I
have had a love for avocados since I was a little kid in the forties.
My father, coming from a tropical region, loved them & bought them
all the time. I remember going to the produce market in what is now the Embarcadero Center in the financial district of San Francisco when
it opened very early in the morning; he HAD to be there at six o'clock.
I HATED it! Getting up that early that is but once I got there I was
fascinated by the motion, the hustle and bustle, the rhythm and
excitement of all the men and machines shuttling boxes onto trucks for
delivery to who knows where!
Decades before I was there it was originally known as the Barbary Coast, a red-light district
during the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries that
featured dance halls, concert saloons, bars, jazz clubs, variety shows,
and brothels.
photographer unknown
The
Downtown Waterfront District has a rich history that dates from the
Gold Rush, a rough-and-tumble era that ignited when gold was discovered
in California during the 1840's. From April to December 1849, more than
700 vessels steamed through the Golden Gate filled with fortune seekers
hoping to strike it rich. Many of these ships were beached in their
berths and converted to warehouses, offices and saloons, the first
commercial enterprises near where Embarcadero Center now stands.
Tom White adored the avocado and always found a way to use it in creative ways that never ceased to astound me (links below).
The Early 2000s: Avocado toast was becoming the unofficial breakfast of the hot and trendy, and guacamole was the life of the party.
The Brilliant Idea: A Day for Avocado Lovers! Somewhere
in the depths of the dark recesses of the internet, a bunch of avocado fans had a
wonderful idea: create a special day to honor their favorite fruit. And
so, National Avocado Day was born! They wanted a day in which the world
could come together to celebrate the goodness of avocados – and July
31st became THE date.
Viewfinder links:
Corona Virus isolation ~
Day 189: Chicken, Avocado & Tomato
Day 461: Salmon & avocado frittata
Net links:
Avotosty ~ WTF is National Avocado Day?
Embarcadero Center ~ Embarcadero Center History
Discovery Walks ~ North Beach and San Francisco’s Barbary Coast
National Calendar ~ National Avocado Day
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