Gallivanting Grandma

Saturday – July 21, 2012

We were staying at the Inn at Union Square which is a small boutique hotel diagonally across the street from Union Square right in down-town San Francisco. After a light continental breakfast, we went out into the brilliant sunshine to explore the city.

Historic Street Car

We went around the corner to a shop that sold transportation passes. The MUNI-Pass give unlimited rides on all the buses, trains, trolleys, cable cars, and street cars in the entire city. Our goal was the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park, so we took a bus to the park.

Intersection of Haight & Ashbury Streets

The best thing about above-ground transportation in a city is that you can see where you’re going and you’re able to view all the neighborhoods. The bus drove through the infamous Haight-Ashbury section of San Francisco. Today, young tourists enjoy walking around the district to see tie-dye t-shirt shops and psychedelic graffiti.

Carousel

We got off the bus at Golden Gate Park and walked into the park. We followed a path and arrived at a wonderful big children’s playground. Just past that we found a lovely carousel which was made in Watertown, New York.

The California Academy of Sciences

We continued on for a while, passing a lawn bowling court and a botanical garden. Finally we arrived at the “science museum”. There were lots of children and families around the museum.  We crossed the boulevard to find an outdoor art show & sale positioned around a fountain.

Entrance to the Japanese Tea Garden

We finally found the Japanese Tea Garden, paid our admission and entered. It was the oldest garden in San Francisco according to the sign. It was not as large as the Japanese garden we had visited in Vancouver, but was still quite beautiful.

The Tea House

Japanese Pagoda

Reflecting Pool

Beautiful Garden

Since we were so close, we decided to see the exhibits in the De Young Art Museum. The building was interesting and the collection was also surprisingly good. I love the palm trees around the building!

The De Young Museum

Outdoor Cafe

View Inside, Looking Out of the Museum

Contemporary Art Room

Glass Sculpture

Tired Visitor or a Different Perspective

Nice Light on the Statue

View of the Sculpture Garden

Performance Piece and Spectators

We had walked many many miles today! And we were exhausted. We found a bus which passed near our hotel and rode back across the city. After a bit of a rest in our suite, we ventured out for dinner. Chinatown was close by so we walked up the hill to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. We had a fun day exploring parts of San Francisco we had never seen before.

Cable Car Going Down the Hill on Powell Street

Friday, July 20, 2012

Building Number One

There we were in the middle of Silicon Valley: two long-time Apple and Macintosh Computer users! Cupertino, California, the world headquarters of Apple, was a mere six miles away. We decided to make the pilgrimage to the official “Visitor’s Center”. :-)

The Visitor’s Center at Apple Headquarters

We did know that they didn’t sell computers at the store. Jeff had checked it all out before we arrived. They sold just t-shirts, caps, and other small computer accessories. Of course, they had several models of the latest computers on display to try out.

Inside the Visitors Center

I was very surprised to see that the place was crowded! Apparently there are many other Apple devotees who wanted to make the pilgrimage to the Holy Grail!

Of course, our goal for the day was to reach San Francisco so we tore ourselves away from Apple Headquarters and continued North to the “City by the Bay”.

Our First View of San Francisco

Yes! This is a real photo of San Francisco (not Photo-shopped) with a 100 percent cloudless blue sky!! We certainly were lucky!

Up Powell Street Hill

We left our luggage at the Inn and continued to Fisherman’s Wharf to return the car to the Hertz office located there. There was lots of traffic and people and noise and confusion, but we made it and dropped off the rental car. San Francisco is not an easy city to drive in!

Down the Other Side of the Hill

It was an extraordinarily beautiful day and it was a relief to get rid of the rental car. Now we were free to roam the city without the responsibility of someone else’s car. :-) We were in Fisherman’s Wharf – a BIG tourist destination, so we decided to start our explorations there.

Fisherman Wharf Sign

This is a large area of San Francisco which historically was the fishing center of the city. Today, it is mainly a tourist destination filled with restaurants, shops, and street entertainment. It was packed with lots of tourists from all over the world.

At the Wharf

We walked around the wharf looking at the shops and the tourists. It was a noisy and carnival atmosphere and there was a lot to see. I’m not a shopper so I’m never tempted to buy lots of chachkas and junk.

Old Fashioned Trolleys

I love these old trolley cars! I remember the first time I visited San Francisco with my two young sons, sometime in the late 1970s. We had fun riding on all the different kinds of public transportation vehicles: trolleys, buses, cable cars, trams, trains, etcetera. We discovered that San Francisco was a transportation wonder-land.

The Musee Mecanique

Jeff and I stumbled upon the Musee Mecanique. It is a free museum sponsored by the City of San Francisco and houses hundreds of old mechanized amusements. See the website for the history of the collection: www.museemechanique.com

The Thimble Theatre

The Oldest Amusement in the Museum

Moving Toothpick Construction

Another Mechanical Amusement

Boudin Bakery & Cafe

We had a late lunch at the Boudin Bakery & Cafe. Then looked around at their shop and took photographs. There was a big area showing the bakers rolling and baking bread. San Francisco is famous for “sour dough” bread.

Sour-dough Bread For Sale

Bread Basket

After lunch, we walked further down the wharf to Pier 39. Jeff had seen seals here on a previous visit and we wanted to see them again.

Sign for Pier 39

There were just a few seals on the docks. A sign explained that the seals go elsewhere during the summer to raise their young. Then they return during the cooler weather and spend their winters here.

Sleeping Seal

The sign also explained that the seals first arrived on these docks just 22 years ago, after a particularly strong earthquake. They have returned every winter since then. Jeff said that all the docks were full of seals when he saw them.

More Sleeping Seals

Carousel on Pier 39

Mickey Doll

Another Cool Old Trolley

Bag Piper in the Park

We became tired after walking around for several hours, so we decided to ride a bus back to the Inn. The piper in the photo was in Union Square Park playing his bag pipe while we walked by. He looked regal standing in the bright sun while playing a Scottish marching tune. (I have to remember to crop out the tourist in the striped shirt when I get home!)

Thursday – July 19, 2012

We had travelled as far south as we could because we had to be in San Francisco on Friday, July 20th. We had reservations at The Inn at Union Square and neither of us wanted a long driving day the reach the city which was about 250 miles north. So we packed up and left the small hotel community of San Simeon.

Along Route 46 Eastbound

First, we drove south to the town of Cambria (pronounced cam-bree-a) and stopped at The Corner French Bakery for pastries and good coffee. Then we drove further South on Highway 1 a few miles and picked up Route 46 going East. The road cut through brown-grassy hills with an occasional sign for someone’s “Ranch”.

Lettuce Fields Along Route 101

As we approached Route 101, we passed innumerable vineyards on both sides of the road. Then we continued North and passed more vineyards and orchards.  We saw a sign announcing that this was the “National Salad Bowl”. We passed miles and miles and miles of lettuce fields. There were names of salad lettuce that I bought in New York!

Another Kind of Lettuce

I thought it would be fun to drive slowly along the different kinds of lettuce and salad makings.  I also saw strawberry fields and grape tomatoes and cabbage plants.

Workers Picking Ripe Lettuce

It was interesting to see the workers in the fields. We forget about them and their hard back-breaking labor when we’re buying our salad makings 3000 miles away. It must be very labor intensive to grow crops. We also passed an exit marked Chavez Road and we both recalled the struggles of the migrant workers during the 1960’s.  Was that really 50 years ago?!!

The First Awakenings – Salinas, CA

I had remembered a restaurant in a beautiful building in Salinas when we visited the John Steinbeck Center. We stopped there for a tasty and healthy late lunch. Then we continued driving until about 3:30 when we decided we were tired and I wanted time to do laundry before going to San Francisco.

Shadow on the Wall

We stumbled upon a Marriott Residence Inn tucked between several Silicon Valley office buildings in Sunnyvale just off Highway 101. We had reached the famous computer technology center of the universe! OK, maybe just the United States! This morning we left the legacy of William Randolph Hearst’s media wealth and power now we were among some of the most powerful and rich computer giants. Cupertino, the world headquarters of Apple, was just six miles away!

Wednesday – July 18, 2012

Entrance to the Hearst Castle Visitor’s Center

View of the Castle on the Hill

Climbing the Steps

Around “Casa Grande”

The Main Meeting Room

Ketchup Bottle on Renaissance Dining Table

Palio di Siena Flags Hang Near the Carved Ceiling

The Billiards Room

The Neptune Pool

Another View of the Pool

Part of the Garden

Cottage Across the Rose Garden

Another Guest Cottage

Peeking Into the Cottage

Bedroom in the Cottage

Casa Grande Kitchen

The Indoor Roman Pool

Roman Pool With Gold Murano Glass Tiles

Diving Platform

Casa Grande Towers

Pacific Sunset

Red At Night – Sailor’s Delight

Beautiful End of a Good Day

Tuesday – July 17, 2012

We were ready to move on after staying two nights in Monterey, California and exploring Monterey and Carmel. We returned to California Highway 1 and continued to drive south.

Rocky Creek Bridge

Interesting Rock At a Rest Stop

Nepenthe Shop and Restaurant

Stellar Jay

View of the Pacific

Becoming a Sunny Day

Elephant Seals Molting

Elephant Seals in the Sand

Elephant Seals

One-Room School House in the Village of San Simeon

San Simeon State Beach

Pier at San Simeon

End of the Day

Sunset

Watching the Sunset