REFLECTIONS ON SAN FRANCISCO

11 May 2012 Leave a comment

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: ,

Back home  I reflect……….

Dscf3525

Cable Cars – still a symbol of the city and a most  entertaining ride.

Now that I am back home, I  Iook back at my photos and my thoughts. San Francisco and the Bay Area is a region of cultural explosion , perfect weather, sunny days, beautiful architecture,  spectacular gardens sculpted  by people and wildflowers  by  Mother Nature, a  very wide mix of interesting people and  different languages, Bay and ocean views, marinas full of boats and the love of the water, Ferry Boat rides,  great food of all ethnics, shopping, shopping, shopping and a seemingly endless list of entertainment.

What a great trip and it seems to have calmed my addiction………..at least for the time being……

Dscf3688
Dscf4119
Dscf3722

Golden Gate Bridge

Dscf4081

Rural post office on way to Muir Woods.

Dscf4337Dscf4326

Redunant signs

Dscf4315

Dog walking is a serious career here.

Dscf4352Dscf4356

Gotta Love San Francisco

A WALK IN PACIFIC HEIGHTS, SAN FRANCISCO

07 May 2012 Leave a comment

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: , ,

May 7, 2012

Dscf4285

The Painted Ladies

My Last Day in San Francisco was dedicated to adding 4  1/2 more miles to my pedometer and walking the Pacific Heights Area to absorb the beautiful California weather and the gorgeous Victoria architecture.  This is the neighborhood of the elite and the gawking tourists.  Easily one can tell the difference.  Hope you enjoy my photos as much as I enjoyed my day….

Daniel_steele_home

Home of Romance Writer, Danielle Steele.

She had 6 cars parked  in back.

Dscf4306

Barbra Streisand drove a VW Bug down these steps in

the movie ” What’s Up Doc?”

Dscf4324

Used in filming the movie “Mrs.  Doubtfire”.

Dscf4342Dscf4287Dscf4295

Random Beautiful Homes

Convent

Catholic Convent – keep those donation baskets rolling…….

(Can you tell I’m a recovering Catholic?)

MONTEREY and CARMEL MISSION

06 May 2012 1 Comment

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: ,

Dscf4145

May 6, 2012

Road trip day  again- this time to Monterey, California to visit the Aquarium, Cannery Row ( now shops and restaurants),  and the 17 Mile Drive.  The Aquarium is huge and a great place to take kids.  Now if they could only build one for the adults.  The 17 Mile Drive, especially the coastal section, is awe inspiring.  Carmel By The Sea is a quint little town nearby with shops, restaurants and an interesting old Spanish Mission from 1770. Clint says to tell you all Hello.

Dscf4137Dscf4148

Aquarium Residents

Dscf4176

Old Cannery building, now a microbrewery.

Dscf4185Dscf4229Dscf4204

17 Mile Drive photo ops

Dscf4204

Sea Lions on 17 Mile Drive

Dscf4246

Carmel Mission

MUIR WOODS and SAUSALITO

05 May 2012 Leave a comment

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: ,

May 5, 2012

Dscf4056

Today was the a perfect day for venturing over the Golden Gate Bridge to Muir Woods, home of the giant Redwood Trees, whose average height is 200 feet tall.  These trees are magnestic beauties of nature and this cozy forest is  wonderful place to take a stroll.

Afterwards, Sausalito  was a must stop to enjoy the harbor views, shops and refreshments.

Dscf4010

Some perspective of just how big this Redwood is.

Dscf4055

Redwoods typically grow in “family circles”.

Dscf4086

Sausalito shops and shoreline.

Dscf4105

Sausalito Harbor

Dscf4107

I could live here. 🙂

ALCATRAZ

04 May 2012 Leave a comment

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: ,

May 4, 2012

Dscf3902

Your Room is Waiting….

A day at Alcatraz.  Interesting, creepy…… but over all it was a beautiful day and I especially enjoyed the wonderful  gardens planted all over the island and tended to by volunteers. Of course, the gorgeous scenery of the Bay Area and the Ferry Boat ride to the island was also unforgetable.   My appreciation  and graditude to  The National  Parks Department for doing such a  great job displaying  the history of The Rock. Thanks also to the gardeners, who give of their time and sweat so that others can enjoy and smell the flowers.

Alcatrz is definitely an attraction in San Francisco that should not to be missed!

Dscf3851

Alcatraz Island

Dscf3897Dscf3906

Cell Blocks and Solitary

Dscf3971

The “yard” used by prisoners in back of the former prison.

Dscf3883Dscf3942

Gardens on Alcatraz Island

Dscf3886Dscf3876

Breathtaking scenery

Dscf3873Dscf3887

CALIFORNIA’s WINE COUNTRY

03 May 2012 Leave a comment

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: ,

May 3, 2012

Dscf3767

A visit to California is not complete without a trip to  Wine Country. So we let the tour bus do the driving  and we sat back and enjoyed the day.  Toured four wineries in all but my two favorite were:

V Sattui Winery and Andretti Winery ( yes as in Mario). (No, he did not host the tour. )

Wineries also, I discovered, have beautiful gardens, generally roses gardens.  Because if any pest was going to attack  the grape vines, they will attack the roses first, thus setting off the warning of impending danger.

Dscf3753

V. Sattui Winery

Dscf3823Dscf3799

Andretti Winery

Dscf3828

Sierra Nevada Moutains in the Backdrop

Dscf3744Dscf3821
Dscf3819Dscf3779

Chinatown, Coit Tower, Haight Ashbury, What a Day!

02 May 2012 Leave a comment

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: ,

Dscf3651

For Sale at the Ferry Build Marketplace

May 2, 2012

Exploring more of   San Francisco, we started our day walking through Chinatown, gawking at the strange items and foods at the outdoor markets.  Coit Tower , high on Telegraph Hill,  was  the next  fun stop.  There is colorful murals completely lining the walls at the  bottom  and at the top of the Tower were postcard views of the city and the Bay area.  Afterwards we walked to the waterfront via the 477 steps Filbert Steps – good thing we were walking down!  This end of the waterfront is one ferryboat pier after another. The Ferry Building Marketplace is a refurbished pier now filled with shops and eats – very Californian and interesting.  Haight Asbury was our next destination via public bus. The closer we got to the Haight, the more colorful the bus became.  Anyone who thinks the Hippie Era has passed, hasn’t been to the Haight.   It is alive, well, and based on the guy smoking pot walking down the steeet, still stoned!    Our final walk of the day was back through Chinatown again.  Its truly its own little world, fun to see and the shopping is never ending.

Dscf3560Dscf3600

Coit Tower

Dscf3578Dscf3565

Views from Coit Tower

Dscf3676Dscf3677Dscf3680

Haight Ashbury

Dscf3617

The 477 Filbert Steps

Dscf3545Dscf3702Dscf3539

Chinatown

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

01 May 2012 Leave a comment

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: , ,

Sundae

May 1, 2012

My Traveling  Adiction happily took charge again and swept me off to San Francisco, California.  Home to hilly streets, cable cars, and a vast assortment of sights.  Traveling with my friend, Laura, we wasted no time jumping on a cable car to the loopy Lombard Street and then onto Fisherman’s Wharf, Ghirardelli Square, Pier 39 and the Maritime Museum.  Ghirardelli Square tempted us with sinfully delicious sundaes in an old soda fountain atmosphere.  The Maritime Museum was  great cheap entertainment where we explored 3 retired ships from the 1800’s,  a ferry (full of antique cars and trucks) a tug  and a cargo ship.  Pier 39 was a clever mecca of shops and restaurants with views of San Francisco Bay and Alcatraz.  We even witnessed some fools swimming in the bay and that water has to be cold because we were wearing fleeces and wind breakers!

Dscf3419Dscf3458

California pigeons like chocolate also.

Dscf3427

$60.00 Block of Chocolate

Dscf3495

Sourdough Teddy Bears

Dscf3502
Dscf3503

Pier 39 Restaurants

Dscf3433Dscf3462

Mueseum  Cargo Ship