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Published: February 6th 2009
Yeeehaaa!
The Pre Hack warm upHello all, hope everyone back home is enjoying the snow!
We recently took a trip to the valley floor and Carson City where Nat and Claire have gotten their first taste of horse riding Wild West style, which seems like normal horse riding but just more lazy.
Apparently the horses were extremely responsive and could turn on a 'dime', which was what I was thinking about the hire car we rented as I was sitting watching.
From the horse riding we went to a town called Virginia City, which is a real old wild west style town, with wooden sidewalks and lots of old time gold mining and cowboy type architecture and memorabilia. Apparently in the summer they dress up as cowboys and have gun slinging shoot outs which would have been cool to see.
Then it was a visit to San Francisco for the weekend. We have never seen a city with such a variety of culture and terrain, from the towering skyscrapers of the financial district, to the mountains overlooking the city, to beaches full of Surfers and Fishing Piers with Sea Lions sunbathing!
Anyone who visits SF definitely needs to go up Twin
Peaks, the views are unbelievable, you can see the whole Bay including the Golden Gate Bridge, Downtown, Bay Bridge and all the way around to the Airport. I don't think either of us has ever seen a better view of an entire city. Unfortunately you will have to take our word for it as our camera battery died.
We also paid a visit to the setting of many movies and ex-home to Al Capone.... Alcatraz! What a great experience. It was really interesting, even Nat and Claire managed to go through the full 19 chapters of the audio guide without getting bored! Its quite moving being out in the exercise yard, where you can sit on the steps and see city skyline 1 & 1/4 miles away and the Golden Gate bridge, apparently the main punishment is the psychological effect of being so close to such a beautiful vibrant place and not being able to experience it. The ex inmates used to say they could hear the clinking of glasses and songs coming across on the wind especially at New Years.
Oh and not to forget our 12 mile bicycle trip to the Golden Gate bridge. We rented
bikes by Fisherman's Wharf, and cycled along the coast to the Bridge. We passed some beautiful beaches and a few marinas, then we arrived at the bridge and rode across it and back. We took in the sights from the bridge out into the Pacific, then cycled back the Wharf to take the bikes back. (Hannah...you'd fit in well here- so many runners and people doing sports and keeping fit!!!!)
We stumbled upon another Irish pub to quench our thirst, and a couple of Guinness' later and a few hours trying to understand what the hell was going on in the Superbowl, we were on our way for dinner in the Italian district before heading back to the hotel via the BART (underground).
Nats interesting fact of the day - apparently San Francisco has the largest population of Chinese people outside Asia, hence China town felt like you were in a different country altogether, Chinese lunch for $5 was huge.
We also visited Haight-Ashbury, the centre of the hippie movement in the 60's and still a very lively hippie/Bob Marley culture there today. Lots of Thai-Dye T Shirts and Bongs on sale, quite similar to Brighton's Lanes
in some ways.
A 3 and a half hour drive and a toll violation (no cash left to pay $4 - bummer!) later we were back in Lake Tahoe awaiting the much anticipated snow fall due this week.
Love to everyone back home. Peace Out!
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dad and mum
non-member comment
cool!
nice one dudes.