Visited Family Down in California and enjoyed a Great Day in San Francisco!

We were ready to go visit Jim - my stepdad down in CA...it is a 9 hour drive so you have to plan it a bit in advance - so it works out  for everyone!

We drove through the Redwoods & Wow... were they BIG & tall!

Northern California Redwood National Park

 Driving along the Eel River~

Eel River - Northern California

We stopped for lunch in the cute town of Arcata...they have a cute downtown area with old buildings (kind of the 50's era) and fun shops to nose around in!
Every year they hold a kinetic race on Memorial Day!  Nick said he enjoyed going to it many years ago...and we should go & see it this coming summer....hm...sounds fun!
Kinectic Races - Fun! 

Jim has a friend named Rose!

It was a pleasant drive down...knowing it would warm up as we headed south! Yes California is always a milder weather!
 Living here in Port Orford, on Hwy 101 - we are able to stay on Hwy 101 all the way down to CA to the Bay Area!  A Nice & easy drive!  Some of it was along the coast - until Eureka, and then you turn inland down to the Bay Area & into San Rafael.  Right along the San Quentin prison onto the San Rafael bridge over to San Pablo and El Sobrante where Jim lives!

We enjoyed our time with Jim, and also got to know better Rose, his friend and companion!  We enjoyed visiting and had a really nice Thai lunch together...Yum!

The next day Denise, Jim's daughter came to visit with us!
Always a treat, to meet my sis (step-sis!)

We enjoyed a really good Mexican lunch at Jim's favorite
restaurant, and we did a little celebration lunch for his
upcoming Birthday!

"Happy Birthday Jim!  We love you!"










On Sunday we decided to go into "The City" after all!  It was not "the plan" but it worked out to do so anyway!

Oh boy...always fun going into the Big Town of San Francisco!

 We decided to take the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) leaving our car in Orinda!

We love to do that...and if you recall...that's where we started our trip to Asia with our back-packs and 2 suitcases,  3 years ago on June 2013!!!


Gosh how time flies!  Way too fast!

There we stood with our packs 3 years ago ready for an adventure...and having no idea really where & how we would travel...but a ticket at a time...airplane, train, bus, buggy, motorcycle...how can it be 3 years already!!! 

Oh what a pleasure we had!

Nick & I chatted a bit about our very special time together!  Golly...still can't believe we did that together....BUT we have a blog to prove it......

See Our Trip! Click here!

Ha!

 Ah...only 11 minutes for the next train to come!

How convenient...to go to the City this way!

 The ticket we purchased takes us to Powell Street.

This is also the street that brings us to Union Square...and our favorite place to start the day....

Very easy to figure out! 

...with breakfast!

 The BART travels under the Bay into San Francisco...takes about 10 minutes going under through the Bay...kind of hard to imagine that we are way "down there" but it happens so fast...and I always stand in awe what mankind has accomplished in such a short time since the buggy days! 

Coming out of the BART onto the well known Market Street/Powell Street!

We're here Nick....your hometown from your first arrival into the USA back in 1956!

And my family immigrated in 1956 to Oakland right across from San Francisco!  

9 am on Sunday morning and already people are lined up to take the Cable Car up the steep hill over to Fisherman's Wharf!

Yes you just "have to do that ride on the Cable Car!" 

It's what you do when in San Francisco! Ha!

The cable cars looked "refurbished" really spiffy clean & like new!

"ding ding!" goes the Cable Car...so cute!

Nick & I let the tourists to take the Cable Car for we had the plan to walk it all!  And we did...right up to Union Square along Powell Street to our favorite restaurant called "Sears - Fine Food"

Sears - Delicious!


This place is from the olden days 1938 & still in that era today...  and it is adorable inside AND everything is freshly prepared - really good!

We have done this traditionally for many years!  Nick introduced me to it years ago and we have been coming ever since! 

Everything is still in the old San Francisco style of
days gone by!  Old tile flooring, lots of wood and the old light fixtures...very fitting! 

...Even Tony Bennett has been here!

....And who might these two gals be?

 And "what's for dinner?"

Boudin is a famous bread store in Fisherman's Wharf....and they make the cutest breads...this one was sent to my grand daughter Skyler!









......Skyler likes?

 

 We walked all day in the City...going up & down Powell Street - heading to Fisherman's Wharf...we love to do this walk together!

We pretty much follow the route of the Cable Car-!

It does get your heart pumping...and it is a good hike for you!

 We always love & enjoy all the activity that goes on in the City!  Lots of tourists and so fun to hear all the languages being spoken!  It is always busy in San Francisco!

The weather was perfect...and a very mild February day! 

How fortunate for us and everyone else... enjoying a day in San Francisco!

Such a Treat!

 These buses are standing on a very steep street...and to see them starting up from that position at the signal light....! 

 We walked and walked...probably 5 or 6 miles heading towards the wharf.

"Selfie" not with the flamingo's but the Cable Car behind them!

Union  Square is a busy place!

Look Carla...your neighborhood!

 
 Nosing around in Costplus-World Market ...remember Nick our first date together in SF - 20 years ago?

Well Said!

Yes we now live on a Lake!

A Styling Pug!

This one is for Cecile!

OK...would you wear this? You really really have to be a tourist ha?

A double-decker Bus drives by...with lots of tourists going to see the Town!

Love Fisherman's Wharf - Click on this Link!

Wow...what a day!

Heading towards Pier 39 ~

Pier 39 - A Fun pier to hang out!

Usually these docks are full of sea lions!

Where are they all hiding?

Hey Nicky & Shannon - lookie here!

Alcatraz in the distance!

Tulips are almost out of bloom- early!

Yep that's my store...I am a "Lefty!"

 Pier 39 always draws a lot of people...lots of shops to go into...of course...don't you think? 
Right Nick?????

Nick prefers to walk the docks and see the  boats...and there was a catamaran out there...any big races coming to the Bay?

We sure loved watching them practice during the American Cup races some years back....what a speed!

Yes would certainly love this one!  He was taking it all in....and dreaming-ha!

 These old Trolley Cars are brought in from all different parts of the country....they leave the original colors on it from that particular town/State.

These trolley's are run on electricity only. 

 On weekend's the Ferry Building has a Vegetable Market in & outside which draws a lot of people too.  Lots of activity that draws lots of people!  There are Chef's making a really delicious breakfast right outside & they are ever so good!  A real popular draw!

People are skating, walking or riding bikes along the piers!

Yes ago, my parents & I would come down to these piers to see the Holland American cruise lines arrive from Holland!

 Well we finished our special day in San Francisco!  Till next time then!

Back on the BART heading back under the Bay and into Oakland and then onto Orinda where our car is parked.

 OK Nick did not want to be in the picture...OK! OK!

Back in Orinda...heading back to Jim's!

We had promised Jim to be back so I could cook dinner for the four of us, so' we left San Francisco at 3 pm and was back at the house 4 pm!  Nice!

Always great to go to San Francisco...we both have lots of good memories!

But of course it is our old "stomping grounds!"