Happy Birthday to ME!!!

view from the airplane on arrival

Well, we are back from Cali! Oh what a trip!
It was kinda funny cause Steve and I were both there, and stayed in the same hotel room - but we were on VERY DIFFERENT trips. He was in San Fran on biz...and I was there on a total R&R vacation/Birthday celebration for ME! We did have some evening time together which was great...but all the sightseeing I did was on my own. I must admit...I really enjoyed that!

Having only been to Cali one time before (and I don't really count that since I was at a race track the entire time), this was quite a treat. We were in San Francisco - and I am in love! Not as much in love as I am with NYC...but still quite a fabulous town I must say.

So here is the blow by blow....

Tuesday - June, 10th - Day 1

I arrived in San Francisco around 5pm and hopped a shuttle to the hotel where I would arrive shortly before Steve got out of biz meetings. I had been warned that the room was "small" and that was just the way it is in California - I was also informed that the room "had a shared bathroom". Hmmm...not too gung ho about that whole idea...but I decided to wait and pass judgment after arriving and scoping out the scene.

The room was barely larger than my closet...and included a sink and a window with a view of concrete walls on the interior of the building. HA! But on the upside...it was very contemporary and I totally was diggin on the vibe of the hotel in general. Not to mention that the location was TO DIE FOR! I unpacked...texted Steve at my disbelief in the size of our space (or lack of). He took me to dinner at Cheesecake Factory *yummy* and we had a few beers with his work buddy Scott a friend of Scott's that is a local.
We switched hotel rooms to a larger room with a private bathroom within moments of arriving back at the hotel (which turns out to be a real blessing...see Friday 13th)

Wednesday, June 11th

I skipped breakfast in anticipation of a day out with my friend Laura who lives in Redwood about 30 minutes outside of the city. I did get out and go shopping that morning from about 9 until around 12. It was awesome. The shops in Union Square are killah! Bebe, Juicy, you name it...they've got it! I had a great time scoping out all the stuff and grabbing a few trinkets for myself and others while roaming about.

Laura arrived and we took off for Sausalito. WOW! We did so much in such a short time! She took me to the Golden Gate Bridge and into the Marin Headlands where there was a gorgeous view of the bridge and bay area.




We drove to a little shopping district in Sausalito and did some shopping/sight seeing for a few hours and had lunch at a little place by the docks called "Paradise Bay". I had a delicious sandwich there...crab, avocado, and melted provolone on lettuce and toasted bread with sweet potato fries. I ate every single bite (at $20 for the sandwich I was wasting not one single morsel). *more on this experience later

We also drove down Lombard Street - also known as the "crookedest street"
Wow...what a trip that street is...and sooooooo beautiful when you look back at it after driving it! Wowzer!

We drove through China town as well...and that was about all I wanted to see of China town. Just wasn't all that impressed by the crowds and cheap "stuff" that I didn't need or want anyway.

We also hit the beach and watched the surf board parachute guys (what do you call it when they have a parachute and a surfboard on the water?...I don't remember) anyway...that was way cool too!

So after a full day of going, going, going...Laura and her sweet patient babies dropped me off at my hotel and made their way home while I got freshened back up for an evening out with my husband who would be getting out of the WWDC conference at any moment.

We had a lovely dinner together...wandered around town quite a bit while deciding what to eat and then hit the hotel room for a good evening of rest before the next long day.

Thursday, June 12th

I woke up this morning with big plans for my birthday day! I had tickets to Alcatraz for 11am and wanted to hit Fisherman's Wharf before that and after that for some shopping excursions.
In keeping with my "on the cheap" mode of travel for this trip I mustered up the courage to hop on the F-line at 9am and for just $1.50 (gotta love mass transportation) I was taken from Union square to Pier 35 where I got my tickets for the prison tour at Pier 33 (or 31...I can't remember) and then walked to Pier 39 for breakfast. Laura clued me in to a great little spot for donuts that morning and boy was she right! I had 6 mini donuts at Trish's that were freshly made and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar for only $2.50!!! They were DELICIOUS...and the price was even more delicious!

I shopped around for some souvenirs...then made my way back to the Alcatraz tour spot and got in line for the boat ready to go and tour "The Rock!"

Lemme just say that anyone who comes to San Francisco really should do this tour! I spent 3.5 hours on the island of Alcatraz...and I could have spent another hour or two for sure. It was fascinating to say the least. So many stories about this place...not the least of which is the great escape attempt (success??). The views from this island must have been absolutely torture on those who were imprisoned here and doing hard time. What I found most interesting is that I had no idea that families actually lived on the island as well during this time. The warden of course and his family as well as many of the workers and their families lived right here on the island. Children took a boat across the bay to get to school and back each day and then played and carried on what seems to be fairly normal lives - all from an island that housed some of the most notorious criminals in our land and is surrounded by treacherous waters a mile and a half from the mainland area of San Francisco.
Fascinating!

cell houses on "Broadway"

The rec yard where inmates would exercise and play games

The prison warden lived in this home that was destroyed in a fire after the prison was shut down. Can you just imagine the views they had out of those windows!!!

After leaving Alcatraz a little later than I had expected to I returned to Pier 39 for a lite lunch and then hopped back on the F-line to return to Union Square where I met up with an unlikely group. A friend from Dallas, Cari, had a girl trip that was due to arrive in San Francisco and I met up with her and her awesome friends Mel, Jenny and Cynthia for a few drinks! Thanks for the Birthday Beer!!! :D We had an awesome time and as tough as it was to pry myself away from their company...my husband was meeting me back at the hotel to take me out to eat for my birthday dinner. Yummmy! We had a fabulous meal at the Thirsty Bear and then went to Cheesecake Factory for dessert before making our way back to the room for the evening.
It was a GREAT day...an awesome night...and a fabulous way to bring in my 34th year on this planet...taking in God's beautiful land! Who would have thought that some of the most beautiful views I have ever seen of this earth would be from a PRISON...what Irony!

Here is where the story turns sour... :( Friday I had plans to be sightseeing again with Laura and the kids. We had a full day planned and then she was going to take Steve and I back to she and Joe's house where we would dine and have some great friend time catching up with them and then back to the hotel that night to get ready for our flight out the next morning.
Joe called shortly after Steve and I arrived from dinner...Laura wouldn't be able to make it out tomorrow afterall...she had been hugging the toilet for a few hours and was feeling awful.
No worries though...I hated that for her, but I would be fine on my own. Just hoped she would get to feeling better soon and we would just have to catch up with them again soon.

and thus begins........
Friday, June 13th

As I got ready for bed after Joe's phone call...I began to not feel so well myself. Stomach turning, not good. Within an hour or two I was hurling profusely and absolutely feeling miserable. All night long I barely slept...and couldn't leave the room at all on Friday for fear of being sick on the streets with any smell that may waft my way. I stayed in...sick as a dog...ALL DAY LONG! UGH! The only thing I was able to hold down was sprite...the wonder food!
After a diet of Sprite all night and day I finally managed to get a couple of pieces of bread to stay down that night. Gotta love it when you pay $20 for a sandwich to give you food poisoning! Blech

On Saturday we ventured out...had a nice breakfast at a local joint and then hopped the shuttle for our very long flight home.

Overall, it was a FABULOUS trip! I had a blast just doing what I wanted to do...when I wanted to do it...for how long I wanted to do it...and how I wanted to do it. HA! Steve and I enjoyed our evenings together and he learned a lot at the conference and had a great time there. So we both had a great experience...just very different experiences shared from the same room, which thankfully, had it's very own bathroom! :)

This is the stuff life is made of!