kittenscribble (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
kittenscribble) wrote2005-07-16 03:06 am
kittenscribble) wrote2005-07-16 03:06 am
CA report: Thursday, Friday
Posting from the lobby of the pink Best Western in San Francisco, which boasts a WiFi hot spot. I've managed to tear K away from Planarity, but I don't know how long I'll be able to maintain control of the laptop, so I'll be quick. (Besides, it's pretty late.)
Thursday we drove from San Jose up north past San Francisco, which took longer than either of us expected (and took more gas, too). San Francisco is a funny place, weatherwise; San Jose and points south the weather was hot and sunny, and as we approached SF we found ourself rolling into a bank of fog. People were wearing jeans and jackets, and we shivered our way through town. On the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge it was hot again, and off went the jackets and down went the convertible top. Funny city, San Francisco.
Marin County is on the other end of the Golden Gate Bridge, and since Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Marin County Civic Center we decided to head on over for a look. Interesting place, lots of spheres and arcs and indoor plants. Bit lacking in the way of air conditioning, though.
Afterwards we headed over to Muir Woods to see the famed California coastal redwoods. They didn't disappoint, tall skinny red trees that reached so high I was dizzy trying to see the top. We listened to an ecology talk from an old park ranger, and walked a good two miles along a trail. We attempted to drive out to Muir Beach and look out over the ocean, but the fog rolled back in and we couldn't see a thing.
Then back down through San Francisco, into the rain and fog and out again, and back into sunny San Jose. Dinner with K's cousins at a great Chinese place, where one can get cheap good food (including black bean oysters, omg those were delicious) if one can read the Chinese menu. We stuffed ourselves and bickered over who would eat the last oyster. (K lost the battle and ate it for breakfast the next day.)
Friday we woke and headed up to SF for the last time this trip. We arrived determined to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge and back. It was a windy trip (into the fog and out again), but we probably got some good photos out of it, and arrived before the meter expired. (We thought we'd cut it close but apparently we were just fine; someone else saw fit to put money into our meter, either accidentally or generously, and we had plenty of time.) Next K drove down Lombard Street, the infamously curvy downhill drive. It was gorgeous; I took a video. (Also, it was the slowest he's driven all week.)
After Lombard Street we headed back to our hotel, a trip made interesting by SF's one-way streets, trolley-only lanes, and sudden turn lanes. After a few looparounds I managed to get us into the parking lot, from which we have not moved. For dinner we headed over to a garlic-oriented restaurant called The Stinking Rose by way of Chinatown and the porno district along Broadway. We managed not to stuff ourselves on Chinatown snacks along the way and got to the Stinking Rose in plenty of time. Definitely recommend the place. We had a garlic/spinach fondue, a lamb chop braised in garlic served with garlic mashed potatoes, and the surprise of the night was the garlic ice cream with a caramel mole. Very, very good, despite my mouth's insistence that the garlic bite meant I should be eating something savory, not sweet.
The weather turned windy and cold when we left but we were determined to start our walking tour nonetheless. We stopped to listen to a trio of street musicians, two guitarists and one guy playing a bass. Then we headed uphill (and I mean really, really uphill; San Francisco is insane) until we couldn't take it any more and went back to our bus stop by way of a much quieter Chinatown. We almost missed the bus due to my shoelaces and K's propensity for taking nighttime photo exposures, but we made it by running the last block and even got to the heated pool before it closed. There's something really cool about being in a rooftop pool, steam rolling off the surface of the water, with a view of the taller San Francisco buildings vanishing into the fog.
And now it's probably time for bed. Or maybe K wants the laptop back so he can play his next Planarity level. (11, for the curious.)
Thursday we drove from San Jose up north past San Francisco, which took longer than either of us expected (and took more gas, too). San Francisco is a funny place, weatherwise; San Jose and points south the weather was hot and sunny, and as we approached SF we found ourself rolling into a bank of fog. People were wearing jeans and jackets, and we shivered our way through town. On the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge it was hot again, and off went the jackets and down went the convertible top. Funny city, San Francisco.
Marin County is on the other end of the Golden Gate Bridge, and since Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Marin County Civic Center we decided to head on over for a look. Interesting place, lots of spheres and arcs and indoor plants. Bit lacking in the way of air conditioning, though.
Afterwards we headed over to Muir Woods to see the famed California coastal redwoods. They didn't disappoint, tall skinny red trees that reached so high I was dizzy trying to see the top. We listened to an ecology talk from an old park ranger, and walked a good two miles along a trail. We attempted to drive out to Muir Beach and look out over the ocean, but the fog rolled back in and we couldn't see a thing.
Then back down through San Francisco, into the rain and fog and out again, and back into sunny San Jose. Dinner with K's cousins at a great Chinese place, where one can get cheap good food (including black bean oysters, omg those were delicious) if one can read the Chinese menu. We stuffed ourselves and bickered over who would eat the last oyster. (K lost the battle and ate it for breakfast the next day.)
Friday we woke and headed up to SF for the last time this trip. We arrived determined to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge and back. It was a windy trip (into the fog and out again), but we probably got some good photos out of it, and arrived before the meter expired. (We thought we'd cut it close but apparently we were just fine; someone else saw fit to put money into our meter, either accidentally or generously, and we had plenty of time.) Next K drove down Lombard Street, the infamously curvy downhill drive. It was gorgeous; I took a video. (Also, it was the slowest he's driven all week.)
After Lombard Street we headed back to our hotel, a trip made interesting by SF's one-way streets, trolley-only lanes, and sudden turn lanes. After a few looparounds I managed to get us into the parking lot, from which we have not moved. For dinner we headed over to a garlic-oriented restaurant called The Stinking Rose by way of Chinatown and the porno district along Broadway. We managed not to stuff ourselves on Chinatown snacks along the way and got to the Stinking Rose in plenty of time. Definitely recommend the place. We had a garlic/spinach fondue, a lamb chop braised in garlic served with garlic mashed potatoes, and the surprise of the night was the garlic ice cream with a caramel mole. Very, very good, despite my mouth's insistence that the garlic bite meant I should be eating something savory, not sweet.
The weather turned windy and cold when we left but we were determined to start our walking tour nonetheless. We stopped to listen to a trio of street musicians, two guitarists and one guy playing a bass. Then we headed uphill (and I mean really, really uphill; San Francisco is insane) until we couldn't take it any more and went back to our bus stop by way of a much quieter Chinatown. We almost missed the bus due to my shoelaces and K's propensity for taking nighttime photo exposures, but we made it by running the last block and even got to the heated pool before it closed. There's something really cool about being in a rooftop pool, steam rolling off the surface of the water, with a view of the taller San Francisco buildings vanishing into the fog.
And now it's probably time for bed. Or maybe K wants the laptop back so he can play his next Planarity level. (11, for the curious.)
no subject
If you're ever back in that North Beach area, there's a book store you should check out -- City Lights. It's an all paperback book store that was founded by Beat poet Lawrence Ferlenghetti. It definitely has a quirky selection.
Sounds like a fun trip!
no subject
no subject
Catch any of the sidewalks that are stairs? Those are loveley.
no subject
Yep. More on that in tonight's post, when I can feel my feet again.