Honeymoon
Thanks to all of you who generously donated to our honeymoon fund. You helped us have a memorable trip to San Francisco and the surrounding area! Here is a short summary of our adventures!
Day 1.
After arriving early on July 4th at San Francisco airport, we drove our convertible Mustang to our downtown hotel where we discovered parking comes at a premium! After a second breakfast and a rest, Cory and I decided to head out and explore the city... It wasn’t long before we realized that although the cable car sounded like a fabulous plan, there was no way we were ever going to get on one as they were so crowded and the lines were so long. Our initial thought was to walk to Chinatown (we were staying near Union Square) and then try our luck on some form of public transportation from there to Fisherman’s Wharf. After enjoying a stroll through the shops and restaurants in Chinatown and not having any luck with the transport, we decided to keep walking. Seemed like a good idea at the time, but we were soon faced with the giant hills San Francisco proudly offers. By the time we got to Fisherman’s Wharf, we were already quite tired but battled the incredible throngs of people regardless. We even bought tickets to watch the 4th of July fireworks from on board the SS Jeremiah O’Brien which we also explored that afternoon. As the afternoon went on, however, the biting wind and rapidly descending fog got the better of us so we decided to start on a trip home. Little did we know that all the public transport from Fisherman’s Wharf had been suspended due to the celebrations! So once again we embarked on our long, hilly but picturesque walk home.
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Day 2.
The main part of the day was taken up by a lovely motorcycle ride north up Highway 1. We hired a Honda Goldwing, which I have to say as a passenger is extremely comfortable! The weather was frigid, especially crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, but once we finally left the Bay area behind, it was beautiful and sunny, rather than cold, overcast and foggy. The coast is so beautifully rugged that the overcast and foggy atmosphere seemed appropriate but when you’re on a motorcycle you certainly wish it wasn’t so! We went as far as Tomaso Bay and then came back a more inland route.
Day 3.
After returning the motorcycle (which Cory was sad to do), we took a day trip to Napa Valley. The seemingly quiet, laid back way of life out there and gorgeous climate really appealed to me. Driving with the top down in this part of the world was a treat! We did of course go on a winery tour but chose to go to
Castello di Amorosa which makes wine in the Italian tradition rather than the Californian. The castle is an amazing place – you should check it out if you get a chance! On the way back, we stopped at the V. Sattui Winery (the sister winery to the Castle) for a delightful picnic lunch and then spent the rest of the afternoon in St. Helena visiting the shops and the old one screen cinema where we watched Knight and Day to avoid rush hour traffic.
Day 4.
This was our big adventure day! We got up early and drove to Yosemite National Park where we explored the Valley area. We got to see Bridal Falls, the Lower and Upper Falls, Half Dome, El Capitan and walked right through a Sequoia tree. Even with so many people there, it was incredibly beautiful and a great experience. Of course one day was not enough so we plan to go back in the nearish future. As we were making our way to the exit of the park, I announced to Cory that I’d like to see a bear before reaching the gates and not five minutes later, there it was grazing in the meadow! Lucky, lucky.
Day 5.
After all those busy travelling days, we decided that we’d stay in San Francisco and take in some more of the sights there. We went back to Chinatown, visited Russian Hill and Nob Hill, walked down and up Lombard St and revisited Fisherman’s Wharf, where we had probably our best meal of the trip at the seafood restaurant “Neptune”. Once again the cable cars were full so our feet were abused some more. We rounded off the day by visiting a martial arts school south of the city, where Cory taught a knife fighting class. They were a fun group of people, so we hope to visit them again in the future.
Day 6.
Before heading back to the airport, we made one last dash to see the “Painted Ladies” at Alamo Square, the Opera House, Symphony Hall and City Hall. As one last bonus I bumped into my old roommate at the airport who I hadn’t seen in 4 years – she and her mother graciously offered us their seats so that Cory and I could sit together on the way home. Some would call that fate.