Jack London Lives!

OpenRoad.tv's Doug McConnell looks for loval London hotspots

Not long ago, the delightful Scott Beale of Laughing Squid took me to see the birthplace of Jack London in San Francisco. I've been a Jack London fan for a very long time and have visited many of his haunts in the Bay Area and beyond. But I had never before been to the very spot near South Park where he was born in 1876. It was a surprising discovery for me and a reminder that Jack got around quite a bit in his short (forty years) but action-packed life.

Pieces of the London legacy are scattered hither and yon. Certainly, anyone interested in following in the footsteps of the famed journalist, novelist and adventurer needs to stop by Jack London Square in Oakland. But the best single place to get the full measure of the man is in Sonoma County's Valley of the Moon.

Jack London traveled near and far, but for most of his brief adult life his home base was his beloved Beauty Ranch in the hills above Glen Ellen. Most of his ranch is now Jack London State Park. Stop by and see where he lived and wrote, and where he farmed and first saw the flames that engulfed San Francisco following the 1906 earthquake. Take short walks to a lovely lake London created, to the poignant remains of his grand home that burned to the ground mysteriously before he was able to move in and to the simple volcanic rock that marks his burial site. Then, watch short film clips of London on the ranch and begin to understand why he was the most famous media celebrity of his time. Jack London was and still is a fascinating character, and in selecting a spectacular location to call home, he chose well. Fortunately, Jack London still lives in Glen Ellen.

For more of Doug McConnell's tips about travel in the West, visit www.OpenRoad.tv.

Posted at 03:21 PM in Doug McConnell’s OpenRoad.TV Tips | Permalink