Pacific to Atlantic-Day 1

After the seemingly obligatory flight delays and jet lag, I meet up with Patrick & Daniel in time for a walk through China Town, past Lombard Street (crookedest street in the world) and dinner at Fisherman’s Wharf. I expected tourist-quality food at the Boudin Sour Dough Bread Bakery & Restaurant but was pleasantly surprised to enjoy delicious mac & cheese with lots of crab meat and excellent food all around the table. The view is kind of creepy looking into the San Francisco Bay and seeing Alcatraz. The prison is closed now but I can imagine the misery of the inmates (including Al Capone and the Birdman of Alcatraz) so close to freedom yet separated by the currents, cold water and armed guards.Early Sunday morning (7/3) we set out to explore the bay area. First stop, rent bicycles! The bike lanes are terrific and make it easy to navigate past the cable cars and through the city. Riding along the coast we passed through or near the financial district, Embarcadero, Fisherman’s Wharf, Ghiradelli Square, the marina district with the million dollar homes, Fort Mason, the Presidio, the Palace for Fine Arts, Crissy Air Field, then the entrance to the world’s most famous bridge! Built in 1937, the bridge seems huge and solid. The wind was fierce and the sides were so close but, wow, what an exhilarating experience!A downhill ride into Sausalito makes you feel like you’re entering a different world of peace and harmony, sunshine and love. I still feel the presence of the hippies by the fountain from the first time I saw it back in the late 60’s. The real estate is so expensive now that it seems only the wealthy can afford to live here but the town was beaming with happy people and puppies out for the day.Among the things I love about Sausalito is the amazing view of the San Francisco skyline, both by day and night. We caught the ferry then rode our bikes back to the rental shop. That’s about as much fun as you can have for $35/per person which includes the $10 ferry ride. Not quite 24 hours since I arrived in California, I kissed Patrick goodbye as he left for L A then Daniel and I drove back across the Golden Gate Bridge, into Marin County, past the famous Frank Lloyd Wright Civic Center and up to Sonoma for the night.