Cot Time Travel Agent

I dreamed that I was visiting a dear friend, north of San Francisco. I’ve known Keith since teenage days but haven’t really seen him, ‘cept on-line, since then.

In the dream, I’d rented a car (and was actually cool with driving!). I met him for lunch at his tech company’s posh cafeteria. Afterward, Keith went back to work and I tooled off to explore the area.

It was a wonderful, very happy dream. I do love travel – seeing new places and getting my Dora the Explorer mojo working.

IF I make this dream a reality, where would I go?

Image by Cullen328/Jim Heaphy

Def, the Winchester Mystery House. It's a mansion in San Jose which was once the home and art project of Sarah Winchester, who was the widow of death merchant. William Wirt Winchester.

Apparently, this 160 room, 24,000 square feet Queen Anne style monster started life as a modest eight room house, sitting on six acres of meadows and orchards. In Sarah's enormous grief she continually sketched out expansion ideas and hired teams to make 'em so.

See? If I had money, I could totes see myself doing this. I understand her motivation. Also too, just think of all the walls I could emblazon with murals!

Widow Winchester felt she was haunted by the ghosts of those killed with Winchester rifles. Huh. The house is supposedly still visited by gun violence victim's spirits. I imagine this is just so much marketing palaver but still – cool and creepy.

For my part, I’m more interested in the architecture than the ghosts. This is the house that Jack built but with mega dosh. Magic!

Where else would I go?

I'd hit the San Jose Art Museum which seems to have a very interesting permanent collection.

The Viet Museum too.

I’m wild about flea markets and, apparently, there’s a biggy here. This bit of copy at their site bugs the shit outta me though:

Mom will enjoy shopping for jewelry, fashion clothing, and fine collectibles. Dad’s treasure hunt may be for antique comic books, tools, or belt buckles. And the kids will delight in books, toys, funny t-shirts, baseball cards, and pony rides.

C’MON now! I’m a chick-type human BUT I’ve NO interest in “fine collectibles.” Comic books though? Ferris wheel rides? Funny t-shirts? Man lemme at ‘em!

Also ‘the fuck they mean by “fashion clothing?” Does this open air market have budding Chanels and Versaces hawking their artisanal next-wave wares?

Also, in San Francisco, I’d def want to make a pilgrimage to City Lights Bookstore. It was founded in 1953 by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. The Amazing Bob introduced me to his poetry as well as other writers from the Beat Generation – Ginsberg, Corso, Gysin and more. TAB would be so psyched!

The trick to making this dream trip a reality, is getting my chill on re: driving. I can do this!