Gualala Estuary

Looks quit a bit different from my last visit - the river is now closed to the sea. We'll be kayaking in the river this afternoon.

UPDATE: Some pics from our kayaking adventure:

After kayaking - we checked out the property.

More pics and vid clips later.

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Ferries and cable cars and antique trolleys

Continuing Lexie's San Francisco tour, today was an old-timey San Francisco travel day.


We started with a Cable Car ride to the Ferry Building which pre-dates the 1908 1906 earthquake.


Then a ferry across the bay to Sausalito.



After lunch at a bay side cafe, we take the ferry back, and catch the F-line to Fisherman's Wharf for some souvenir shopping and what many consider the epitome of California cuisine - an In-and-Out Burger. The San Francisco F-Line may be the most interesting public transit anywhere. All the trolleys on the F-Line are antique trolley cars from municipal railroads all over the world.


Appropriately, we are riding an antique Kansas City trolley.

Lexie's San Francisco Power Tour

On the terrace with Alcatraz in the background.

As noted in an earlier post, Lexie was unimpressed with her previous visit to San Francisco. I blame myself. To right this wrong, I decided to take her on my internationally renown San Francisco Power Tour.

Where else to start but the SF tourist mecca...

Fisherman's Wharf

Lombard "Crookedest" Street

City Hall

No trip to San Francisco is complete without a visit to the Castro District...

In the Castro

I wanted Lexie to stand where we could see the guy behind her head. She refused, so...

... I had to take a picture of "Epic Proud Guy" by himself.

Twin Peaks Panorama (click to enlarge)

Then Lexie's first Pacific Ocean experience...

So I say "Since this is your first time at the Pacific, Would you like a picture wading in the Ocean?"

The idea was just to get her feet a little wet.

The ocean had other ideas.

Lexie beats a hasty retreat.

Golden Gate Park with dry feet.

Finally - Fort Point and the Golden Gate Bridge.
Or at least what the fog would let us see of it.

From first picture to last in this series - two hours thirty minutes flat.

Friends & Family Find Fog-Free Frisco Fourth Fireworks Fantastic

We always have concern s when inviting friends and family to watch the SF fireworks from the terrace, as a fog white-out is always a realistic possibility. Lucked out this year with an exceptionally clear night. But first the food:

A traditional American Independence Day spread...

To much Irish corned beef brisket and German potato salad...

- [I mean - way too much corned beef brisket]

Accompanied by tabbouleh and abalone ceviche...

With Italian lace cookies, Megan's homemade cookies and red velvet cake for dessert.

Yum.

Waiting for dark...

... we never quite sorted out the combination of cousins, second cousins, cousins once removed, nieces, nieces of convenience, friends, etc. especially with newlyweds adding the complication of inlaw cousins of whatever degree. No matter, we whiled away the evening hours waiting for dark with fine food, good drink, and fun conversation.

Finally - the fireworks...




and a spectacular show it was.

Perhaps I'll will add some video clips at a later date.

Abby provided comic relief by renewing her year long quest to solve the golf ball globe puzzle.

No joy.

Finally, everyone was delighted with their parting gifts - baggies of corned beef brisket.

After the guests leave... Lexie solves the golf ball puzzle - in about five minutes. Genius.

Lexie arrives at SFO

Sigrid greets our niece Lexie who just arrived in San Francisco from Missouri. She has been in our fair city once before...

This picture is from her first visit in 1992. Lexie is the one wearing the pink headband between Mom and Dad right above Dad's right shoulder. Apparently the City failed to impress her, as she claims not to remember anything about the trip. Hard to believe that anyone could be that callous about The City.

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It is the evening of July 3rd and all is clear.

If it is like this tomorrow night we'll have a great view of the fireworks launched in the bay in front of our terrace. Of course, it was clear like this on July 3 last year and we mostly watched pastel colored fog on the Fourth. Fingers crossed.

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