Rancho San Antonio

Jumping ahead again to the latest landmark August 1, 2010
Alameda County
Slipping out of San Francisco early on a Sunday morning with a day’s drive ahead, one must make prudent decisions about how many unseen landmarks to take on. This day there were six; four in San Francisco to complete all SF state landmarks, and three in Alameda County. It didn’t work, and three became two as the better half and daughter were restless and the GPS wasn’t helping.

A word about GPS; in the last few years of using one to go to these landmarks and elsewhere, it is without a doubt the greatest improvement in personal auto transportation since the headlight. That said, whoever programs these things has decided that an authoritative female voice works best and is something men will listen to. The girl in this unit (we’ll call her Nell) gives turn by turn directions with the warmth of a drill instructor with PMS. Shrill as a duck in a duck vise, Nell barks out commands, sucking the life out of music and conversation, but getting her captive audience to the church on time. It’s Nell’s fault that the better half decided to go on a landmark sabbatical and future trips will be solo.

Landmark inscription: NO. 246 RANCHO SAN ANTONIO (PERALTA GRANT) (S) - Governor Pablo de Sola, last Spanish governor of California, recognized the forty years' service of Don Luís María Peralta by awarding him the 43,000-acre San Antonio Grant on August 3, 1820. From this point northward, the grant embraced the sites of the cities of San Leandro, Oakland, Alameda, Emeryville, Piedmont, Berkeley, and Albany.
Location:  In city park 1033 E 14th, San Leandro 94577 (southern boundary of rancho) 37° 43.63′ N, 122° 9.475′ W

 Heading back to 1993.