Modesto

The tallest building in Modesto is the Doubletree Hotel. The second tallest building is an 18-screen movie theatre. That tells you a lot about the town.

Granted, I'm predisposed not to like the place. Back in the early '70s, Gallo took to marketing its wines under different brand names to get around the UFW-based boycott. The way you could tell a wine was actually Gallo was that it was bottled in Modesto. Hence, long before I ever set foot in California, Modesto had negative connotations for me.

After we moved here, Modesto became a place we had to get through to get to Yosemite. Strike two.

But it isn't a complete waste. There are a few cool old buildings here and there--a classic California-style post office from the teens or '20s, the McHenry Museum and mansion. There's a pretty good taco truck not too far away. Food is a lot cheaper than in downtown San Francisco, and the people are friendly.

Still, I miss San Francisco already. How could I not?

[That's all, folks]