California Adventure (A Trip Report)
Aug 27th, 2006 | 07:45 PM
#1
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California Adventure (A Trip Report)
My husband and I recently returned from a 2 week trip to California (we started in San Diego and made our way up to San Francisco).
2,000 miles later we have many stories to share...
Part 1- San Diego
We flew non-stop from Philadelphia to San Diego; the flight was not as bad as we expected it to be. Picking up our luggage and getting a rental car were easy. We stayed at the San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina. The hotel was very nice and in a good location. THe pool was gorgeous- we felt like we were on an island!
The first day, we went to Tijuana. THis was quite an experience! We parked at the border and walked over; it was a VERY long walk. Tijuana was quite different from what we expected. we were amazed to see all of the "druggists" in their white coats trying to get us to buy every type of perscription drug available. As a snack, we had churros and Corona's which were quite delicious. It took us over 90 minutes to get back into the country.
For dinner, we went to the Gaslamp Strip Club. It was quite an interesting restaurant because you cook your own steak. We both had delicious steaks and yummy mac and cheese. For dessert, we went to Ghiardelli and had ice cream with their wonderful hot fudge. MMMMM!!
Day 2-San Diego Zoo
We got to the zoo when it opened and took the first tram ride. It was a great way to get our bearings! THen, we headed right to the pandas. They were so cute! There was hardly anybody else at the exihibit so we could really enjoy the experience. They were sleeping practically right on top of us. Later in the day, we wanted to go back but the line to get into the exihibit was ridiculous. We also saw the gorillas; it was amazing to see how they had family units. We saw many animals with babies. All of the exihibits were very nice; they had a huge variety of animals.
We really loved the zoo but by
mid-afternoon, it was crowded. I would highly suggest getting to the zoo when it opens so that you can see the animals without the crowds. Plus, the animals are a lot more active.
After the zoo, we went to Balboa Park. It was a Sunday, so the International Houses were open. The park was an unexpected treat; we did not plan to go but it looked interesting. The organ was amazing. I would love to hear a concert there!
Day 3- The beach
This day, we went over to Coronado Island to see the Hotel Del Coronado. WOW! I would love to stay there some day. We also saw the Pacific Ocean up close for the first time; it was beautiful!
Then, we went to Point Loma Light House and Cabrillo National Monument. The views were amazing!
Next, we went to La Jolla. I was amazed at home beautiful this town was. I loved all of the cliffs and caves. I wish we had brought our bathing suits so we could swim. We wound up paying to go down into the cave and we were somewhat disappointed because you couldn't really see anything; it was not worth the $4 per person.
I was very excited to see the seals swimming in the water. Being from the east coast, it is not something you see every day.
Finally, we started making our way towards Palm Springs over the mountains on some very windy road.
To be continued...
2,000 miles later we have many stories to share...
Part 1- San Diego
We flew non-stop from Philadelphia to San Diego; the flight was not as bad as we expected it to be. Picking up our luggage and getting a rental car were easy. We stayed at the San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina. The hotel was very nice and in a good location. THe pool was gorgeous- we felt like we were on an island!
The first day, we went to Tijuana. THis was quite an experience! We parked at the border and walked over; it was a VERY long walk. Tijuana was quite different from what we expected. we were amazed to see all of the "druggists" in their white coats trying to get us to buy every type of perscription drug available. As a snack, we had churros and Corona's which were quite delicious. It took us over 90 minutes to get back into the country.
For dinner, we went to the Gaslamp Strip Club. It was quite an interesting restaurant because you cook your own steak. We both had delicious steaks and yummy mac and cheese. For dessert, we went to Ghiardelli and had ice cream with their wonderful hot fudge. MMMMM!!
Day 2-San Diego Zoo
We got to the zoo when it opened and took the first tram ride. It was a great way to get our bearings! THen, we headed right to the pandas. They were so cute! There was hardly anybody else at the exihibit so we could really enjoy the experience. They were sleeping practically right on top of us. Later in the day, we wanted to go back but the line to get into the exihibit was ridiculous. We also saw the gorillas; it was amazing to see how they had family units. We saw many animals with babies. All of the exihibits were very nice; they had a huge variety of animals.
We really loved the zoo but by
mid-afternoon, it was crowded. I would highly suggest getting to the zoo when it opens so that you can see the animals without the crowds. Plus, the animals are a lot more active.
After the zoo, we went to Balboa Park. It was a Sunday, so the International Houses were open. The park was an unexpected treat; we did not plan to go but it looked interesting. The organ was amazing. I would love to hear a concert there!
Day 3- The beach
This day, we went over to Coronado Island to see the Hotel Del Coronado. WOW! I would love to stay there some day. We also saw the Pacific Ocean up close for the first time; it was beautiful!
Then, we went to Point Loma Light House and Cabrillo National Monument. The views were amazing!
Next, we went to La Jolla. I was amazed at home beautiful this town was. I loved all of the cliffs and caves. I wish we had brought our bathing suits so we could swim. We wound up paying to go down into the cave and we were somewhat disappointed because you couldn't really see anything; it was not worth the $4 per person.
I was very excited to see the seals swimming in the water. Being from the east coast, it is not something you see every day.
Finally, we started making our way towards Palm Springs over the mountains on some very windy road.
To be continued...
Aug 27th, 2006 | 08:16 PM
#2
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Joined: Mar 2006
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Part 2- Palm Springs
The first word that comes to mind is HOT!!!!
We stayed at the Renaissance Esmeralda. It was incredible! We go the biggest room I have ever seen with a view of the pool and the mountains. WOW! The only downfall was that it was quite a hike to the elevators. In addition to the amazing room, they gave us free breakfast both days we were there. It was the best buffet (an omlette station, waffles with fresh berries, make your own juice bar, etc); I don't think they left out anything!
For dinner, we went to Marie Callender's. It was very good. The desserts were especially delicious!
On the first full day, we got up early and went to Joshua Tree National Park. It was quite beautiful. It was amazing to see all of the trees in one place. We were also amazed by the huge rock formations. We took some short hikes and did some rock climbing. We were very impressed with Keys View. The cholla cactii were also quite interesting. The thing that really struck us was how quiet it was. The park is huge and there were not a whole lot of visitors.
That afternoon, we hung out by the pool. It was too hot not to be in the water.
For dinner, we went to Sammy's Pizza. We really enjoyed the Neopolitan pizza (pizza with tomatoes, garlic, basil and mozzerella cheese- no sauce!).
The next day, we went to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. The trip up was pretty cool but the highpoint was Mount San Jacinto. We took a 1 mile hike that was absolutely amazing. The views were spectacular. And, the air was very fresh; we have never smelled anything quite like it. The hike back up to tram way was very steep but well worth it!
On to LA
To be continued...
The first word that comes to mind is HOT!!!!
We stayed at the Renaissance Esmeralda. It was incredible! We go the biggest room I have ever seen with a view of the pool and the mountains. WOW! The only downfall was that it was quite a hike to the elevators. In addition to the amazing room, they gave us free breakfast both days we were there. It was the best buffet (an omlette station, waffles with fresh berries, make your own juice bar, etc); I don't think they left out anything!
For dinner, we went to Marie Callender's. It was very good. The desserts were especially delicious!
On the first full day, we got up early and went to Joshua Tree National Park. It was quite beautiful. It was amazing to see all of the trees in one place. We were also amazed by the huge rock formations. We took some short hikes and did some rock climbing. We were very impressed with Keys View. The cholla cactii were also quite interesting. The thing that really struck us was how quiet it was. The park is huge and there were not a whole lot of visitors.
That afternoon, we hung out by the pool. It was too hot not to be in the water.
For dinner, we went to Sammy's Pizza. We really enjoyed the Neopolitan pizza (pizza with tomatoes, garlic, basil and mozzerella cheese- no sauce!).
The next day, we went to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. The trip up was pretty cool but the highpoint was Mount San Jacinto. We took a 1 mile hike that was absolutely amazing. The views were spectacular. And, the air was very fresh; we have never smelled anything quite like it. The hike back up to tram way was very steep but well worth it!
On to LA
To be continued...
Aug 28th, 2006 | 07:44 AM
#6
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Joined: Mar 2006
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Part 3- Marina Del Rey/LA
We left the Tramway mid-day and started to make our way towards LA. We were stuck in traffic most of the way.
We arrived at the Marina Del Rey Marriott around 5. The hotel was nice, but nothing compared to the Esmeralda. We were very disappointed in the pool area.
The first night, we walked down to Venice Beach and walked down the long pier. We were amazed at how many people we saw fishing. I was also surprised to see people surfing. We walked down a little bit to the Muscle Beach area. The Boardwalk was different than what I am used to; I was most surprised at the food. There was not a whole lot of junk food (that's the best part of the beach!) For dinner, we went to the Pasta Factory which was pretty good. The waiter was not very swift. I ordered the Capellini (Sp?) Special; when I asked if it came with a salad, he told me no, it comes with pasta. Maybe I could get the Capellini special minus the capelling next time?
The next day, we went to Hollywood. Compared to San Diego, we were not thrilled with LA. It did not seem to have any personality and was very dirty. We saw the Hollywood sign, the Walk of Fame and the Chinese Theater. The whole area was mobbed! Next, we went to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. We did not really care for it; it was way too modern for a Catholic church! Then, we went to Chinatown for a delicious lunch. We love noodle soups! On the way back to our hotel, we drove through Beverly Hills, Malibu and Rodeo Drive. Rodeo Drive looked very interesting. We saw some beautiful houses; you could easily pick out the houses of the stars because the fences were covered with tarps or bushes so you couldn't see anything. Malibu seemed like a beautiful place; I would love to explore it some day!
After we got back to our hotel, we went swimming in the Pacific OCean for the first time. I especially enjoyed this because there were no jellyfish. It was nice to finally have some time to relax on the beach. For dinner, we went to the Promenade in Santa Monica. I would have liked to spend more there but my husband wanted to get to the Pier. The "world famous Santa Monica Pier" was disappointing. There was not that much to do and it was very crowded. But, I got the junk food I was craving- a funnel cake!
The next day, we went to the Ronald Reagan Library. Fortunately, we had directions to get there; Neverlost (a GPS system in the rental car) kept telling us that we were 60 miles away when in reality we were 2 or 3 miles. I got into the habit of calling it Somtimes Lost because some of the directions were a little screwy! The library was very interesting. They have the Air Force One that he flew on open so tha you can walk through it; we also saw some of his motorcade vehicles. In addition, they had a replica of the Oval Office and a replication of the White House Rose Garden. The setting of the library was beautiful; I can see why he chose it. The gravesite was very peaceful and overlooked the Simi Valley.
For lunch, we went to El Pollo Loco. It was great! I wish we had some around us.
Off to Santa Barbara
To be continued...
We left the Tramway mid-day and started to make our way towards LA. We were stuck in traffic most of the way.
We arrived at the Marina Del Rey Marriott around 5. The hotel was nice, but nothing compared to the Esmeralda. We were very disappointed in the pool area.
The first night, we walked down to Venice Beach and walked down the long pier. We were amazed at how many people we saw fishing. I was also surprised to see people surfing. We walked down a little bit to the Muscle Beach area. The Boardwalk was different than what I am used to; I was most surprised at the food. There was not a whole lot of junk food (that's the best part of the beach!) For dinner, we went to the Pasta Factory which was pretty good. The waiter was not very swift. I ordered the Capellini (Sp?) Special; when I asked if it came with a salad, he told me no, it comes with pasta. Maybe I could get the Capellini special minus the capelling next time?
The next day, we went to Hollywood. Compared to San Diego, we were not thrilled with LA. It did not seem to have any personality and was very dirty. We saw the Hollywood sign, the Walk of Fame and the Chinese Theater. The whole area was mobbed! Next, we went to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. We did not really care for it; it was way too modern for a Catholic church! Then, we went to Chinatown for a delicious lunch. We love noodle soups! On the way back to our hotel, we drove through Beverly Hills, Malibu and Rodeo Drive. Rodeo Drive looked very interesting. We saw some beautiful houses; you could easily pick out the houses of the stars because the fences were covered with tarps or bushes so you couldn't see anything. Malibu seemed like a beautiful place; I would love to explore it some day!
After we got back to our hotel, we went swimming in the Pacific OCean for the first time. I especially enjoyed this because there were no jellyfish. It was nice to finally have some time to relax on the beach. For dinner, we went to the Promenade in Santa Monica. I would have liked to spend more there but my husband wanted to get to the Pier. The "world famous Santa Monica Pier" was disappointing. There was not that much to do and it was very crowded. But, I got the junk food I was craving- a funnel cake!
The next day, we went to the Ronald Reagan Library. Fortunately, we had directions to get there; Neverlost (a GPS system in the rental car) kept telling us that we were 60 miles away when in reality we were 2 or 3 miles. I got into the habit of calling it Somtimes Lost because some of the directions were a little screwy! The library was very interesting. They have the Air Force One that he flew on open so tha you can walk through it; we also saw some of his motorcade vehicles. In addition, they had a replica of the Oval Office and a replication of the White House Rose Garden. The setting of the library was beautiful; I can see why he chose it. The gravesite was very peaceful and overlooked the Simi Valley.
For lunch, we went to El Pollo Loco. It was great! I wish we had some around us.
Off to Santa Barbara
To be continued...
Aug 30th, 2006 | 03:34 PM
#7
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 758
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Part 4- Santa Barbara/Hearst Castle
After some persuasion, I got my husband to stop at the Santa Barbara Mission. It was beautiful. There is an altar inside from the later 1700's. This mission also has the oldest paintings in any mission (~200 years old). The grounds were beautiful with cactii and beautiful flowers.
Santa Barbara seemed like a neat town, but we were unable to stop.
In order to get to Santa Barbara, we drove along the PCH. Parts of it were beautfiul with views of the ocean and mountains.
Once we got to Santa Ynez, my husband went to a few storefront wineries. I found them very crowded and the staff was not all that friendly.
For dinner, we ate at the Hitching Post. My husband is somewhat obsessed with Sideways; I am not as fond of the movie so I was not as excited to. But, the food was delicious! I had flat iron steak and it was incredible; for dessert, I had a semi-sweet chocolate tart that was out of this world. I would highly reccomend this restaurant to anybody. The only disappointment was that my husband was not thrilled with their house wine.
The next day, we went to Solvang. It was a cute little Danish town, complete with a windmill. It had all sorts of specialty shops and restaurants. I had the best chai tea I have ever had. For breakfast, we went to the Belgian Cafe and had crepes filled with fresh fruit. AMAZING!!
Then, we went to some wineries (Firestone, Curtis and Sanford) for my husband to do some wine tasting. Curtis Winery had a chocolate-syrrah sauce that was delicious! THey also have brandy caramel that is very good. I can't wait to have them with some ice cream.
Last but not least, we went to Ostrichland. Talk about a tourist trap! First of all, the ostriches were MEAN!!! They make all sorts of mean sounds and they attack the food you give them. But, we got some very entertaining pictures. It was an interesting experience!
Our next stop was Hearst Castle; in order to get there, we drove along the PCH. We stopped in Morro Bay briefly; it looked like a nice town. Hearst Castle was in a beautiful location. I cannot believe how high the castle is; it took us 10 minutes on a bus to get there from the visitors center. The house is truly gaudy but amazing. The pools were beautiful. I would have loved to take a swim! The indoor pool had gold leaf tiling on the FLOOR!! I would have loved to see more of the castle but each tour only takes you to certain places. The tour guide spends forever giving you all the rules; I felt like I was with my third graders on a school trip. One thing I did not like was that they had pamphlets about the tour in 5 or 6 different languages but not in English; they claimed it was because it went over everything the tour guide said. I would still like to have had a copy as a souveneir.
We continued driving along the PCH to Monterey. It was a very pretty ride. HOwever, when we got to the Big Sur area, it was too foggy to see much. I was very disappointed. But, we did get to see some amazing cliffs.
To be continued...
After some persuasion, I got my husband to stop at the Santa Barbara Mission. It was beautiful. There is an altar inside from the later 1700's. This mission also has the oldest paintings in any mission (~200 years old). The grounds were beautiful with cactii and beautiful flowers.
Santa Barbara seemed like a neat town, but we were unable to stop.
In order to get to Santa Barbara, we drove along the PCH. Parts of it were beautfiul with views of the ocean and mountains.
Once we got to Santa Ynez, my husband went to a few storefront wineries. I found them very crowded and the staff was not all that friendly.
For dinner, we ate at the Hitching Post. My husband is somewhat obsessed with Sideways; I am not as fond of the movie so I was not as excited to. But, the food was delicious! I had flat iron steak and it was incredible; for dessert, I had a semi-sweet chocolate tart that was out of this world. I would highly reccomend this restaurant to anybody. The only disappointment was that my husband was not thrilled with their house wine.
The next day, we went to Solvang. It was a cute little Danish town, complete with a windmill. It had all sorts of specialty shops and restaurants. I had the best chai tea I have ever had. For breakfast, we went to the Belgian Cafe and had crepes filled with fresh fruit. AMAZING!!
Then, we went to some wineries (Firestone, Curtis and Sanford) for my husband to do some wine tasting. Curtis Winery had a chocolate-syrrah sauce that was delicious! THey also have brandy caramel that is very good. I can't wait to have them with some ice cream.
Last but not least, we went to Ostrichland. Talk about a tourist trap! First of all, the ostriches were MEAN!!! They make all sorts of mean sounds and they attack the food you give them. But, we got some very entertaining pictures. It was an interesting experience!
Our next stop was Hearst Castle; in order to get there, we drove along the PCH. We stopped in Morro Bay briefly; it looked like a nice town. Hearst Castle was in a beautiful location. I cannot believe how high the castle is; it took us 10 minutes on a bus to get there from the visitors center. The house is truly gaudy but amazing. The pools were beautiful. I would have loved to take a swim! The indoor pool had gold leaf tiling on the FLOOR!! I would have loved to see more of the castle but each tour only takes you to certain places. The tour guide spends forever giving you all the rules; I felt like I was with my third graders on a school trip. One thing I did not like was that they had pamphlets about the tour in 5 or 6 different languages but not in English; they claimed it was because it went over everything the tour guide said. I would still like to have had a copy as a souveneir.
We continued driving along the PCH to Monterey. It was a very pretty ride. HOwever, when we got to the Big Sur area, it was too foggy to see much. I was very disappointed. But, we did get to see some amazing cliffs.
To be continued...
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Sep 1st, 2006 | 07:06 PM
#8
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Joined: Mar 2006
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Part 5- Monterey/Carmel
We arrived late in Monterey and were exhausted. Neverlost told us there was a Marie Callender's in the area but we could not find it; we wound up eating in a diner.
We stayed at the Monterey Marriott in a BEAUTIFUL suite. It had a bedroom area with a door and a nice sitting area. I wish we would have had more time to enjoy it!
Our first stop of the day was the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We had heard many positive things but we were somewhat disappointed. As recommended, we got there when it opened but we had to wait in line. It was MOBBED 30 minutes after it opened. We were very entertained by watching the sea otters play. They were hilarious! Some were very laid back while others were very active. We watched a feeding and heard all sorts of interesting information. Outside the aquarium, there was a marine biologist who was exteremly knowledgable about the local birds and animals. Inside the aqaurium, there were many exihibits about jelly fish. Even though they really freak me out, I was fascinated to see them BEHIND thick glass. Another interesting part of the aquarium was the feeding of large fish. It was amazing to see them all converging on the food; surprisingly, the sharks in the tank ran away. There was a sea turtle who was supposedly a vegetarian who was eating lots of squid; she was not at all intimidated by the very large fish!
Overall, the aquarium was ok but I have seen some equally good aquariums in other places; it was not worth a stop on this trip.
After the aquarium, we tried to find something to eat. For the first time, we were surprised by the prices of food. Since we are from the east coast and missing our local food, we decided to stop at a restaurant called Jersey's in Monterey which advertised the best cheesesteaks in California (can you tell where we are from??). The restaurant was SLOW even though it was empty; it must have taken 30 minutes for a cheesesteak and an order of fish and chips. The cheesesteak was ok, but not as good as home. On the bright side, my DH's fish and chips were very good. I thought it was kind of mean eating fish after visiting the aquarium...
Next, we headed to 17 Mile Drive. The views of the ocean were amazing. The Lone Cypress was very pretty; I was amazed to find out that it was 250 years old but felt sad when they hoped it lives 50 more years. At one point, we saw an otter playing in the ocean. There were many golf courses along the drive; some were right on the cliffs!
Then, we made a quick stop in Carmel. It looked like a beautiful, charming town. I got to look in a few shops but we had to keep moving to get to San Francisco.
We drove the PCH to SF. There were some beautiful sights along the way. We were able to find a Marie Callender's and ate dinner there. When we got to Half Moon Bay, we expected to find a detour but we were pleasantly surprised to find no detour. I am glad we got to see the area.
Thanks to Never Lost (Always Lost), we got lost getting into San Francisco. Somehow, we wound up on Treasure Island; thankfully, we were able to turn around and did not have to pay a toll.
We drove into the city through the Tenderloin district. I was a little disturbed since I was expecting more from San Francisco. BUt, when we got closer to Union Square, I was relieved.
We returned the car to Hertz with 1,300 miles on it (over 8 days).
We stayed a the Renaissance PARC 55 which was beautiful. Our room was very nice; the view from one window included the Bay.
We decided to take a quick walk through Union Square; as soon as I saw my first cable car, I knew I was going to love this city! I could not wait to explore more the next day.
To be continued...
We arrived late in Monterey and were exhausted. Neverlost told us there was a Marie Callender's in the area but we could not find it; we wound up eating in a diner.
We stayed at the Monterey Marriott in a BEAUTIFUL suite. It had a bedroom area with a door and a nice sitting area. I wish we would have had more time to enjoy it!
Our first stop of the day was the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We had heard many positive things but we were somewhat disappointed. As recommended, we got there when it opened but we had to wait in line. It was MOBBED 30 minutes after it opened. We were very entertained by watching the sea otters play. They were hilarious! Some were very laid back while others were very active. We watched a feeding and heard all sorts of interesting information. Outside the aquarium, there was a marine biologist who was exteremly knowledgable about the local birds and animals. Inside the aqaurium, there were many exihibits about jelly fish. Even though they really freak me out, I was fascinated to see them BEHIND thick glass. Another interesting part of the aquarium was the feeding of large fish. It was amazing to see them all converging on the food; surprisingly, the sharks in the tank ran away. There was a sea turtle who was supposedly a vegetarian who was eating lots of squid; she was not at all intimidated by the very large fish!
Overall, the aquarium was ok but I have seen some equally good aquariums in other places; it was not worth a stop on this trip.
After the aquarium, we tried to find something to eat. For the first time, we were surprised by the prices of food. Since we are from the east coast and missing our local food, we decided to stop at a restaurant called Jersey's in Monterey which advertised the best cheesesteaks in California (can you tell where we are from??). The restaurant was SLOW even though it was empty; it must have taken 30 minutes for a cheesesteak and an order of fish and chips. The cheesesteak was ok, but not as good as home. On the bright side, my DH's fish and chips were very good. I thought it was kind of mean eating fish after visiting the aquarium...
Next, we headed to 17 Mile Drive. The views of the ocean were amazing. The Lone Cypress was very pretty; I was amazed to find out that it was 250 years old but felt sad when they hoped it lives 50 more years. At one point, we saw an otter playing in the ocean. There were many golf courses along the drive; some were right on the cliffs!
Then, we made a quick stop in Carmel. It looked like a beautiful, charming town. I got to look in a few shops but we had to keep moving to get to San Francisco.
We drove the PCH to SF. There were some beautiful sights along the way. We were able to find a Marie Callender's and ate dinner there. When we got to Half Moon Bay, we expected to find a detour but we were pleasantly surprised to find no detour. I am glad we got to see the area.
Thanks to Never Lost (Always Lost), we got lost getting into San Francisco. Somehow, we wound up on Treasure Island; thankfully, we were able to turn around and did not have to pay a toll.
We drove into the city through the Tenderloin district. I was a little disturbed since I was expecting more from San Francisco. BUt, when we got closer to Union Square, I was relieved.
We returned the car to Hertz with 1,300 miles on it (over 8 days).
We stayed a the Renaissance PARC 55 which was beautiful. Our room was very nice; the view from one window included the Bay.
We decided to take a quick walk through Union Square; as soon as I saw my first cable car, I knew I was going to love this city! I could not wait to explore more the next day.
To be continued...
Sep 3rd, 2006 | 06:06 PM
#10
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 758
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Part 6- San Francisco (Day 1)
I was very excited to start exploring the city.
We bought a 7 day transit pass that included the cable car, bus car and street car. We rode down from Union Square to Fisherman's Wharf on a packed cable car. It was a fun experience! The line for the cable car was long. At one point, the car got stuck on the street in an intersection; that was kind of nerve wracking!
Based on the suggestions on this board, I had the brilliant idea to ride bikes over the Golden Gate Bridge. The only problem was that I hadn't rode a bike in about 6 years; I did learn that you truly don't forget how to ride a bike! We rented from Blazing Saddles and we were on our way. The ride up to the bridge was somewhat difficult with many hills; my poor husband got yelled at for my bright idea! But, once we got to the bridge it was worth it; the view was amazing. I can't put my finger on why but this was truly one of the most amazing experiences I have had. The ride down into Sausalito was kind of scary because the hill was long and very steep. I was hanging on for dear life! But, surprisingly enough, I made it down in one piece. For lunch, we went to "Hamburgers" and had one the best burgers we have ever had. The place was packed but it was well worth the wait. They cook the burgers on a revolving grill that you can see through the window. We spent some time walking around this charming little town then we took the ferry back to SF. It was very convenient!
That afternoon, we were looking for something low-key to do so we decided to take a Bay Cruise on the Blue/Gold Fleet. The boat was packed; there were not enough seats for everybody so we would up standing. Overall, I was not impressed with the tour; it did not give a whole lot of information about the city. The highlight of the trip was riding under the Golden Gate Bridge. We also enjoyed seeing the seals and sea lions on Pier 39.
That night, we walked around Chinatown. We were fascinated by the women making fortune cookies at the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Company. For dinner, we went Great Eastern. It was delicious! It is one of the best Chinese restaurants we have found. The wonton soup was out of this world; they bring it in a huge bowl that is enough for 4 people! One funny thing was that we had a different waiter every time somebody came to the table! We must have had 6 or 7 seven in the course of our dinner.
For dessert, we went to Ghiardelli (my favoirte!). I LOVE their hot fudge!!!
To be continued...
I was very excited to start exploring the city.
We bought a 7 day transit pass that included the cable car, bus car and street car. We rode down from Union Square to Fisherman's Wharf on a packed cable car. It was a fun experience! The line for the cable car was long. At one point, the car got stuck on the street in an intersection; that was kind of nerve wracking!
Based on the suggestions on this board, I had the brilliant idea to ride bikes over the Golden Gate Bridge. The only problem was that I hadn't rode a bike in about 6 years; I did learn that you truly don't forget how to ride a bike! We rented from Blazing Saddles and we were on our way. The ride up to the bridge was somewhat difficult with many hills; my poor husband got yelled at for my bright idea! But, once we got to the bridge it was worth it; the view was amazing. I can't put my finger on why but this was truly one of the most amazing experiences I have had. The ride down into Sausalito was kind of scary because the hill was long and very steep. I was hanging on for dear life! But, surprisingly enough, I made it down in one piece. For lunch, we went to "Hamburgers" and had one the best burgers we have ever had. The place was packed but it was well worth the wait. They cook the burgers on a revolving grill that you can see through the window. We spent some time walking around this charming little town then we took the ferry back to SF. It was very convenient!
That afternoon, we were looking for something low-key to do so we decided to take a Bay Cruise on the Blue/Gold Fleet. The boat was packed; there were not enough seats for everybody so we would up standing. Overall, I was not impressed with the tour; it did not give a whole lot of information about the city. The highlight of the trip was riding under the Golden Gate Bridge. We also enjoyed seeing the seals and sea lions on Pier 39.
That night, we walked around Chinatown. We were fascinated by the women making fortune cookies at the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Company. For dinner, we went Great Eastern. It was delicious! It is one of the best Chinese restaurants we have found. The wonton soup was out of this world; they bring it in a huge bowl that is enough for 4 people! One funny thing was that we had a different waiter every time somebody came to the table! We must have had 6 or 7 seven in the course of our dinner.
For dessert, we went to Ghiardelli (my favoirte!). I LOVE their hot fudge!!!
To be continued...
Sep 3rd, 2006 | 06:07 PM
#11
Original Poster
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 758
Likes: 0
Part 7: Yosemite
The next morning, we woke up at 5:30 to head out to Yosemite. The ride out was very long- 4 hours and most of it was not very exciting. For the last part of the trip, there was virtually nothing around. One place was selling glass for $3.99 a gallon.
Once we got into the park, it took us about an hour to get into the valley. The view after you left the tunnel was breathtaking. We have never seen anything quite like it; this was when we realized that the trip was worth it!
We were amazed by the sheer beauty of the park. It was very difficult to choose which hikes to go on since we wanted to do everything, even though we had a limited amount of time. We decided to hike up to Lower Yosemite Falls; my husband was very excited that you could get very close to the waterfall. It was beautiful! The water was very cold but refreshing. The hike was enjoyable.
Next, we decided to hike up to Vernal Falls because it seemed like a short hike (1.5 miles); what we did not realize is that it was all uphill with a 1,000 foot elevation change. The hike was VERY difficult; I was ready to give up multiple times. But once we finally got to the top, it was all worth it. At the top of the falls, there is a pool that you can cool off in. The water was very cold but it felt so good. I felt such a sense of accomplishment looking back down the trail; then, I realized I had to get back down. At first, we thought it would be easy to get down because it would be downhill but we very quickly learned that when it is that steep, getting down is no bargain. We finally made it down exhausted and filthy but very proud of ourselves. It was definitley worth it!
Finally, we headed to Glacier Point to be there at sunset. It took an hour to drive there from Yosemite Valley. The ride was quite twisty and the elevation change was very high. Glacier Point was very crowded and cold. We walked the quarter mile from the parking lot and were freezing so we had to go back to get our sweatshirts. At the top was a very nice family from New York who was very knowledgable about the area; they were very nice to talk to. The view was amazing; it is very difficult to find the words to describe it. THe sunset was spectacular; the tops of the rocks turned pink. WOW!! I am so glad that we decided to stay for this.
Finally, we heded to Oakhurst to our hotel. It took us 75 minutes to get there from Glacier Point. This was probably the worst road we were on! It was very windy.
For dinner, we went to the only restuarant we found outside of the park- Sandino's Velvet Rose. Do I need to say more? Needless to say, the restuarant was very tacky. It was packed at 9:30 PM; thankfully, we got there right before it closed! The food was ok but the waiter was not very swift; he forgot my husbands order (lasagna) in about 20 seconds.
We stayed at the Best Western Yosemite Gateway Inn; it was not the Parc 55 but it served our purpose. It was clean and had beds to sleep in. When we tried to check out the next morning, we could not get into the lobby; we had to check out through a little window in the lobby.
We woke up the next morning at 5:30 again and were on the road by 5:50. It was about 50 degrees at that time of the morning. First, we went to Bridal Veil Falls; we were the only ones there so it was very peaceful. The falls were quite pretty and the hike was easy. Next, we had breakfast sandwiches at Degnan's deli; they were delicious! Then, we took a hike around Mirror Lake. Once again, we were the only ones on the trail. THis hike was very nice except for all of the gnats and other bugs. It was really neat to see the rock formations reflected into the water. We really enjoyed this hike because it was so natural; we enjoyed hiking through the woods. Last, we tried to eat lunch at El Capitan but were forced to leave because of a swarm of yellow jackets.
Yosemite was amazing; we were very sad to leave. We vowed that we would come back some day and stay in the park.
To be continued...
The next morning, we woke up at 5:30 to head out to Yosemite. The ride out was very long- 4 hours and most of it was not very exciting. For the last part of the trip, there was virtually nothing around. One place was selling glass for $3.99 a gallon.
Once we got into the park, it took us about an hour to get into the valley. The view after you left the tunnel was breathtaking. We have never seen anything quite like it; this was when we realized that the trip was worth it!
We were amazed by the sheer beauty of the park. It was very difficult to choose which hikes to go on since we wanted to do everything, even though we had a limited amount of time. We decided to hike up to Lower Yosemite Falls; my husband was very excited that you could get very close to the waterfall. It was beautiful! The water was very cold but refreshing. The hike was enjoyable.
Next, we decided to hike up to Vernal Falls because it seemed like a short hike (1.5 miles); what we did not realize is that it was all uphill with a 1,000 foot elevation change. The hike was VERY difficult; I was ready to give up multiple times. But once we finally got to the top, it was all worth it. At the top of the falls, there is a pool that you can cool off in. The water was very cold but it felt so good. I felt such a sense of accomplishment looking back down the trail; then, I realized I had to get back down. At first, we thought it would be easy to get down because it would be downhill but we very quickly learned that when it is that steep, getting down is no bargain. We finally made it down exhausted and filthy but very proud of ourselves. It was definitley worth it!
Finally, we headed to Glacier Point to be there at sunset. It took an hour to drive there from Yosemite Valley. The ride was quite twisty and the elevation change was very high. Glacier Point was very crowded and cold. We walked the quarter mile from the parking lot and were freezing so we had to go back to get our sweatshirts. At the top was a very nice family from New York who was very knowledgable about the area; they were very nice to talk to. The view was amazing; it is very difficult to find the words to describe it. THe sunset was spectacular; the tops of the rocks turned pink. WOW!! I am so glad that we decided to stay for this.
Finally, we heded to Oakhurst to our hotel. It took us 75 minutes to get there from Glacier Point. This was probably the worst road we were on! It was very windy.
For dinner, we went to the only restuarant we found outside of the park- Sandino's Velvet Rose. Do I need to say more? Needless to say, the restuarant was very tacky. It was packed at 9:30 PM; thankfully, we got there right before it closed! The food was ok but the waiter was not very swift; he forgot my husbands order (lasagna) in about 20 seconds.
We stayed at the Best Western Yosemite Gateway Inn; it was not the Parc 55 but it served our purpose. It was clean and had beds to sleep in. When we tried to check out the next morning, we could not get into the lobby; we had to check out through a little window in the lobby.
We woke up the next morning at 5:30 again and were on the road by 5:50. It was about 50 degrees at that time of the morning. First, we went to Bridal Veil Falls; we were the only ones there so it was very peaceful. The falls were quite pretty and the hike was easy. Next, we had breakfast sandwiches at Degnan's deli; they were delicious! Then, we took a hike around Mirror Lake. Once again, we were the only ones on the trail. THis hike was very nice except for all of the gnats and other bugs. It was really neat to see the rock formations reflected into the water. We really enjoyed this hike because it was so natural; we enjoyed hiking through the woods. Last, we tried to eat lunch at El Capitan but were forced to leave because of a swarm of yellow jackets.
Yosemite was amazing; we were very sad to leave. We vowed that we would come back some day and stay in the park.
To be continued...
Sep 3rd, 2006 | 08:52 PM
#12
Original Poster
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 758
Likes: 0
Part 8: San Francisco
We arrived back in the city late afternoon. After relaxing at the hotel, we went out exploring.
We went to Alamo Square to see the Victorian houses and tried to walk to Golden Gate Park. The houses in this area were just beautiful. I found many that I would love to live in. I would love to go inside and see what they look like. I am sure that some of them had beautiful views. We did not realize that there was much more to see further inside the park. But, at that point, we were so exhausted we decided to get back on the bus and find something to eat. We wanted Italian so we went to North Beach. There were many restaurants to choose from; we wound up at US. I had a delicious plate of pasta called spaghetti cecca; it was spaghetti (DUH!) with basil, garlic, tomato and mozerella cheese.
For dessert, we went to Pier 39 and had crepes with Ghiardelli chocolate. YUMMY! We went to bed early because we were exhausted and had a trip to Sonoma planned for the next day.
After another early start, we made our way to Sonoma over the Golden Gate Bridge. It was neat to drive over it! Our first stop was at Muir Woods. We got there as soon as it opened and it was very peaceful. The age and height of the trees amazed us. We were also surprised at the holes in the trunks of some of the trees; they were still very healthy. Some of the trees were more than 1,000 years old; this is very hard to comprehend! Some were so tall that you couldn't see the tops of the trees! We took a beautiful nature trail that we really enjoyed because it was so peaceful.
Then, we made our way to Sonoma. THe town was very nice. We went to Ravenswood, Mayo, Valley of the Moon and BR Cohn. The grounds of BR Cohn was very interesting; inside, they had a lot of Doobie Brother's memoribilia. Ravenswood was also very pretty; the owner had his 2 young children working there with him. We tried to take an advertised tour at Valley of the Moon; first, they suggested that we go to another winery for their tour. Then, we decided that we would rather stay there and asked again about the tour; the woman got very nasty and told us we would have to wait. Finally, when we were on the tour (it was only my husband and I), the woman told us that they were short staffed and normally didn't give tours when that happened. If I would have known that, I wouldn't have asked about going! She gave us a tour but did not seem to know a whole lot. This was somewhat disappointing.
For lunch, we went to Mary's Pizza Shack. It was really good! The name does not match the restuarant. Once again, we had pizza with no sauce.
Finally, in Sonoma, we stopped at the Mission. It was pretty but not quite the same as the Santa Barbara Mission. However, it did give some interesting information about the founding and settlement of California.
That night, we did some more exploring in San Francisco. We went up to THe Top of the Mark to check it out; it was early evening and they were just starting to enforce the dress code and charge a cover. Later, my husband told me that he really wanted to stay to have a drink.
We wound up going back to Chinatown for dinner at Great Eastern. We had something different and it was equally good. I am going to miss this place! Later that night, we walked around Fisherman's Wharf and back to Ghiardelli. I had my last hot fudge of the vacation- how sad
This was our last day in San Francisco; I was very sad to be leaving.
First, we took a tour of Alcatraz. The island was very windy. I was very impressed with how well organized the program was. The Audio tour was very interesting. I could not believe how small and sparse the cells were. It must have been very depressing to see the beautiful views of the city and the bridge and know that you would never get there. The boat ride to and from the island was very nice; there were wonderful views of the city.
We ate lunch at Boudin in Fisherman's Wharf. I had the clam chowder in a bread bowl; it was quite tasty!
After lunch, we went to Coit Tower (we took the bus all the way to the tower; the hills were getting to be alittle much!). The murals inside the building were beautiful. The elevator we went up in was PACKED! THe views from up top were very nice; it would have been helpful if there were signs that told you the different landmarks.
AFter leaving the tower, we took the steps down; I was determined to find "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill". We did not see any up close, but we did see and hear a couple of them fly by. We then started walking towards the Financial District. This part of the city was very pretty. I love the rowhouses!
From the Financial District, we went to Yerba Buena Gardens. The park was beautiful; very green with lots of open space. There was a fountain dedicated to Martin Luther King Junior that was very pretty. The buildings surrounding the park were very unique.
For dinner, we went back to North Beach to find something to eat. At this point in the trip, we were getting kind of cranky and said to be be leaving so we had a small argument about where to eat for dinner. We wound up at Franchino- it was a delicious Italian restaurant with Mama cooking in the kitchen and the father singing in the restaurant. The food was so good and the people were so nice. It was the type of place you picture when you think of an ethnic Italian restaurant- it was very small and simple. My husband had veal parmesan that was amazingly tender; I had chicken parm that was equally good. It came with a side of pasta that had tomato sauce that I liked (that doesn't happen too often!) We also had bruschetta with dinner; the toast it was on was perfectly crispy and the ingredients were mixed expertly. It was a real find!
Sadly, we headed for the airport for a red-eye flight back to Philly. Our adventure was over...
We arrived back in the city late afternoon. After relaxing at the hotel, we went out exploring.
We went to Alamo Square to see the Victorian houses and tried to walk to Golden Gate Park. The houses in this area were just beautiful. I found many that I would love to live in. I would love to go inside and see what they look like. I am sure that some of them had beautiful views. We did not realize that there was much more to see further inside the park. But, at that point, we were so exhausted we decided to get back on the bus and find something to eat. We wanted Italian so we went to North Beach. There were many restaurants to choose from; we wound up at US. I had a delicious plate of pasta called spaghetti cecca; it was spaghetti (DUH!) with basil, garlic, tomato and mozerella cheese.
For dessert, we went to Pier 39 and had crepes with Ghiardelli chocolate. YUMMY! We went to bed early because we were exhausted and had a trip to Sonoma planned for the next day.
After another early start, we made our way to Sonoma over the Golden Gate Bridge. It was neat to drive over it! Our first stop was at Muir Woods. We got there as soon as it opened and it was very peaceful. The age and height of the trees amazed us. We were also surprised at the holes in the trunks of some of the trees; they were still very healthy. Some of the trees were more than 1,000 years old; this is very hard to comprehend! Some were so tall that you couldn't see the tops of the trees! We took a beautiful nature trail that we really enjoyed because it was so peaceful.
Then, we made our way to Sonoma. THe town was very nice. We went to Ravenswood, Mayo, Valley of the Moon and BR Cohn. The grounds of BR Cohn was very interesting; inside, they had a lot of Doobie Brother's memoribilia. Ravenswood was also very pretty; the owner had his 2 young children working there with him. We tried to take an advertised tour at Valley of the Moon; first, they suggested that we go to another winery for their tour. Then, we decided that we would rather stay there and asked again about the tour; the woman got very nasty and told us we would have to wait. Finally, when we were on the tour (it was only my husband and I), the woman told us that they were short staffed and normally didn't give tours when that happened. If I would have known that, I wouldn't have asked about going! She gave us a tour but did not seem to know a whole lot. This was somewhat disappointing.
For lunch, we went to Mary's Pizza Shack. It was really good! The name does not match the restuarant. Once again, we had pizza with no sauce.
Finally, in Sonoma, we stopped at the Mission. It was pretty but not quite the same as the Santa Barbara Mission. However, it did give some interesting information about the founding and settlement of California.
That night, we did some more exploring in San Francisco. We went up to THe Top of the Mark to check it out; it was early evening and they were just starting to enforce the dress code and charge a cover. Later, my husband told me that he really wanted to stay to have a drink.
We wound up going back to Chinatown for dinner at Great Eastern. We had something different and it was equally good. I am going to miss this place! Later that night, we walked around Fisherman's Wharf and back to Ghiardelli. I had my last hot fudge of the vacation- how sad
This was our last day in San Francisco; I was very sad to be leaving.
First, we took a tour of Alcatraz. The island was very windy. I was very impressed with how well organized the program was. The Audio tour was very interesting. I could not believe how small and sparse the cells were. It must have been very depressing to see the beautiful views of the city and the bridge and know that you would never get there. The boat ride to and from the island was very nice; there were wonderful views of the city.
We ate lunch at Boudin in Fisherman's Wharf. I had the clam chowder in a bread bowl; it was quite tasty!
After lunch, we went to Coit Tower (we took the bus all the way to the tower; the hills were getting to be alittle much!). The murals inside the building were beautiful. The elevator we went up in was PACKED! THe views from up top were very nice; it would have been helpful if there were signs that told you the different landmarks.
AFter leaving the tower, we took the steps down; I was determined to find "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill". We did not see any up close, but we did see and hear a couple of them fly by. We then started walking towards the Financial District. This part of the city was very pretty. I love the rowhouses!
From the Financial District, we went to Yerba Buena Gardens. The park was beautiful; very green with lots of open space. There was a fountain dedicated to Martin Luther King Junior that was very pretty. The buildings surrounding the park were very unique.
For dinner, we went back to North Beach to find something to eat. At this point in the trip, we were getting kind of cranky and said to be be leaving so we had a small argument about where to eat for dinner. We wound up at Franchino- it was a delicious Italian restaurant with Mama cooking in the kitchen and the father singing in the restaurant. The food was so good and the people were so nice. It was the type of place you picture when you think of an ethnic Italian restaurant- it was very small and simple. My husband had veal parmesan that was amazingly tender; I had chicken parm that was equally good. It came with a side of pasta that had tomato sauce that I liked (that doesn't happen too often!) We also had bruschetta with dinner; the toast it was on was perfectly crispy and the ingredients were mixed expertly. It was a real find!
Sadly, we headed for the airport for a red-eye flight back to Philly. Our adventure was over...
Sep 4th, 2006 | 08:24 AM
#13
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,151
Likes: 0
Great report. I'm glad you enjoyed SF so much. Good for you tackling the bike ride! I hope you had helmets. The ride into Sausalito is fast and many drivers don't know where they are so well. I can't believe how many people I see on Blazing Saddle Bikes with bare heads.
Sep 4th, 2006 | 10:31 AM
#14
Original Poster
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 758
Likes: 0
I definitley had a helmet and insisted my husband wear one also. I was also amazed at the amount of people without helmets, especially on that hill. You are definitley taking your life in your hands without a helmet!
