SanFrancisco Days 2 and 3

On Day 2 I did another city tour, saw some different places and went to Alcatraz.

 

Wow I never got what made it such a terrible prison until now. I think the most eerie part of it is how close to San Francisco it is and how the prisoners could see that, and hear the life happening in San Francisco.

 

The prison is set up really well for tourists, with he audio tour being one of the best I've had.

 

Would love to come back and do a night tour one day. Apparently they can book out months in advance.

Spent Day 3 going from place to place on the hop on hop off bus, and poking around Fishermans Wharf and Pier 39. zBought a few small gifts for people. Was keen to have lunch at Bubba Gump but the wait was over an hour. Went to the aquarium under the bay which was pretty amazing.

 

 

 

Spent a lovely couple of hours in the evening having a few drinks with Kaelyn from Fiji days.

 

Still really really Hot though.

 

Spent last day wandering around the shops in Union Square and sitting listening to free concerts.

 

Heading to airport now to return to a slightly different temperature!

 

 

 

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San Francisco Day 1

If you're going to San Francisco
Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair
If you're going to San Francisco
You're gonna meet some gentle people there

For those who come to San Francisco
Summertime will be a love-in there
In the streets of San Francisco
Gentle people with flowers in their hair

Wow. Day number 1 In San Francisco.

Really decided to come here because I wanted somewhere apart from Vegas and the flights to Vegas came through here. And I thought an opportunity to see Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge.

So today did a city tour. It was really hot- over 30 at one stage. All the guide books and websites tell you about the whole four seasons in a day thing and to always take a sweatshirt. Well apparently there's a heatwave this week which makes that advice null and void!

There is so much history here that I had forgotten I knew- mainly through the movies.

interesting earthquake history and the big one in 1905 that burnt a lot of the city down. Some amazing houses.

Saw the famous painted ladies houses- of Full House fame.

Went up Twin Peaks for gorgeous city views, unusually unmarred by fog. according to the tour guide.
Drove through the Castro district, of Harvey Milk fame

Saw millionaire district and some incredible views.

Saw Golden Gate Bridge from two different vantage points and drove over it.

Went out to Muir Woods. Bought a toy hummingbird. ( thanks to a game of cranium a few weeks ago where I stunned everyone else playing by never having heard of one so not correctly guessing the depiction of one!)

But more importantly Heard about the history of San Francisco and the people who have built it into the very accepting tolerant truly democratic place it is today!

San Francisco can start right now to become number one. We can set examples so that others will follow. We can start overnight. We don’t have to wait for budgets to be passed, surveys to be made, political wheelings and dealings…….for it takes no money……it takes no compromising to give the people their rights……it takes no money to respect the individual. It takes no political deal to give people freedom. It takes no survey to remove repression. (Harvey Milk)







(Better photos on my camera but will have to wait for those!)

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Farewell Las Vegas

Vive, Vive Las Vegas.
Well it kind of feels like a bit of an alternate reality land. Gambling everywhere. Debauchery of every kind there for the asking.
Anything goes.
And everything stays in Vegas!

Having never been on my list of places to visit I'm glad circumstances conspired to get me there.

Feeling a lot more confident with travelling. Could figure out the air trains and getting from terminal to terminal and to vastly big and far apart gates now. Figured out how to add baggage as I was checking in with a cheap ticket hat didn't have baggage as part of the cost. And nary a meltdown or sign of one at any time. Even when I got to this massive luggage collection hall with 16 huge carousels when I arrived after 24 hours of travelling and I had no idea which one mine would come out on!) I think my meltdown in Sweden airport in January has served me well for all future travelling!)

Everywhere I went in the Vegas airport I kept taking photos of the pokie machines ad I thought it must be the last lot. At the check in, before security, after security, getting off the air train, the foyer of the gates, the departure gate. Took photos each time coz I though ah the last sign of gambling in Vegas nay to find more at the next stop

Was all checked out with 15 mins to spare before the shuttle on last morning so I cashed in my $17 winnings from the other night into a math ine. Gotta to $40, then down to $15, then back up to $47 when I had to cash out to get the shuttle. Guess that'll pay for a couple of taxi fares!

And with that I flew out of Las Vegas, headed to San Francisco via Los Angeles.
And now I can say I have at least touched down in Los Angeles!

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