Blogs from San Francisco, California, United States, North America - page 193

October 18, 2006, Wednesday. We left Napa and arrived at Sausalito. The Chamber of Commerce was helpful, the visitor’s center was useless, but the bike store was very helpful getting us started. This is truly a biker’s heaven. We biked out of Sausalito and up, up toward the Golden Gate Bridge. There is a bike lane but the road is heavily trafficked. So, in a low gear, we just pumped slowly uphill keeping right on a very winding road with lots of other bikers, but more cars and trucks. The day was crystal clear and warm so the views as we approached San Francisco (SF) were great. Biking after 3:30 PM, take the ocean side, because it is free of tourists and reserved only for bikers. We biked out on the bayside and returned on ... read more

By the time it comes to last drinks, I’ve said, “ok, this is going to be my last pint of Miller Lite” about 7 or 8 times. I run off and make a quick phone call to my Dad at home to waste the last of my phonecard credits before biometrically leaving the USA. I don’t know how I am going to physically make it out since I am so drunk and as soon as I am on the plane, its lights out all round! Goodnight America!!!!!!... read more

It was a relatively early start today as Pete and John had to get back to San Francisco for a meeting about timeshares or something so I was dragged out of bed and we went to the restaurant across the street called "Heidi's" on Pete's recommendation. It was a nice little place, quiet cosy in its own little way and I foolishly ordered the blueberry pancakes as I was feeling a bit peckish and fancied something more substantial than a bagel. However, when the thing arrived it was enormous, there were like eight large pancakes in the stack and instead of having the bluberries cooked into them they were just liberally poured over the top, with a big ol' dollop of cream for good measure. You'll be shocked to hear that even I couldn't manage to ... read more

I woke up with just enough time to put on some clothes and scrape on down to the free breakfast that the hostel offered before 10am. Toasted jam sandwiches with a nice cup of OJ, what a great way to start the day! I was really eager to check out the Alcatraz tour, as there were a few girls at work who had been there and done that, and really loved it. To get down to the Bay, I could have caught a cab or there was the ever famous San Francisco Cable Car, which was packed with Sunday tourists, but I managed to squeeze onto one of them on a harrowing ride up and down some of San Fran’s steepest hills. The views were amazing both over the city and over the bay. I ... read more

I have a claim to San Francisco. My mother's Danish grandfather worked as a carpenter at the Palace Hotel, I think right after the earthquake. I don't know much about him, but I have a desk and a mirror that he made. My father's mother moved there during WWII after her husband died of a heart attack while my dad was overseas in the Navy. She lived in a little studio apartment on the corner of Sutter and Jones until she died in 1974. Although she lived on a meager pension, she was one of those ladies that would never be seen in public without white gloves and a hat with netting over her face. My dad was stationed there for a while during the war. Once he took me to Original Joes, and told me ... read more