Big Bus Day 1

Today, we were reminded that we aren't really city tourists. We're the people who drive out 4x4 rutted roads to find places in the middle of nowhere to photograph. We started today by driving for an hour on freeways to reach a parking lot for the Explorer. After missing the entrance on the first pass, we discovered we couldn't figure out a way to get back. Out of frustration, we decided to go to Plan B and shoot the "Painted Ladies" at Alamo Square. The GPS took us right to the park, and we even found a parking place right on the square. We were early for the best lighting, but the worst part was that two of the houses were being renovated. They were covered with black netting to keep down the dust, etc., which was not very conducive to good images. Our shots were limited to only four of the painted ladies. Although they didn't have the great background to match the Painted Ladies, the houses at the west end of Alamo Square were a much better shot. They were newly-painted and had amazing detail in the trim.


	Painted Ladies & Downtown


Alamo Square House	Alamo Square House	Alamo Square Houses

After shooting the Painted Ladies, we decided to drive down to City Hall or park at Fisherman's Wharf and start the tour from there. While dodging construction and heading generally east, we found ourselves in the general area where we had planned to park. We found the entrance, parked the Explorer, and started looking for a place to eat lunch. It was already 1:00, so speed was of the essence. Hence, in the city renowned for its food, we ate lunch at Denny's.

We boarded the Big Bus at Union Square and rode it around the complete loop of 20 stops. We wanted to get off at a couple of stops, but realized we'd probably never get a place to sit if we ever got off. The Haight-Ashbury area was especially entertaining with its colorful signs and murals. We drove through part of Golden Gate Park and then crossed the Golden Gate Bridge. Even on a sunny day like today, it was quite windy. After the Golden Gate Bridge, the tour took us through the downtown area to the Embarcadero and finally to Fisherman's Wharf. As we returned to Union Square, we saw signs for the I-80 detour and got an idea of where we needed to get on the Bay Bridge to get back to the motel.

When we reached the Explorer, it was almost exactly 4:30. We would be driving home in a strange city in rush hour traffic. That didn't seem like very good planning. As it turned out, we had no problems getting back to the motel. The GPS took us right to the bridge on-ramp and the slower traffic gave us plenty of warning for all the merges and turns we needed to make. It took us about 90 minutes to get back to the motel, but it was easy and went very smoothly.

Brian and Michelle picked us up for dinner, and we enjoyed a delicious meal at Il Fornaio in Walnut Creek. We may not be getting any fabulous photos, but we have eaten very well.