San Francisco

Woke up early (still haven’t adjusted to the time change) and checked out of the hostel. Our car was untouched and safe in the parking garage where we left it—best $15 we ever spent, I think. It was a gorgeous morning in SF, and we headed to Fisherman’s Wharf to see the sea lions. We got down there around 8am, so none of the vendors were open and the tourist quotient was at a minimum. Got our cappuccinos at Starbucks (you can’t swing a dead cat in SF without hitting a Starbucks) and walked towards the fish smell. Immediately, I wished it was afternoon and that I could buy my weight in fish tacos and crabs. Holy fresh fish! Anyway, we took a leisurely walk down the Pier and checked out the sea lions. It was like a hundred Olivers (the Bassett hound) lounging on floating platforms, barking and scratching their jowls. We took tons of pictures there. I called my sister Kirsten so she could hear them barking.

Can I just say that this map program is awesome? It’s got a GPS hookup, and gives you step-by-step directions to where you need to go. I don’t think we would’ve enjoyed SF as much as we did without it. Driving in SF is a harrowing experience. The streetcars literally push you out of the way and snake in and out of traffic. I know they look all sweet and cute in the rice-a-roni commercials, but they’re just bullies. Every other street is one-way, and you need to go two blocks out of your way just to get to the street you need. There’s streets that are over 45-degree-angles, too. But the overall vibe of San Francisco makes up for the crazy driving conditions. People are friendly there. It’s more laid back that many large cities I’ve been to. People seem to genuinely enjoy living there, and don’t seem too put out by the ridiculous tourists who constantly get in their way. I could’ve spent a week there and not eaten at every Thai restaurant on the one block our hostel was on.

Anyway, we’re off to Ashland, Oregon. Right now, I’m typing this en route to Oregon. I’m really excited to see our new home state. My friend Lish is taking us to some awesome sushi place in Medford, and then we’re driving back to Ashland to have drinks. Tomorrow morning, we drive the 5-6 hours up to Portland, and move into our new apartment. Mike and I decided that task #1 after moving out crap into the apartment, is to go buy a new bed. This week of sleeping in strange beds has made us long for a bed of our own. Something familiar. To me, home is where my bed is.

I want to keep updating this blog even after we’ve gotten to Portland. We want to keep our families updated on our progress, and to post pictures of our new home. On Monday, our friends Chris and Heather are flying to Portland to hang out with us for a week. We’re driving (yippee) up to Seattle for two days to hang out and hit the Ikea there. Mike and Chris are going to a Mariners game (they’re playing the Angels, Mike’s team). Anyway, my body is adjusting to this traveler’s life. I am having a blast on this trip. I hope you all make trips like this in your life.

4 hours later….

Well, we drove through our second snowstorm of the trip in Mount Shasta. I’m sure it’s gorgeous, but I couldn’t see much besides snow and a few trees. Who’d of thunk it? It was very pretty, but I hate driving/riding in that stuff—especially through the mountains.

Oregon’s only about 30 miles away! Woohoo!
--anne and mike