“A Valley That Becomes More Exquisite As We Descend.“
“And so we ride on and on, down through Ukiah, and Hopland, and Cloverdale, down into the wine country. ”
Five miles North of Hopland, CA. In the Ukiah Valley (Also called Yokayo Valley), We are now following in the Northern California Valley of the Russian River, which the Narrator later calls “ …. down into the wine country.” This river, which originates from the mountains North of Ukiah CA, flows thru Mendoceno Lake. It then follows a valley, between two mountain ranges, for some 50 miles Southeast to Fulton, CA where it turns abruptly West. Here, it cuts through the western mountain range, to the Pacific Ocean. In this “wine country”, let’s remember a statement the Narrator made while we were back in the last high mountains of Oregon just prior to Medford OR (p317). There the Narrator, in anticipation of this very area of California said: “The road [they are on] drops steeply into a valley that becomes more exquisite as we descend. I never thought I would call a valley that—exquisite—but there’s something about this whole coastal country so different from any other mountainous region in America that it brings out the word. Here, “ [and] “a little farther south, is where all our good wine comes from. “
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(Photo = 117-1754 (PhotoSaveAs#1745=Wrong) …... ZMM Page = 372 ...... WayPt = 475x 0545ft)

Now We REALLY Are In Wine Country! A View of the Old Road South Out of Asti. “Exquisite!“
“[And so we ride on and on, down through Ukiah, and Hopland, and Cloverdale, down into the wine country.] The freeway miles seem so easy now. The engine which has carried us halfway across a continent drones on and on in its continuing oblivion to everything but its own internal forces. We pass through Asti and Santa Rosa, and Petaluma and Novato, …. “
Half mi South of Asti, CA. The Old Road that originally connected the series of towns going South from Ukiah to San Francisco, remains much as it was well before July 1968 when Chris and the Narrator through here. This is because all the fast traffic follows the "New" Rt101, a four lane divided restricted access highway, which is just West of the original Russian River Valley Road. This more modern high-speed, high-traffic road to San Francisco, by-passes all the towns. Low Quality. This photo shows the older road South out of Asti, CA. The above passage “through” not “by” (and earlier pages advising what quality roads to followed) would lead us to extrapolate and believe that the Narrator came along this very strip of pavement, straight through Asti, and continued South. In later passages, the Narrator says they were on a freeway. Either way, you should follow the old road, as a true Pirsig Pilgrim. Consult local maps or TopoZone, to see how to find, and travel, those sections of old road starting in Ukiah, CA. They will most assuredly be there!!
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(Photo = 117-1775+7 ...... ZMM Page = 372 ...... WayPt = 481x 0296ft)

A General View of Santa Rosa From the Rt101 Overpass Bridge
“ …. [We pass through Asti and Santa Rosa, and Petaluma and Novato], on the freeway that grows wider and fuller now, swelling with cars and trucks and busses full of people, …. “
Where Rt116 crosses Rt101, Santa Rosa, CA. If you have been watching the elevation numbers you will have noticed a gradual drop in altitude from Ukiah, CA (0545ft) to here at Santa Rosa, CA(0116ft). This is the general drop of elevation as we come down the Russian River Valley that we have been following. The river itself cuts through the mountain range to the West about 11 miles back. But this valley apparently continues, albeit uphill, from here South for at least another 25 miles. Ahead you will see the elevations for Petaluma, CA (0185ft) and Novato (0415ft). The whole trip, the ZMM Narrator has used the poetics of his words, to expand the force and meaning of his narrative. In fact, there are reasons to believe, that the real existence (“Good old reality”) of certain town names (or special scenery, or weather), helped Author Robert Pirsig, to set up the ordering of his chapters and corresponding topics. Notice in the captions of this series of Panoramas, how Pirsig works-in the poetics of Town Names: Hopland (Says to me “Hope-land”), Cloverdale (Says a Rich, Moist, Fertile, Full Of Clover Meadow), Petaluma (Says Luminous, Full of Light), Novato (Says New, Novel) and Santa Rosa (Says Beauty & fragrance of Roses) etc. To me, the literary effect of these these names raise aspirations for light, sunshine, optimism, and much hope for the future. Which is clearly the mood intended in Pirsig’s final paragraphs. These are the paragraphs, in which these real town names, in this very area California help contribute, in just 4 words, a delightful , but factual, closure to Mr, Pirsig’s book!!
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(Photo = 117-1783 .... ZMM Page = 372 ...... WayPt = 482x 0116ft)

In the Opening View You See, In the Distance Beyond the Irrigated Fields, a Few Scattered Houses of the Edge of Petaluma. CA . Plus, after Scrolling Right, More and More Traffic!!
“[The engine which has carried us halfway across a continent drones on and on in its continuing oblivion to everything but its own internal forces. We pass through Asti and Santa Rosa, and Petaluma and Novato], on the freeway that grows wider and fuller now, swelling with cars and trucks and busses full of people, …. “
In distance, Petaluma, CA. As you scroll (1/4 way) you will see the highway North. Continued scroll (1/2 way) you see a typical dry grass & weed California hill. Continued scroll (3/4 way), you see the highway South. Here, looking closely at the horizon you see hills. These hills are evidence that we must go up over a mountain range before we descend to the valley of the San Francisco Bay and Novato. Hills seen at the horizon, East and West, signify we are in a valley. Hills to the North, signify we have come down from the higher elevations North of Ukiah.
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Commanding Views Are Now Found at the Once Highly Fortified Gun Embankments High Over the Entrance To the San Francisco Harbor. END ZMM BOOK & LAST ZMM PANORAMA.
“ …. [on the freeway that grows wider and fuller now, swelling with cars and trucks and busses full of people], and soon by the road are houses and boats and the water of the Bay. .. Trials never end, of course. Unhappiness and misfortune are bound to occur as long as people live, but there is a feeling now, that was not here before, and is not just on the surface of things, but penetrates all the way through: We’ve won it. It’s going to get better now. You can sort of tell these things. .. “END ZMM BOOK
Golden Gate Bridge viewed from Fort Baker located on the Southern Tip of the North Peninsula, San Francisco Harbor Entrance, Sausalito, CA.
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(Photo = 118-1814+9 ...... ZMM Page = 373 ...... WayPt = 489x 0301ft)

3Mi West of Kimball MN Rt55 RR Overpass. NOTICE: This panorama looks the same as an earlier one you saw, but it is truly different! It is 3.4 Mega Byte Computer File, and hence will show fantastic photographic resolution, with clearest detail, sharpest photographic precision and largest possible size. ((HOWEVER, WARNING!! This may 30 minutes to load into your computer if you are on a telephone dial-up connection. With DSL it should take on a minute or so.)) But for the few that have either dsl or have the time to download, THIS is a GREAT PHOTO!!!

After you bring up this picture, mouse click on it to achieve the maximum size on your computer screen. You may have to spend some time adjusting your browser to see the best view. For example at top of web browser screen, click on View>Full screen, to get the maximum viewing height.. To see this IS a really big photo you may check its File Size of this Photo: On Windows Computers, Right Click on this photo. Then select properties where you will see the 3.425MB and the picture size as 1008 pixesl high ( = Over one full screen high. and 7092 pixels wide (= Six full screens wide)!!

Either way it's well worth your wait to see this amazing panorama. Originally I up-loaded this "crazy-large-photograph" JUST (and ONLY) to test the limits of the php Gallery Photo Album System and that of the Gallery Remote FTP Up-Load System. I as I explained to Paul Lewis why I did such a thing, I had an idea: "Now that I think of it, maybe I will leave it on my Panorama Gallery for a while, just so the ZMMquality.org visitor can see the WOW!!! But I'll warn them in advance as I did above!!!
(Photo = 102-0270 ...... ZMM Page = NA ...... WayPt = 003x 1212ft)

A Panorama Photo-Shop Experiment: This Is the Same “Abandoned Prairie Homestead and Windmill. Panorama” you saw early in this album, but Stacey Mosier has "removed the bad looking break in the middle of the panorama. You can email me as to which version you think is best. The highway going off into the distance at the beginning of the panorama, is West, the direction of the ZMM Route. As you "scroll" through this panorama your view will be all the way around the horizon, full circle!! The approximate panorama center is East, and opposite the direction of the ZMM Route.
12Mi West of Ellendale, ND. You must use the right (and bottom) "scroll arrow-keys" to view the whole picture..
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(Photo = 103-0359 +8 ...... ZMM Page = 042 ...... WayPt = 045`|w|' 1542ft )

Panorama Showing An Abandoned Prairie Homestead With Windmill. This Is the Same panorama You Saw Earlier, but Done With a Very Rough Stitch Process That Does Not Correct for Height Mis-alignment, Sky Brightness, nor Eliminates the Duplicated Scenery On Both Sides of Each Photo "Joint".
12Mi West of Ellendale, ND. Studying this "bad panorama example" will give you an idea what John Westbrook Jr. must do to make these wonderful panoramas you have been looking at!! Reminder: You must click photo until you get the largest view. You must use the right (and bottom) "scroll arrow-keys" to view the whole picture. The highway going off into the distance at the beginning of the panorama, is West, the ZMM Route direction of travel. As you "scroll" through this panorama your view will be all the way around the horizon, full circle!! The highway going into the distance (approximate panorama center) is East, and opposite the direction of the ZMM Route. .
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(Photo = 103-0359 8 RoughStitch ...... ZMM Page = 042 ...... WayPt = 045`|w|' 1542ft )

NOTE: THE FOLLOWING 2O PANORAMA, 360 DEGREE, SCENES WERE TAKEN VARIOUS PLACES ALONG THE SAN ANDREAS FAULT, FROM SOUTH OF PINNACLES NATIONAL MONUMENT TO THE INTERSTATE-5 TEJON PASS INTO NORTHERN LOS ANGELES AREA. THE CAPTIONS TO THESE PANORAMAS WILL BE COMPLETED ASAP. EMAIL ME IF YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION.
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Pinnacles National Monument (U.S. National Park Service)
Pinnacles National Monument is a release site for the endangered California condor, and the birds can sometimes be seen from hiking trails throughout the ...
www.nps.gov/pinn/
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