Friday, October 31, 2014

San Francisco Time

We had a big, non-stop adventure in San Francisco.

Our first full day there began with a visit to the Presidio. This is a beautiful, natural area of San Francisco that was used as an army post for over two hundred years.

While there, we spent a little time exploring the Palace of Fine Arts, an ornate, classic building that was originally constructed in 1915 for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. 

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It was a Sunday and a nice day for the beach. I hear that October is one of the warmest months there. It was so pleasant.

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This city’s fog is such a presence, such a character.

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We left our car in an affordable garage near stunning City Hall (below) and took public transportation the rest of the day. Well, we planned on that, but we ended up mostly walking.

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The poverty, drug abuse, and homelessness (sometimes seen separately, sometimes apparent all together) we ran into near that garage was jarring. In so many cities we’ve been on this trip there is extreme poverty right next to over-the-top opulence. People leaving on the street in front of million dollar condos. It is heartbreaking, confusing, and something I have to mention. I gotta say, though, there is always hope to be seen, that’s for sure. For instance, coming across a tiny community garden in a vacant lot.

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Riding the streetcar was a highlight from my childhood trip.

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It was a delight to ride it again.

We stayed with our sweet friends Mara and Mel (below).

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About a week after we left, they got engaged. I’m so happy for these two awesome people! They look good together, right?

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One grand side-benefit to this trip is visiting friends in their home bases and spending quality time. We all ate sushi at a cute little place and then went on a huge walk.

We ventured to Alamo Square, where the famous and gorgeous row of (below, behind me) Victorian houses sits. These homes are known as the “Painted Ladies,” but I kept accidentally calling them the “Pretty Ladies,” which I think could work too.

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We spent some time in The Mission and The Castro districts. People-watching and admiring the murals was an excellent way to spend the afternoon.

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There was a festival happening, complete with naked guys holding political signs.

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We made it to Haight-Ashbury, which definitely was touristy.

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We bought a much needed knife at the Goodwill there. On this trip, we had been using leftover plastic utensils from our wedding up until then. A plastic fork had broken while making sandwiches and there were little pieces of plasticware in our peanut butter. No good – we were so thrilled with this purchase.

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To complete the day, Niall and I hiked up to Twin Peaks, at a steep 922 feet in elevation, among stacked expensive, glorious houses. What a journey!

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What a view!

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We were sore the next day from our day of walking, but it was well worth it.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Golden Gate

The journey is just as important as the destination. I am learning this in such a big way on this trip. Weaving along Highway 1 in California was so beautiful, though it made us a little dizzy after awhile with it’s curviness and closeness to cliffs overlooking the ocean.
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On our way to San Francisco, we stopped for a sunny, ocean-side picnic in Mendocino.
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It was a nice little break before making the journey to the great, bustling city of San Francisco.
Entering this city was magnificent.  It was important to dwell a bit at the Golden Gate Bridge.
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It is quite a sight.
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We hadn't been to this city since we were kids, so it was exciting to be back.
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We both have a photo as a small child with the Golden Gate Bridge behind us, so we  tried to re-create this.
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I’ll have to dig those old pictures from our childhoods out and post them later.
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We could tell we were in  for a great time from the moment we crossed into San Fran. Quite an impression this city makes right off the bat!

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Humboldt County, CA

As we were leaving Crater Lake, a mama black bear and her two cubs ran in front of our car. It was an incredible moment, though we’re so glad they didn’t cross a moment later, as we may have hit them.

It was a full day of good and bad. Right after we entered California, we got pulled over. Niall wasn’t speeding, but we got a speeding ticket. What a bummer. 

Even so, one of my favorite spots on this trip was northern California.

The Pacific ocean took my breath away.

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There was not only the great ocean, there were the great trees.

It was an honor to walk among these ancient giants.

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There was a man playing a flute, thinking he was alone among the redwoods. It was such a mystical place, the music fit perfectly. I’m so glad we heard it.

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These trees have such a strong will to survive, living for hundreds, sometimes thousands, of years. The ones that fall sprout burls, producing new trees. They also provide homes for many little creatures and plants. Such beauty - the life down there is a totally different world than the life in the higher levels. Each level has its own vibrant  world.

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These trees invite hugging. We all had to do it. You get a real sense of how small you are in this place, as well as how connected everything is – I loved it.

Both Niall and I loved the show The World of David the Gnome when we were children. Deep in the Redwoods is where we expected him to appear, popping out from behind a tree, on top of Swift the Fox’s back.

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