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http://www.eventpub.com/stories.php?id=153494

San Francisco ‘08 – Day One

Yesterday was our first full day in San Fran, so we decided to check out our immediate neighbourhood. It was also the start of some pretty chilly winter weather that rolled in, so our escape from Canada, which we were snickering about just the day before, was somewhat thwarted. We actually had to buy heavier jackets, and dig out our ear muffs and gloves. So much for “sunny California”… Oh well, at least it isn’t -50!!!!!

We pretty much walked up and down Fisherman’s Wharf yesterday, checking out the various piers. Pier 39. Pier 33. Pier Pressure. There are piers and piers and piers for as far as the eye can see. Or peer...

We did snap a whack of pictures, which I will try and post in a photo-share, although the internet in our room is proving a bit spotty.

Among our varied stops was the Hard Rock Café, for lunch. Quite the history lesson there, what with the proximity to Haight Ashbury, and the 60’s psychedelic music scene. The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix all have memorabilia on display, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. We thought about trying some brownies for dessert, but decided we didn’t want to take any chances.

Along the walk, I got bush-whacked. I had been warned to avoid the Bushman, but like our trip earlier this year to New Orleans, I managed to immediately break all those records for avoiding certain scams and tourist tags, by getting startled by the Bushman early in the afternoon. For those unaware, the Bushman, hold branches in front of himself, then pops out to scare tourists. You are then required to contribute to his "fundraising efforts".
Oy…

Then, just a few moments later, I was hit up by a group of enterprising morons that wanted to shine my running shoes – the exact same scam that I fell for Day One in New Orleans. It was about that time that I asked Mrs. That Dan Guy to check my back for some sort of sign indicating my stupidity.

Along the way, we snapped remote pictures of Alcatraz, and a very distant Golden Gate bridge. We made our way to The Cannery, and the very unique Musee Mecanique – a building filled with vintage games and carnival attractions – all in working order. Tres cool!

We even caught a commercial for a Nickelback concert – a popular rock band from our province of Alberta – Canada remains on our periphery…

Just a couple of brief observations before we sign off for today:

1) San Francisco sourdough is about as close to heaven as I have ever been – YOWZA!!

2) The trolleys may be a charming local attraction, and famous around the world, but when they roll by under your hotel room window at night while you’re trying to sleep, they sound like about eleven dumpsters welded together, with the wheels taken off, being dragged leisurely along a gigantic iron cheese grater. Or, for my Canadian readers, it sounds like an 8,000 pound curling rock being slid along a corrugated tin roof. Have these people never heard of lubrication??

Chow for now!!