of Jack and Charmian London or Jack London's Lake up a hilly but shaded trail.
Date: January 26, 2002
Deadline: December 28, 2001 (limit 40)
Time: 11:30 PM
Price: $8.00/person
Directions: Jack London State Historic Park, 2400 London Ranch Road, Glen Ellen, CA.
To reach the park from Santa Rosa, take Highway 12 towards Sonoma, turn right on Arnold Drive to Glen Ellen; in Glen Ellen take London Ranch Road to the park.
From Sonoma, take Highway 12 towards Santa Rosa, turn left on Madrone Road, then right on Arnold Drive to Glen Ellen, left on London Ranch Road to the Park.
From San Francisco, take 101 North to 37 East. Follow signs to Sonoma, Highway 121 and take the Arnold Drive Exit (veer right). Do not follow Highway 116 to Petaluma. Follow Arnold Drive to the town of Glen Ellen. Just past the Village Market, take a left onto London Ranch Road.
The Park is located at end of London Ranch Road. When you arrive you will need to pay either $3/car if adults only or $2/car if a senior passenger is in car (so carpool with a senior!).
A visit to the 205-acre Ardenwood Historic Farm & Patterson
House (complete with period costumed docents) is
a journey back to the time of the 19th century
Patterson Ranch - a prosperous East Bay country
estate. The crown jewel of this estate is the 1889
George W. Patterson House; a Queen Anne mansion
nestled in a large grove of eucalyptus trees. A
special event, "Holiday Splendor of the Patterson
House" will be taking place the day we visit.
The mansion will be decorated for a Victorian Christmas
celebration and entertainment will include special
holiday music, caroling, cider and the "History
of Santa Claus" in costume and song. If you
wish to "make a day of it" after our
group's house tour and visit with St. Nick, bring
a picnic lunch and stay to visit the farm animals
or to ride a horse-drawn train.
Date: Sunday, December 9, 2001
Time: 11:30 AM
Deadline: November 26, 2001 (Limited to 40 participants)
Price: $10.00/person
Directions: Take Interstate 880 (Highway 17) to Dumbarton
Bridge turnoff. Go west on Highway 84 and take Ardenwood
Boulevard exit. Turn right at the signal and look
for the Ardenwood sign.
Internationally acclaimed architect Frank Lloyd
Wright designed the Marin County Civic Center,
which is now a national and a state historical
landmark. It was his last major work. He died in
1959 at age 92 before the project was completed.
Taliesin Senior Architect, William Wesley Peters,
and local architect, Aaron Green, supervised its
completion, carrying out Frank Lloyd Wright's vision
that the structure make the surrounding landscape
even more beautiful than it was before the building
was built. A specially arranged 1.5-hour docent
tour has been arranged for our group. We will tour
selected parts of the 140 acre Civic Center complex
looking at specially designed Frank Lloyd Wright
details in the architecture and seeing how the
courtrooms, fountain patio, library and Conservation
Garden all complement the building. After the tour
we can admire the paintings in the
Board of Supervisors Art Gallery and visit the gift
shop that sells Frank Lloyd Wright inspired creations
by local artists.
Date: Friday, November 30, 2001
Time: 10:30 AM
Deadline: November 5, 2001- PAST!
Price: $8.00/person
Directions: Marin County Civic Center, 3501 Civic
Center Drive, San Rafael
Coming northbound from San Francisco or East Bay: Take Highway 101 to North San Pedro Road. Turn east at first stoplight (Civic Center Drive). Immediately take another left onto the driveway that goes under the archway of the county building.
Coming southbound from Sonoma County: Take Highway 101 to North San Pedro Road. Turn left at the stop sign (Merrydale). Make another left at the first stoplight (N. San Pedro Road) and go under the freeway. Turn left at the next light (Civic Center Drive). Then, immediately take another left onto the driveway that goes under the archway of the county building. Free parking at any location marked 2-hour or All Day Parking.
The Museum of American Heritage is dedicated to
presenting and preserving the historic technologies
of the 19th and 20th centuries. The museum's collections
of marvelous mechanical and electrical devices
from the age before transistors are a record in
wood, metal and wire of mankind's technical ingenuity
over the past two centuries. In 1998, the City
of Palo Alto awarded the museum a permanent home,
the 1907 English country-style house and garden
of Dr. Thomas Williams, one of the founders of
the original Palo Alto Medical Clinic. A special
1-hour guided tour, limited to 25 participants,
has been arranged for our group and will take place
before the museum's regularly scheduled open hours.
Our eclectic tour will include an overview of the
museum's permanent exhibits such as its 1920's
kitchen and 1930's physician's office and a demonstration
by a retired newspaperman of the linotype and old
printing press of the Palo Alto Times. We also
get to see the temporary special exhibit of early
20th century toy trains and tour the historic Williams
home and garden. The Williams House Garden is considered
the only historically preserved 1930's era landscaped
garden in Palo Alto.
Date: Saturday, November 3, 2001
Time: 9:30 AM
Deadline: October 23, 2001 (limited to 25 participants)
Price: $7.00/person
Directions: Museum of American Heritage, 351 Homer
Avenue, downtown Palo Alto.
From Highway 101 North: Take the Embarcadero Road/Oregon
Expressway exit. Keep right at the fork in the ramp.
Merge onto Oregon Expressway. Turn right onto Middlefield
Rd. Turn left onto Homer Ave. From Highway 101 South:
Take the Willow Road exit towards Menlo Park, merge
onto Willow Rd. Turn left onto Middlefield Road.
Turn right onto University Ave. Turn left onto Waverly
St. Turn right onto Homer Ave.
Parking is free in Palo Alto on weekends. You may
park in the nearby old Palo Alto Medical Foundation
parking lot.
The University of California Botanical Garden
is located in Strawberry Canyon above the Berkeley
Campus. The Garden features one of the most diverse
plant collections in the United States. Established
in 1890, the Garden's 34 acres contain over 13,000
species and more than 27,000 plants from all over
the world arranged by region. The Garden is famous
for its large number of rare and endangered plants.
Among its most delightful treasures are a magnificent
collection of South American cacti and succulents,
a grove of California coast redwoods, and a Chinese
herb garden. An hour-long tour has been specially
arranged for our group. Greenhouse exhibits, a
visitor center and a garden shop can be visited
after our formal tour.
Date: Saturday, October 13, 2001
Time: 11 AM
Deadline: September 22, 2001
Price: Adults: $10.00/person, Seniors (65+) or Children
(Under 18): $ 8.00/person
Directions: UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive,
Berkeley
The Garden is located east of the UC Berkeley Campus
in Strawberry Canyon. There is a public pay parking
lot just across the street from the Garden. Parking
is 50 cents/hour. Bring dollar bills or quarters.
From Interstate 80, take the University Avenue exit
in Berkeley. Travel east on University Avenue to
the University of California Campus. Turn left onto
Oxford Street at the University grounds and go 2
blocks. Turn right onto Hearst Avenue and travel
the length of the UC Campus (to your right). Turn
right onto Gayley Road at the
northeast corner of campus. Turn left onto Stadium
Rim Way.
Turn left onto Centennial Drive. Watch for the Garden
on 200
Centennial Drive. A parking lot is available just
past the Garden entrance on the left.
The Hiller Aviation Museum highlights the significant
role that Northern California aviation pioneers
played in the development of United States air
transportation. The time period explored by the
Museum's exhibits extends back to 1869 (when the
unmanned Avitor aeroplane flew one mile over a
field in San Francisco) and projects forward to
what flight may be like 100 years from now. Numerous
aircraft and photographs are on display in the
Museum's lobby and large main gallery. Besides
the blowfish shaped Avitor, other aircraft on display
include: a replica of the 1911 Evergreen that Santa
Clara University professor John J. Montgomery crash
landed in San Jose; a 1908 Aerocycloid, powered
by a motorcycle engine; and a 1911 Black Diamond,
the first plane to fly over Mount Tamalpais. A
number of helicopters are also on display including
the Hiller-copter XH-44, the first coaxial helicopter
to fly in the USA. A special 40-minute guided tour
has been arranged for our group. After the tour,
we are free to further explore the Museum inside
and out, including the Airplane Restoration Lab
and the gift shop.
Date: Saturday, October 6, 2001
Time: 1 PM
Deadline: September 28, 2001
Price: Adults: $12.00/person, Seniors (65+) or Children
(under 18): $10.00/person
Directions: Hiller Aviation Museum, 601 Skyway Road,
San Carlos. Museum is easily accessible from Highway
101. From either direction, take the Holly Street/Redwood
Shores Parkway exit and drive east on Redwood Shores
Parkway. Turn right on Airport Road and then right
on Skyway Road.
A February article in the San Jose Mercury News noted that a "gem of a museum" detailing California's and San Francisco's pioneering days had recently opened a block away from the Metreon in the Yerba Buena Gardens near Moscone Center. This new San Francisco treasure is called "The Seymour Pioneer Museum" and it includes the paintings, photographs, costumes, memorabilia, and library of the Society of California Pioneers. The Museum's current featured exhibit is called "Kiss of the Oceans" and brings to life the commerce and culture of the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition. That World's Fair was held in San Francisco to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal and to prove that San Francisco had arisen more glorious than ever from the terrible destruction of the 1906 Earthquake. Our guided tour will also allow us a look at the Museum's Alice Phelan Sullivan Library and glimpses of items from the permanent collections. Directions: 300 Fourth Street (at Folsom), San Francisco
Join the PBK NCA Board in celebrating this year's accomplishments in the charming setting and collegial atmosphere of the UC Berkeley Faculty Club. Give yourself the opportunity to be inspired by the dedication and achievements of our scholarship and teaching excellence award winners. Social hour begins at 6 p.m. and dinner will be served starting at 7 PM Choose between salmon, roast prime rib of beef, or vegetarian.
Eugene O'Neill, winner of four Pulitzer Prizes, and the only Nobel Prize winning playwright from the United States lived at Tao House in the hills above Danville from 1937 to 1944. O'Neill's interest in Eastern thought and his wife Carlotta's passion for Asian art and décor inspired the name Tao House. It was at this site that he wrote his final and most successful plays: The Iceman Cometh, Long Day's Journey into Night, and A Moon for the Misbegotten. At this 13-acre site, the National Park Service has been restoring and preserving Tao House, plus its courtyard and orchards and telling the story of O'Neill, his work and his influence on American theater.
Access to the property is limited. Visitors who are part of a prearranged tour group are transported to this Historic Site by Park Service minibus from the Danville Park & Ride Lot. So, here is a rare opportunity for a 2 ½ hour visit to the Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site. The visit will include a guided tour of Tao House, a self-guided walk around the grounds and a chance to shop at the bookstore featuring writings by and about O'Neill.
Directions: Danville Park & Ride Lot, Sycamore Valley Rd. & I-680 Fwy. From any direction, take the best route to Interstate 680. Take the Sycamore Valley Road exit east. Make an immediate left at the traffic light into the Park & Ride Lot. A 14 passenger minibus will make two trips at 10:00 and 10:15 to transport PBK NCA members to Tao House. Park Service will return us to the Park & Ride Lot at 12:30 PM and 12:45 PM.
Niles Canyon Railway Wildflower Train - Sunday, April 22, 2001
The Niles Canyon Railway is an operating historic railroad museum on the last link of the mighty Transcontinental Railroad. Each April the Railway runs its "wildflower train" between Sunol and the quaint little town of Niles. This is your opportunity to "ride the rails" through Niles Canyon where the gold rush bandit Joaquin Murrieta had a ranch and Charlie Chaplin filmed the movie, "The Tramp." You will also experience the glorious natural beauty of old California in spring with poppies unfolding and wildflowers and trees in full bloom. Our particular "Wildflower Express" will double as a "wine train." Representatives of a local East Bay winery will be on board to offer you a free taste of two premium wines so that you can make a toast to the beauty of spring. The train ride lasts about an hour and five minutes.
Directions: From the San Jose area take I-680 North
approx. 30 miles to the "Calavaras Rd./Sunol/Highway
84 West" exit. Take a left at the end of the
exit ramp, following the signs West to Sunol, approx.
1 mile. Just past the bridge, turn right following
the road left to enter into Sunol. Continue west
3 blocks to the parking lot and the Boarding Area
of the Niles Canyon Railroad. From the Dublin/Pleasanton
area (680/580 intersection) take I-680 South exiting
on the "Calaveras Rd/Dumbarton Br/I-84" West
off-ramp. Turn right at the end of the exit ramp
and follow the signs West to Sunol, approx. 1 mile.
Just past the bridge, turn right following the
road left to enter into Sunol. Continue west 3
blocks to the parking lot and the Boarding Area
of the Niles Canyon Railroad. From other points,
take I-880 to the Fremont area exiting on East
Mowry/I-84. Continue east through Fremont to Mission
Blvd. Take a left turn onto Mission Blvd. (North)
at the traffic light, and then a right turn at
the next traffic light (approx. ½ mile)
into Niles Canyon. Sunol is located at just the
other end of the canyon. Take either the turnoff,
just before the underpass or proceed until you
see the next possible left turn. The turnoff will
lead you to the parking lot and the Boarding Area.
If you use the left turn following the road left
to enter into Sunol, continue West 3 blocks to
the parking lot and the Boarding Area of the Niles
Canyon Railroad.
Located in Kroeber Hall on the UC Berkeley campus, the Museum's collections, which represent the diversity of human cultures from around the world, are among the finest in North America and are a world-renowned resource for scholars. The Museum owes its founding in 1901 to Phoebe Hearst (mother of legendary newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst), who sponsored artifact-collecting expeditions in California, to Egypt and Peru, to the Mediterranean for classical antiquities, and to highland Guatemala for Mayan textiles.
Take part in the Museum's centennial celebration year by joining our private one-hour guided tour of the Museum. In honor of the centennial year, a large number of treasures from the ancient Egyptian collections are on featured display.
Directions: UC Berkeley, Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology, 103 Kroeber Hall, corner of Bancroft Way & College Avenue.
From Hwy. 24, take 51st Street exit to Telegraph Avenue; left on Telegraph to Durant Avenue. From I-80, take the University Ave. exit, east on University to Oxford. Right on Oxford, left on Durant Ave.
Paid public parking is available for a nominal fee at Berkeley Public Parking, 2420 Durant, west of Telegraph, and on weekends at the corner of College and Durant Avenues and adjacent to the Museum (under the tennis courts).
For those who like to take public transit and don't mind a 15 minute walk, take BART to Berkeley, walk south along Shattuck until it intersects with Bancroft Way, and then walk east up Bancroft until you are almost to College Ave.
Established in 1962 and in operation since 1966, the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center began as a research facility with a 2-mile-long linear accelerator (or linac) capable of generating high-energy electron beams. SLAC is now a 426-acre research facility, specializing in experimental and theoretical research in elementary particle physics, that is operated by Stanford University for the U.S. Department of Energy. Scientific breakthroughs at SLAC have made major contributions to our understanding of the basic constituents of matter and the forces of nature. Three SLAC physicists, Richard Taylor (in 1990 for quark research), Burton Richter (in 1976 for psi particle research), and Martin Perl (in 1995 for tau lepton particle research) have each shared Nobel Prizes in Physics.
Take this opportunity to participate in a 2-hour orientation and bus tour of this world-famous laboratory. Arrive by car or carpool, go to the auditorium in the main SLAC building for an orientation session and then board a SLAC bus for the facility tour.
Directions: SLAC, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park. The main entrance to SLAC is on Sand Hill Road, just east of Interstate 280; so from any direction find the best route to link to I-280. From I-280, exit east off Sand Hill Road. (You are almost there as soon as you merge onto Sand Hill Road.)
Ranked as the largest and finest interpretive railroad museum in North America by the U.S. tourist industry and listed as a starred attraction in numerous guidebooks, the California State Railroad Museum is actually a complex consisting of six buildings within the Old Sacramento State Historic Park. The 100,000 square foot main building is a three-story steel, brick and glass structure, architecturally designed in 19th century railroad themes; it houses 21 restored locomotives and train cars. Numerous interpretive exhibits, dioramas, photographs, murals, a slide show, and a film presentation document the history of U.S. railroading from 1860-1960. Exclusively for our group, a member of the Museum's "All Aboard!" docent team will give us a 45 minute highlights tour, and then will answer our questions and offer suggestions for further on-your-own exploration of the museum complex. Your ticket is good all day (museum open until 5 PM) and allows for in-out-and-return admission. This gives you the option of taking a lunch break at one of the many charming restaurants in Old Sacramento and then returning to further explore the Railroad Museum at your own pace later in the day.
Directions: California State Railroad Museum, 111 "I" Street (at 2nd & I Sts.) Old Sacramento. Old Sacramento is located downtown and is convenient to reach by all freeways. From any direction take Interstate 5 to the J Street exit and follow the signs for Old Sacramento. Enter at 3rd and J Streets (or at Capitol Mall & Front Streets). There is abundant covered parking at reasonable rates. The garage closest to the Railroad Museum is at 3rd & I. There is also limited, free on street parking in Old Sacramento. (Note: The Sacramento Amtrak station is only two blocks from the Railroad Museum. If Amtrak serves your community and you want to consider taking the train to Sacramento, call Amtrak at 1 (800) 872-7245 for schedule & fare information.)
Besides being the oldest college in California (founded 1851) and having a PBK chapter, beautiful Santa Clara University is the only college in the State to be the successor of a Spanish mission. Two unique treasures located right on campus are the 8th California mission, Mission Santa Clara de Asis and the de Saisset Museum. The de Saisset Museum, a gift to the University from Isabel de Saisset in memory of her brother Ernest, a Parisian trained painter, features exhibits of California history and collections of modern and decorative art. Take this opportunity to participate in a docent led tour of Mission Santa Clara and a Santa Clara University Campus Sesquicentennial Tour plus the opportunity to visit the Triton Museum of Art at the nearby Santa Clara Civic Center.
Directions: Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino
Real, Santa Clara. If you are coming from Highway
101: Take the De La Cruz Blvd./Santa Clara exit.
Follow De La Cruz towards El Camino Real (stay
in the right lane). When De La Cruz splits, follow
the right split over the overpass. Turn right onto
Lafayette Street staying in the right turn lane.
Turn right at El Camino Real. The main entrance
to Santa Clara University will be on the right-hand
side of the road. If you are coming from I-880,
take The Alameda exit. Travel north on The Alameda.
The Alameda will become El Camino Real. The main
entrance to Santa Clara University will be on the
left-hand side of the road. If you are coming from
I-280, exit onto Interstate 880 North (toward Oakland).
Take the Alameda exit. Follow the rest of the directions
as above for I-880. When you turn into the main
entrance of the University, you will be heading
towards the Mission Church. The de Saisset Museum
is the second building on the right, immediately
before the Mission. There are a few parking spaces
right in front of the Museum. If these are full,
use the parking lot to the right of the little
guardhouse at the entrance.
The Moffett Field Historical Society was founded in May 1993, as a result of the community "Hail and Farewell" for the Navy as Moffett Field was closing. The Society since then has created a Museum located in Moffett Field's historic Hangar One. Docents will tell us the colorful story of Moffett Field and lead us on a tour of the Hangar and the Museum. In the Carol Henderson Room, we will see posters and memorabilia portraying the overall history of Moffett Field. In the Carl Honaker Room we will learn about the "Heavier-than-Air" aircraft that were once stationed at the airfield. In the U.S.S. Macon Room we will learn about the blimps, dirigibles and other "Lighter-than-Air" vehicles that once found shelter in Hangar One. After the tour, the gift shop with its unique souvenir items will be opened for us.
Directions: Moffett Field Museum, NASA Hangar One,
Moffett Airfield. (Located near the towns of Mountain
View and Sunnyvale.) Take the best route to connect
to Highway 101. From Highway 101, use the Moffett
Field exit. Tell the guard at the Main Gate that
you are part of the PBK NCA group tour of the Museum.
(Guard will have a FAX of participants' names.)
Follow guard's instructions. From the main gate,
travel as straight as possible keeping the large
hangar in view. When you can travel no farther,
park; you are near the Museum entrance.
Having just opened in March, the Seymour Marine Discovery Center is part of UC Santa Cruz's Joseph M. Long Marine Laboratory. (A couple years ago one of our scholarship recipients was a graduate student doing her research project at Long Marine Lab!) The Seymour Center provides the public with an authentic experience inside a working marine lab, featuring an exhibit hall with interactive displays and discovery labs, a theater, teaching aquariums, touch pools and an ocean discovery shop. (If you have ever enjoyed a visit to Monterey Bay Aquarium, you will find the Seymour Center an intriguing and complementary experience.) A special 45-minute docent-led tour has been arranged exclusively for our group. This will include a tour of the outside grounds, background on the significance of the ocean and its creatures in our life, and advice on highlights to look for when we return to tour the inside exhibits on our own.
Directions: Seymour Marine Discovery Center, 100 Shaffer Rd., Santa Cruz. From any direction, take the best route (e.g., Highway 17 if coming from San Jose) to connect to Highway 1 in Santa Cruz. From Santa Cruz, take Highway 1 (Mission Street), north. Turn left on Swift Street. Turn right on Delaware Avenue. Follow Delaware to the Long Marine Lab entrance at the end of the road (where Delaware intersects with Shaffer Rd.)
The Ruth Bancroft Garden, named for its designer who is the granddaughter-in-law of noted California historian Hubert Howe Bancroft, is a beautiful xeriscaped, water-conserving oasis. Internationally recognized as one of the finest private gardens in North America, the garden was the first in the United States to be sponsored by The Garden Conservancy. Pacific Horticulture magazine has noted that "Ruth's plantings are stunning compositions of foliage color, form, and texture; the result is a garden that looks good any day of the year." Featured plants include aloes, agaves, yuccas, and cacti.
Take the opportunity to see this hidden gem, which is only open to the public through a pre-arranged tour reservation. The tour takes approximately 90 minutes and the plant sale area will be opened after the tour by request. Parking is at a premium so arrive early or carpool or take BART to the Pleasant Hill Station where you can take the #107 bus line to 1500 Bancroft Road.
Directions: The Ruth Bancroft Garden, 1500 Bancroft Rd. (just north of where Bancroft Rd. intersects with Ygnacio Valley Rd.), Walnut Creek. From any direction, take the most convenient route to I-680. Exit I-680 either at Ygnacio Valley Rd. or Treat Blvd. If you exit at Treat, go east on Treat until you get to Bancroft, turn right, look for 1500 Bancroft. If you exit Ygnacio Valley Rd., take it until you intersect with Bancroft, turn left, watch for 1500 Bancroft which is close to where you turn onto Bancroft.
We will start with a cocktail reception at 6:00 PM in the Woodside Foyer. Our awards dinner at 7:00 PM., in the Woodside Room, will be followed by a brief meeting and election of the Association Board. You will get a year end report from our president and hear about the exciting things happening in our Association.
This is a good opportunity to meet next year's Board members, as well as the awardees to whom we will present the Scholarship and Teaching Excellence awards.
Note: Take the elevator to the third floor for the Woodside Room and Foyer.
Time: Reception 6:00 PM, Dinner 7:00 PM
Annual Meeting 8:00PM
Deadline: April 30, 2000
Cost: $45.00
Place: Stanford Park Hotel
100 El Camino Real
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Directions: From either the north or the south, take U.S. 101 to the University exit. Go west toward Stanford, through downtown Palo Alto. Go right on Highway 82 (El Camino Real). Continue beyond the second stoplight. The Stanford Park Hotel is on the right hand side by the palm trees. From either the north or south via Highway 280, take the Sandhill Road exit. Go east toward the shopping center. Staying on the left, you will go through the shopping center parking lot and then turn left on El Camino Real. The Stanford Park Hotel is on the right.
Dare to walk the San Andreas Fault where the earth's crust separated and moved 16 feet in 1906! Learn how parts of Los Angeles will eventually become an island off the Point Reyes peninsula! We will meet at 10:00 AM in front of the Bear Valley Visitor Center for an easy ½ mile walk along the paved, wheelchair accessible, Earthquake Trail. This will be followed by another easy ½ mile walk to the recreated Miwok Village which offers a glimpse of life in pre-European California. After our two walks we return to the picnic area next to the parking lot for our gourmet box lunches and soft drinks. Later, those interested in more walking or hiking can try some of the other trails in the area. A trail map is available at the Visitor Center.
Cost: $20.00
Directions: From either the north or the south, take U.S. 101 to the Sir Francis Drake Boulevard exit. From the intersection of U.S. 101 and Sir Francis Drake Boulevard in Corte Madera, take Sir Francis Drake west 21 miles to California Highway 1 in Olema. Take Highway 1 north 0.2 mile to Bear Valley Road. Turn left and take Bear Valley Road 0.8 mile to the Bear Valley Visitor Center. Follow the entrance road up the hill. Turn left into the parking area by the rest rooms. (Allow about one hour from U. S. 101.)
Guide dog puppies are born of the finest breeding stock, cared for by a devoted kennel staff, and placed in the homes of 4-H families at the age of 2 to 3 months. Later, professional instructors train the dogs to be guide dogs and also teach the class of blind men and women who receive those dogs as guides. To learn more about this fascinating work, join us for a tour of the San Rafael Campus followed by the heartwarming guide dog graduation ceremony.
Our tour begins at 12 noon. The graduation takes place at 1:30 PM. Tours are conducted rain or shine but may be canceled due to the health of the dogs. If there is a cancellation you will be notified and offered a new date. Seating for outdoor graduations is on a first come basis. (Inclement weather will necessitate moving the graduation indoors. In that case, due to limited seating, you will be seated in a room other than where the actual program is being held. However, you will view the ceremonies on a TV monitor.) No picnics will be allowed on the Campus. Cameras are welcome!
Cost: $7.00
Directions: Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc., 350 Los Ranchitos Road, San Rafael, CA 94903. From the north, take U.S. 101 South, exit at Freitas Parkway. Go straight; at the second stop light turn left. Follow Las Gallinas around Northgate Mall; at the corner of Northgate drive, Las Gallinas becomes Los Ranchitos. The Campus is the first left past Mt. Olivet Cemetery. From the south or east bay, take U.S. 101 North. Exit North San Pedro Road, west. This exit will take you under the freeway. Where North San Pedro Road ends, turn right on Los Ranchitos. The Campus is about ¾ mile down Los Ranchitos on the Right. Park in the upper parking lot.
It's a cruise - not just a tour! Join us for a two hour history cruise aboard Franklin D. Roosevelt's yacht, the "floating White House" where he relaxed, entertained and devised political, economic and war strategy. We will meet at the visitors' center where we view a video at 9:15 AM. We board the yacht at 9:45 AM. Dress in layers - it can be cold and windy out on the Bay. Also, rubber-soled shoes are a good idea as we will be climbing ladders. The public is not allowed to bring food on board - cookies and beverages will be provided.
Cost: $30.00
Directions: Franklin D. Roosevelt Pier, Foot of Clay Street, Oakland. From San Francisco, cross the SF-Oakland Bay Bridge and take the 880 South exit. Then take the Broadway, Alameda, Jack London Square exit onto 5th Street, turn right on Washington Street and right on Embarcadero to Clay. From the south, take 880 to the Broadway exit. Take Broadway to the left under the freeway and then left on Embarcadero to Clay. From the east, take 24 to 980. Take the 12th street exit onto Brush Street and make a left onto 5th Street, turn right on Washington Street and right on Embarcadero to Clay. Or, take the Oakland-Alameda-San Francisco Ferry to Jack London Square and walk to the foot of Clay. If you're traveling by BART, exit at the 12th Street City Center Station and connect to AC Transit Bus 58,59,72, 72L or 73.
Did you know that the San Francisco Bay and Delta comprise the West Coast's largest estuary? Encompassing approximately 1600 square miles of waterways, the bay and delta drain over 40 percent of the freshwater in the state!
The Bay Model is a three dimensional representation of San Francisco Bay and the Delta capable of simulating tides, currents, river inflows and other variables affecting water quality and movement in the Estuary. The model, operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers, spreads over 1.5 acres and is built out of 286 five-ton concrete slabs. Our ranger-guided tour of the Bay Model begins at 10:00 AM
Cost: $7.00
Directions: Bay Model Visitor Center, 2100 Bridgeway Blvd., Sausalito. Note that although the address is a Bridgeway Blvd. address, the huge, gold colored, concrete building that houses the model is actually located on Marinship Way, a frontage road that parallels Bridgeway Blvd. to the east, i.e., on the water side.
From the south take highway 101 to the Sausalito exit. Follow Alexander Avenue as it turns into South St., Second St. and then Bridgeway Blvd. (It is the same street; only the name changes.) through Sausalito. Turn onto Marinship Way and follow the signs to the Bay Model. From the north take highway 101 to the Marin City-Sausalito exit. Make a left and follow signs to Sausalito staying in the right lanes which will put you onto Bridgeway. Make a left at Harbor Drive and an immediate right onto Marinship Way. Follow the signs to the Bay Model.
Parking is on the east side of the building.
Asilomar
2000
WAVES AND WONDER: SCIENCE
AND MONTEREY BAY
Presidents' Day weekend, February 18-21, 2000
CALIFORNIA CULINARY
ACADEMY BRUNCH -Sunday, January 16, 2000
California Culinary Academy
625 Post Street
San Francisco
The second annual Phi Beta Kappa New Year’s Brunch will be held at the California Culinary Academy at 10:30 a.m. This event is back by popular demand after the huge success of our first Brunch this past January! Deadline for reservations is December 10th.
Directions: From the North - take the Golden Gate
Bridge and the 101 exit. Stay on 101 which turns
into Lombard Street and then Van Ness. From Van
Ness head East on Post to 625. From the East -
take the Bay Bridge (80) to Interstate 101 to Van
Ness. From the South - take Interstate 101 to Van
Ness. On Sunday morning there is usually plenty
of street parking available.
Limited to 50 participants
Cost: $35. Choice of entrees: Vegetable Quiche,
A Vegetarian’s Delight, Filet Mignon, Served
with Marchands de vin.
OPERA HOUSE BACKSTAGE TOUR - Sunday, January 9, 2000
War Memorial Opera House
301 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco
Attention opera lovers! Have you ever wanted to know more about the architecture and construction of the Opera House? Have you wondered about its colorful history? Have you always yearned to travel through the auditorium and behind the footlights to the artist dressing rooms, backstage area, and Wig and Make-up Department? If so, this is the tour for you! We are limited to a maximum of 30 participants.
CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES TOUR - Saturday, December 11, 1999
California Academy of Sciences
Golden Gate Park
Earth - Ocean - Space all in one place! The California Academy of Sciences is the home of the Steinhart Aquarium, the Morrison Planetarium and the Natural History Museum. Our docent led tour of the Natural History Museum begins at 10:45a.m. and lasts one hour. After the tour you may want to enjoy a sky show at the Planetarium. "The Christmas Star" (at 12:00 noon and 2:00p.m.) and "Mysteries of the Millennium" (at 1:00p.m.) will be presented.
OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA TOUR - Saturday, December 4, 1999
Oakland Museum of California
Oak & 10th, Oakland
The hour-long Highlight Tour of the Oakland Museum begins at 10:30a.m. It provides a good overview of museum exhibits and will last approximately one hour. Following the tour we will be free to explore the exhibitions on our own. These include "California Underground: Our Caves and Subterranean Habitats", a family-oriented exhibition exploring the diverse types of caves located in California; "Amazing Bikes: 2 Centuries on 2 Wheels", featuring examples dating from 1819 to present day; and "Meaning and Message: Contemporary Art from the Museum Collection."
Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual
Arts
Stanford University campus at Lomita Drive and Museum
Way
We have had many requests for this tour! The Cantor Arts Center opened its doors to the public in January of this year. The splendidly restored 1893 museum building is now joined with a new 42,000 square foot wing, an enhanced Rodin sculpture garden, and new gardens for late-20th and 21st century sculpture. It has the only comprehensive collection between San Francisco and Santa Barbara. Highlights include the largest group of Rodin sculpture outside the Musee Rodin in Paris, fine American and European drawings, prints, photographs, and paintings, and important works from Asia, Africa, Oceania, and Native America.
THE TREASURY OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI - Sunday, November 7, 1999
California Palace of the Legion of Honor
34th Avenue & Clement, San Francisco
This exhibit was a big hit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Now we have it here in San Francisco! The exhibit presents priceless medieval and early Renaissance objects from the collections of the Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi, Italy, San Francisco’s sister city. The treasures include panel paintings, textiles, ecclesiastical vessels and reliquaries, sculpture and illuminated manuscripts.
FILOLI TOUR - Saturday, October 16, 1999
Filoli, Cañada Road, Woodside
They definitely don’t make gardens like this anymore! Filoli, which is spread over 16 acres, is considered one of the finest examples of a private estate garden in the country. It is from another time, enveloping you in rare beauty, lovely colors and floral fragrances. Join us for a guided tour of the completely furnished lower level of the 1917 Georgian-style mansion and the extensive gardens. The tour takes approximately 2 hours.
MUIR WOODS & THE PELICAN INN - Saturday, October 2, 1999
For those of you who love to walk in the woods, Grace Albritton has arranged a hike that takes us from Muir Woods to the Pelican Inn. We’ll meet at 9:30 a.m. at the Visitor’s Center for an Introductory Talk by a Park Ranger before our hike. Afterward, you can have lunch at the Pelican Inn if you wish.
Born in Shanghai in 1943, Harold Wong held his first solo exhibition at the age of 19 and later continued his artistic pursuits in England and the US. The Hong Kong artist's classical training shows in his graceful ink-on-paper landscapes. We will also be treated to a tour of the museum's jade collection and its Buddhist art.
Annual Awards Dinner and Meeting, Saturday, May 15, 1999
The culmination of our year's work will be celebrated at the UC Berkeley Faculty Club as we honor exceptional students and professors with scholarships and awards for teaching excellence. Whether our scholarship recipients are studying the properties of quasars or the intersection of society and politics in Restoration plays, it is always gratifying and inspiring to hear about their work and to realize just how important our scholarships are in the lives of these worthy students. Choose from Roasted Cornish Game Hen stuffed with apple and sage and served with a cognac cream sauce or Grilled New York Steak served with a three-peppercorn sauce.
Berkeley Art Museum: When Time Began to Rant and Rage, Sunday, April 25, 1999
Do you recognize the title? This exhibit of 20th century Irish figurative painting takes its name from a line in Yeats' To Ireland in the Coming Times. On this private tour, our docent will illuminate the ways in which the exhibit — featuring works by artists both from the Irish Republic and from Northern Ireland — examines the intersection of Irish art, nationalism and political identity. Those interested in Ireland's literary figures will particularly want to see how some of this generation's artists have turned to such writers as Yeats and Joyce, as fitting subjects for paintings. In light of last year's Good Friday Agreement, our tour and talk will be particularly timely.
Point Arena Lighthouse, Saturday, April 17, 1999
Did you know that the devastating effects of the 1906 earthquake reached 130 miles north of San Francisco, to the Pt. Arena lighthouse? Originally built in 1870, in response to increased shipping traffic and resultant shipwrecks along the coast, the Pt. Arena lighthouse possesses a richly textured history that will be brought to life for us by our professional docent. We'll also want to spend some time in the on-site museum, which houses historical equipment, shipwreck artifacts and even the work of local artists and photographers.
San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, Saturday, March 27, 1999
Star Exhibit Executive Director and fellow Phi Bete Jane Przybysz will lead us on a private tour of the Star Exhibit, which features late 19th and early 20th century quilts that incorporate the star as a design motif. Why have stars been a favorite motif among American quilters since colonial times? Some needle workers embraced the star for its religious significance. Others valued it as a signpost in the night sky or as a marker of statehood. Loosely interpreting the meaning of the word "star," this exhibition also includes exceptional historical quilts that recently have become part of the permanent collection.
Jane's doctoral dissertation, Sentimental Spectacle: The Traffic in Quilts, is being considered for publication by the Press of the University of Mississippi. She came to the Museum in November from South Carolina, where she worked as Curator of Research and Folk life at the McKissick Museum.
Asilomar 99 - President's Day weekend 1999 - Historic Monterey: Adobes, Authors, Art - February 12-15, 1999
Sunday Brunch at the California Culinary Academy, Sunday, January 31, 1999
A visit to the Careme Room at the California Culinary Academy would be a treat, even if we weren't planning to have one of the most sumptuous Sunday brunch buffets around! The Hall that houses the Academy was originally named Deutches Haus and, in the early part of the century, was a social and cultural center for German immigrants. Since then, it has served as WWII Army barracks and has hosted such wide-ranging events as Samoan fire dances and concerts by Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead and U2.
The Hall's history is so rich and varied that you might be tempted to forget that you're there to sample the cuisine. You won't forget for long. This group of highly-skilled culinary artisans have offered, at recent brunches, delights like Grilled Atlantic Salmon with a touch of grapefruit and dijon, Eggs Benedict and Free Range Chicken Breast with Spicy Tomato Relish and Mango Coulis (plus four more entree choices). I plan to be disciplined, however — I'm saving room for the dessert buffet!
Berkeley Repertory Theatre's Antony and Cleopatra, Sunday, December 13, 1998
This was a great opportunity to see the Bard's
work performed by the Berkeley Repertory Theatre,
1997 winner of the Tony award for outstanding regional
theater. (In fact, Berkeley Rep. is one of only
three Bay Area companies that have ever received
Tony awards; the other two awardees were ACT in
1978 and the San Francisco Mime Troupe in 1987.)
Berkeley PBK Centennial - PBK NCA did not have our traditional PBK Birthday Party. This year we are celebrated the birthday by joining with the Berkeley Chapter (Alpha of California). In addition to the PBK birthday, we celebrated the Centennial of the Berkeley Chapter and at the same time the Centennial of PBK in California. The celebration consisted of two events.
The Phi Beta Kappa chapter at the University of California at Berkeley — one hundred years old in December — celebrated with a provocative lecture, a delicious dinner, and published glimpses of the past. We attended a lecture on campus to hear Professor Derek Bok, former president of Harvard University, discuss the university of the new century. A banquet in December was planned as a joint event for members of the Berkeley Chapter and the Northern California Association. A centennial publication was prepared by members of both groups to gather a bit of history together with memories of past initiates, complete with photographs.
The Centennial Lecture by Professor Bok was on campus on Thursday, November 19th. His latest book, The Shape of the River (November1998, Princeton University Press), is a study of the lives of 60,000 students of various races who were admitted by selected colleges in the 1970s and 1980s under affirmative action policies. His talk at Berkeley entitled What Affirmative Action Can Teach Universities About How to Improve in the Next Century had less to do with the usual affirmative action arguments than with the way in which we respond to the institutional changes a changing student body brings and try to improve the quality of teaching and learning in the new century.
The Centennial Banquet on Saturday, December 5th at the Faculty Club on the UC Berkeley campus was a gala event with good food, companionship, and a talk by California State Librarian Kevin Starr. The title was UC's Phi Beta Kappa Chapter: Those Historical Times. A no-host bar in front of a fire in the Howard Room was followed by dinner in the Great Hall.
Booklet Available...
To celebrate one hundred years at the University of California at Berkeley, the Chapter has published a booklet of 45 pages to summarize its history. The history was written by Professor Basil Guy. Also within the booklet are pictures of the ten founders, a letter from 1907 honorary member John Muir, lists of past Chapter presidents and California chapters, a history of the Northern California Association of Phi Beta Kappa, and reminiscences of initiates. Finally, the book includes the 1998 initiation address, Is Excellence Dangerous? by Professor Randolph Starn.
Those attending the Centennial Banquet received a copy of this booklet. If you would like additional copies or did not attend, copies are available for $2.50 each, plus shipping. To order, send us an , be sure to specify that you want the booklet Phi Beta Kappa, Alpha of California. 1898-1998 Centennial.
Elkhorn Slough Safari - Sunday, October 18, 1998
Join us on a two hour guided natural history tour aboard a 27-foot pontoon boat, as we are treated to close-up views of wildlife in one of California's largest coastal wetlands (bring your cameras!). On a recent tour, guests saw over 200 seals and hundreds of shore birds. As we travel down the seven-mile-long slough, a naturalist will provide us with an historical and ecological perspective of the area. At least six rare species can be found in the 3,000 acres of marsh and tidal flats, including peregrine falcons, Santa Cruz long-toed salamander, clapper rails, brown pelicans, least terns and sea otters.
Be sure to dress in layers, to wear comfortable,
rubber-soled shoes and to bring sun protection:
hat, sunscreen, sunglasses. If you forget your
binoculars, they can be rented on-site for $2.
Black Diamond Mine, California Mining History - Sunday, October 11, 1998
Our docent will lead us on a private tour of these mines, giving us a broader understanding of California's mining history. By the late 1800's, over 4 million tons of coal was mined from this field, using very little machinery; most of the production supplied the energy needs of San Francisco's residents and businesses. In the 1920's, the mines converted to silica and sand mines, the former commodity to be used for making glass, the latter for steel casting. While the dangers to workers in silica mines are less infamous than the dangers inherent in coal mining, they are sobering to consider. Bring your flashlights, wear comfortable shoes and join us to learn more.
Old
Oakland Walking Tour with Don Tyler - Saturday,
October 3, 1998
Those of you who attended last November's tour of the Camron-Stanford house will immediately recognize what a treat this event is: Don Tyler, our mesmerizing docent for that day — yes, he of the encyclopedic mind and the storyteller's sensibilities — will give us a private walking tour of "Old Oakland". We will stroll the historic commercial neighborhood situated at the terminus of the transcontinental railroad in 1869. Despite rigorous requirements, an astounding number of buildings in this area are on the National Register; we will see and learn about many of them. If you missed last November's tour, you must experience an event with the docent whom many Phi Betes have told me was one of our best ever!
Petaluma Tour and a Julia Morgan House - April 11, 1998
Mostly undamaged by the 1906 earthquake, Petaluma still retains the charm of the turn-of-the-century. We saw the block of "iron-fronts" built to be fireproof (they aren't), but still looking beautiful enough to be used in a number of movies. We visited the Carnegie-built library, now a museum, with its free-standing glass skylight. We heard about Petaluma's upcoming "Butter and Eggs" Parade and the "Cutest Little Chick" contest. And we learned about Petaluma's gold rush days as a river town.
After the walk, our President and Rory invited the group to their Julia Morgan-designed home for wine, cheese and a house tour. More than 700 structures designed by Julia Morgan were built, including six in Petaluma! The most famous, of course, is Hearst Castle, which Rory and Ray like to think of as "Julia's other house". They emphasized the quality of work, symmetry, use of curved surfaces, and abundant natural light as they guided us through the house, with it's fine natural woodwork and abundant wrought-iron railings.
Asilomar 98 - President's Day Weekend 1998 - The Millennium, February 13-16, 1998
Another successful event, now history! As California was celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Gold Rush in January, PBK-NCA members visited Sutter's Fort in Sacramento. We got a more complete picture of John Sutter, learning that he left his wife, his children and many unpaid debts in Switzerland when he traveled to America. He redeemed himself somewhat in our eyes when we found that he brought his family to the U.S. sixteen years later.
Throughout the fort, a fully-restored destination for early California immigrants, including the ill-fated Donner Party, docents in pioneer-era dress gave demonstrations of their daily activities: Women wove rag rugs, made soap and taught visitors how to write with a quill pen. Treadles hummed as they spun wool into thread. Men roasted meat, ran the smithy, made furniture in the carpentry shop and discussed leather tanning processes with visitors. Children pitched in and twisted rope or dipped candles.
As usual, a great time was had by all.
We celebrated our annual birthday with an elegant soiree at Scott's Seafood on Oakland's waterfront. We shared hors d'oeuvres and great conversation with other fascinating Phi Betes. But if you thought your test-taking days were over, you were wrong. We had a PBK Trivia Quiz! While most of us struggled with the answers to such questions as "How many US Presidents were members of Phi Beta Kappa", Bob Baronian amazed us with his correct answers!
Counting visits to PBK NCA!