Day 7

As we drove into San Francisco from Millbrae, Joe made us take a detour to Candlestick Park where the 49ers play football.

Of course then we had to go see AT&T Park where the Giants play baseball. The outfield in on the bay side so when someone hits a homerun, those out in kayaks can retrieve the ball.

We then parked near Chinatown so we could get dim sum for a late breakfast/early lunch at 10am. We walked most of the 16 blocks. More Chinese live here than in any other place in the world outside China. The light poles on Grant Street where cool, made to look like a pagoda with two golden dragons wrapped around the pole. We ate dim sum at Great Eastern Restaurant which was quickly filled with locals once they opened so we knew we were in the right place.

We went down to the financial district to see the Transamerica Building, which is the 435’ pyramid shaped skyscraper that was the city’s tallest building when constructed in the 1960s.

Somehow I convinced Joe to make grueling climb up Telegraph Hill to see Coit Tower and get a great view of the city. Coit Tower resembles a fire house nozzle.

From the top it was beautiful. A great way for us to get a lay of the land and get an idea of where the major hills are. To the south was the financial district with the Transamerica Pyramid. To the southeast was the Oakland Bay Bridge. To the north was Alcatraz. To the northwest was the Golden Gate Bridge. To the west was the famous section of Lombard Street, a very crooked street with 8 switchbacks.

Joe was really fascinated with the public toilets in San Francisco. They are self-cleaning. You press a button and the door slides open. Once inside you press the button again and the door slides closed and locks. There is a timer so if you take too long the door will open while you are in the process of doing your business. I think that happens after 20 minutes. Once you are done it cleans itself in some kind of alcohol bath between each use.

After a much easier walk down Telegraph Hill, we went through North Beach, San Francisco’s Little Italy on our way to Pier 39 on the waterfront. It is a shopping and dining mecca complex that’s almost a festival atmosphere with a carousel and numerous tourist-trap activities. From here we had a great view of Alcatraz again. But the main attraction was watching the boisterous sea lions barking over spots on the floating dock platforms. Watch the video, it’s hilarious.

We continued to walk along the waterfront to Fisherman’s Wharf. Just past here we saw the Powell-Hyde Cable Car terminate at the turnaround. We were tired from all the walking so we sat for awhile in Aquatic Park where people were doing laps in their wetsuits and kids were playing on the small sand beach. The San Francisco Bay with the Golden Gate Bridge and a historic three-mast sailboat were our backdrop.

We walked by Ghirardelli Square and then began another long hike up Hyde Street. We were troupers and walked to Lombard Street, which was only 4 blocks but seemed like a mile. During our breaks for water we wondered why we didn’t spend the $5 to ride the cable car up the street.

We watched from the top of the crooked street as cars braved the strength of their brakes on Lombard Street. With a 40 degree slope and beautiful homes and gardens, there were many other people doing the same.

I love the architecture in San Francisco. It reminds me a lot of Charleston. Both have a quintessential residential style. Charleston is known for its single-house while San Francisco is known of its double bay window, stepped façade.

We made our way back to the car in the parking garage. After one final look at the Transamerica Building and by some old Chinese men playing “cards” in the park, we freed Chance from her underground Chinese lair. I was worried someone might have gotten hungry and broke into the car for a snack ;) She was very happy to see us.

We drove to Alamo Square to see the Painted Ladies. The Victorian mansions in this area are gorgeous. This park has great views of the city as well. Many of you who grew up watching Full House probably recognize this row of colorful homes from the opening credits. There were some really cute dogs in Alamo Square. Chance loved that there was a dog play area for her to run around off leash.

We then drove to Golden Gate Park to see the de Young Museum and California Academy of Sciences. The de Young Fine Arts Museum is by architects Herzog & de Meuron, completed in 2005. The perforated and textured copper façade resembles how the light would transfer through a tree canopy. I’m sure it will be beautiful as it patinas over time to a greenish color, blending in with the lush park surroundings.

The latest in sustainable technology is the California Academy of Sciences by Renzo Piano, completed in 2008. It is the largest LEED Platinum building in the world. The green roof is 2.5 acres! There are 60,000 photovoltaic cells. The building insulation is recycled denim blue jeans. The building houses an aquarium, planetarium, natural history museum, and a 4-story rainforest.

We drove through Golden Gate Park to Ocean Beach. The wind off the water was cold after a full day in the 80s. We drove by Cliff House and hopped out of the car to snap a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge from the Municipal Golf Course.

We then proceeded to head out of San Francisco over the Golden Gate Bridge before rush hour traffic began. No matter how many pictures I snapped of the bridge out the window and through the sunroof, all of our pictures from afar look a lot better. We pulled over at a vista point to take more photos of the bridge, looking back at San Francisco.

The GPS informed us that our route to Davis, just outside Sacramento, had a 28 minute delay near Vallejo so we decided to take a detour once we realized how close we were to Sonoma. All the wineries with tastings had closed for the day and none we were passing had options for dinner available. We drove into the town of Sonoma to find a nice restaurant for a glass of wine and dinner. We ate at the Plaza Bistro which was great. Sonoma is definitely a great place to be. We would love to come back here for a nice romantic weekend together sometime. This time is Napa and taste many more wines.

An hour later and we were at our hotel in Davis. Tomorrow our plan is to drive north on I-5 through California to Oregon. We plan to stop in Eugene for dinner and hopefully try a local brew. We’re staying at a hotel in Salem for the night. The closer to Bellingham, the better. We are both ready to sleep in our own beds. It’s been a great trip so far it just would be nice to be “home”.