San Fran Roadtrip 2007
Along our trip, I kept a journal of various events. It is a little choppy, but I was writing more to track our experiences. The notes work well withe the photos (check my flickr site for those).
Day #1 - Sat June 30th
Picked up the car at Avis - a Pontiac G6 with lots of power - 2647 km on it.
The radio says the borders are "a mess" with waits of 3+ hours. Good thing I brought games!
Stopped at Melriches - I got an excellent Americano, Mich got a less than mediocre latte. 8:47am and we will soon be at the border.
9:23am - just jumped the line at the border by visiting the Duty Free! Had to buy something, wound up buying cologne. Not bad - only 30 min. to get through border - Ha!
11:33am - Driving through Seattle as we speak. Clear sailing for us, but the traffic going the other way is *nuts* - really heavy.
4pm (ish) arrived in Seaside Oregon. Stayed at the Hostel. Walked along the boardwalk to the beach - long, power soft beach - some dune-style grasses. Georgeous. Walked back along Broadway, bought some salt-water taffy, ate dinner. Very touristy city, but stunning beach and coastal views.
Day #2 – Sun. July 1
Left the hostel at 8am. Visited the Seaside Coffee Roasting Co. Wow – first, they sell ‘muffin tops’ just like on Seinfeld. Plus, they make their own scones – best scone I have ever had…
10:10am – Driving through Manzanita – what an awesome little community. Just like Cannon Beach – it has long soft beaches that stretch forever down the coast. You can hear the waves crashing, the air is cool, fresh, salty. Very cool.
2:20pm – Just left Newport. We stopped in Tillamook at the Cheese Factory. Toured around, ate samples, bought some cheese. Very tasty.
3:15pm – Ate lunch while sitting on a log at Seal Rock (in the company of 3 seals). Have realized we may be behind schedule. May have to cut out certain stops.
6:30pm – oof! Long driving day. We are in Bandon, Oregon staying at the La Kris Inn. We left Seal Rock, stopped in Florence at the Dunes, then back on the road. Lots of bridges, even draw bridges. Drivers are either too slow or crazy. Mich has enjoyed several naps while I’ve been driving (she says roadtrips make her sleepy). We are in Room #2 at the La Kris Inn – the ‘Safari’ room (every room has a theme I guess) . Nice enough… fridge, microwave, DVD etc. We borrowed ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ to watch tonight. Anyhow, gotta find dinner and see the beach (Bandon is supposed to have one of the most beautiful beaches).
Day #3 – Mon. July 2
8am – leaving our Safari room at the La Kris Inn. Lastnight we drove along the ‘Beach Loop’ (beautiful!). Ended up at a restaurant called ‘Billy Smoothboars’ for dinner. A bit of a treat – I had prime rib, and Kenny had steak. Returned at 9pm very tired. Watched the first 30 min. of ‘Pirates’ then fell asleep.
10:00am – Stopped at Gold Beach to pee. Coastal drive has been very rocky with long white capped beaches.
10:31am – Driving through Brookings, sunny 68F, crisp sea air.
10:41am – Crossed California border. Saw orange jump-suited men from a nearby prison working on highway (our second spotting).
11:50am – Stopped in Klamath, CA. There is a giant Paul Bunyan (and Babe, his blue ox) at the “Trees of Mystery”?! A voice comes out of Paul – so that he is talking with visitors. Pretty funny – I am sure he was flirting with some girls. The kids were posing for pics under the bulls nuts – that was even funnier.
12:40pm – 5 miles to Trinidad, CA. and 24 mi to Eureka!
12:52pm – Just entered Arcata, CA. Very ‘valley’ like, fields with cows, clear sunny skies with many hawks/eagles (not sure which bird of prey it is)
1:40pm – Back on the road. Stopped at ‘Kristina’s’ for lunch, beef dips with giant salads and giant sodas.
2:18pm – Redcrest, CA. 90F and hotter! (phew)
3pm – Checked into room 11 at the Humboldt Redwoods Inn in Garberville, CA. Napped a bit, watched some TV (thank god for air conditioning). Swam in the pool (ah, a refreshing game of Marco Polo). Then off to dinner at a local Italian-Mexican restaurant called Sicilitos – great thin crust pizza. Today’s drive was spectacular: the rocky coast, beaches, valleys, giant redwoods, fields with berries, cows. We ended the evening watching some marathon of Little House on the Prairie.
Day #4 – Tuesday July 2
9:30am – Driving through dense redwoods – HUGE trees. The pics won’t do them justice (you’d have to stand beside one to really appreciate the size). Very dry country here – like Interior BC. Lots of country music on the radio. Going to stop in Leggett, CA. to drive through a tree.
10:20pm – Paid a ‘nominal’ fee of $5 to drive through the ‘Chandelier Tree’ in Leggett.
10:30am – Your tax dollars hard at work! More CDC Prisoners spotted doing roadwork along the highway just south of Leggett. The orange jumpsuits are quite fashion statement.
10:50 – Laytonville, CA. The day is heating up! Saw a bio-fuel gas station. Nice. This area reminds me of the Valley in BC – lots of farm country, cows, bales of hay, hawks/eagles. But everything is super dry. The grass looks burned.
11:08 – sweet rainier cherries, windy mountain roads, 80s music, 34 mi to Ukiah.
11:13am – as driving through Willits, CA drove under a group of 15+ eagles all soaring above.
11:30am – speed enforced by helicopter – just saw one!
11:47am – Have started driving through vineyards – vineyards everywhere.
12:31pm – Entering Cloverdale, CA. There is a Citrus Fair Drive – Mich wants to know if she can sell me there. (how rude). 93F – so firkin hot. Windows wide open, but hot air only creates a hot breeze. My sweat runneth over.
12:40pm – Traffic entering Santa Rosa is heavy – construction. Looking for Sonoma Valley exit. AC back on. Have discovered a woe of driving in this sun – arms & knees are red and crispy.
3:20pm – After getting lost we found & toured Sonoma – many vineyards. Had lunch at a bakery/café; had tastings at the Sebastiani vineyards and winery. Now on to San Fran.
4:30ish – arrived at Golden Gate – hiked up to view point. Fog swirling around everywhere, but most of it blew off once we hiked up. Definitely cooler here. Stunning and surreal to be here.
6:00ish – Arrived at hostel (after getting lost). Room #5 (4 person room). Hostel is at Fort Mason.
Day #5 – Wed. July 4
Arrived lastnight. We drove down to the Fisherman’s Wharf for a bit. Ate Mexican at Las Margaritas. Visited Ghirardelli Square.
Today – what a riot! We took a cable car ride from Fisherman’s Wharf downtown. Our drive was a big fella named Rufus. We stood at the back with him, and when he saw us taking photos, he took our camera and took photos of it. It became a bit of a photo shoot, including photos with Rufus. Great guy. We stopped and shopped in Union Square. Mich got new Oakleys. We took the BART to Oakland (the Coliseum) to see an Oakland A's game. We wanted the cheap $2 tickets, but they were sold out. Wound up paying for $22 tickets which were in the shade (thank god – the heat and sun was killing me). Sat in an area with Toronto fans (cool). The Jays spanked the A’s 10-0. Took the BART back to Nordstroms Shopping Centre (8 floors!). Wandered around looking for a certain restaurant, and accidentally wandered into an area called ‘The Tenderloin’. This is the sketchy part of San Fran – like Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. We suddenly realized where we were, and Michelle encouraged me to put away the map and look tough. As we meandered along skid row, we found ourselves at a restaurant called “Chutney” – Indian food. SO good! Who knew the Tenderloin could offer such tasty delights?! Made sure to get out of that area before the sun went down. Back at the hostel, we freshened up, and headed out to the July 4th fireworks. It was great because the hostel is on park land right by the Bay, so we just took a 2 minute walk out the hostel, and we were there. Great fireworks.
Day #6 – Thurs. July 5
Our routine is this:
Shower at night then to bed by 11pm.. I wrastle my way up to the top bunk. I usually wake up a couple of times in the night (not the most comfortable bunk). 6:30am – get-up, pee (after wrastling down the bunk bed). I pay $3 for 30 minute of Internet from 7-7:30pm while Michelle dozes, then we get ready. Our breakfast coupon gets us a bagel or 2 waffles, tea/coffee/juice. Nothing fabulous. We usually end up going downstairs to the big kitchen, and eating our own cereal. Then we are off.
Sharing a room is interesting. We have a roomie from Sweden (Marianne) who is great, then this other roomie – I call her the ‘New York Noodle’. NY Noodle snores, as does Michelle, as do I probably. This morning I was woken by a burning smell. NY Noodle was ironing at 6am.
TODAY: Took the cable car to Lombard Street (Crookedest St in the world). Walked down through a really neat area called North Beach (the Little Italy of San Fran). Walked back along Stockton St. past Telegraph Hill, down to the Wharf area. Visited Trader Joe’s, Cost Plus, then further into the Wharf we found Boudin – this is the company that has been making sourdough since the 1800s in San Fran. After eating lunch (chilli in a sourdough bread bowl), we hopped on the F Train to the Ferry Building. It is like a high-class market with lots of neat shops. After much perusing, took F Train back to Pier 39 to see the sealions (usually there are hundreds that gather hear on the docks). Most are down south breeding, but a good 10 or so remained. Went over to Pier 33 and caught the sunset cruise over to Alcatraz. What a surreal tour… to actually be walking in and around buildings that have such history. Returned late to the hostel – exhausted from all our walking. Mich has 5 blisters on one foot, and I have pulled muscles in my legs.
Day #7 – Fri. July 6th
Slept in then packed. Had breakfast with the Marianne. Drove over to Ghirardelli to buy chocolate. Looked for the photographer we found earlier in the trip who was set-up at the wharf (David Campos) but he never showed up that day. We bough some jewellery from a local artist named Shirley (me a necklace, Mich 2 rings).
Drove over to our next home – the Willows Inn B&B located in the Castro District. We checked into Room #31 with a bay window overlooking the street. Met Allan and Terry (Innkeepers). Have to walk up 2 flights of stairs to get to our floor. There are 2 WC on each floor (just toilets) then separate shower rooms (huge spacious showers). Kitchen on 3rd floor, lounge on 2nd floor. Our room had fridge, TV, sink, comfy bed, desk, walk-in closet. We were hungry, so we walked along Church St. and stopped at Sparky’s Diner. Mmm – good comfort food. Hopped on the F Train back downtown to visit Jeanine Payer store. She is a San-Fran based artist who designs some really neat jewellery. We spent a long time looking and trying on rings. Walked over to the Ferry building, bought a few more things, then F Train back The Willows. Every night at The Willows, they host a cocktail hour from 6-7. It is like a meet & greet for guests. We went down – I got to try a local San Fran beer (Anchor Steam Beer), met a guest named Rich (nice guy from Arizona), and another Innkeeper named Mike. After our drinks, we walked around the Castro District, Market Street, Castro St. Got take-out from an trendy Italian restaurant called Fuzio – the best Italian I have had, and considerably cheap compared to other restaurants. Went back to The Willows, ate dinner, watched TV in bed, then slept.
Day #8 – Sat. July 7
Our last full day. Great sleep – very comfy bed. Woke up around 8am, and headed down to the kitchen for breakfast. Yummy breakfast – lots of baked goods, fresh fruits, juices, coffee. Met Larry & Collum (from Vancouver as well – originally from Nova Scotia), Rich again (great guy), Francois and Pascal (2 very French guys from Montreal), Johanna & Kim (who loved our accents (what accent?)), and a group of women who were celebrating a 50th birthday. Lots of food, good conversation. I think the cocktail hour and great company at breakfast really make The Willows a great place to stay.
Took a streetcar to Alamo Park to see ‘The Painted Ladies’ – the postcard Victorian houses that you see in images from San Fran. Took lots of pics, then back on the F Train to Castro-Mission area to visit the Tartine Bakery. Really great place, but totally packed. Visited a shop called the Bi-Rite, which had a terrific wine and cheese selection. 2 guys (staff) ended up talking to us for about an hour about local wines, and sampling cheese for us, which was great. Walking back along Castro, we stopped back at Fuzio for lunch (mmmm). Hopped on the F Train back downtown to visit Jeanine Payer. Decided on our rings – the rings we chose for our wedding bands. Jeanine will make them and ship them to us – should get them in around 6 weeks. Walked through downtown a bit more, went to the Fresh store to buy some soaps, then back to The Willows for cocktail hour. Met some more guests (Ken & Eric, Rich, Paulo) over drinks, then went out for dinner with Rich to a well-known restaurant called Catch. Rich had seafood, but Michelle and I craved steak. Had an incredible rib-eye steak. Our priciest meal of the trip, but also our most delicious. Returned to the Willows, packed, and slept.
Day #9 – Sun. July 8
Up and having breakfast with Rich by 8am. Out by 9am, and off to Bi-Rite to buy wines, aged gouda, fresh sourdough, Anchor Steam Beer. Left San Fran over the Bay Bridge (2 levels). Driving out on the I5 and it is HOT and DRY (through Redding, CA the temp got up to 114F). Arrived in Medford, OR. Around 4:30pm. Checked-in at the Days Inn. Transferred the chocolate to the fridge – there were some casualties (melted). Went to the Harry & David store, bought an insulated ‘stay cool’ bag for the chocolates. Ate at Shari’s for dinner, then to Fred Meyer to shop a little. Found a Tazo Tea that they no longer sell in their Starbucks stores.
Day #10 – Mon. July 9
Up at 7:30pm – packed, ate cereal, etc. Made icepacks for the chocolate, loaded the car, and off. Cooler (a bit) today. Driving through mountains, Grant’s Pass, dry but green shrubs and trees. Stopped for gas, and was reminded that Oregon is a ‘No Pump’ state – you can’t pump your own gas. They pay attendants to do it for you (safety issue I guess).
The I5 is less exciting than the coast for sure, but we make better time. Arrived in Kelso, WA at the Econo Lodge at around 4pm. A bit of a sketchy hotel – no fridge or pool, but hey, that’s what $46 gets you. Ate dinner at a local restaurant called ‘Stuffy’s’. Dessert at Baskin Robbins.
Day #11 – Tues. July 10
3441 km from Van to San Fran and back.
Home Sweet Home.
Day #1 - Sat June 30th
Picked up the car at Avis - a Pontiac G6 with lots of power - 2647 km on it.
The radio says the borders are "a mess" with waits of 3+ hours. Good thing I brought games!
Stopped at Melriches - I got an excellent Americano, Mich got a less than mediocre latte. 8:47am and we will soon be at the border.
9:23am - just jumped the line at the border by visiting the Duty Free! Had to buy something, wound up buying cologne. Not bad - only 30 min. to get through border - Ha!
11:33am - Driving through Seattle as we speak. Clear sailing for us, but the traffic going the other way is *nuts* - really heavy.
4pm (ish) arrived in Seaside Oregon. Stayed at the Hostel. Walked along the boardwalk to the beach - long, power soft beach - some dune-style grasses. Georgeous. Walked back along Broadway, bought some salt-water taffy, ate dinner. Very touristy city, but stunning beach and coastal views.
Day #2 – Sun. July 1
Left the hostel at 8am. Visited the Seaside Coffee Roasting Co. Wow – first, they sell ‘muffin tops’ just like on Seinfeld. Plus, they make their own scones – best scone I have ever had…
10:10am – Driving through Manzanita – what an awesome little community. Just like Cannon Beach – it has long soft beaches that stretch forever down the coast. You can hear the waves crashing, the air is cool, fresh, salty. Very cool.
2:20pm – Just left Newport. We stopped in Tillamook at the Cheese Factory. Toured around, ate samples, bought some cheese. Very tasty.
3:15pm – Ate lunch while sitting on a log at Seal Rock (in the company of 3 seals). Have realized we may be behind schedule. May have to cut out certain stops.
6:30pm – oof! Long driving day. We are in Bandon, Oregon staying at the La Kris Inn. We left Seal Rock, stopped in Florence at the Dunes, then back on the road. Lots of bridges, even draw bridges. Drivers are either too slow or crazy. Mich has enjoyed several naps while I’ve been driving (she says roadtrips make her sleepy). We are in Room #2 at the La Kris Inn – the ‘Safari’ room (every room has a theme I guess) . Nice enough… fridge, microwave, DVD etc. We borrowed ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ to watch tonight. Anyhow, gotta find dinner and see the beach (Bandon is supposed to have one of the most beautiful beaches).
Day #3 – Mon. July 2
8am – leaving our Safari room at the La Kris Inn. Lastnight we drove along the ‘Beach Loop’ (beautiful!). Ended up at a restaurant called ‘Billy Smoothboars’ for dinner. A bit of a treat – I had prime rib, and Kenny had steak. Returned at 9pm very tired. Watched the first 30 min. of ‘Pirates’ then fell asleep.
10:00am – Stopped at Gold Beach to pee. Coastal drive has been very rocky with long white capped beaches.
10:31am – Driving through Brookings, sunny 68F, crisp sea air.
10:41am – Crossed California border. Saw orange jump-suited men from a nearby prison working on highway (our second spotting).
11:50am – Stopped in Klamath, CA. There is a giant Paul Bunyan (and Babe, his blue ox) at the “Trees of Mystery”?! A voice comes out of Paul – so that he is talking with visitors. Pretty funny – I am sure he was flirting with some girls. The kids were posing for pics under the bulls nuts – that was even funnier.
12:40pm – 5 miles to Trinidad, CA. and 24 mi to Eureka!
12:52pm – Just entered Arcata, CA. Very ‘valley’ like, fields with cows, clear sunny skies with many hawks/eagles (not sure which bird of prey it is)
1:40pm – Back on the road. Stopped at ‘Kristina’s’ for lunch, beef dips with giant salads and giant sodas.
2:18pm – Redcrest, CA. 90F and hotter! (phew)
3pm – Checked into room 11 at the Humboldt Redwoods Inn in Garberville, CA. Napped a bit, watched some TV (thank god for air conditioning). Swam in the pool (ah, a refreshing game of Marco Polo). Then off to dinner at a local Italian-Mexican restaurant called Sicilitos – great thin crust pizza. Today’s drive was spectacular: the rocky coast, beaches, valleys, giant redwoods, fields with berries, cows. We ended the evening watching some marathon of Little House on the Prairie.
Day #4 – Tuesday July 2
9:30am – Driving through dense redwoods – HUGE trees. The pics won’t do them justice (you’d have to stand beside one to really appreciate the size). Very dry country here – like Interior BC. Lots of country music on the radio. Going to stop in Leggett, CA. to drive through a tree.
10:20pm – Paid a ‘nominal’ fee of $5 to drive through the ‘Chandelier Tree’ in Leggett.
10:30am – Your tax dollars hard at work! More CDC Prisoners spotted doing roadwork along the highway just south of Leggett. The orange jumpsuits are quite fashion statement.
10:50 – Laytonville, CA. The day is heating up! Saw a bio-fuel gas station. Nice. This area reminds me of the Valley in BC – lots of farm country, cows, bales of hay, hawks/eagles. But everything is super dry. The grass looks burned.
11:08 – sweet rainier cherries, windy mountain roads, 80s music, 34 mi to Ukiah.
11:13am – as driving through Willits, CA drove under a group of 15+ eagles all soaring above.
11:30am – speed enforced by helicopter – just saw one!
11:47am – Have started driving through vineyards – vineyards everywhere.
12:31pm – Entering Cloverdale, CA. There is a Citrus Fair Drive – Mich wants to know if she can sell me there. (how rude). 93F – so firkin hot. Windows wide open, but hot air only creates a hot breeze. My sweat runneth over.
12:40pm – Traffic entering Santa Rosa is heavy – construction. Looking for Sonoma Valley exit. AC back on. Have discovered a woe of driving in this sun – arms & knees are red and crispy.
3:20pm – After getting lost we found & toured Sonoma – many vineyards. Had lunch at a bakery/café; had tastings at the Sebastiani vineyards and winery. Now on to San Fran.
4:30ish – arrived at Golden Gate – hiked up to view point. Fog swirling around everywhere, but most of it blew off once we hiked up. Definitely cooler here. Stunning and surreal to be here.
6:00ish – Arrived at hostel (after getting lost). Room #5 (4 person room). Hostel is at Fort Mason.
Day #5 – Wed. July 4
Arrived lastnight. We drove down to the Fisherman’s Wharf for a bit. Ate Mexican at Las Margaritas. Visited Ghirardelli Square.
Today – what a riot! We took a cable car ride from Fisherman’s Wharf downtown. Our drive was a big fella named Rufus. We stood at the back with him, and when he saw us taking photos, he took our camera and took photos of it. It became a bit of a photo shoot, including photos with Rufus. Great guy. We stopped and shopped in Union Square. Mich got new Oakleys. We took the BART to Oakland (the Coliseum) to see an Oakland A's game. We wanted the cheap $2 tickets, but they were sold out. Wound up paying for $22 tickets which were in the shade (thank god – the heat and sun was killing me). Sat in an area with Toronto fans (cool). The Jays spanked the A’s 10-0. Took the BART back to Nordstroms Shopping Centre (8 floors!). Wandered around looking for a certain restaurant, and accidentally wandered into an area called ‘The Tenderloin’. This is the sketchy part of San Fran – like Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. We suddenly realized where we were, and Michelle encouraged me to put away the map and look tough. As we meandered along skid row, we found ourselves at a restaurant called “Chutney” – Indian food. SO good! Who knew the Tenderloin could offer such tasty delights?! Made sure to get out of that area before the sun went down. Back at the hostel, we freshened up, and headed out to the July 4th fireworks. It was great because the hostel is on park land right by the Bay, so we just took a 2 minute walk out the hostel, and we were there. Great fireworks.
Day #6 – Thurs. July 5
Our routine is this:
Shower at night then to bed by 11pm.. I wrastle my way up to the top bunk. I usually wake up a couple of times in the night (not the most comfortable bunk). 6:30am – get-up, pee (after wrastling down the bunk bed). I pay $3 for 30 minute of Internet from 7-7:30pm while Michelle dozes, then we get ready. Our breakfast coupon gets us a bagel or 2 waffles, tea/coffee/juice. Nothing fabulous. We usually end up going downstairs to the big kitchen, and eating our own cereal. Then we are off.
Sharing a room is interesting. We have a roomie from Sweden (Marianne) who is great, then this other roomie – I call her the ‘New York Noodle’. NY Noodle snores, as does Michelle, as do I probably. This morning I was woken by a burning smell. NY Noodle was ironing at 6am.
TODAY: Took the cable car to Lombard Street (Crookedest St in the world). Walked down through a really neat area called North Beach (the Little Italy of San Fran). Walked back along Stockton St. past Telegraph Hill, down to the Wharf area. Visited Trader Joe’s, Cost Plus, then further into the Wharf we found Boudin – this is the company that has been making sourdough since the 1800s in San Fran. After eating lunch (chilli in a sourdough bread bowl), we hopped on the F Train to the Ferry Building. It is like a high-class market with lots of neat shops. After much perusing, took F Train back to Pier 39 to see the sealions (usually there are hundreds that gather hear on the docks). Most are down south breeding, but a good 10 or so remained. Went over to Pier 33 and caught the sunset cruise over to Alcatraz. What a surreal tour… to actually be walking in and around buildings that have such history. Returned late to the hostel – exhausted from all our walking. Mich has 5 blisters on one foot, and I have pulled muscles in my legs.
Day #7 – Fri. July 6th
Slept in then packed. Had breakfast with the Marianne. Drove over to Ghirardelli to buy chocolate. Looked for the photographer we found earlier in the trip who was set-up at the wharf (David Campos) but he never showed up that day. We bough some jewellery from a local artist named Shirley (me a necklace, Mich 2 rings).
Drove over to our next home – the Willows Inn B&B located in the Castro District. We checked into Room #31 with a bay window overlooking the street. Met Allan and Terry (Innkeepers). Have to walk up 2 flights of stairs to get to our floor. There are 2 WC on each floor (just toilets) then separate shower rooms (huge spacious showers). Kitchen on 3rd floor, lounge on 2nd floor. Our room had fridge, TV, sink, comfy bed, desk, walk-in closet. We were hungry, so we walked along Church St. and stopped at Sparky’s Diner. Mmm – good comfort food. Hopped on the F Train back downtown to visit Jeanine Payer store. She is a San-Fran based artist who designs some really neat jewellery. We spent a long time looking and trying on rings. Walked over to the Ferry building, bought a few more things, then F Train back The Willows. Every night at The Willows, they host a cocktail hour from 6-7. It is like a meet & greet for guests. We went down – I got to try a local San Fran beer (Anchor Steam Beer), met a guest named Rich (nice guy from Arizona), and another Innkeeper named Mike. After our drinks, we walked around the Castro District, Market Street, Castro St. Got take-out from an trendy Italian restaurant called Fuzio – the best Italian I have had, and considerably cheap compared to other restaurants. Went back to The Willows, ate dinner, watched TV in bed, then slept.
Day #8 – Sat. July 7
Our last full day. Great sleep – very comfy bed. Woke up around 8am, and headed down to the kitchen for breakfast. Yummy breakfast – lots of baked goods, fresh fruits, juices, coffee. Met Larry & Collum (from Vancouver as well – originally from Nova Scotia), Rich again (great guy), Francois and Pascal (2 very French guys from Montreal), Johanna & Kim (who loved our accents (what accent?)), and a group of women who were celebrating a 50th birthday. Lots of food, good conversation. I think the cocktail hour and great company at breakfast really make The Willows a great place to stay.
Took a streetcar to Alamo Park to see ‘The Painted Ladies’ – the postcard Victorian houses that you see in images from San Fran. Took lots of pics, then back on the F Train to Castro-Mission area to visit the Tartine Bakery. Really great place, but totally packed. Visited a shop called the Bi-Rite, which had a terrific wine and cheese selection. 2 guys (staff) ended up talking to us for about an hour about local wines, and sampling cheese for us, which was great. Walking back along Castro, we stopped back at Fuzio for lunch (mmmm). Hopped on the F Train back downtown to visit Jeanine Payer. Decided on our rings – the rings we chose for our wedding bands. Jeanine will make them and ship them to us – should get them in around 6 weeks. Walked through downtown a bit more, went to the Fresh store to buy some soaps, then back to The Willows for cocktail hour. Met some more guests (Ken & Eric, Rich, Paulo) over drinks, then went out for dinner with Rich to a well-known restaurant called Catch. Rich had seafood, but Michelle and I craved steak. Had an incredible rib-eye steak. Our priciest meal of the trip, but also our most delicious. Returned to the Willows, packed, and slept.
Day #9 – Sun. July 8
Up and having breakfast with Rich by 8am. Out by 9am, and off to Bi-Rite to buy wines, aged gouda, fresh sourdough, Anchor Steam Beer. Left San Fran over the Bay Bridge (2 levels). Driving out on the I5 and it is HOT and DRY (through Redding, CA the temp got up to 114F). Arrived in Medford, OR. Around 4:30pm. Checked-in at the Days Inn. Transferred the chocolate to the fridge – there were some casualties (melted). Went to the Harry & David store, bought an insulated ‘stay cool’ bag for the chocolates. Ate at Shari’s for dinner, then to Fred Meyer to shop a little. Found a Tazo Tea that they no longer sell in their Starbucks stores.
Day #10 – Mon. July 9
Up at 7:30pm – packed, ate cereal, etc. Made icepacks for the chocolate, loaded the car, and off. Cooler (a bit) today. Driving through mountains, Grant’s Pass, dry but green shrubs and trees. Stopped for gas, and was reminded that Oregon is a ‘No Pump’ state – you can’t pump your own gas. They pay attendants to do it for you (safety issue I guess).
The I5 is less exciting than the coast for sure, but we make better time. Arrived in Kelso, WA at the Econo Lodge at around 4pm. A bit of a sketchy hotel – no fridge or pool, but hey, that’s what $46 gets you. Ate dinner at a local restaurant called ‘Stuffy’s’. Dessert at Baskin Robbins.
Day #11 – Tues. July 10
3441 km from Van to San Fran and back.
Home Sweet Home.
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