Spring Break started Friday afternoon. After a cold, wet baseball practice, I watched some of the varsity baseball game. I then returned to my messy apartment for the goal of cleaning and doing laundry enough that I could leave for a week. I continued the cleaning into Saturday morning and got ready for my vacation. I then went to Portland for a wedding and had a great time with friends. The food was fantastic and the venue was perfect size for the party and the occasion. After the wedding, I met up with my friend Daniel from college and spent a few more hours in Portland before crashing on his couch. The next day, we went to breakfast at Buffalo Gap (awesome) and took a walk in Tryon park in Portland with Dan's dog. Dan then did drove me to the airport for a late flight.
I got to the airport and just as I entered I realized that my flight was going to be delayed. My ride had already driven away so I went through security and found a place to watch basketball and get a bite to eat. I eventually found a place to sit with my laptop and watch a movie on Netflix. We boarded 2 hours late and then were stuck on the tarmac for another half hour before we took off for San Francisco.
I landed right around 10 pm and boarded the Bart to make it downtown. My friend James gave me all the info to find his place, and I made it to his neck of the city right around midnight. He walked out and met me a few blocks from his place and walked me in. He lives on a floating house. It is basically what it sounds like. It is not so much a boat, as it is just a house that floats. We stayed up talking and catching up into the wee hours of the morning. I finally fell asleep in the underwater room at about 2:30 am. James and his partner Susmita each had work on Monday so I was to meet the city on my own.
I walked out of his place and found that At&t park is right out of his door. I walked around the walk at McCovey Cove and down the Embarcadero. I had beautiful sunshine, and even with a slight sea breeze, I felt truly on vacation. I made it down about 3.5 miles to the Alcatraz tour dock and gathered information. I then decided to purchase a Citypass for $69 that included tickets for the aquarium, Academy of science, Museum of Modern Art, Legion of Honor, as well as free public transportation. I scheduled a tour of Alcatraz for 10:30 the following morning and took off for the aquarium located in Fishermans Wharf. It was a very concise tour of the Western coast but some pretty neat tanks that you walk through.
I then started walking down the street, looking for food and a better view of the Golden gate bridge. As I kept walking, I decided that I would end with a walk across the bridge. I was hungry, as I only had a banana and a peice of toast earlier in the day. I finally arrived at the Chrissy fields, part of teh goldent Gate Park system,adn enjoyed the green spaces. I walked further and was inticed by signs taht offeren food at a warming hut .5 miles away from the bridge. I finally made it to the hut and ate a nice salad with some water and a coffee. I then was refreshed and able to walk across the bridge. I recommend the walk. It was neat to see the ocean and had amazing views of the city. I then was able to hop a bus to get back to the north beach area to meet up with my buddy James. I changed busses and made it to happy hour at a bar called Kennedys. It was a great small pub with reasonably priced beer and a killer bartender. Attached, is an Indian restaurant. my friend James, who is Irish, and his girlfriend, who is Indian, claim the bar/restaurant were invented for them. It was great.
We then continued down the street and found the bar Vesuvio. It was a nice small bar with lots of photos of San Francisco, and a big emphasis on Jack Kerouac. We enjoyed another drink and then hailed a taxi back to the floating house. We cracked open the Trivial Pursuit and made it through the game with lots of laughter and stories. We played a quick bananagrams and then went to bed.
The next day, I woke up late, and ate another small breakfast. I enjoyed a quiet morning and then took off for Alcatraz. As I left the house, I was greeted by sunshine for a second day and enjoyed a nice walk by the water. I jumped on the Muni to make my trip a little faster and made it to the alcatraz dock a half hour before my departure. People watching was great. We finally boarded the boat and made it to the island.
I really enjoyed my time on the island. I was met by rain and it set the tone for a depressive Shawshank redemption type environment for a tour of the rock. I spent much of my next 2 hours in the cellhouse and took an audio tour.
The other parts of the island were mostly off limits for bird nesting, but I was able to snap some photos and watch some videos. I made it back to the city adn decided I will try adn see the legion of honor. I needed lunch as it was 2:15 and I had not eaten that day. I found a small cafe and enjoyed a quiet lunch.
I studied the map of the buses and realized there was no direct route to the legion. I took a historic cable car, walked around china town, switched buses, and found myself near the legion around 4:45. The museum closed at 5:15 so I basically ran through the rooms of the gallery and found the Rodin sculpture room the best. In the basement, the artifacts from Egyptian and Roman empires were very cool as well.
As the museum closed I realized that I was on the same side of the city as Haight/Ashbury. I decided to make my way down there. Teh ride by the Golden Gate park was nice, and the ride along haight justified my skeptisim that it had become a corporate area. I exited the bus after I thought I had missed the intersection and realized I was directly under the street signs. I took my photos and then ducked into a crepe shop to escape the rain. I bought my only souveniers of the trip in teh form of 4 buttons from a small shop.
I then tried to figure out what was the one landmark my generation would love to see. The key to pop culture in the 90's...DANNY TANNER'S HOUSE!
I made my way to Alamo park and was able to snap a photo of the Full house facade before the rain chased me back into the buses. I made my way back to the floating house for dinner and braved the rain. I scared one man who thought I was following him, and after he changed sides of the street, I did as well. I was not intentionally trying to frighten him, but I figured telling him that would only freak him out. I made it back in time to enjoy a fabulous pasta dinner at the house. My feet began to hurt, so I iced them and took some pain killers. Perhaps the 10mile walk in bad shoes the day before helped in causing me the discomfort. James, Susmita and I enjoyed listening to music and chatting about life and our generation again that night. James introduced me to an HBO series called Bored to death which I truly did enjoy.
Wednesday, I started with a run along the Embarcadero. I was not sure how my feet would fair with the rough shape they were in the night before. I left the house at 9:00 and got back at 10:00am. I ran through the shower to get to the ballpark for a 10:30 tour. I made it, barely, and was still recovering when we started walking around the stadium. Our tour guide was awesome, an old man who remembered watching Willie Mays, with great knowledge of the game. He was like a kid as his eyes lit up talking baseball with other fans. it was mostly a tour of luxury suites and pressboxes, but the highlite was certainly the Giants dugout. Very fun. 
I then made it on the N Muni out to the California Academy of the Sciences. I alloted 2 hours for the musuem so I could return to downtown and see MOMA. The musuem was great about Africa, Madagascar and the Gallapagos. It also did a great job of exploring the rainforest and the ocean. I enjoyed it greatly. The strangest realization, was that all of the good looking women were pushing strollers and talking to toddlers. I realized they were not teachers but mothers. I was attracted to new mothers more than anyone! I AM OLDER! Can it be? College girls are too young and late 20 early 30 somethings were all mothers! oh man.
I then took the Muni back downtown to catch the Musuem of Modern art but was thwarted in my effort becuase it was not open only on Wednesdays. I toured the giftshop and looked through the books to get a sense of what I was missing. I then found a bar around the corner for a happy hour and rested my weary feet.
I met up with James as he got off of work and went shopping for groceries and dessert. We invited my aunt and uncle from Santa Clara for dinner, and Susmita graciously offered to make Indian food. it was amazing. We then played board games and laughed the night away. I then parted ways with James and Susmita and rode iwth my aunt and uncle to their home.
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