San Francisco, Day 2

(Confused? Start with San Francisco, Day 1)

We started the morning with a little swim...

Bit o' Trivia: The swimmers actually jumped in the water from a boat docked
at Alcatraz because it's still illegal to swim from Alcatraz island to San Francisco.

Just kidding. We actually ran from our hotel down to the bay and along the piers (past the above scene, where insane polarbearpeople were just getting out of the water).

I didn't think I'd make it all the way to the Golden Gate, so we weren't prepared to be out for more than an hour. But as we ran, the cool air, bright sun, coastal view, and changing topography were invigorating. And the Golden Gate beckoned. So we kept running. And running. As the scene changed from ports to beaches to gardens (and the temperature dropped, again).

By the time we got to the Presidio (park on the city side of the Golden Gate), we were freezing, tired, hungry, and sunburned. Josh lived to see another day when the Warming Hut he promised would take care of all our troubles actually materialized at the bottom of the bridge (i.e. heat, food, and more new jackets).

At the bottom of the Presidio

Walking up through the Presidio to the entrance to the bridge.

 And then, there it was!

 ...in a photo of what the designers originally considered painting the bridge before they switched from black-and-gold to international orange. I think they must have been from Tennessee.

Oddly enough, being on the bridge made me nervous, made me think I have a stronger fear of heights than I'd realized. It's just so big. And high. And big. Though I'd sooner go back there than the Grand Canyon. At least this had railings. And signs for pedestrians with the daddy wearing a fedora. That was a nice touch.

But I wasn't about to protest when it was time to head for the hotel and then Chinatown. Once there, we followed a Chinese wedding party into a restaurant for dim sum, figuring that was a pretty good tip-off. It was easily the cheapest and best dinner we had all trip.

At first I was disappointed to see that "Chinatown" seemed to be one multi-block strip of cheap shops selling trinkets. Where was the maze of markets and apartments of the movies? Of The Joy Luck Club (JLC, which I was reading)? It was only on revisiting the area later that I realized the adjacent blocks and upper stories of the strip we saw actually contain Chinese immigrants who live and work there. I even passed a park full of clusters of men playing "Chinese chess" (not majong, but close enough, if you've read JLC).

Then it was off to shopping, including my favorite (H&M) and--of all places--the nicest Walgreens I've ever seen...

A fresh panini and latte bar? We're totally getting shafted in TN.

Our last stop was the hotel restaurant for a late-night dessert, because WE DID NOT HAVE ANY CHILDREN TO KEEP US IN THE ROOM.

Oh, and I'm now a fan of cheese plates.

Day 3? Napa.