Livermore: Technology Hub, Outlet Shopping Mecca, Wine Valley, and Gateway to Farms,

sunburnt fields of California Central Valley

This is my third time to visit Livermore ever since my daughter moved there from Seattle. But I never fully realized the importance and charm of this city until this trip. 

We drove from Vancouver, British Columbia and stayed overnight in Longview, Washington after looking at our newest investment rental house in Puyallup. The road to our second stop in Redding, California took us through smoke-filled freeways due to the raging wildfires in Oregon’s forests.

smoke-filled I-5 section in Oregon 

the Centennial Light Bulb

Since Redding is only three hours away from Livermore, we woke up early to catch the launch of my son-in-law’s project in downtown Livermore, Veteran’s Way. It is one of many that are meant to transform the downtown area, including last year's restoration of the historic railroad depot.  

Livermore: The Technology Hub

But it was because my eleven-year-old grandson was on summer break that I discovered the Guinness Book of World Records’ “Longest Living Light Bulb” in the world. Maintained by the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department, the Centennial Light is at least 118 years old (installed 1901) and has only been turned off a few times. This is the secret to its longevity. Turning on and off wears the filament down.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

He then asked us to take him to the Visitor Center of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. We have to thank him for this awesome find. It is the third of seventeen national laboratories under the Department of Energy. Founded in 1952 by the University of California in Berkeley at the height of the Cold War, its special mission was and still is to meet urgent national security needs by advancing nuclear weapons science and technology.

Visitor Center, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Located on a restricted one-square-mile at the eastern edge of Livermore, it also owns a 7,000-acre Site 300 which acts as its experimental test site about 15 miles southeast of the main site. With an annual budget of about $1.5 billion, the Laboratory has roughly 5,800 dedicated employees in its workforce. In 2012, livermorium, a synthetic and extremely radioactive element number 116, is the latest element to be added to the periodic table.  It was named after the city.

The Visitor Center is at the entrance to the Laboratory. It is hard to find because the address on the Internet is its mailing address (maybe intentionally so), It exhibits the importance of the laboratory and where laboratory tours can start if one applies for it (we will on our next trip). My grandson's favorite place to spend an afternoon, it also quickly became mine. It has things like the plasma ball (see video), the exhibits about Sierra 2, the second-fastest supercomputer in the world that is at the center of the Laboratory (the fastest is called Summit and is at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennesee which we had visited in 2012), and many interactive ways to learn more.

Sierra 2, the world's second-fastest supercomputer

Sandia Laboratories is a privately owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Situated right next to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, its mission is “to maintain the reliability and surety of nuclear weapon systems, conduct research and development in arms control and nonproliferation technologies, and investigate methods for the disposal of the United States' nuclear weapons program's hazardous waste.” So it works in partnership with the National Lab.

Livermore: Outler Shopping Mecca

San Francisco's Premium Outlets

My other daughter came down to visit from Calgary, Canada the following weekend/ We had so much fun shopping at the San Francisco Premium Outlets located just 40 miles from the windy city. Over 180 shops sell their products at heavily discounted prices here. The mall gets pretty busy on weekends and actually chokes on holidays. I love the business jacket I got for just $25.

Livermore Wine Region

Livermore: Wine Valley

Livermore is a wine region just as old as Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Although it is small with only thirteen wineries and vineyards compared to the latter regions’ six hundred, it nevertheless can compare with the quality. My daughter and son-in-law are members of McGrails so we had free wine tastings for the family one afternoon when my daughter who makes Melbourne home came to visit from her week's training at their San Francisco HQ.

Livermore: Gateway to Farms

When we left Livermore to drive back home to Phoenix, the vineyards changed into golden sunburnt fields. Now I know why it is called the gateway to the Central Valley. Soon these fields were punctuated by different farms: livestock, orchards, and other farms. The area is California's “single most productive agricultural region and one of the most productive in the world, providing more than half of the fruits, vegetables, and nuts grown in the United States.” It's such a beautiful road trip through these fields traversed by I-5.  

Livermore is an important California city and we are fortunate to have the opportunity to visit it at least once a year. We will share each discovery we make with you. If you have any questions now about the city, note them in the comments below and I will get back to you with some answers.

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