California Academy of Sciences and Golden Gate Park

Day 4 - Dec 26, 2013

Today was the day to visit the California Academy of Sciences building in Golden Gate Park. After breakfast, I jumped on the number 5 streetcar to take me on a half hour journey to the park.  What a talkative bus driver.  Maybe they just don't have enough friendly folk to talk to, or maybe it's just me, but sheesh.

Golden Gate Park is three miles long and a half mile wide and because it is so vast I got the idea of renting a bicycle into my head.  I guess it would be better than a segway?!?!  So it begins, I got on the bike.  I can't remember the last time I was on one, early teens maybe?  Well good news, I didn't bail off it!  I did ride it from one end of the park to the other, right out to the ocean too.  And up more stupid hills.....rental guy said they were "gradual inclines".  I rode from 8th Avenue to the ocean and back in 2 hours.  I did see quite a bit, however the bike wasn't allowed in any of the park which required admission, so there goes the idea of visiting the botanical garden.

I (and Charlie) passed some sleepy bison, took photos of two old Dutch style windmills, saw surfers take on some Pacific Ocean waves, and said hi to three police on horseback - no they weren't looking for me.  If I didn't have my ipod in however, I may have had more of a warning of their approach and could have snapped a pic.  That was just about all that was notable for me, although I could see how it would take hours to meander through all the trails.

The return for the bike rental was right by the California Academy of Sciences building.  Upon entry, I must have looked like a pretty important person.  Must have been all the wind swept hair from being on the bike.  There seemed to be a problem with my tour booking, but they offered me another tour time, and gave me a second as a discount.  These tours come with some advantages..  Mostly a pretty cool badge you can wave at people, but more importantly, all lines are bypassed, discounts on everything, and I was first into any rooms or areas to pick seating, etc.

I started by taking a look at 15 members of an African penguin colony and then took a Planetarium visit, sort of like an IMAX theatre, but more rounded screen.  Of course there were plenty of fish to see, and a Ray Feeding Schedule to attend to.

I had to stop for lunch and a drink since that bike ride took everything out of me, but the lines were packed.  I snuck into an abandoned area of the cafe and was served immediately.  Finding a table to eat at was more of a challenge, but I located one outside...but it lacked chairs.  I tracked one down eventually.



After lunch my Behind the Scenes tour of the Academy was to commence.




Me and a family of four ventured out onto the living roof.  Incredibly cool, eco friendly, LEED certified and self sustaining.  The roof is 2.5 acres and is all native California plants.










We then proceeded into the specimen room.  Neato and gross at the same time.  Jars of fish in alcohol, sitting there waiting for examination.  The oldest one I found in the particular section we were in was collected in 1944.  We then ventured into the "Gem Room" that had all sorts of precious gems, including diamond, amethyst, jade, silver, copper, gold, etc.  Finally into the project lab where we were introduced to two girls working there.  One just completed her Masters, in some kind of fishy degree, and was discovering some species not yet identified.  She claims she has discovered 50 new species of some sea slug.  I'll take her word for it.  The other girl was still working on completing a bachelors, she focused mainly on mammals and at the time was gluing teeth into the skeleton of a seal that would be going on display.  It really is a working sciences building, employing 400 people currently.

Upon conclusion of the Academy tour, I proceeded to the Aquarium tour, where it was just me joining the head tourmaster.  How privileged!  First we visited the "swamp" where I was introduced to Claude, an 18 year old albino alligator.  He didn't say much.  I was then taken down to the Aquarium which was way cool, and I got to touch some coral and learn how it grows.  I was then led to the back, closed door secret stuff.  The engineers at HGC would love this part of the tour!  I learned all about the filtration of the reef tanks, the recipe of making proper salt water, and the pumps required to keep it all running smoothly.  Also visited the areas of how they care of each of the animals living under the roof, with the exception of the humans.  I've now discovered my newest favorite animal, the Sea Dragon....it's a Sea Horse, but it's a Dragon.  



They have a Leafy and Weedy version.  So delicate and oh so pretty.  They haven't yet figured out how to get them to procreate in captivity and they come at a hefty price of roughly $7,000 per individual.  Not cheap!

After the tour I was on my own to explore the rainforest - lots of butterflies, the remaining fish tanks (over 100 of them), and collections of animals in stuffed form.  The reindeer exhibit was real though, and they made a big fuss about having the two reindeer for viewing.  There was even fake snow falling...which people went crazy over.  I hear the real stuff is falling in Ontario, Canada.

After seeing everything that was to be seen (no kidding, the staff had learned my name) I jumped on a bus back for the hotel.  I had a nice last meal before I depart for Beijing tomorrow.  This week has wrapped up SO quickly.

I plan to make one more blog before signing off until who knows when so all the best to everyone and talk to you all soon!

JA

Walking and Exploring

Day 3 - Dec 25, 2013

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

I really thought it would be quiet around here today, but alas there are tourists - and ALOT of them!

I started my day around 10, since I really had no where to be.  I'm still trying to adjust to the time change so I'm forcing my sleep patterns to change today, since I know I'm still on Toronto time.  It was certainly a lazy morning.

I decided to take the old cable car line (Powell Mason) to Fisherman's Wharf today.

The line up at the start of the line was easily an hour wait, so I decided to hike up a hill or two to the next stop.  Fewer people presumably would be there waiting, but it was a risk that there wouldn't be any room to get on.  I couldn't get on the Powell Hyde line, so I took the next one.  The drop off points at the end of the line were only a few blocks apart, but when trekking up hills is involved, you really want to avoid unnecessary walking.  I think I made the right choice by walking to the next stop.

I walked down to Hyde Street Pier which was closed today, so seeing some historic ships was not an option, but I think I was only missing out on an old schooner, which I saw from the bus yesterday anyway!  Pier 45 was open however, and a submarine called USS Pampanito was open for business (served in World War II).

I bought a ticket and ventured down for a tour.  My first submarine!  It was pretty cool, and tiny actually.  Prolly could have taken the audio tour, but I got the jist since things were labelled!

After finishing that, I found myself in an old arcade hall.  Old means old.  Vintage machines they keep updated.  If you bring lots of quarters, you can have a little fun with some of thee games.  I used only one quarter, on a machine called the Mechanical Horse - no I didn't ride it.  The horse was built by George Harold Messmore modernmechanix.com .  It's perpetual motion post-time with a polished chrome mechanical horse, finely engineered to duplicate every motion of a race horse.  Circa 1937.  For 25 cents, I watched it move into a gallop.  Nothing spectacular, except for the fact that a machine like this still operates seamlessly and if my memory serves me correctly, falls on the heels of when the first horse was put in motion with a series of pictures.  I'll have to look that up again for the correct details.  For it's time, it was a pretty incredible feat.

I walked out to Pier 39, and passed many street performers.  Alot was open today, especially restaurants.  I cannot believe, although I was warned by the tour drivers, that it is very touristy and commercialized.  Oh the seals!  The many seals that call this pier home.  Everyone was gathered to watch them laze about.  One was rather territorial keeping a floating dock all to himself.  Some others were playful, most slept.  I don't think I need to visit the zoo now.  I began wandering in and out of some stores and realized I should decide what to do next.  Why not hike up one of the 43 hills in San Francisco?  I have nothing better to do....but the course of the day had me walking up several hills.  Funny, always felt like I was walking up!

I decided to walk up to Lombard to see the "crookedest street", so called because of multiple switchbacks.  Charlie just had to try to drive down the street.

It is a one way street, and there was a traffic jam going down .  I walked up one side and down the other.  Both times was faster than the traffic was able to navigate.  It has 8 sharp curves on a 40 degree slope and was built in the 1920s to allow traffic to descend the steep incline.  A little Go Car was going down, which made me frustrated, since I had a tour booked with that and Alcatraz which was cancelled by the US Gov't due to their strike.  I wasn't able to rebook, supposedly because the Go Cars were not operating this week....lies!!  Anyway, on we go....

I saw two spires of a church and decided, it is Christmas, I should go in and check it out.  It was CLOSED!  They were serving a Christmas dinner and I wasn't able to take a look inside.  Fine then!  Doesn't matter that I climbed another hill for that!

I continued to Coit Tower, and guess where that was?  Yes!  On top of another hill!  Telegraph Hill this time. I had no intention of going inside, but wouldn't be able to anyway.  It is closed for construction until March.  The tower is 210 feet tall and built in the shape of a fire hose.  The view at the base was a little pointless, since the trees block out alot of the Bay.  I did manage to get a good picture of the Bay Bridge however.  No fog, not a cloud in the sky really.

I was a little stuck with how to get back from the Coit Tower.  Many streets dead ended into beautiful homes.  Old Victorian styles again, with nice gardens.  I stumbled on another garden with view called Jack Early Park.  Finally made it to a road that would take me to a streetcar line.  I only had to wait 2 minutes until the next streetcar on the F line.  It was a vintage streetcar built in1948 painted green and cream.  I was at my hotel in roughly 10 minutes.

I needed dinner so I went across the street where I got a whopper.  Cashier took my receipt so I didn't get proof of the date, but it is after all Whopper Wednesday - although apparently that isn't celebrated here.  Christmas I think, is.  You wouldn't know it though.

I had a very busy day without skipping a beat, and it felt very ordinary.

Tomorrow I'm heading on a different streetcar to get to the California Academy of Sciences and maybe go to the Zoo afterwards, since they are relatively close by.  There is a Martin Luther King memorial in a large park called Yerba Buena Gardens about a block away from my hotel, which I was considering walking to tonight.  Might be nice to see all lit up, but I'm a little tired and will pack it in for another day tomorrow.

I have to say, I've seen alot in this City and I'm pleased with all I've seen thus far.  Aside from missing Alcatraz, I'm happy to say I've crossed this city off my list.  My feet have thanked me for it!

Charlie decided he had to finish the day off with a beer, Anchor Steam - local brew and I'd have to agree with him, pretty good.

Touring San Francisco

Day 2 - Dec 24, 2013

My day started off with a wonderful breakfast made by Parc 55's finest.

A wonderful omelet and coffee, lots of coffee to start my day.  I packed my backpack with all the stuff needed to tour the city for the day and off I went to catch my bus.

We toured around briefly through the streets as we picked up more passengers.  We drove through Nob Hill where the old cable cars run, and then proceeded up through Fishermans Wharf.  Jumped on another bus that would begin our tour portion, and that started off through Cow Hollow (which got its name from a multitude of cow pastures many years ago).  Also home to Pacific Heights, some pretty expensive housing and where a few celebrities live.  That area then took us to the start of Highway 1 & 101 and across the Golden Gate Bridge.  Alcatraz was also visible.  There was some light fog, but it was a very bright day.

Highway 1, the Coastal Highway, was extremely scenic and had lots of switchback curves, which reminded me of Deal's Gap.  We were on our way, about 12 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge, to see the Giant Redwoods at Muir Woods - listed as a National Monument of California.

You will note Charlie will continue to make his presence felt throughout my blog.  Everyone say Hi!

These trees reach heights of nearly 400 feet tall and 2000 years old.  They can grow up to 22 feet in diameter and have bark that is a foot thick!  This particular canyon has never been logged.  The park is 560 acres and has 6 miles of trails.  We were given 75 minutes to explore.

This was enough time to walk up to the Cathedral Grove where the oldest and biggest trees live, and see the Bohemian Grove and Pinchot Grove on the way back.  They really are something to see, and its difficult to grasp their age and size.  Some have fallen, and when they are laying on the ground, can get a better understanding of how large they really are.  I'd estimate spending half a day here would be sufficient to walk the longer trails.

It was pretty cool in the forest, cool in temperature too.  The sun was shining as we left and we went up to Muir Beach Overlook which was spectacular.  The weather was clear for the most part and there was alot of Pacific Ocean, with crashing waves below.  The cliffs and water and coastline looked very much like the Italian coast, which I would feel like I was seeing double of when we made our way to Sausalito.

Quaint shops, boutiques, a tourist haven for knick knack shopping, Sausalito sits along the coast. We were given about an hour here, which was enough for  me to grab a wonderful prosciutto panini and watch the water.  From here, Alcatraz is just visible, and I noticed a seal swimming around.  It was one of those patios I didn't want to leave, however I didn't want to take the Ferry back.  It isn't necessarily a place I like because of all the shops, but the "beachfront" if you could call it that, was inviting on this sunny no-wind day.

We left Sausalito and stopped for a photo-op of the Golden Gate.  The location was the best spot for pictures.

It was also getting pretty busy tourist wise.  We crossed over it again and headed back to the Tour Office.  I then jumped on the bus for the City portion.

Early afternoon took us through the city streets.  Again by Fishermans Wharf and again across the Golden Gate Bridge.  More pictures of it from another outlook, which was now brimming with people and cars.  Next was a short drive through Presidio, and Presidio Golf Course which was apparently an old cemetery.  The graves were all dug up and nearly all the monuments removed.  I'm not sure where they relocated them all, but now people can play golf!  We proceeded to Lincoln Park and drove past the Legion of Honor Museum.  One of the 5 originals of "The Thinker" statues is here.

A short drive to another lookout of the coast, where we had 10 minutes to walk down and return from The Seal Rocks.

The waves that were crashing were large, and I can only imagine how big the waves would be if the day was not as still as it was.  Large eucalyptus trees live here, even these trees are huge.  We drove along the coast beside the beach.  There were some brave surfers that were out there.

Passing the zoo, which I hope to visit tomorrow, and on to Twin Peaks.  Another quick stop for pictures of the Bay City.  Stunning views of the City from here.  On through Haight Ashbury district or as our driver called it, the Hippie district.  Alot of Victorian homes in this area, and of course the Painted Ladies, right by Alamo Square.  These 7 Victorian Homes are worth at least 1 million each.

Daylight started to fade as drove through Japan Town and past St. Mary's Cathedral, shaped like the inside of a washing machine (the agitator section).  We passed some more cable cars, which the City collects old cars from around the country, and Mexico, and runs them on these lines.  Some pretty nice looking, vintage streetcars that's for sure.  A brief tour through China Town, although the area is absolutely massive.  I was dropped off at my hotel shortly thereafter.  Convinced I had seen enough for the night, I grabbed a quick meal and a beer (Anchor Steam, two of them in fact because it was pretty decent) and off to bed.

I really feel like I don't need to cover much else here.  Fishermans Wharf is a complete tourist grab although I would like to see the stinky seals taking over the docks!  There is also an old submarine docked here I might venture over to tomorrow.  The zoo is on my list for tomorrow too, and apparently I can take a cable car direct for $2.  These two things are at opposite ends, so I'll need to plan accordingly.  I will be back in the area of the zoo the next day, exploring the Academy and Golden Gate park.  More planning necessary.

It's Christmas Eve but you wouldn't really know it.  Some streets are lined with lights on trees, but the lack of cold and snow just feels weird.  We'll see if Christmas Day feels any different!

Vacay Starts Today!!

Day 1 - Dec 23, 2013

The sun came out while I was walking through the terminals at Pearson, a welcomed sight after all the ice storms we had the day prior.  I could even see the Absolute Towers in the background.

I had time to burn so I grabbed a beer before heading over to the gate.  A very trendy gate that had tablets for perusing.  The flight was delayed but only by about 15 minutes.  Apparently the flight beforehand was late leaving the gate, so it wasn't weather related.  We did not de-ice and off we went.  The flight was smooth and quiet.  As we approached SFO, I noticed a plane flying at the same speed and height as us, descending at the same time as we did.  I was able to watch this plane land at the same time as us, on a runway what seemed like just a few feet away from ours.  That was pretty cool to watch.  Once we docked, I had to walk to the other side of the airport to retrieve my luggage, which was conveniently the first one tossed down the conveyor, right when I walked into the room!  Any time I gained there was easily lost trying to find the shuttle that would take me to the hotel.  2 hours later I finally checked in.  I'm currently on the 23rd floor with a nice view of the city, and a great location for noise.  Street noise!  The 49'ers had a game last night, and they won, which meant everyone in California was out to party and cause ruckus.  Not only was traffic painful to get to the hotel, but plenty of sirens to tend to the wounded or the drunken.  I've ordered in-room breakfast for tomorrow morning and I'm going to bed.  Tomorrow is a city bus tour so I can get more of a feeling of all of these hills!

Access to wi-fi (especially free) is a luxury here, so I am struggling with connectivity.  I half expected this issue and will update sporadically as I find hot spots, although uploading photos might be a challenge.  I'm planning on updating for Christmas Day, hoping Starbucks might at least be open!

Eve of SFO Flight

All my bags are packed and ready to go.  We've had quite the ice storm here today.  I'll  be happy if my plane leaves on time tomorrow, but for right now, it appears to be alright??  After checking Pearson Airport, multiple flights are delayed and cancelled, few exceptions.  The flight to San Francisco that was planned to depart tonight is delayed, (an hour and counting).  Hopefully it won't be a big deal tomorrow.  The hotel in SF is apparently only guaranteeing my room until midnight, so if there is a large delay, I'll be calling prior to my flight to ensure they won't give my room away if I get there beyond that time.

My SpacePaks worked phenomenal!  I was able to fit 15 pieces of clothing in one compression sack.  The main Pak (blue) was just about the size of the carry on, and already packed at a hefty 10lbs, I knew I wouldn't be able to get away with just a carry on for this trip.  I tried another suitcase that was a bit bigger, however it didn't leave me much more room to bring anything back.  Off I went to dig out my full size suitcase from the dark corners of the basement and dusted it off (literally - vacuumed the dust off the top of it so I didn't leave prints all over the handle).  I last used this in 2008, and it took a tour to Alaska and BC at that time.  This one fits just right with room to spare.  Clearly I've been missing out all these years without these amazing space savers.


Camera, tablet, phone, ipod is all charged and ready to go.  Air China only allows 11lbs for carry on, but I think I'll be able to make it.  All the peripherals, extra change of clothes and toiletries are carried in there so hopefully it'll be fine for the weight allowance.  It's at 9 lbs now....I might be able to add a 2 lb book ;)

I cannot stop thinking about the weather, but it is beyond my control.  The streets are sheets of ice, and I'm sure it will be a far cry for me tomorrow in 15 degree weather and sun in San Fran!

Rumour has it that wi-fi isn't cheap at the hotel I'm staying at, however, there is a Starbucks 3 blocks away that will work in a pinch.  We'll see if this lil' Canadian girl can do enough convincing to get free wi-fi in the room. ;)  Wouldn't want to leave all you readers on the edge of your seat for too long until the next post.  :D

See you at the next wi-fi hotspot.

JA

Fast Approaching Trip

The day is fast approaching.  On Monday I fly to San Francisco.  There is a winter storm on the horizon for this weekend, but hopefully will be gone by Monday and will not impact my flight.  This is precisely the reason why I switched my flight from departing JFK.  I figure a winter storm might slam the Eastern seaboard.  I guess I'll check the weather to see it that is actually the case later in the week.

I am only getting excited NOW!  I had my last day of work, and can focus on preparing for my trip.  But alas Christmas....  I have one more day left to shop to finish off the gift buying and then I will be set.  Celebrating it early and not on Christmas Day for the first time ever.  I hope to make it to see the big Christmas tree in downtown SF.  Although I'm not sure where exactly it is, I will go before turning in for the night if possible.  I've never actually been anywhere on Christmas, so that might be kinda fun and special.  I plan to go to the San Fran Zoo on Christmas....it's open 365 days a year, likely won't be busy and I can see some mamminals!  Maybe mamminals opening Krispmix gifts!  It's also the day I plan to walk around Fisherman's Wharf.  Maybe go to Chinatown in preparation of real China!

The other two days I'll be spending in SF I will be taking a bus tour through the city and to Muir Woods and Sausalito, and spending a day at the California Academy of Sciences.  The Alcatraz tour I had originally purchased was squashed pretty quickly by the US government shut down, and I never got it re-instated.  Maaaaaybe I'll go on a whim, although I hear tickets are hard to find last minute.  I have no plans to go, but I am sure I'll see it from the bridge.  I suppose I'll find out!

Friday next week I depart SFO for China.  I can't believe it's in a week.  I've been doing a little bit of reading up on where I'm going.  I will not be taking my 1000 page Lonely Planet book with me....  China is big, but I'm only going to three cities for 2 nights each!  Also I cannot believe the populations in these cities.  Believe it or not, Beijing has the smallest population (19.6 million) in comparison to Shanghai (23 million) and Xi'an (which I'm learning to refer to as Shaanxi - with 37.3 million) - WHAAAA????  It's something difficult for me to comprehend, and I'm coming from a city of 530,000!

I must still find acceptable Geocaches to do while I'm there.  I'm guessing they will only be virtuals (take pictures in front of famous places).  I can't imagine how impressed the police would be with me in a Communist country if I started snooping around poles or brickwork looking for a black container.....

I'm expecting (although not hoping) that I will get a package tomorrow for some things I ordered for this trip.  It's not the be all end all if I don't get it, but would make travelling a little better.  It's luggage for my luggage.  :D  It's called SpacePak and I'm kinda excited about it.  There is even a tutorial on how to properly pack.  Claim to fame - pack 2 weeks worth of clothes in a carry on.  Well, I haven't even started packing yet.....hmmm, now I'm getting a little anxious.....time to do some laundry!