"There is an ecstasy that marks the summit of life, and beyond which life cannot rise." - Jack London
This unique road trip will take you to two of Sonoma county's distinctive treasures, where we'll explore history, literature, architectural design and taste remarkable organic wines. This full day ‘ed-venture’ begins with a luxury motor coach ride from Davis to Glen Ellen, where we’ll make a quick stop to pick up gourmet box lunches from Glen Ellen Village Market. Shortly after, we’ll enter Jack London State Park for a two-hour tour of the House of Happy Walls Museum and London’s historic cottage where he wrote many of his later books. Our tour will be led by experienced and knowledeagble docents who delight in sharing Jack London’s legacy and the natural beauty of the park with visitors.
Built by Charmian London and Eliza Shepard (Jack London’s stepsister) the House of Happy Walls was intended to be Charmian’s home and later, a museum to showcase her adventurous life with the author. This Arts and Crafts style house features fieldstone walls with a unique interior design reflecting Charmian’s exclusive sense of style. The exhibits include a complete set of first-edition books by Jack London, a 1901 Steinway piano and many unique mementos and art pieces collected in the London’s travels worldwide.
The Cottage was the London’s principle home on the Beauty Ranch. Built in the 1860s as part of the Pioneer Winery, it was enlarged by London after his Wolf House was destroyed by fire in 1913. The Cottage was restored in 2006. Here, we’ll see artifacts, photographs and paintings from the London collection, lending insight to the vigor, humor and creativity central to life at their ranch.
At the conclusion of our tour, we’ll take a break for a picnic lunch in the park, before boarding the bus for short trip to Laurel Glen Vineyard's Tasting Room. While tasting 4 of their wines, we'll learn about Laurel Glen's long history, their old-growth Cabernet vines and their approach to organic farming.
PLEASE NOTE: OLLI Summer Membership of $10 is required to enroll in this excursion. A membership option will be offered after adding this excursion to your cart.
Participants should be prepared for extensive walking throughout the day, and standing for limited periods of discussion. At Laurel Glen, we'll be seated in their indoor tasting room for the talk and wine tasting. Wear sturdy footwear to adapt to uneven ground and comfortable clothing in layers to adapt to changing temperatures. Box lunch choices and further details for bus pickup and the day will be provided one week in advance. Please contact olli@ucdavis.edu with accessibility concerns before registering.