STOP!
Before you read any further you must watch this video to get into the proper frame of mind.
Now that you have the Full House theme in your head—as we did from the time we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge—we can tell you about our trip with Newt to San Francisco. Of course, we’ll need to tell you about what we did on our way there before we get to the meat of the story. It all began with the fulfillment of one of my desires since arriving in redwood country…a drive through one of the three tunneled redwoods in CA! As with all tourist traps we paid a rip off price ($5) to experience this wonder. Bilbo jumped out to take pictures as Newt and I passed through.
From there we took scenic CA Highway 1, a winding mountain road that follows the northern shore, to Fort Bragg.
In Fort Bragg we stopped for dinner at North Coast Brewing Company, one of the best in CA. Bilbo enjoyed the sampler as well as some fish and chips, Newt had a juicy burger, and I chomped into some pork chops. Everything was REALLY good!
And that brings us to San Francisco! We began our day with the ultimate San Fran entrance across the Golden Gate Bridge…singing the Full House theme.
As we drove into the city, we were greeted by a tanker dangling over the street on a crane that was precariously unsteady. YOWZA! It reminded me of a scene in the Disney Backstage Tour where a flaming tanker tumbles down a city street and comes within inches of your vehicle.
After driving underneath the tanker and escaping certain death, we took in some of the sites while searching for parking. We drove through Japantown, under cable car cables, and between skyscrapers.
We settled on a garage near Chinatown and come out to find the Chinese New Year Festival in full swing! The streets were lined with vendors, paper lanterns, and music. So festive!
Rock it out random passionate karaoke love song guy!
We even got to see a troops of performers practicing their dance with the traditional dragon.
Once we had our fill of the celebration, these three Bauers made our way towards the bay and the Farmers’ Wharf, where a local street market was set up with flowers and produce.
We spent a good amount of time walking leisurely along the piers at the wharf district.
At one point we got up close and personal with a sea lion who was swimming in the bay. He seemed quite offended when we didn’t throw him any of the food he was begging for. We also saw a bike with a basket full of crab that some fellow had caught. I’m pretty sure it was illegal.
As we continued along the piers we passed a few interesting sites…
Stopped to listen to a street band…
Caught a glimpse of the notorious Alcatraz Prison…
And were accosted by a giant man-eating crab! Oh, wait. It’s just a really creepy feature in an otherwise lovely garden.
On our walk back towards downtown we passed rows of classic San Francisco townhouses. You can see the famous watch tower peeking out above the houses in the second picture.
The townhouses were packed in so tightly that they were even up tight against this gorgeous church! I wonder how many townhouses exist within city limits.
San Fran is notoriously hilly, which can lead to a tiring day when you see the city by foot. But isn’t it worth seeing this?
A drive back across the Golden Gate Bridge brought us to a vista point where one can see the shoreline, Alcatraz, San Francisco, and an impressive view of the bridge itself.
Having had our fill of city life, we spent the rest of our day in a little bay village called Sausalito. San Fran is within view, but the pace is much slower and easier.
Newt and I sampled a dessert wine flight at a local wine tasting room. It was a huge success because Newt finally found a wine that she likes!
There were quite a few art galleries and shops with colorful and unique works.
We, of course, gravitated towards a tacky yet irresistibly nerdy knick-knack shop. The merchandise speaks for itself.
Newt thought that this shirt was the most hilarious thing ever, leading to innumerable random outburst of laughter.
Finally, it was time for dinner! We settled on some Thai food and settled down to wait for our dinner companions.
“What companions” you ask? I’m speaking of our two special guests, previously alluded to, who came to add some pizzazz to our day: Sassy Red and Mr. Cooper.
You are probably wondering how it came to be that these two have showed up once again. Well, Mr. Cooper has transferred to the San Fran area for work just in time to give us some company! After dinner he took us on a tour of his ridiculously pimped out apartment building, complete with roof top lounge and grills! Our visit to apartment-zilla was all too brief, and it was hard to tell our buddies goodbye.
Early the next morning we dropped Newt off at the airport, ending her awesome trip to California and bringing this post to an end. Next time we’ll tell you about our day driving CA Highway back to Ferndale.
Bye-bye Newt!
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