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Published: August 2nd 2009
San Francisco
Hiking through Chinatown was like visiting another country. If it wasn't for the TransAmerica pryamid, you'd probably think you were in China.Well, kids, it’s over. Texas Red has returned home to H-Town and his girlfriend, pony-sized puppy, air conditioning, and Tex-Mex. What more can you ask for? Oh, I don’t know, mountain vistas, cool and fresh air, towering trees, green cities, damn-good coffee, prime cycling trails, the Pacific Ocean? It’s too bad you can’t bring your vacation home with you—besides pictures, shot glasses, magnets, memories, and whatnot.
A lot of good times were had; even more miles were flown and driven. Needless to say, this was less a vacation than a marathon. So much to see and do, two weeks being hardly enough time to finish the task. The good news is that there’s incentive to return.
San Francisco was destination numero uno for me and my girlfriend, C. Visiting the City by the Bay was like taking a final exam—you study your notes about what to do and then forget everything you learned. Okay, that makes it look bad. How about this—there are no wrong “answers.” Everything we did was great. Spiraling to the top of the indoor rainforest at the California Academy of Sciences, cycling across the Golden Gate Bridge and coasting into Sausalito for lunch, getting a
The "Living Roof"
This is the roof of the massive California Academy of Sciences building. Pretty impressive. mellow buzz from good wine while on a bus tour of Napa Valley, and enjoying the old-world accommodations of the Hotel Beresford in downtown San Francisco. That’s just the tip of the iceberg (and it is a cold, hilly city for us flatlanders used to the hot Gulf climate). C and I really did cram a lot of adventures into three full days, and believe me, we will be returning for more!
Winding Our Way Up Highway 101
If San Francisco was a final exam, the next ten days was like writing a dissertation…but fun. Humboldt Redwoods State Park, Redwoods National Park, Portland, Olympic National Park, Seattle, and all points in between have been burned into my mind more so than other vacations (and not because I took something like 1,000 pictures). Three things stand out in particular: the Humboldt redwoods, Portland’s green culture, and Olympic’s Second Beach.
The Humboldt redwoods really struck me as awesome (in that old, biblical sense). They possess a powerful character that make them seem less like trees and more like monuments to some long-forgotten era. Their immensity is humbling as they stretch twenty to thirty stories above the forest floor. They
Palace of the Legion of Honor
No contemporary art here - The Palace of the Legion of Honor houses an impressive collection of 18th, 19th, and some early 20th century art, including this cast of Rodin\'s The Thinker. even speak, creaking loudly in a strong breeze. Even in death the redwoods feel heroic as they return to the soil from where they were born, some taking 400 years to do so. I completely understand why they are a treasure. The redwoods also go to show that not everything is bigger in Texas.
Where the redwoods evoked reverence, Portland invoked a certain ecological motivation within me, or maybe it was the bubbles in my beer. Either way, the city is very green. People walk, cycle, or skateboard everywhere. Restaurants go so far as to compost food waste and serve only tap water. And don’t judge the folks of Portland by their tattoos and hipster duds—they were especially friendly and unpretentious, qualities that seem to be fading in Houston. The bars were interesting, Video Dance Attack at the Crystal Ballroom was a blast, and the abundantly evident DIY culture was invigorating. Dare I say it, but I think I want to work to make my hometown more like Portland.
Where Portland was sunny and cool, Olympic National Park was cold, wet, and foggy. I won’t go into details about our misadventures in Forks—check out Generalissimo’s and Jenny Karankawa’s
The Golden Gate Bridge
Yep, C and I biked it across the Golden Gate into Sausalito, dodging fellow tourists and other cyclists. Thankfully, nobody got bumped off the bridge! blog about that—but if it wasn’t for the eeriness of the fog, getting bad directions from the locals, and all three of us having to sleep in the car, then I don’t think Second Beach near La Push would have been nearly as cathartic. When we emerged from the spruce forest, the might of the Pacific became very evident. We had to clamber over full-sized, bleached-white trunks of driftwood just to make it to the gray sand. The fog was so dense it obliterated the horizon and almost completely obscured the rocky islets that lie about 100 yards offshore. The sound of the waves drove me to step my bare feet into the water. The chill was shocking. I let the waves lap up to my ankles, my feet numbing; yet I saw children running into the water, playing in it. I felt the urge, to plunge in headfirst but to keep going further and further out to sea, one day finding a new land and new adventures. The waves seemed to wash away whatever fears I had, if only for a brief moment.
When we packed out of Olympic National Park, we didn’t realize we were leaving the
Madonna Estate
C with organic grapes. They make for some excellent wine. Can't wait to try the bottle we bought with some Tex-Mex! fog, moisture, and chill behind. Seattle was hot, but the accommodations couldn’t have been better for these exhausted travelers. Our hosts, K and G, had the best bed I’ve ever slept in their basement—a red couch. No back, hip, or shoulder pain. It was perfect. Seattle was a great destination in that everybody had someone to meet. I met up with one of my oldest friends, Pepe Blades, whom I’ve known since grade school. Catching up with him and hearing about his life in Seattle was also very motivating—now, maybe I’ll apply to grad school!
Leaving Generalissimo, Jenny Karankawa, and especially the road in Seattle was a bit of a letdown for this novice traveler. There is a certain high you get from simply sojourning through such a beautiful part of the United States. In the end, I really wanted to take it home on the plane with me. Obviously that was asking too much. But what it means is that in the future, San Francisco, Napa Valley, Big Sur, Oregon, and Washington are only a plane ride away. I’ll just have to make sure that I actually do go back to one of the most beautiful places in
Giant Tree - Humboldt
This takes tree hugging to a whole new level! the world (and maybe Vancouver, too!).
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Karla
non-member comment
It's Over?
Say it isn't so??? ;0