CROCKER MUSEUM

CROCKER ART MUSEUM
We had an interesting trip last Wednesday, (March 17). We left Quail Creek at 9:15 a.m. to visit the Crocker Art Museum in downtown Sacramento. We arrived at the Museum, at 10 a.m., after a 45 minute ride eastward along the I-80 corridor. There were five residents of Quail Creek along - four women and me. This 4/1 ratio of women to men, also holds true for our whole complex. Kelli, our Activities Director, and Tony, our driver, occupy the “pilot and co-pilot/navigator” seats.
A routine ride eastbound on I-80. We passed the local Arco gas station and gas was posted at $3.06/Gal. The April Futures for crude oil today is about $82/bbl. The weather is balmy - high cirrus clouds and sunny. The temperature is probably around 60. I am enjoying the Irish green hills en-route. Their color is only appropriate on this St. Patrick’s Day! In another couple months, as their natural watering ceases, they will become golden mounds - equally nice to behold.
We are passing a billboard touting Cache Creek, our local gambling casino. We are about due to pay the “Indian” resort a visit - to “pay our dues”. We are passing the new Kaiser medical complex, north of Vacaville. Each time I see the tan buildings, rising majestically from the surrounding flatland, I not only see first class construction, but I also see the pleasing silhouette of a skilled architect’s design.
Signs of the lousy economy, are the vacant lots of many auto dealers, who were forced to close. When you occasionally see an auto dealer-ship still in business, huge auto inventories abound. I can almost hear the new cars’ appeals - “Please, won’t you take me home?” - similar to the barking pleas from the residents of your local dog pound. On our left, we are passing the huge “Campers World” jammed full with recreational vehicles. These units, too, are anxious to find a good home. But, with the tanked economy, and high price of gasoline, their chances aren’t very good.
We are passing the large Pacific Gas and Electric sub station, off the freeway, to our left. This is an old facility. By “old,” I am talking decades - as long as I can remember. And I have a good memory! I started day dreaming, and wondered how many years before all the wiring would be underground, and one wouldn’t even know the unit had been there. But, before the next century begins, electricity will be developed locally by nuclear power plants, and it is anybody’s guess how it will be distributed.

The many fruit orchards, between Vacaville and Davis are patiently, and anxiously, waiting for the first day of spring - when they can burst forth in all of their colorful finery. The bees will be happy, too.
We are passing near the University of California campus at Davis. Recently, Mary and I spent two hours every Saturday morning, for six weeks, at the University’s “Mini-Medical School”, graduating last Saturday. Nearby is the nice looking “Mondavi Center for the Arts” complex. It opened about ten years ago - yet it seems like only yesterday! When Robert and Margrit Mondavi contributed ten million dollars towards the building, it was only proper to honor them, and their generous gift, by naming the facility after them. I have only admired the building from the freeway. I am looking forward to going inside one of these days.
I can see an orange Syar concrete -delivery truck on the overpass moving over the freeway. Sue’s husband, Tom, drives for Syar. This truck was probably loaded out of Syar’s Woodland plant, where Tom works out of their Fairfield plant. We are passing a load of hay. That’s an expensive cargo! It is probably worth $5,000! I always see trucks pulling trailers loaded with containers - both loaded ones, outbound from the Port of Oakland, or “empties”, heading back. I used to see a lot more of them, before the economy worsened. I wonder if Google’s complaint about China’s censorship of their internet transmissions, will become political, and reduce our exports/imports to and from China?
We are traveling on the Yolo Causeway - over a swampy area. Part of the lowland is wet, and has the pattern of a rice field. Usually, rice is grown further north in California. I notice a “Swift” truck traveling westbound in the opposite direction. This company’s trucks stand out because Tom used to drive for Swift, when Sue and he were living in Chico.
I can see the outline of the high-rise buildings in downtown Sacramento off to the left, as we exit the freeway. A sign welcomes us to Downtown Sacramento. Tony pulls up in front of the museum on the corner of Third and O Streets to let us off.
Marie and I visited this Crocker Museum 60 years ago, when I was stationed at Mather Field, during the Korean War. While I pride myself on my long-term memory, I can’t recall any of the details in the museum. Two of our group were using their power chairs. So, I looked for a ramp to enter and leave the museum, but I didn’t see one. All I saw was about 25 or 30 steps - leading from our ground level to the massive front door of the Crocker family’s former mansion. The Crocker family was prominent during the 1800’s.The Museum is 120 years old, and originally, it was the Crocker family’s home. I was wondering how the Museum got away with not complying with the ADA regulations? About that time, a lady met us (Kelli apparently had called the lady, from her cell phone, for directions), and directed us into the museum. She took us in, through the front-delivery entrance on the ground level - left side. Once inside, we used the elevator to go up to the first floor -entry way, where we paid our $4.00 admission fees.
It is hard for me to believe such wealth as the Crockers had. According to Wikipedia, the collection of the Crockers totaled over 14,000 pieces, and features California art from the Gold Rush days until today. The various items are first quality, and exceptional. I can’t remember seeing any finer exhibit - even the White House’s presidential china collection
A lot of beautiful hardwoods were used in constructing the Victorian style - house. I’ve never seen a more attractive wooden staircase, winding up between the first and second floors. (sliding down that long-winding banister would be a thrill!) The flooring is also all hardwood. When it squeaks in a few places, as you are walking, you know that it is old!
To see the huge ball room was overwhelming, and worth the trip alone. I was very interested in the three plaster pieces of figures. I have never seen any art of this type. There was a long-high ceiling- room, which was an art gallery. I don’t know how many paintings were hanging on the four walls. (I would hate to take inventory and catalog them all.) The paintings were almost touching frame to frame - floor to ceiling. I can’t imagine how much the Crocker family invested in these paintings, let alone the time to find, purchase and hang them. In all these paintings, I didn’t see a print of “The Lovers”, by Pablo Picasso! I thought that my apartment was well “pictured“, but nothing like this art gallery.



A modern addition to the museum is being constructed next door, and will be tied in with the present mansion portion, to triple the size of the museum. The architects concept started in 2002, and the building is scheduled to open on 10/10/10! I hope we will have another outing to see the interior of this new portion. I am sure that the ambience will be much different than the mansion portion of the museum.
With no handicap ramp, we had to leave the museum through the basement exit. This exit was to the left of where we entered - about an hour and a half before. We walked through the museum’s research library. I was surprised that no one was looking through the stacks of material. As I was about to go out the door, I noticed, to my left, a lady employee sitting at a desk. She seemed “bored”. I said, “I guess you are waiting for customers”? She gave me a fishy-eyed look, and beckoned me to come over to her desk. Which I did. She never spoke a word. She pointed to the monitor on her desk. I looked and saw eight small screens, showing scenes from the various security cameras. I left, and neither of us spoke.(?) Besides this electronic surveillance, there were security personnel walking through the various exhibit areas. Tony loads us aboard, and at 11: 30, we leave for Fairfield.
The museum is close to the Highway 50 freeway, so it is an easy access and exit. We cross the Sacramento River, and are back in Yolo County. I can see four green mounds in the wetlands below the Yolo Causeway. Now, there is a high overcast, as I see a few ducks flying by - in formation. On our right are four box cars parked on a siding. A sign of our degenerate society, is the massive graffiti painted on the idle cars.
Tony leaves I-80 at Davis, and we stop at the Sudwerk - Micro Brewery for lunch. It is a nice place to eat. We have been here before.
We are off once again at 1:25. The weather has changed. Now, there is high-filtered sun. I don’t know what is going on , but we pass a solo lady driver - out of her car on the right shoulder, with FOUR Highway patrol cars parked in front, and behind her car! We travel a few miles west and two more California Highway cars are parked on the side of the highway! We are between the Vacaville and Dixon exits, and a Highway Patrol car passes us and pulls over to the right siding to join another patrol car parked there. I am wondering what is going on? Apparently, all of the Golden Gate Division is on duty today, and they are all in this locale!

The mustard seed is still blooming, but apparently all of the California poppies have left us. At least I haven’t seen any on this trip. We are passing the old Nut Tree Restaurant area. It sure brings back many pleasant memories of meeting people there for lunch - Maggie and Steve Gibbens; Pat and Mac MacDonald; Margot and Woody Duryea; Alta and Mickey Harrigan; Marie’s sister Merle and husband Bob, and many others I can’t recall. Of course, our family went there many times - always to their “Pumpkin Patch” during the Halloween season. We always enjoyed our visits during their decorative Christmas season.
When my sister Jeanne, and husband Bob, visited us, they always wanted to make the “Nut Tree run.” Usually, they came out from Michigan in their Pace Arrow motor home. It was a beauty, but the 28 foot monster looked a little strange, parked on the street, in front of our house on Camino Alto, in Vallejo. I think that Jeanne drove it only once - when she spelled Bob on one of their cross-country jaunts. Going around a tight curve in the mountains she came too close to the cliff on right side of the road, and “branded” the side of their motor home! Marie and I were always impressed with the cost for them to fill their 50 gallon gas tank. I think it was $50! Today, that would be more like $150! I asked Bob what kind of mileage he got. He said, on the straight and level, he averaged about 6 mpg. He volunteered that my question was the first one that people asked him. Those were the good old days!
We arrived back at Quail Creek at 2:00, after a very nice day.

RCL - 3/26/10.