San Francisco, y'all!
Oh wow. What can I say about San Francisco! I never imagined what this city would be like. I mean, I know the songs, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco”, and “Are You Going to San Francisco, Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair”, two songs I honestly love, but I didn’t understand really what they were trying to say - - - - - I now DO! Wow, what an amazing day I’ve had. I really really wanted to go see the redwoods, but unfortunately the tour was going to take an hour too long. SO, I took the cable car, just like Rice-A-Roni, up many very steep hills to the Fisherman’s Wharf. There I found some shops (where I actually bought a coat! because it has been cold everywhere lately), some piers with all types of ships, and one of the highlights of my day, the seals!
I don’t know if you have ever pondered seals before, but they’re just like humans! Well, except that they have no arms, and they make loud ‘ahooouugh ahooouugh’ sounds, and they’re brown and furry - okay they’re nothing like humans, but I saw such humanlike QUALITIES in them. As I watched this one 10’ by 12’ floating dock loaded with more than 16 full sized seals, I found many humanly hysterical things. One big guy started howling because he was too crammed in. A sleeping one rolled over to see what was happening, and bumped into a woman who was not ready to be aroused from her nap. She began to beat him with her flipper. He barred his teeth at her. She barred back. Then they fell asleep on top of each other. Meanwhile a younger guy who had been swimming plopped up on the other side of the dock and landed on a feisty geriatric. This was not a laughing matter, clearly, when old Geri raised up and hooooweled, barring his teeth and beating the young guy until he fell back into the water. Young guy wasn’t defeated however, and plopped up again, only barely brushing the geriatric who had already fallen back asleep, but this time landed on a woman who also seemed perturbed that he attempt to ruin her beauty rest. She beat him a while, howled and showed teeth, but let him stay on, and in seconds they were cuddling asleep. It kind of reminded me of some of our family vacations.
I left the seals and found the bicycle rental place. They advertised taking a bike over the Golden Gate Bridge, cruising down a hill into Sausalito, and riding a ferry back across the bay. I realized I’d have to hurry if I were to make it back in time for sound check, so I asked how long that trip would be. He said I should be back in an hour and 45 minutes. Oh, no problem. I had easily 3 hours to spare. I went for it.
It was an unusually clear day, bright and beautiful, so that there wasn’t even any smog/fog clouding the bridge. I thought to myself, “ahh, what a great idea this is”. That was also while I was riding on flat city streets. But the wind started blowing as soon as I passed the piers, and it was blowing so hard in my face that I had to downshift to be able to pedal. And this was on flat land, let me say again. I had forgotten which muscles were used to bicycle, and I realized these muscles had forgotten me too! I began making stops along the way, pretending to need to take photos, but really needing to breathe and get control of my heart rate. In an HOUR I was still nowhere near the bridge. I kept going, and out of nowhere there was a ramp, well, the map called it a ramp but it was more like a wall. I pedaled approximately 10 feet up and had to stop and walk the bike. But I made it LOOK like I wanted to take pictures as other shrink-wrapped cyclists whizzed by. This hill luckily went back down, and then I found more flat land. It wasn’t until I almost totally reached the bridge where I realized I was in trouble.
There was a fort right under the bridge, and because I hadn’t seen any road going up to the bridge so far, I started imagining there might be some kind of elevator to lift me up the many stories to its lovely red roadway. After circling the fort, I realized I had missed the turn. Retracing my steps was only mildly up-hill. It made sense that I hadn’t seen the turn because it was basically a paved mountain path (shared by cyclists and motorists alike) going straight UP the side of a mountain. Oh, I had come so far, I couldn’t give up now! I went for it, despite losing sensation in my legs, heart, and lungs. ;) Honestly, I stopped every few pedals, it was so straight up. I made it to the top of that mountain, only to find another! But it was ok, the bridge was in sight! And close sight at this point!
The numbness in my legs made it easy for me to ascend the last hill, and suddenly, THERE I WAS! On top of the Golden Gate Bridge. It was truly exhilarating!! I didn’t even notice the mild incline as I aimed across it. To my right was the city of San Francisco, straight ahead of me were volcanic looking mountain islands, and to my left was the Pacific Ocean. The first time I have ever seen the Pacific Ocean with my naked eyes! How utterly breathtaking! The pain, the burn, it was WORTH IT! (As I knew it would be all along!)
I rode halfway across before turning around. Needless to say, it had taken me an hour and 45 minutes to get to the bridge! The ride back was a piece of cake, thanks to the wind at my back, the many downward sloping hills, and the loss of feeling in both my legs. When I returned the bike, I knew there was going to be trouble tomorrow when I nearly collapsed stepping down a curb. I treated myself to a crab roll (which I ate when we got to sound check) and a Ben and Jerry’s ice cream cone, which I ate waiting in line for the cable car. Ahh, what a beautiful and rewarding day! I think I could leave my heart in San Francisco...
Love,
Luci!
I don’t know if you have ever pondered seals before, but they’re just like humans! Well, except that they have no arms, and they make loud ‘ahooouugh ahooouugh’ sounds, and they’re brown and furry - okay they’re nothing like humans, but I saw such humanlike QUALITIES in them. As I watched this one 10’ by 12’ floating dock loaded with more than 16 full sized seals, I found many humanly hysterical things. One big guy started howling because he was too crammed in. A sleeping one rolled over to see what was happening, and bumped into a woman who was not ready to be aroused from her nap. She began to beat him with her flipper. He barred his teeth at her. She barred back. Then they fell asleep on top of each other. Meanwhile a younger guy who had been swimming plopped up on the other side of the dock and landed on a feisty geriatric. This was not a laughing matter, clearly, when old Geri raised up and hooooweled, barring his teeth and beating the young guy until he fell back into the water. Young guy wasn’t defeated however, and plopped up again, only barely brushing the geriatric who had already fallen back asleep, but this time landed on a woman who also seemed perturbed that he attempt to ruin her beauty rest. She beat him a while, howled and showed teeth, but let him stay on, and in seconds they were cuddling asleep. It kind of reminded me of some of our family vacations.
I left the seals and found the bicycle rental place. They advertised taking a bike over the Golden Gate Bridge, cruising down a hill into Sausalito, and riding a ferry back across the bay. I realized I’d have to hurry if I were to make it back in time for sound check, so I asked how long that trip would be. He said I should be back in an hour and 45 minutes. Oh, no problem. I had easily 3 hours to spare. I went for it.
It was an unusually clear day, bright and beautiful, so that there wasn’t even any smog/fog clouding the bridge. I thought to myself, “ahh, what a great idea this is”. That was also while I was riding on flat city streets. But the wind started blowing as soon as I passed the piers, and it was blowing so hard in my face that I had to downshift to be able to pedal. And this was on flat land, let me say again. I had forgotten which muscles were used to bicycle, and I realized these muscles had forgotten me too! I began making stops along the way, pretending to need to take photos, but really needing to breathe and get control of my heart rate. In an HOUR I was still nowhere near the bridge. I kept going, and out of nowhere there was a ramp, well, the map called it a ramp but it was more like a wall. I pedaled approximately 10 feet up and had to stop and walk the bike. But I made it LOOK like I wanted to take pictures as other shrink-wrapped cyclists whizzed by. This hill luckily went back down, and then I found more flat land. It wasn’t until I almost totally reached the bridge where I realized I was in trouble.
There was a fort right under the bridge, and because I hadn’t seen any road going up to the bridge so far, I started imagining there might be some kind of elevator to lift me up the many stories to its lovely red roadway. After circling the fort, I realized I had missed the turn. Retracing my steps was only mildly up-hill. It made sense that I hadn’t seen the turn because it was basically a paved mountain path (shared by cyclists and motorists alike) going straight UP the side of a mountain. Oh, I had come so far, I couldn’t give up now! I went for it, despite losing sensation in my legs, heart, and lungs. ;) Honestly, I stopped every few pedals, it was so straight up. I made it to the top of that mountain, only to find another! But it was ok, the bridge was in sight! And close sight at this point!
The numbness in my legs made it easy for me to ascend the last hill, and suddenly, THERE I WAS! On top of the Golden Gate Bridge. It was truly exhilarating!! I didn’t even notice the mild incline as I aimed across it. To my right was the city of San Francisco, straight ahead of me were volcanic looking mountain islands, and to my left was the Pacific Ocean. The first time I have ever seen the Pacific Ocean with my naked eyes! How utterly breathtaking! The pain, the burn, it was WORTH IT! (As I knew it would be all along!)
I rode halfway across before turning around. Needless to say, it had taken me an hour and 45 minutes to get to the bridge! The ride back was a piece of cake, thanks to the wind at my back, the many downward sloping hills, and the loss of feeling in both my legs. When I returned the bike, I knew there was going to be trouble tomorrow when I nearly collapsed stepping down a curb. I treated myself to a crab roll (which I ate when we got to sound check) and a Ben and Jerry’s ice cream cone, which I ate waiting in line for the cable car. Ahh, what a beautiful and rewarding day! I think I could leave my heart in San Francisco...
Love,
Luci!
posted at
8:35 AM
