Sausalito

If you drive over the Golden Gate bridge and go about 2.5 miles, you will come to the town of Sausalito. It is a gorgious town, with a small feel. Art galleries line the streets, separated by restaurants and cafes. There was an art festival going on and we stopped in several galleries. Some of the artwork was so amazing and moving that I felt like I would be cheating the artist to photograph it on my phone. However, below are two samples from the first place we went. They are in no way the best we saw.





I love the little metal monsters that hold wine for you.

It's very hard to see, but the guy was balancing rocks. It was pretty incredible to watch.

Fat Tire Amber Ale

Some excellent pizza. I will be visiting this spot again.

Bay Cruise under the bridge and around Alcatraz Island

We took an hour long boat tour of the Bay. We went under the Golden Gate Bridge, and around Alcatraz. It was great.


These birds were chilling out on one of the base supports of the bridge.

This seagull was floating along at the same speed as the boat. The wind was strong enough that it never needed to flap its wings.

Alcatraz Island, famous for the former federal penitentiary. It is claimed to be one of the most visited national sights in the United States.



Mr. and Mrs. Magee at the end of the boat ride.

Lunch over a Marina

We ate lunch at a restaurant in fisherman's wharf. It was the busboy's first day and he spilled water all over me. There were two glasses on his tray that he was holding over me, and they fell almost directly in my lap. The food wasn't great according to most, but I enjoyed my bread bowl of clam chowder. This was the view from my seat.

Another Street Performer

This guy sounded like he was quoting a positive reinforcement textbook or something. He said something about me, it might have been nice, and gave me a fist bump. It was interesting.

Another Statue, by the water monument

I think it's supposed to be a person.

water art

We all went to an outdoor marketplace that had this water sculpture. You could walk through it.

strawberries from the farmers market

Hyde St. Bistro

Most of the pictures from the restaurant didn't come out. It was too dark for my phone. We went to a small French restaurant called the Hyde St. Bistro that Jeff has been to several times. The owner, Phillip, is very welcoming to Jeff and everyone that he brings. We received two rounds of drinks complimentary. The food was amazing. We plan on going next weekend and bringing a few dates.

The picture above is of one of the desserts we had - the chocolate cake.

Pedal Power

Every Friday thousands of bicycles ride down a certain route through the busiest parts of the city and block traffic as a protest against motorized transportation, or gas prices, who knows. We caught most of it, but got the end on video. The cars were pretty angry, and even when there was a lull in the bikers, there would be several people surrounding the cars so that they can't cut through without hitting them. The cops don't seem to be able to do anything except try to keep people moving. The motorcycle cops do lead and follow the whole thing; blocking off the intersections as they go so that no one gets hit by accident or due to insatiable rage.

San Franciscan Fog

The fog in San Francisco is notable and can envelop the entire city. From Jeff's balcony we can see is blow by at pretty remarkable speeds.

statue at the farmer's market

There is a farmers market down at the base of Jeff's building. The civic center plaza has a bunch of tents set up with artisans and foods from farms all over the state. They sell everything from coffee to strawberries to vinegar and cheese. They were finishing up by the time that we arrived, but it will be open tomorrow morning around 11. I hope to grab some fresh produce. One of the things that PA was sorely lacking was the vibrant fruits and vegetables. Maybe it's just the sun out here that makes it all look so delicious, but that's ok with me.

trolleys

I saw the very classic trolley cars that come into a dead end and then sit on a turntable of sorts that rotates them around. Jeff and I were on our way to a hole-in-the-wall Thai restaurant for lunch.

map of where I walked

This is all of the places I went yesterday, about 12 miles of fun.

Yacht Clubs

I went to several Yacht Clubs today to meet with people and try to make connections that would lead to a spot on a crew. I desperately wanted to be out on the water. It was torture, but I told myself that if it works out, I'll probably get more water than I bargained for. The stories that my sailing instructors told me about the bay and it's strong, consistent winds are so true. The wind felt great and just kept coming and coming from the same direction, right through the Golden Gate bridge.

beautiful park

This was a park dedicated to pedestrians and people walking their dogs. Signs were painted on the path that showed people walking a dog.

jamba juice - ahhh i missed it

It's been years since I've had Jamba Juice and there were so many new ones. However, I stuck with my classic favorite - Razzmatazz.

I downed it.

statue overlooking the bay

the first sand I have seen

As I was walking around, I came upon this little beach spot. It was half a mile wide according to the guy who was talking behind me. People were swimming back and forth along the whole thing in a lane created by the buoys and the boats. There were probably 10 or so people swimming while I was there. There were also a fair number of people sunbathing all over the place, even on the grassy areas and parks.

if i had room in my backpack i'd buy it - Drink Don't Drive

Beer has definitely been surpassed by gas in terms of price per gallon. Although, milk is that way too. On the subject of beer prices, I found Sam Adams Seasonal here - $13.99/12-pack - That's $2.00 cheaper than Charlotte.

i think he's asian

There were a variety of street performers. this guy was right across the street from two guys doing the same thing. One of the other guys looked like a young will smith with silver paint all over himself. There was some break dancing and a very creepy clown. I would have taken a picture of the clown but he was rushing up to people and trying to hug them. I was ready to punch him in the face because I didn't feel like it'd be a friendly hug... that or it'd be way too friendly.

Sea Lions at Pier 39 - San Francisco

These sea lions return year after year. Apparently it began back in the early 1900's. There are many speculations as to why they come here. It is mostly due to the fact that their main predators - Great White Sharks and Orca Whales - do not come into the bay. Some think that they don't come in because of the salinity of the water. There is plenty of food here for the sea lions and there are often between 100 and 500, with 1000 being the most seen. If they are not at the wharf, then they are likely south for mating season.

Sunrise in San Francisco

Getting up this morning for the sunrise was pretty easy since my body is still 3 hours ahead. It was 9 am for me. The sunrise was pretty awesome. The city was loud, but the seagulls still found a way to rise above and they could be easily heard . I'm not quite sure what the plan is yet for today. I may head out and try to see the typical sights - golden gate bridge, etc.

view from jeff's

I wish that the picture reflected the actual colors that are visible. The water is very blue and you can see bright white sailboats out on the bay.

bus from airport to yahoo

I thought the sign was pretty funny. I'm not quite sure what language the bottom translation is in, but I said it phonetically and looked at the english meaning with a smile.

I made it to Jeff's office and have been using the time to send emails to various people sailing the coast in the next few months.

I almost skipped the second leg of my flight from phx to san jose because Phoenix felt so much like home. Seeing it from the airplane was a sick and twisted teaser. It was the first time I'd been quick enough to see our house from the air. I wasn't even at a window seat, or really looking. Sick. I figure once I get to San Diego, the first decent weekend trip will be out to see everyone in Phoenix.

Sitting at the Airport

I'm sitting at my gate, several hours early. Got up at 4, out the door by 4:15, flight's at 8. There was some short but jacked dude named Jesse signing autographs as he was going into the security checkpoint. It was pretty funny to see the people around him.

It's been a long time since I've been on a flight to phoenix. I wonder if I'll still be sick of it from way back when. I know I still hate the gcc to Massachusetts drive on 80.

There is the strong possibility that sailing will be involved in my adventure. I spoke to one person yesterday that is sailing from Seattle to Mexico and might be willing to take me along. There are a bunch of other people doing the same trip. There's an annual event called the Baja Ha-Ha which is a trip from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas. It's in late October/early November, but a lot of people are starting to sail down from Seattle and San Francisco to be ready for it. There are lots of posts for people looking for crews, experienced or not. I hope it works out, at least for a leg of the trip, if not 2 months port hopping all the way down the coast. That'd be sick.

The Tickets

Pit to Phx and Phx to Sjc

Dan's House

nicole called and started asking Dan to get stuff for her:
-golf ball, tennis ball, sea shell, sand dollar, high heel, bible, photo of the two of them, permanent marker, dog leash, box of cookie dough, and beanie babies

dan threw in the FJ to round it out

we were so confused