San Francisco

Well... it's been almost a year without a post. Quite a bit has happened. And I will update you on us and our adventures in a bit. But first, I started this post as I was sitting at the San Francisco airport on my may back to Fort Worth. A little sad. I decided San Fran is definitely one of my favorite cities. If only I could wind the clock back about a decade. I would have gone a little farther west than Texas.

I forget how much I truly enjoy this city. After I was settled in my hotel, I put my camera in my backpack and headed to Union Square. While walking the few blocks, I saw at least 10 different man purses, several extremely old Asian ladies hunched over pushing carts, more hair colors and piercings than I thought possible, at least one old fellow with pink lipstick and a short skirt, and 2 demonstrations. I have no idea what the demonstrations were about. But they were fired-up, that's for sure.

I didn't get any pictures because I didn't have my camera out and ready. By the time I did retrieve it, the photo op would be gone. And I'm not too sure the "subjects" would have been OK with me taking a picture. Oh well... Maybe next time I'll camp out in one spot and take pictures of people passing by without alarming them.

I also forget about the workout you get just walking around this place. I hiked up a few blocks hoping to find a pizza joint Tim and I found when we were here in 2004. It was still there. And still fabulous. It was worth the leg cramps! My butt muscles were screaming at me, but still worth it. Here’s a shot of one of the hills around this place:

I finally got to visit Alcatraz. I have no idea why that place is so intriguing to me. But it is. I spent almost 4 hours there. Another butt muscle workout. And I was quite proud I made the ferry ride without an incident or any dramamine. The prison was what you would think of, but the beauty of the island was unexpected.

San Francisco from the ferry:

Approaching the island:

Here’s a typical cell:

Pretty boring and typical. I didn’t really take a lot of photos inside because it’s a prison. You really have to be there to grasp it and feel it. Pictures don’t really tell the story.

But the pretty part of the island, that’s a different thing. Very cool. And lots of wildlife. Mainly birds, but a few others as well. Here’s the city through some of the greenery:

And the Golden Gate Bridge:

If you look at the top of the photo, you can see the fog bank retreating. We started out the trip in fog and drizzle. By the end, it was clear skies and lots of sun.

I’m already looking forward to my next trip back...