What I Did On My Summer Vacation, pt. 1
We flew in from Honolulu yesterday, and boy are my arms tired!
We had a freaking FANTASTIC trip, full of joy, and sweets, and joyness. If you don't remember, poxyfairydingle and I left on a jetplane and spent three days in San Francisco and seven days in Hawaii. Behind the cut is a rundown of the first leg of the trip along with some really fantastic pictures.
We left Hattiesburg Sunday afternoon and went to my mom's house, which is in Picayune, the half-way mark between Hattiesburg and New Orleans. She cooked us a nice dinner and we chit-chatted for a few hours. We ended up going to bed pretty late -- I think around 11:30 or midnight. The 3:00 wake-up call would come early!
My mom and step-dad drove us to New Orleans, and it was an effortless check-in. I obsessed about getting our bag below fifty pounds, which got me in trouble with Ms. April. It's ridiculous that not only do you have to pay for each bag you check now, you are penalized a LOT of money for going over the weight limit they impose. If you pay, you should be able to pack as much as you want. Why aren't we, as consumers, fighting with our wallets to have them serve us instead of the other way around? They are just seeing how far they can go with us.
Ok. Enough soapbox.
The flights between New Orleans and San Fran were as uneventful as you'd want from a plane ride, though we'd have our fair share of plane malfunctions later in the trip.
We landed in San Francisco much earlier than expected, which ended up being a really great fate. Meeting us in San Francisco was my best friend in the whole world, Monkey Butt (Brooke)! She was pulling off the interstate just as our bags were coming out and was able to pick us up at baggage claim without even waiting!
We went to our hotel, which was located right in the heart of all of the action in San Francisco. We were less than a city block from the major shopping district, and every bus or subway you'd ever need stopped on the corner of our block.
The Mosser Hotel
The hotel was European style -- complete with doorman and valet service. It was so European that you had to walk down the hall to use the potty and take a shower, which were in separate rooms (so no showering while smelling someone's stale poop stench). I told people this: it had the potential to be a real shit hole. But they kept everything so pristine and sanitary that the whole experience was a pleasant one. For about $65 a night in the heart of it all, you can't complain. If you stay in San Francisco, I rain praises on this hotel.
We dumped our bags off, and we decided it would be a good idea to walk from our hotel to Pier 39. Two miles. No problem.
Until you consider San Francisco is basically a small mountain range, and walking from where we were to where we weren't was quite the undertaking. Not to mention that we were all dressed for warm weather, and with the wind chill, it was 48 degrees! We learned you could use almost any expletive to fill in the blank: _____, it's cold!
Pier 39 is a tourist trap, plain and simple. But at least they don't have a "Ripley's Believe It or Not," or I would have completely written off San Francisco as a hack city without any further exploration. As far as tourist traps go, this one isn't all that bad. Beautiful bay views. Real life seals not performing tricks. Pretty views sponsored by Coca-Cola (seriously!).
It's a really nice place. Just cold. Why don't they tell tourists about San Franciscan weather?
After the pier, we walked back the way we came and ended up stopping at the San Francisco Brew House for a few pitchers of a great microbrew. A couple of April's opera friends met up with us, and we shared beers, laughs, and listened to some live music by some older guys who played surprisingly good jazz. It was a perfect evening! I couldn't believe that, earlier that day, I had woken up in Picayune, Mississippi!
The opera friends drove us back to our hotel, and all three of us crashed pretty hard. I insisted Brooke take the bed, but she insisted harder that she would sleep on the floor. Fine. She's all liberated and stuff.
The next morning, we got up and went to a farmer's market that was basically right across the street from our hotel. We got fresh fruits, pastries, and organic coffee and sat in a park and had one of those breakfasts that you remember for many, many years. Everything came together perfectly: the sun was warm, I was with two people who mean so much to me, and I was in one of the best cities in our country. The food was super simple, but that morning breakfast will make it into my list of Top Five favorite meals of my life, I'm sure.
Using the Google Maps app on my iPhone, I figured out how to get to the Golden Gate Bridge. If it wasn't for that app, we'd never have made it anywhere. Google may know more about me than God, but as long as I can easily get from here to there in a strange city, I don't really care.
The Golden Gate bridge is as beautiful as you can imagine. It's absolutely amazing and is such a statement as to the ability we have as Americans when we put our minds to something. Walking across it has always been on my unwritten "Bucket List," and it was breathtaking. Strangely, I can see the appeal of wanting to jump off of it to end your life. The view is amazing, and there is this sense of there being a higher power when you are on it.
One thing you don't read about when walking across the bridge is the sudden change of temperature when you cross the second support structure. In a matter of a few feet, it goes to being cold and blustery to being warm and muggy. The change is dramatic.
There are tourist stops on both sides of the bridge, and there are statues around that allow you to take funny pictures of yourself if the mood strikes.
We walked back across the bridge, and a bus was waiting when we got back across. The bus ended up being completely packed -- so much so that they couldn't fit anyone else on. It felt like one of those trains in India.
We got back to our hotel, took a breather. Brooke shot some video of the bathrooms, and we changed to meet some higher-ups at the San Francisco Conservatory for dinner at a German restaurant. April worked with them last year when she performed in Italy, and I didn't know what to expect. But the lady used to live and work in Cologne, Germany, so Brooke and I got to talk about our shared experiences of living in the Land of the Schnitzel. The guy was super cool and laid back and was a good conversationalist. April knows how to meet some good people.
After dinner, Brooke parted ways and drove the five-hour trip so she could be in class the next morning. It was so wonderful seeing my best friend. I hope it's not another two years until I see her again.
April had a lesson the next morning with a world-reknown opera instructor. This guy works with Domingo regularly, if that says anything. He is very famous, and April was lucky and talented enough to snag some studio time with him. I walked with her to the conservatory, about a mile away, and dropped her off. I then went to a different farmer's market and got some dried fruit and freshly squeezed pomegranate juice for breakfast before meeting up with Rosa, AKA meimeigui.
If you ever want a tour of this fair city, get in touch with this girl. In the hour or so we were together, she showed me more of the city than I would have ever imagined seeing. And nice? Oh, goodness! This girl is as chipper as can be and has more personality than you can shake a stick at! Sometimes, meeting internet people can be a little awkward, and they are sometimes not what you imagined. But Rosa was incredible and completely sold me on the generosity of the people of San Francisco.
We were only together for about an hour or so, and I had to rush back to get April. She had a great lesson, and those higher-ups from the night before took us to a lunch place. April and I then went back to our hotel for a much-needed nap.
We got up a couple of hours later, and I got in my workout clothes and headed back to the bridge to San Francisco Crossfit for a nice workout!
This particular Crossfit affiliate is located in a parking lot of a sports store. There is no building, just metal storage containers holding all of their equipment. It is next to a park that sits in the shadow of the Bridge, and it is a stunning place to have a Crossfit workout.
I shouldn't have been surprised at how nice and inviting everyone was at this gym, considering my experience with the people of this city up to this point. Everyone came up and shook my hand and made me feel truly welcome. The workout was pretty easy as far as Crossfit workouts go, but I was happy that I was able to say I worked out at that particular affiliate. April was such an awesome girlfriend and shot pictures and video of the workout. She was freezing and bored, but she was a champion. I even caught glimpses of her talking to some of the Crossfit people herself!
The San Francisco Crossfit people were so nice that one guy rode with us on a bus, showing us the way back. But mid-way through our trip, we got the message from meimeigui telling us to meet her and her husband for some Greek food -- a restaurant where you sit on pillows on the floor. We got off the bus, got turned around, it was cold, we were running late... So, we took a taxi. It hurt my cheap-o, penny-pinching heart to do so, but April was cold and I felt bad for subjecting her to my captivation with public transportation.
Dinner was great, and all four of us really hit it off. Rosa and Richard are really fantastic people, and they showed us a lot of kindness. They walked with us back to about a block away from our hotel, pointed the way, and said goodbye. Thanks Rosa and Richard! Woo-hoo!!
We woke up the next morning, packed up, and checked out. The hotel was nice enough to hold our bags for us since our flight was so late in the day. Since April was such a champ during my Crossfit playtime, I went with her to the seven levels of Macy's. Seven floors of dresses that cost more than one of my paychecks! Some of them I liked. Most I thought were pretty ridiculous (a dress made out of clear plastic wrap? Seriously?). I especially enjoyed the bedding and housewares department.
There was a nice view out of the fourth floor window.
We went back to the hotel to pick up our stuff, hopped on the BART, and headed to the airport. Our bag was about 10 lbs too heavy. I complained to the agent about what I complained about above. He didn't charge me for the bag at all. That guy will singlehandedly save the airlines if he keeps it up.
We boarded the plane, heading for sunny Honolulu, Hawaii........
To Be Continued...
We had a freaking FANTASTIC trip, full of joy, and sweets, and joyness. If you don't remember, poxyfairydingle and I left on a jetplane and spent three days in San Francisco and seven days in Hawaii. Behind the cut is a rundown of the first leg of the trip along with some really fantastic pictures.
We left Hattiesburg Sunday afternoon and went to my mom's house, which is in Picayune, the half-way mark between Hattiesburg and New Orleans. She cooked us a nice dinner and we chit-chatted for a few hours. We ended up going to bed pretty late -- I think around 11:30 or midnight. The 3:00 wake-up call would come early!
My mom and step-dad drove us to New Orleans, and it was an effortless check-in. I obsessed about getting our bag below fifty pounds, which got me in trouble with Ms. April. It's ridiculous that not only do you have to pay for each bag you check now, you are penalized a LOT of money for going over the weight limit they impose. If you pay, you should be able to pack as much as you want. Why aren't we, as consumers, fighting with our wallets to have them serve us instead of the other way around? They are just seeing how far they can go with us.
Ok. Enough soapbox.
The flights between New Orleans and San Fran were as uneventful as you'd want from a plane ride, though we'd have our fair share of plane malfunctions later in the trip.
We landed in San Francisco much earlier than expected, which ended up being a really great fate. Meeting us in San Francisco was my best friend in the whole world, Monkey Butt (Brooke)! She was pulling off the interstate just as our bags were coming out and was able to pick us up at baggage claim without even waiting!
We went to our hotel, which was located right in the heart of all of the action in San Francisco. We were less than a city block from the major shopping district, and every bus or subway you'd ever need stopped on the corner of our block.
The Mosser Hotel
The hotel was European style -- complete with doorman and valet service. It was so European that you had to walk down the hall to use the potty and take a shower, which were in separate rooms (so no showering while smelling someone's stale poop stench). I told people this: it had the potential to be a real shit hole. But they kept everything so pristine and sanitary that the whole experience was a pleasant one. For about $65 a night in the heart of it all, you can't complain. If you stay in San Francisco, I rain praises on this hotel.
We dumped our bags off, and we decided it would be a good idea to walk from our hotel to Pier 39. Two miles. No problem.
Until you consider San Francisco is basically a small mountain range, and walking from where we were to where we weren't was quite the undertaking. Not to mention that we were all dressed for warm weather, and with the wind chill, it was 48 degrees! We learned you could use almost any expletive to fill in the blank: _____, it's cold!
Pier 39 is a tourist trap, plain and simple. But at least they don't have a "Ripley's Believe It or Not," or I would have completely written off San Francisco as a hack city without any further exploration. As far as tourist traps go, this one isn't all that bad. Beautiful bay views. Real life seals not performing tricks. Pretty views sponsored by Coca-Cola (seriously!).
It's a really nice place. Just cold. Why don't they tell tourists about San Franciscan weather?
After the pier, we walked back the way we came and ended up stopping at the San Francisco Brew House for a few pitchers of a great microbrew. A couple of April's opera friends met up with us, and we shared beers, laughs, and listened to some live music by some older guys who played surprisingly good jazz. It was a perfect evening! I couldn't believe that, earlier that day, I had woken up in Picayune, Mississippi!
The opera friends drove us back to our hotel, and all three of us crashed pretty hard. I insisted Brooke take the bed, but she insisted harder that she would sleep on the floor. Fine. She's all liberated and stuff.
The next morning, we got up and went to a farmer's market that was basically right across the street from our hotel. We got fresh fruits, pastries, and organic coffee and sat in a park and had one of those breakfasts that you remember for many, many years. Everything came together perfectly: the sun was warm, I was with two people who mean so much to me, and I was in one of the best cities in our country. The food was super simple, but that morning breakfast will make it into my list of Top Five favorite meals of my life, I'm sure.
Using the Google Maps app on my iPhone, I figured out how to get to the Golden Gate Bridge. If it wasn't for that app, we'd never have made it anywhere. Google may know more about me than God, but as long as I can easily get from here to there in a strange city, I don't really care.
The Golden Gate bridge is as beautiful as you can imagine. It's absolutely amazing and is such a statement as to the ability we have as Americans when we put our minds to something. Walking across it has always been on my unwritten "Bucket List," and it was breathtaking. Strangely, I can see the appeal of wanting to jump off of it to end your life. The view is amazing, and there is this sense of there being a higher power when you are on it.
One thing you don't read about when walking across the bridge is the sudden change of temperature when you cross the second support structure. In a matter of a few feet, it goes to being cold and blustery to being warm and muggy. The change is dramatic.
There are tourist stops on both sides of the bridge, and there are statues around that allow you to take funny pictures of yourself if the mood strikes.
We walked back across the bridge, and a bus was waiting when we got back across. The bus ended up being completely packed -- so much so that they couldn't fit anyone else on. It felt like one of those trains in India.
We got back to our hotel, took a breather. Brooke shot some video of the bathrooms, and we changed to meet some higher-ups at the San Francisco Conservatory for dinner at a German restaurant. April worked with them last year when she performed in Italy, and I didn't know what to expect. But the lady used to live and work in Cologne, Germany, so Brooke and I got to talk about our shared experiences of living in the Land of the Schnitzel. The guy was super cool and laid back and was a good conversationalist. April knows how to meet some good people.
After dinner, Brooke parted ways and drove the five-hour trip so she could be in class the next morning. It was so wonderful seeing my best friend. I hope it's not another two years until I see her again.
April had a lesson the next morning with a world-reknown opera instructor. This guy works with Domingo regularly, if that says anything. He is very famous, and April was lucky and talented enough to snag some studio time with him. I walked with her to the conservatory, about a mile away, and dropped her off. I then went to a different farmer's market and got some dried fruit and freshly squeezed pomegranate juice for breakfast before meeting up with Rosa, AKA meimeigui.
If you ever want a tour of this fair city, get in touch with this girl. In the hour or so we were together, she showed me more of the city than I would have ever imagined seeing. And nice? Oh, goodness! This girl is as chipper as can be and has more personality than you can shake a stick at! Sometimes, meeting internet people can be a little awkward, and they are sometimes not what you imagined. But Rosa was incredible and completely sold me on the generosity of the people of San Francisco.
We were only together for about an hour or so, and I had to rush back to get April. She had a great lesson, and those higher-ups from the night before took us to a lunch place. April and I then went back to our hotel for a much-needed nap.
We got up a couple of hours later, and I got in my workout clothes and headed back to the bridge to San Francisco Crossfit for a nice workout!
This particular Crossfit affiliate is located in a parking lot of a sports store. There is no building, just metal storage containers holding all of their equipment. It is next to a park that sits in the shadow of the Bridge, and it is a stunning place to have a Crossfit workout.
I shouldn't have been surprised at how nice and inviting everyone was at this gym, considering my experience with the people of this city up to this point. Everyone came up and shook my hand and made me feel truly welcome. The workout was pretty easy as far as Crossfit workouts go, but I was happy that I was able to say I worked out at that particular affiliate. April was such an awesome girlfriend and shot pictures and video of the workout. She was freezing and bored, but she was a champion. I even caught glimpses of her talking to some of the Crossfit people herself!
The San Francisco Crossfit people were so nice that one guy rode with us on a bus, showing us the way back. But mid-way through our trip, we got the message from meimeigui telling us to meet her and her husband for some Greek food -- a restaurant where you sit on pillows on the floor. We got off the bus, got turned around, it was cold, we were running late... So, we took a taxi. It hurt my cheap-o, penny-pinching heart to do so, but April was cold and I felt bad for subjecting her to my captivation with public transportation.
Dinner was great, and all four of us really hit it off. Rosa and Richard are really fantastic people, and they showed us a lot of kindness. They walked with us back to about a block away from our hotel, pointed the way, and said goodbye. Thanks Rosa and Richard! Woo-hoo!!
We woke up the next morning, packed up, and checked out. The hotel was nice enough to hold our bags for us since our flight was so late in the day. Since April was such a champ during my Crossfit playtime, I went with her to the seven levels of Macy's. Seven floors of dresses that cost more than one of my paychecks! Some of them I liked. Most I thought were pretty ridiculous (a dress made out of clear plastic wrap? Seriously?). I especially enjoyed the bedding and housewares department.
There was a nice view out of the fourth floor window.
We went back to the hotel to pick up our stuff, hopped on the BART, and headed to the airport. Our bag was about 10 lbs too heavy. I complained to the agent about what I complained about above. He didn't charge me for the bag at all. That guy will singlehandedly save the airlines if he keeps it up.
We boarded the plane, heading for sunny Honolulu, Hawaii........
To Be Continued...