Around Town Community
Weekend Getaway
September playlist for your
Galilee
The Matthew Turner is a brigantine, a type of sailing ship with square sails. It has 11 sails in all, giving its young crew plenty of chances to do a job, get involved. Fittingly it is a model of sharpthinking innovation, built with a mix of 19th century shipbuilding methods and the best craftsmanship of today. Constructed of Douglas fir and Oregon white oak, it sports biofuel generators, banks of Lithium batteries, and a hybrid energy system that harnesses the wind when the ship is under sail to recharge its two electric motors. Call of the Sea, an educational nonprofit, operates The Matthew Turner along with its sister ship, the schooner Seaward. In the last decade, more than 50,000 students have sailed on the Seaward. Olson, Call of the Sea’s co-founder and project director, envisions a similar “floating classroom” role for the Turner, although, like the rest of the world, its activities of late have been curtailed due to Covid. The ship is docked at the Bay Model Visitor Center pier in
“His creative, entrepreneurial, visionary spirit is on full display at a pier in Sausalito, in a sleekly beautiful, 132-foot, $6 million wooden tall ship” Sausalito, but no tours are currently being conducted on it. Groups of students have gone sailing on it, on outings organized by their parents. School field trips are in the offing. Although no one locally has done so yet, it seems only a matter of time before Benicia teachers and parents organize outings for students to jump aboard this extraordinary example of living history. Ever the man of vision, Alan Olson has a much bigger dream involving Benicia, though. “We’d love to come up there,” he said. “We’d love to come up and stay for a few days. Take the kids out and the adults too.” Even as he said this he urged this writer to please soft-sell the idea because so many uncertainties exist around it. “We’d have to see how deep the channel is there. We’d have to take soundings,” cautioning that the thing may not be doable. But what if it was? What if it happened? What if The Matthew Turner, helmed by Olson with some young Benicia sailors as crew, sailed up the river into Matthew Turner’s old shipbuilding town? One can imagine a school band playing, sailboats welcoming it from the water, crowds lining the pier and shoreline to watch, a gala, maritime-inspired civic celebration for young and old, up and down First Street. That would be pretty grand, wouldn’t it?
n Aly Mickelson With summer coming to an end, the long weeks we are able to take off for vacation unfortunately are too. But fear not; not all hope is lost! Weekend getaways are a great way to get that vacay fix in without taking the time off school or work. Being from California, we are lucky enough to live in such a diverse state with so many different things to see all within one place. A quick road trip up north to the trees or a hopper flight down south to the beach are just a couple of options for when those weekdays become too much, and you need some time to decompress. With the perfect playlist to get through the hours on the road or in the air, you'll be feeling that summer vacation vibe all year long. Plus, we can't forget those three-day weekends! Labor Day is already right around the corner. Talk About — Seaforth Fast Car — Tracy Chapman Dancing in the kitchen — LANY Mary Jane's Last Dance — Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers I Don't Wanna Lie — Yola drivers license — Oliva Rodrigo Crimson and Clover — Joan Jett & The Blackhearts Ride Wit Me — Nelly, City Spud Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me) — Train She Looks So Perfect — 5 Second of Summer Lost In Yesterday — Tame Impala Latch — Disclosure, Sam Smith PMA (feat. Pale Waves) — All Time Low, Pale Waves All For You — Janet Jackson Runaway — AURORA September — Earth, Wind & Fire
PICKET FENCES n Darrell Mcelvane
September issue available online at beniciamagazine.com
BeniciaMagazine.com • 15
