I didn't quite leave my heart in San Francisco ... But I can see how people do

My last day in San Francisco was actually my first day by myself well some of it as by myself.

I had a few things to do today, the first pack and check out, then find a post office I had a few packages I needed to send. My first stop was Walgreens to find some envelopes, followed by union square as I was informed there was a USPS downstairs in Macys. Though I hit a problem besides the rain, which by this stage is really not unexpected. Macys didn't open till 11am and it was currently just on 9am.

So it was plan B, a quick wander through union square then I jumped the cable car to fishermans wharf, not the one I put the picture up of the other day, but the old traditional people standing on the outside cable car. The hills are fun, and it was a good thing to experience and I also used it for the remaineder of the day as well 

At fishermans wharf I wandered, I knew I wanted a hoodie from San Francisco as it was freezing and I don't have many jumpers with me. So I wandered the stores until the rain got to be too much and I decided it was time for my first hot chocolate of the trip.

I went to Bourdains which is known for its sourdough bread, I had toast and a hot chocolate complete with whipped cream on top, it was fun people watching and also watching the bread making process. Some of the bread they make was fantastic shapes like turtles .

The candy store was a store in the wharf area, this introduced me to salt water taffy, they are chewy lollies made with salt water, the locals say they can't taste the salt because they are use to living so close to it, I couldn't taste a lot of salt when I tried them. What did amaze me was the variety of flavours some examples include: butterpopcorn, caramel cheesecake, cotton candy, root beer float, lemon meruigne, cupcake, maple bacon and the list goes on.

After that I went to pier 39 and wandered the shops, this area would be so pretty when it is a. not raining and b. when lit up of a night. I ended up getting my jumper and a tshirt. Also stumbled across a usps place so sent off what I needed to and continued on my merry little way.

I ended up at Musee Mecaniqe, it is an arcade/museum for really old arcade games, the games were interesting and covered a range of different games. The one reason I wanted to go there was a scene from Princess Diaries where Anne Hathway and Julie Andrews arm wrestle the machine and use the photobooth, this was where it was filmed and both things are still in the arcade. 

After spending some time here, I decided as much as I could spend the day on the wharf it was time to go and explore the shopping, I hadn't been to the shops except Walgreens until today. I caught the cable car to the other end and then the fun began. Sephora was my first stop, though I didn't buy anything and I know for a fact there will be purchased made eventually. I then explored forever 21, victorias secrets, bath and body works, and several shoe shops. Some purchases were made, but not much due to needing to keep the luggage wait down.

All shopped out I headed back, the city was slowly getting quieter as the play off was on and being played at candlestick park. I ran into Amanda again who wanted to check out an old style diner we had stumbled across the day before, so I decided to join her.

Loris diner was everything you would expect it to be, completely adorable the bar seating, little booths, the fun music playing. We both ordered burgers again, they were much better than in-n-out, but as always huge and I couldn't finish it. I did love however that it came with sweet potato fries.

It was then time to farewell San Francisco... slowly very slowly. The traffic was terrible, with everyone leaving candlestick park after the game. My pick up time was 8pm I arrived at the airport closer to 10pm. The airport was ful of NY Giants fans stressing they were going to miss their flights as the game went into overtime, and security was going so slow. This was also my first experience of the body scanner machines, though it ended in a pat down. They didn't like the zippers on my trackpants and flagged them as potential danger. 

Then the fun begins, the flight is delayed. The plane is ready, the piolt is set but we have no crew, they are delayed on their incoming flight so we have to wait for them. The flight is full and we run out of room for all the cabin baggage, so it becomes extra squishy with bags shoved under seats.

I couldn't sleep on the flight I was really hot and uncomfortable but I did get to watch some impressive lightening happening around us as we flew, the plane also had free satelite tv so I got to watch some tv and even the news couldn't put me to sleep. The delay meant I missed my connecting flight by 5 mins - we managed to make up a lot of time in the air. Alot of people missed their connections as well, this is where I learnt that politeness and understanding pay off. I was upgraded on my connecting flight to first class.

So I am typing this from the gate waiting for my new connecting flight, I can't wait to arrive and get checked in and hopefully have a room, try and power nap before I hit the parks.

When the fog lifts it is so pretty

San Francisco is a city know for its fog, and at times the fog is so thick that you can't see anything. The Golden Gate Bridge was painted the red/orange colour that it is so that it would be visible in fog - though after not being able to see it through the fog the other day I have to assume they mean seeing it through the fog close up!!
The bridge is just spectacular, of course I have seen it in pictures and on tv, but it really is a sight to behold when you are approaching it with the water and the mountains in the background, some fog around it and knowing that as soon as you cross that bridge you are no longer in San Francisco.

After the bridge we continued towards Muir Woods, the road was my least favourite part of today, it was very windy and I just had to try and focus on pretending we were not on a road like that.
The Muir Woods are full of costal redwoods, these trees can grow to 115m tall, the highest in the woods I went to is 79m. To put it in a little perspective if the trees were planted in the bay below the golden gate bridge, you would will have to look up when standing on the bridge to see the tops of them.

We walked to a section called the cathedral and it really was beautiful and quiet, you become in awe of the trees and how long they have been there for.

After Muir woods we headed to Sausalito which is a little coastal town with a Mediterranean feel, you can catch the ferry from here back to the fishermans wharf, you can dine, shop and take in the feel of a little town and then return to the city.
Fishermans wharf was the last destination for the day, we checked out pier 39 which have floating docks in which a sea lion colony lives. It is a strange situation to see them in just sitting or lying on a floating dock in the middle of the pier where boats come in and out of to dock, but they seem content and they draw a crowd as well.

After wandering the wharf area for a while Amanda and I decided that it was time for our first American burger, and we were advised by Dylan that we needed to try "in-n-out" number 1 animal style, this turns out to be a double double burger meal animal style... for those wondering what this looks like here is your answer

Once again I could not finish it all, it wasn't bad for a burger from a semi fast food place, and so far I am coping from eating it, though I did eat a lot of fresh fruit today as well.

This day has really made me fall more in love with San Francisco, only tomorrow to go and I hope I can fit in some more fun adventures

won't you save me San Francisco ....

Picking up where I left off yesterday, dinner at  crustaceans was nice.. but one again far too big and I was unable to finish it. Dinner was followed up by a visit to Walgreen so I could purchase an umbrella since it was pouring rain and we had several block to walk back to the warm and cosy place we call home for the moment.

Walgreens was an adventure to say the least, my first real time in American store that sells bits and pieces of everything. It was then decided that Mary would make Amanda and I smores .... for those who do not know what smores are - Graham crackers (digestive biscuits), marshmallow and chocolate (Hershey)... and let the following pictures explain the smores process

The verdict they are different, very messy and I can see how they would be winners around a campfire... if I think about it will bring some ingredients home so people can try them.
After the smores we cracked open another bottle of wine and relaxed with some Foosball though I have to admit I wasn't any good and was defeated really quickly, I didn't make karoke though bed was calling.

now on to today....

Whats that?... Blue sky and no rain!! Am I still in San Francisco? I sure am and now without the rain and even with the wind and chill I see the amazing charm of this city, the history behind it and the many wonderful areas of such a melting pot.

I got to discover more of the city today, I did a Dylan's tour (http://dylanstours.com/) which I highly recommend. It was a small group tour with only 7 people in a small van, I was one of only 2 Australians.
The tour was great as it showed you the other parts of San Francisco outside of the touristy areas of Union Square and Fishermans wharf.
Some of the things we got to see were city hall, it was an impressive city hall, no boring building but grand and elegant, with gold trimming. I didn't get a photo but here is a picture courtesy of wikipedia

We ventured through the Castro district and saw the areas from the movie Milk and learnt about how much the movement changed the area. The mission district which is a melting pot of cultures.
Twin peaks gave an amazing view of San Francisco and highlighted Mission street which separates the sides of the city, you can see it clearly in some of the photos, as well as the rainbow flag that highlights the Castro district

 After twin peaks we headed for the corner of Haight and Ashbury  this is the area known for the summer of love and it became the area which increased drugs and rock and roll into San Francisco. The grateful dead lived close to this area. It is also home to the first Ben and Jerrys outside of its home town.
I did try some Ben and Jerrys just a smoothie which was very nice, and when you tip they ring the cow bell always a cute thing to happen.

We managed a quick stop off at the painted ladies - these houses are the old victorian style houses these particular ones are most well known for their appearance in full house, what most people do not realise that in 1906 when an earthquake hit San Francisco it pretty much destroyed all the houses on nob hill (where these are located in Alamo square) but these 6 houses somehow made it through untouched and still remain today.

The rest of the day I will post in the next blog it contains the golden gate bridge, Muir woods, fishermans wharf and my first try of in n out burger... animal style
Will try and do this before I leave San Francisco tomorrow to head to DISNEY!! but if I don't the updates probably will be few and far between until I get to Boston or have access to wifi again

cold and rainy what a great day to visit a prison

Today I woke up to rain and cold... though the locals assure me that this isn't what San Francisco is like, it never rains for this long... except when Anne is here.

Another day, another new friend, today is Mary she is from West Virginia and a lovely person. Mary decided to make the trek to Alcatraz with me, I call it a trek as it is hard to familiarise yourself with a city when your soaking wet, cold and the rain has ruined the map you were using. This did however mean I got to ride my first trolley ride

Once we made it to the pier it was on the ferry, since it was raining we didn't venture outside till later in the trip, but I did get to try my first American pretzel and it was filled with cheese - It was interesting, I tried it with mustard and wasn't a fan and I am interested to try a plain one as well.

Alcatraz was interesting and the audio tour was enjoyable. So strange to wander around the area where known criminals, so much history behind the place and to think of some of the outbreaks and escape attempts that happened.

On the way back the fog had lifted and for a short while the rain had given a nice and welcomed break, enough to actually see the golden gate bridge and the city from the ferry. It was an "ahhhh" moment, the city looks so pretty and one again I really hope I get a chance to explore it without the rain before I leave

After Alcatraz Mary needed to go to a shop for a fingerprint scan - the whole reason she was in California. Whilst in the store, there were policemen pull up across the road sirens switched on, turns out we were opposite a bank and it was about to be part of a protest/march for occupy wallstreet. It was interesting to observe and even talk to some of the people involved.

After all this excitement it was off to wander china town and admire the buildings and of course a stop in at the fortune cookie making factory - so far my only fortune read "union gives strength. Work collaboratively".
All in all I had a great day and got to see some lovely areas.

I am now relaxing with a glass of wine, whilst updating this. Heading for dinner soon to a place called crustaceans, before some karoke tonight.
Tomorrow a tour of the city to see Lombard street, the painted ladies, coit tower and over the bridge to Muir Woods to see the red woods - this puts a smile on my face and I am sure a few of you will completely get this ... maybe I can see grandpa redwood!

Planes, Airports and a rainy San Francisco

I am sitting in LAX typing this waiting for my connecting flight to San Francisco, though there are way to many announcements happening at the moment that I am not sure if my flight is cancelled and I am meant to be lining up for a new boarding pass or if it was the one before mine.

The flight over wasn't too bad, it wasn't full so I had a whole row to myself which meant I could lie down and attempt some sleep, I think I managed a few hours it was nice being able to stretch out.

It still didn't feel real even when I was on the plane, saying goodbye to mum and dad was surreal but there was also a lot happening at home our minds were elsewhere. I did get through all goodbyes with no tears, though someone hmmm Moo, bought me undone with her amazing letter and gift. I can't stop smiling everytime I look at it, will try and take some photos but it is a book with photos and find -a - words , colouring in pages and random facts about the places I am going to.
 The flight was pretty uneventful I didn't watch any movies, watched a few repeat episodes of new girl and mainly listened to my smodcasts.
I know some people are waiting for pictures of food and I try not to disappoint, the food on the plane was pretty good, for lunch I had a mustard beef with mash and green beans - I also had to add the pics of the napkin because it make me laugh... for me it was a napkin not a tissue.

Also props to V Australia for given the tray mat a write up - yet another thing that made me smile.





Breakfast was Apple Cinnamon pancakes they weren't too bad and they filled the void after such a long time between food

So onto San Francisco, I arrived to a nice rainy, dreary, cold weather day... are you still all jealous? I was exhausted but I made sure I had a shower and forced myself to go explore in the rain if only for a little while.  I made a friend Amanda who is sharing my room with me, so we wandered to Union Square and then we decided the only thing to do on your first day in the US when it is raining and you are exhausted is MACYS!! 6 floors and way too many things that looked good and were tempting me to buy then - I didn't spend a cent in Macys.

Since we both flew in today and were exhausted we opted for an early bite to eat at the cheesecake factory, this was my first meal since the plane which was around 7am, I wasn't overly hungry but I ordered a Tomato Basil pasta, which means I got to experience my first HUGE American meal, I couldn't finish it all not to mention the size of the drink they give you.

So sadly no cheesecake tasting yet, I just couldn't fit it in.
It was back to the hostel for a free hot cider, which was needed it was freezing outside and for the walk back to the hostel. I am now lying in my bed fighting my eyes to at least make it to 8pm,
Tomorrow is Alcatraz, riding a cable car and exploring fishermans wharf

NOLA Service Project

A while ago I recieved an email from The Rock Boat (TRB) organisers about hotels available before we cruise out of New Orleans (NOLA) and how the day before they had arranged for a service project volunteer day if you were in the area and felt the need to help out.

The service project is helping with the St Bernard Project (http://www.stbernardproject.org) it is helping rebuild from Hurricane Katrina. It is hard to believe it has been 6 years since the hurricane and there are still families without homes, and businesses that need to be rebuilt. I can't even begin how it would feel to not have a place to call home 6 years after such a devastating event occurred.

It was something that really interested me, but also something that had me torn, my time in NOLA is limited and I don't know when I will be back in the area so I had to weigh up seeing the sights and exploring the city vs really wanting to help out these people and know that I spent my afternoon making a difference to someones life.

In the end the service project won out - really it wasn't that hard of a decision, this year may be about me and being a little selfish, but to know whilst I am doing such an amazing trip I can help some people out and know that I have made a little bit of a difference to someones life.

So what kind of things will I be doing.. this is what the email said
"Volunteers work on one of many possible phases of rebuilding including mold remediation, installing insulation, hanging drywall, mudding, sanding, painting or flooring."

Most of these things are things I would never have thought I would be doing anytime soon.. especially for those that know me and my lack of co-ordination, whilst I can sand and paint I think it will be interesting and fun to learn a new skill like mudding - though me and dirt hmmm, or hanging dry wall. 

It has turned into one thing I am really looking forward to doing and looking forward to being able to share more about the experience with all of you 

1 week... or 7 itty bitty days

This time next week I will be at Sydney airport with a boarding pass in hand, having checked in my luggage having a final lunch with Mum and Dad before stepping foot into that tickets only area and beginning the adventure.

So how am I feeling about it? At times ridiculously excited, especially when I looking at random things like Harry Potter merchandise or I randomly see NYC on a movie. Most of the time though it still does not feel real, well the tickets, the packing and to do list sure feel real, but it doesn't seem as though I am going to be on a plane crossing the ocean and spending till April in the USA.

Lists are my friend.. This isn't a new thing, they always have been. In this case though they have helped me be extremely organised, I only have a grand total of 1 thing to go on my to do list and about 5 things on my to pack list.

People often ask me a. if I am excited and b. what I am most looking forward to, these are really hard to answer as the answers change daily but here are the things that are most exciting today:

• Wizarding World of Harry Potter
• NYC - All of it 
• The Rock Boat - this is a few things, meeting some people who I have spoken to for years and getting to hang with them for 5 days! Also I signed up for the service project - more to come on this I feel like it deserves its own entry.
• Disneyland and Disneyworld
• VEGAS
• Making new friends, and hanging out with some friends I made just lasts year

 Hopefully next time I blog it will be either from the plane, or at least the airport.