SAN FRANCISCO!!

We arrived in San Fran on Thursday night and went straight to the Golden Gate bridge look out point. It was so cool to see the bridge in real life (and not just in pictures). It is really big and beautiful. We were there around sunset so it was especially beautiful and lit up by the sun.
                                 PICTURES TO COME


After we left the Golden Gate bridge we went to our hotel on the other side of San Francisco. Yes, I got to stay in a hotel. Charlotte and I both don’t really stay in hotels much so we were SO excited and felt really grown up. To add to that grown up feeling I jumped on the bed- super fun. The next morning we ate a HUGE complementary breakfast and took some with us for lunch (not exactly stealing?).

We drove into downtown San Francisco and parked the car for the day. We walked to Pier 39 and got to walk around and see the shops. If you look over the railing on the pier there are TONS of Sea Lions. They made a barking sound that you could hear blocks away. There were easily 50 all sitting on wooden planks sunbathing. There were a couple wrestling in the water and it was really cool to see. I was surprised at how big they were and how lazy they looked. I kept thinking, “These things are so mean they can kill a whale?” But it is true, so I was glad I didn’t see them mad.

At the peir with all the boats!

It is hard to see but there are a TON of sea lions behind me!

Then we continued to walk down the Fisherman's Warf, getting a quick look at Ghirardelli Square, and went to catch a street car. When we got to the start spot (for streetcars) we found them CLOSED. Yes on the first time I had ever been to San Francisco the famous street cars were close. So we took a bus. The bus tried to stay on all the streetcar routes so all the tourists could still see everything.

Our first stop was Lombard Street; this is the windiest street in the US. It seriously had a turn every 10-12 feet and went all the way down a very steep hill. I ran to the bottom and got pictures. Running back up I felt like I was running stairs in a stadium (it was so steep). Then we got back on the bus and took a longer trip to Union Square. I loved driving/riding in San Francisco; every street seemed unique and exciting because they were all so steep. All the roads are on huge hills and it seriously felt like a rollercoaster, I loved it but Charlotte was a little scared (thinking the bus would plummet).

At Union Square we went to Neiman Marcus (a store that one blouse cost’s more than my car). Charlotte’s Aunt told us to go to the café in the top because it had a great view. While there we both ordered a dessert. It was seriously the fanciest restaurant I have ever been to. They gave up complementary chicken broth with a miniature croissant- in little most miniature dishes I have eaten on since I was 5. The view was really cool, although we weren’t sitting by the window so we mostly just looked at the people (lots of fake noses and cheek bones). Charlotte felt a little uncomfortable because we looked like obvious tourists (shorts, t-shirts, tennis shoes and a backpack) and everyone else was in fancy close and suits. But I honestly loved it.

On the way out of Union Square Charlotte wanted to stop by an enormous Old Navy and look around. Then we were back on the bus going down to China Town (the largest China Town in the US). It was cool to walk around and see the Chinese architecture and see every sign in Chinese. I wish we could have stayed there longer and kept walking around (I wanted to eat some rare Chinese food but Charlotte was not to keen on that idea) but we headed back to bus and went back to Pier 39. We ate lunch at Pier 39 while we watched the street performers (who weren’t out in the morning when we were there). Then we went back to the car, stopped to get In-N-Out for Ron/Ben and I went to the airport.

Look at the arcitecture of this building behind Charlotte. Very cool!

China Town- you can see hanging lanters behind us.



This is one of the street performers at the Fisherman's Warf. We sat and ate lunch near here and watched him- it was cool.



China town

So I know I shouldn’t complain about the San Francisco Airport but... I am going to. It was bar none the most confusing airport I have ever been in and I have been in quite a few. I went in, went to Terminal 1 and went through security (no problems). I walked all the way down and could not find my gate, so I went back to security to ask. They told me that there had been construction and my gate was not at Terminal 2- they just hadn’t got around to changing the signs yet. So I had to leave the airport, walk to Terminal 2 and go through security AGAIN. This time there were issues. They were making everyone go through the scanner thing (hold your arms still, don’t move) and before hand asked if we had anything in our pockets). After I stepped out they took me aside and said I hadn’t emptied my pockets, I checked and had my PAPER ticket in my back pocket so they gave me a full pat down. Then they took me to another room where they wiped my hands with a piece of tissue paper and then ran the tissue paper through a machine to make sure I did not have explosion residue on my hands. Seriously? All of this for one piece of paper? I was so frustrated when I FINALLY got to my gate.

So I had a great trip (not a great airport ending). I had to much fun with Charlotte and touring around Northern California!