Friday, September 26, 2025
Self-deprecating humor: both nights at Hume Lake Denice and I could not get the heat in our room to work. On one end of the room it seemed excessively cold and I kept saying, “It feels like a window is open.” You are way ahead of us on this one: I never opened the blinds and it was not until this morning I figured out why it felt like a window was open. Yikes!
Today we had our suitcases packed and out for the bus pickup by 7:00 a.m. We joined our fellow travelers for breakfast and then Denice and I dashed back to our cabin for last minute adjustments Or, at least that was the plan until I miss the last step of the staircase leading out of the cafeteria because I was gazing out across the lake at the cool fog.
Next thing I knew I was on my hand and knees. Yes, I scraped one knee and tore my good pants. Yikes!
All of us gathered on the bus for the last long ride together. After stopping at the fabled fruit ranch previously mentioned, we found ourselves at the Fresno Airport saying goodbye to our Road Scholar guides and friends.
Denice and I rented a VW Jetta Scout from Enterprise and ran around Fresno in the afternoon. A stop at the laundromat (and Starbucks) was first. Then a trip to Walmart got me new dress pants, some big Band-Aids and a couple of different drinks for the rest of the trip.
After freshening up at the same hotel we stayed in on the first night (Best Western Plus Fresno Airport Hotel) we headed out to a recommended Fresno area restaurant, Schoolhouse Restaurant & Tavern in Sanger. The chef is excellent, the atmosphere is cool and the waitstaff was great. We could not have asked for more after a week of cafeteria meals in the wild.
Mileage for the Day: 60
Saturday, September 27, 2025
Despite not being on the Road Scholar schedule today (and technically on vacation!!!) we still set the alarm for 7:00 a.m. because that is just who we are. This morning we wanted to have breakfast at a highly recommended Fresno spot, Branch Breakfast Company. This turned out to be a rather small spot but we did not have to wait and the food was good.
Being early on the way to our first destination Denice and I stopped at an estate in one of the richest neighborhoods in Fresno. Denice bought some jewelry but I did not find anything to get. However, both of us were totally blown away by this house which had a million rooms, a formal dining room that looked out at a Japanese garden, a back yard pool and a marble topped picnic table next to a giant gas barbecue. A little above our pay grade.
Our first stop of the day turned out to be a triple threat. We knew we were going to the Shinzen Friendship Garden, a Japanese-style botanical garden with water features and peacocks.
We also knew there was The Clark Bonsai Collection.
What we did not know was that the Gardens was celebrating the Central California Koi Society Annual Koi Show.
We went over a took a 90 minute tour of The Meux Home Museum. It was the residence of the Dr. Thomas Richard Meux family from 1889. His unmarried daughter Anne lived from birth to her death in 1970 before the city of Fresno took it over.
Our last stop of the day was another 90 minute tour, this time it was the Kearney Mansion Museum. Built by M. Theo Kearney, the first raisin king of the Fresno Valley, it became the Superintendent’s Lodge of his vast ranch while Kearney dreamed of building a castle for himself. He died before that happened but touring the Lodge was pretty cool.
M. Theo Kearney
Dinner tonight was sushi rolls at the Yoshino Restaurant before heading back to the Best Western Plus Fresno Airport Hotel.
Mileage for the Day: 188
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