CA: Golden Bear Winnies

The Golden Bear Winnies held their most recent outing in Vacaville, CA from February 16-19, 2023 at the Vacaville RV Park. 

   Nenita and Mike Burns were the Wagon Masters. Those members and guests who arrived on Thursday enjoyed a group dinner at King's Buffet, a Chinese restaurant in Vacaville. On Friday, several members toured the Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield. The self-guided tour takes you along a 1/4 mile journey above the factory floor through the production, warehouse and shipping departments. The tour includes interactive exhibits, games and the Jelly Belly Jelly Bean Art Gallery, consisting of portraits made entirely of Jelly Belly Jelly Beans. Some of the more notable portraits included Elvis Presley, James Dean, Joe Montana, Dr. Martin Luther King, General Jimmy Doolittle, and President Ronald  Reagan, who famously kept a jar of Jelly Belly Jelly Beans on his desk in the Oval Office during his presidency. After the tour, we had lunch at the Jelly Belly cafe, shopped at the Jelly Belly Candy Store, the Chocolate Shoppe and Fudge Counter. On Friday evening, we had Happy Hour followed by a heavy appetizer potluck dinner with dessert provided by the Wagon Masters. After dinner, we spent time socializing, playing cards and playing Left, Right, Center. 

    Breakfast on Saturday morning included eggs, biscuits and gravy, fresh fruit and juice provided by the Wagon Masters, followed by our Business Meeting. After the Business Meeting, several members visited the Rowland Freedom Center, an aviation and military museum in Vacaville. Among the current exhibits on display are a replica of General George Patton's briefing room, an authentic 1944 Willy's Jeep, a replica of General Erwin Rommel's W31 Command Car used in the movie, "The Desert Fox," and an exhibit honoring those servicemen who were killed or injured aboard the USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. 

The aircraft collection includes a 1937 Ryan STA, which was on display at the Nut Tree restaurant until its closing, a 1966 Bell Helicopters UH-1 "Huey" used in Vietnam, and a 1912 tractor biplane built in San Francisco by teenage brothers Willy and Arturo Gonzalez. It is considered one of the first planes to be successfully flown in the Bay Area.

On Saturday evening, we had an Italian potluck dinner with Italian Wedding and minestrone soups, salad, spaghetti with meat sauce, ravioli, garlic bread, and tiramisu. After dinner, we played games and cards. Sunday was getaway day. We had a continental breakfast with juice, muffins, yogurt and fresh fruit before packing up and heading for home.         

 The next outing of the Golden Bear Winnies will be held at Sugar Barge in Bethel Island from Thursday, May 18-21, 2023. If you would like to attend this outing as a guest, or are interested in joining the Golden Bear Winnies, please contact Club President Pam Schmidt at [email protected] or you may reach her directly at 925.200.1326.