Menlo Park, second impressions

I’m beginning to sort out my place here. Best bet: leave the Villager in the driveway, take the bike. First, because gas is nearly $4.50 a gallon. Second, because there’s a thriving cyclist/green community here. It’s common to see people of all ages in helmets and bike shorts walking the aisles of Trader Joe’s or the hardware store—the two places I frequent the most.) So I can forego the spike heels and designer clothes and still have my own brand of “chic.”

Gauss has begun riding his bike to the train station, where he catches Caltrain to work in San Mateo. There’s a special car just for cyclists, so he can ride to his office at the other end.

I’ve also discovered Menlo Park’s huge and sparkling-clean municipal pool. Uncrowded, twelve lanes wide, and outdoors under the California sun, swimming really doesn’t get much better than this. The pool is a 1-1/2 mile bike ride from the cottage, so I get a double workout each time I go, and the car stays in the driveway. Today I bought an unlimited-use one month pass from a very friendly lady who remembered me from my first visit three days ago. 

Prices are going up everywhere, and the Bay Area leads the pack. However, there are three bargains to be had here. 

1. Fresh produce, while not cheaper than elsewhere, is outstanding. It’s picked one day and shows up in the store the next. I found a farm market about three miles from here, and loaded up on Rainier cherries, mangoes, and nectarines. 

2. For all its fashionable shops, Menlo Park has several inexpensive barbershops and hair salons. Gauss got a good haircut last weekend for half the price he used to pay in Minnesota. 

3. Wine! It’s become “Three buck Chuck” in Minnesota, but it’s still “Two buck Chuck” here.

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