San Francisco

Got off the plane midday Saturday feeling pretty good. A very comfortable 24degrees and sunny. We were picked up by the shuttle and whisked straight to our home for the next two nights - The El Rancho Inn. As motels go this one is not too bad with a nice restaurant and bar looking out across a pool.

 

More about the bar later. A quick freshen up and straight to Dudley Perkins Harley Davidson to sort out the paper work for the bikes. Real friendly people these guys. They first opened their doors way back in 1913 so they have been in the business of selling Harleys for over a hundred years. Needless to say we didn't waste much time getting to their clothing and apparel store. Between the four of us we got through around $1500 US and this was after we all had pretty much decided we wouldn't buy any unnecessary items. Bo and I picked up new helmets and jackets and the Naikys picked up three new jackets between them.

 

Thirsty work this shopping business so we thought we would have just one quick one before a shower and change of clothes and dinner. Yeah right!

 

We did some consumer testing of a beer called Longboard and found it to be a tasty little number. At the time this picture was taken we should have known the writing was on the wall - and it was - literally - in the form of a bar menu proclaiming the best house margaritas this side of Texas. From here on things just got plain silly with Larry and I becoming best drinking friends with everyone else in the bar. The girls called it a night a little earlier but spent the next hour trying to open the door of the motel.

 

 

Today dawned with the promise of some sightseeing in the City and out on Fisherman's Wharf. We mastered the public transport system into the city with ease. These BART (Bay Area Rail Transit) trains are superb. Very quick and always on time to the second.

 

 

 

Got off at the Powell Street Terminal and we were right in the downtown shopping district. The first thing we noticed was that it was bloody cold. Now we are staying out near the airport and it had to be 20 plus when we set out for the city. In town it was only around 12 degrees and no one had brought a jacket. So here we were, thongs, shorts, T Shirts and everyone else was dressed like it was winter - pick the tourists!

 



 

It was even colder at Fisherman's Wharf. The place was packed though. The Challenger Series of the America's Cup was on and we managed to see Team New Zealand going past after beating Italy. The girls relived their childhood on this amazing carousel which is on Pier 39.

 

 

 

We waited in the freezing cold for a tram back to the city but in the end flagged it after queuing for nearly forty minutes. A nice thing to do when in San Fran but not worth getting hypothermia for. Cabbed it back to the city and then BARTed back to the Motel. No alcohol today. A burger and a thick shake for dinner, writing this and then bed. Tomorrow we ride to Yosemite.