The Golden Gate Bridge

It was a picture perfect day to visit the Golden Gate Bridge.

Just a little windy though.

The view from the bridge-there were 50+ parasailers in the bay. Click on the picture for a closer look.

Unfortunate sign of the times.

Oakland A's

Over the Bay Bridge into Oakland... It was time to enjoy one of our favorite pastimes...
Baseball!

It was an absolutely gorgeous day. We caught a few rays and enjoyed the game between the Oakland A's and the Los Angeles Angels. The bonus was that all of their souvenier items were half off, so Phil and I both got new ball caps and we picked up a toy for Shelby.

Chinatown

A cable car ride and a short walk away from Fisherman's Wharf and we arrived in Chinatown.

We made it

We finally arrived in San Francisco. It was a little chilly but it sure felt good. 1st stop of course was Fisherman's Wharf. Since it was dinner time we had to stop and get a wonderful steaming clam chowder bread bowl from Boudin's Sourdough bakery. Phil had the chili. Mmmm yummy!
I just love all the interesting houses along the streets of San Francisco. Their is a beauty in the fact that they are all unique and not cookie cutter.

Sea Lion Social Choir

Brought to you by the incredible choir from Pier 39. Enjoy!

Driving up the Coast

This leg of the trip was a little more exhausting for Phil. There were quite a few hair-pin turns and narrow passes. Unfortunately he wasnt able to see as much of the beauty as I did, so of course I took pictures (I can see all my friends eyes roll to the back of their heads...)

We stopped every now and then so he could see what he was missing.

California Sea Lions, taking a break.

Beautiful Coast line.

I reached for my napkin at lunch and was stung by a bee! (It was the BIG pink finger) This made for an unpleasant dining experience since I was in intense pain. Ice, swelling, Benedryl, more ice...it took three days for the pain to finally go away.

Hearst Castle

High on the hill, Hearst Castle.
The clouds rolled through as we looked at this magnificent pool that was filled with natural spring water. I think even Phil would swim in this one since there were no chemicals used to keep this pool looking this amazing. I was in awe of the mosaic patterns used in the tiles in the pool as well as the sculptures that were in and around the pool.
The front of the home.
This is part of one of the living room areas where parties were held. I loved the tapestries and the intricately carved wood panels from Europe.

All the years I lived in California and this was my first visit to Hearst Castle. I marveled at the artistry that was collected there yet saddened by the opulence. I can think of many things all this money could be used for, yet William Randolph Hearst could do nothing with any of these things once he died. He did appreciate fine art, and it was a creative pleasure to see all of these things in one place.

This indoor swimming pool was under the tennis courts. This whole room was done in mosaic tiles with morano glass and real gold leaf. It was stunning.

Cambria

I found this place through Google. We wanted to watch a sunset and have a nice meal. Yes, vacations mean food, we eat...a lot!


This was a gorgeous way to end our day. God in His majesty, through His voice on the waves to the setting of the sun. Our God, is an awesome God.
With a funny P.S. This was a one legged seagull that when he made noise sounded just like a cat in pain. It was hilarious.

Santa Barbara

This was a great place for lunch. "Moby Dick's, and yes we had fish for lunch. Out on the pier with a nice ocean view, plus a few cute shops on the way back.

I couldn't resist this opportunity.

Malibu

And then there was rest

Phil: I dont think we are going to make it to Hawaii for Christmas but I think we need a vacation soon. What do you think, should we do San Diego?
Janice: Let's try some place different, how about San Francisco? I haven't been since I was in High School.
Phil: Sounds great! I got an idea, let's fly into LA and drive up highway 1 and enjoy the view.
Janice: Love it. How about we rent a convertable?
Phil: Sounds good. What should we do while we are there?
Janice: We always have more fun when we only plan a couple of things and let the rest just happen. We can do Alcatraz.
Phil: I heard they have an evening tour.
Janice: OK, done. Darn the Giants arent in town.
Phil: What about the A's?
Janice: Yep, done.
Janice: My sister Joyce suggested a few "must do's". (She is the family San Fran pro).
Phil: Sounds like a plan.

And this is how we plan our vacations...together, 22 years of experience in working on a plan. We spend time together, we pray together, we walk together, we talk together, we praise God for our love.

Heading Out

Phil and I are heading out on vacation tomorrow. We really look forward to these brief pauses in our daily routine. We have finally learned that to make a vacation relaxing, is to only plan a couple of things and let the rest of it be guided by where we are at the moment. This sure seems to slow down the pace some, since we are not running from one thing to another. We are ready.

We also look forward to sharing every breakfast together, sharing the Word, praying together as a way to start the day. Normally with Phil leaving for work at 4:00am every day, this is a special treat. We also spend a lot of time discussing our relationship and our goals as a couple as well as individually.

We are flying to LA first thing in the morning and spending the day. On Monday we will start driving up Highway 1 (the scenic drive) slowly, stopping in Cambria then continue North, arriving in San Francisco on Tuesday. We wanted to be sure to leave time to hop off the freeway and explore whenever we feel like it. Please say a prayer for safety and for much needed relaxation.

Rosie and Shelby

I left at the crack of dawn (that's 5:00am for me) so I could get to Jenn's house to watch Shelby. I thought it would be nice to give her a break and to let Shelby sleep in. One thing I learned is that there are no lights out at 120th Ave and Happy Valley Road, IT WAS DARK!

Shelby had a great time playing with their new puppy Rosie all day. They wore Nana out.

Labor Day-Play Ball!

Labor Day at our house usually means that we labor around the house doing chores and such. This year Phil was lucky to receive some free tickets to the afternoon Diamondbacks game. We invited Jim and Kelli to relax with us. At first we weren't real sure about the game since the St Louis Cardinals were ahead early on. D-backs pulled it off with some really great hitting; Stephen Drew hit a full cycle, the first D-back to do it at Chase Field but the third D-back to have that honor.

Later on, we went home and grilled some burgers. It was nice to have a totally relaxing day for a change.

The Aftermath of the storm

The storm brought a little more than a light show. It brought uprooted trees and major power outages. I should have recorded the storm an hour later than I did in the clip below. We had hail pelt the house and at one point Daniel was very concerned about his car. Fortunately the oleanders seemed to protect his car from the brunt of the whirling debris and hail.

The next day we could see the damage. 40th street, which is two blocks away, had all of the power poles broken and shattered in the street. The damage was incredible. I stopped by Mimi's house to see if she was OK, since she lives on 40th. She had no power but Donald Sr. dropped by to start up the generator. Shelby and I left her and her dogs with an invitation to join us anytime. 40th Street was closed for one week while APS relaced all the poles with metal one. They did such a great job and so quickly too.

Later on Saturday, Phil and I drove around and took some more pictures. We were lucky we didnt lose a tree this time and that we didnt receive any damage to the house.