San Francisco/Oakland Get Away

Dave had an Oracle conference in San Francisco. He found out about it in May and asked if I wanted to go. DUH! Mostly because it is a hop, skip, and a jump from Becca. After investigating the details we decided it wouldn't be much fun for me to hang out in San Fran while he was at the conference. Most of his meals and activities were included in the price of the conference so I would be on my own most of the time and it would get expensive. The week of the conference was a big tax deadline (October 15) for Becca so she would not be able to take time to hang out with me. So we decided I would fly out at the end of the conference and we would spend a couple of days in Fremont with Becca and Steven. Dave took a shuttle from the conference to the Oakland airport and was waiting for me when I got off the plane. Becca picked us up at the airport and we picked up Steven for dinner at Chili's.
The next day they played hooky from work and picked us up to drive to San Francisco. We caught a ferry to Alcatraz. It was a fun place to go.

We learned a lot of the history of Alcatraz with a audio tour. We wore a headset with a listening device. You could stop or repeat or fast forward so you could spend more or less time at any spot. The cell blocks were three tiers with a caged shooting gallery at the end. The guards would walk up and down the shooting gallery to watch the rows of cells.

This was the extent of the activity yard.

After 3 trips to San Francisco we finally got a good view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Everyone kept telling us October was a good time for the fog to leave and they were right. The last picture is the view of San Fran from Alcatraz. The other was just a cool sailboat we saw while on the ferry.

After our escape to Alcatraz we headed down to Pier 39. There are a lot of fun shops there. We decided to eat at Bubba Gumps. It was a lot of fun for everyone except Becca. She got a little queasy from watching Steven and Dave eat their steamed crab. I enjoyed the Shrimpers Heaven and Becca stuck with fried chicken. Sorry Garry I know that was a no, no!

While we were eating a BIG SHIP came into the big. This was really a BIG SHIP! It was from China. Half the people in the restaurant pulled out their cameras to grab a shot of it.

There was a fun carousel on Pier 39, it was a double decker. After dinner we headed to Ghiradelli Square for an ice cream and to buy a couple of candy bars of course.

On Saturday we went to a session at the Oakland Temple. We caught another fine view of the bay area from there.

I thought this was an interesting sign. Someone wanted to be very specific on the speed limit!After going to church with Becca and Steven and them cooking us a delicious dinner they took us back to the Oakland airport. It was a fun 3 days with them. They were so good to be our chauffeur, feed us, and show us around. It was so nice to spend some time with them, getting to know Steven a little better and seeing how well they have started their new life together. They seem to be meant for each other!

I'm not thrilled with this picture but it was such a momentous occasion that I had to snap it. In nearly 31 years of marriage this is the first time Dave and I have flown together. WOW! Thanks Becca and Steven!!!

Oregon trip

The week school started Dave had a class in Portland. Everyone at work said he should drive and take me with. I really felt to stressed and busy to go and I wanted to go to San Francisco with him in October so I could see Becca and Steven. I really didn't think I should do both. But everyone convinced me I should go. I was so glad! It was a great trip! The drive through the Columbia River gorge was beautiful. We didn't stop after it got really pretty but all along the way there were these wind surfers and kite surfers everywhere!

This was the view from our hotel room. OK, I am sheltered, I don't think I have ever stayed on a floor this high, 14th, which if you follow my facebook you saw my discussion about how it is really the 13th, but that is another conversation. Downtown Portland is kind of interesting. The blocks are really small and the streets are not very wide. We would walk 7-10 blocks to the mall or Dave's class and it was like walking to other end of our subdivision. I met Dave for lunch each day and window shop, or look for a better place to eat, or just go back to the hotel. Then we would venture out again for dinner. We always were sure to be back in the hotel by dark. There were a lot of street people setting up their beds by then. The Willamette River runs along the edge of downtown.
On Friday Dave's class got done early so we left the downtown area for the first time since our arrival. We went to the Japanese tea gardens, the rose gardens, and an arboretum.
This was the only shot of Mt. Hood we got. We could see it on the way to Portland really well but never stopped to take a pic. We never got a good view of it on our way home, so this one from the tea gardens had to do.

We didn't plan ahead well enough to be able to do a session at the Temple but took a drive to it. It is a very unique and beautiful Temple. The landscape is gorgeous. I guess that is a result of a milder climate than home. I thought even the bees looked different from ours.
Now that I leave for California in 4 days I thought I better get this trip documented. It has been half done for a month! I decided to do the beach part of the trip separate. I hope I can get that done faster so it is done before I leave! Stay tuned!