ABC's of Trip Planning (Oct 10-20), Vol. 2- Z is for: Zippidee Doo Dah!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[glennbo123]

I was lucky enough to visit San Fran on business a few years ago (okay, '88 and '89, but it seems like just a few years ago) and did the Embarcadero walk and got to do that audio-tour of Alcatraz. We had dinner somewhere on Fisherman's Wharf, but I don't remember which restaurant. It is a pretty good tourist destination. Oh, wait, that was the first place I saw a "pick a pearl" deal -- Judy was with me on that particular occasion and that $5 pearl ended up costing me around $150 or so once I paid for a setting and necklace. At least it taught me what I would be in for with the Epcot version of it.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

More when I do proper replies (getting ready for work), but this one




is closed during our trip.

Oh, man, I totally forgot about that! Major bummer.

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Love the SF trip updates. I want to get back to Cali one of these days (spent a few years of my childhood living in Monterey).

 

[franandaj]

I knew I couldn't be the only one who'd not tried this yet! When I finally get meself down to SoCal, we'll have to go, k?

I'll have to find a good place around here. Long Beach is Thai Town, with the largest Thai population outside Thailand, but we have nothing in the way of good Chinese restaurants. I'll check out Garden Grove, they have a large Asian population. Maybe there is a good Dim Sum restaurant nearby.

But first coffee. I don't generally do the filtered variety and I certainly don't dispose of my grounds in a double plastic wrapped bag either, but deferring to my host's utter abhorrence of even the tiniest scent of it, I did what was asked by his SO. I thought it a bit odd.

That does sound really weird.

I tried in vain to find a veranda, porch, or any other suitable outdoor seating venue, but came up dry. I was resigned to sitting alone with Alberto the Cat who detested my very presence in his personal castle to enjoy my bowl of polenta, a fresh pear and my morning coffee.

At my house you would have multiple outdoor locations (well sort of) and you would have loving felines all, OK most, vying for your affection. Although I use a keurig machine for coffee. Prior to that I made it the way you pictured but my life just got too complicated to grind my beans and let them steep.

I met up with the girls by walking the 12 or so blocks to Susan's

So you did not stay at the same location?

Ok, going back to rant about PB. Seems they will no longer let me upload there as I've reached 85% of my free storage. No way in you-know-where I'm going to pay to store, so I'll have to find another place for my photo storage.

I gave up on that years ago. When I had three PB accounts and couldn't remember what was where I finally gave up and paid up.

they are vile creatures.

I agree with Mark, so funny to hear this after @Flossbolna's comments on them.

After checking out the "real" restaurant and determining I am too few tax brackets low to eat there, we settled on the cafeteria-style counterpart. Which had the exact same chowder and chili bowl

I didn't even realize there was a restaurant in that shop.

And paid the same price for a sit down meal (with oysters, should you care to poison yourself with them- (really Alison, I'm kinda just (mostly) joking here) ).

I prefer the little food stands on the corner near Alioto's, but it's been so long since I've been down there, all I remember is Alioto's. And I am very picky about my oysters, raw only and they must be small and briny.

Whatever, chocolate is chocolate and the only REAL chocolate is dark chocolate. Do not try to argue with me, your point is pointless.

That's fine. I'll split the Milk Chocolate with Mark and let you fight Julie and my father for it!

Boys and Girls, let this be a lesson to you: Do not pick your peppers and your nose all in one evening.

One can never be too careful with a jalepeno marg.

Oh don't worry about me, I will be so careful that I don't even DRINK ONE! That way if I want to pick my nose I can do so in safety!

 

[DonnaBeeGood]

.

 

[Steppesister]

Well, we're the experts on the Dad jokes. By their nature, Dad Jokes are meant to be predictable.

Which always makes them worthy of a small chortle.

Weird. Most people, even if they don't like coffee, enjoy the smell of it.

Except my daughter who thinks it smells like skunk. Every. single. morning.

Yep, sounds like a cat.

I know I'm the VERY small minority here, but I really could do without them. We a neighborhood of feral riff-raff that spray the dickens out of my house. We need to let our dog out more.

Aw, now you're just pre-empting the Dad Jokes.

Ladies, you're welcome.

Any building with a clock tower is automatically cool.

Even when I make them look like another Loma Prieta incident struck.

(Making note for future trip to San Fran.)

3 more days of "stuff to do" coming up...

It's funny to read your take on this after reading @Flossbolna 's perspective!

I knew that there'd be a pretty hefty difference in those two reviews. Glad we could give you both sides of the fence.

I was going to say, that dock looks like it's suffered multiple strafing runs.

Nature's own whitewash!

I'd love that! It reminds me of a place we went in Kansas City...(tease)

Duly intrigued.

I love Jim Gaffigan's take on oysters: "Who was the first person to actually try one of those? 'Hey, I found this rock with a snot in it...I think I'll eat it.'

I wondered the same about eggs. Or who thought a brain would taste ok? (which it doesn't)

My wife would agree. Please feel free to pass on your milk chocolate to me.

If I pass the trash can and it makes it that far.

Yikes. You can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose. Especially after she's had jalapenos.

They're just going to go by faster and faster now!

Because weekends just don't have enough time to do what needs to be done.

Enjoying the tour. Every time you mention BART though, I think of a yellow kid on a skateboard.

So...

My sister married a guy names Eric Simpson. One day his brother fell and needed an ambulance. My sister calls 911:

"911. What's your emergency?"

"My brother-in-law has fallen and needs an ambulance."

"What is his name?"

"Bart Simpson"

Click.

"911. What's your emergency?"

"NO! Really, his name is Bart Simpson! He needs an ambulance."

Click

"911. What's your emergency?

"We'll drive him ourselves....."

True story.

 

[Steppesister]

I was lucky enough to visit San Fran on business a few years ago (okay, '88 and '89, but it seems like just a few years ago) and did the Embarcadero walk and got to do that audio-tour of Alcatraz. We had dinner somewhere on Fisherman's Wharf, but I don't remember which restaurant. It is a pretty good tourist destination. Oh, wait, that was the first place I saw a "pick a pearl" deal -- Judy was with me on that particular occasion and that $5 pearl ended up costing me around $150 or so once I paid for a setting and necklace. At least it taught me what I would be in for with the Epcot version of it.

This sounds like a very dubious "business" trip, Glenn. I"m seeing a lot of fun sandwiched in there.

Ahhhh, the best infamous money-sucking, tourist luring, upselling, thing goin' around places like this.

I, myself, picked a pearl for $16.95. The promptly spent another $50 getting a ring made. It's awfully pretty though. I have heard rumors that it's a total scam, and that the pearls are actually pre-drilled and all. Who knows really. I wonder if they ring the bell to lure one's attention away so you don't see it as they whisk the thing away.

Oh, man, I totally forgot about that! Major bummer.

Well, that's a major understatement.

Love the SF trip updates. I want to get back to Cali one of these days (spent a few years of my childhood living in Monterey).

Monterey= But Santa Barbara=

 

[Steppesister]

I'll have to find a good place around here. Long Beach is Thai Town, with the largest Thai population outside Thailand, but we have nothing in the way of good Chinese restaurants. I'll check out Garden Grove, they have a large Asian population. Maybe there is a good Dim Sum restaurant nearby.

I just did a Google search of the Chinese Seafood place we went to in Garden Grove about 10 years ago, but couldn't be sure. It might been the King Harbor Seafood Restaurant?? But what I DO remember is that I ate HANDS DOWN the BEST scallops I have EVER eaten there. Cooked just perfectly with a light black bean sauce, and not smothered in it. YUM!

I remembered that GG is the place for Chinese, but didn't know that LB is where the Thai are. One more good reason to visit. Although going back to Thailand for a 5th time wouldn't be bad. My daughter would love to visit her birthtown. (Chiang Mai)

That does sound really weird.

I"m glad I wasn't the only one.

At my house you would have multiple outdoor locations (well sort of) and you would have loving felines all, OK most, vying for your affection. Although I use a keurig machine for coffee. Prior to that I made it the way you pictured but my life just got too complicated to grind my beans and let them steep.

I would love to meet a cat who likes attention. I haven't come across one yet. Maybe there is something about me they just don't like too? Who knows. But if I visit, I will give them a shot and see if they will change my mind.

Keurig works in a pinch. I dunno, I think living in the PNW has turned me into a huge coffee snob. That and having Dutch teammates who got me hooked.

So you did not stay at the same location?

Susan had one spare bedroom with a pullout sofa bed that the girls took. Matt has spare bedroom with a queen that I used. I truly was only there long enough to go straight to bed and most mornings he was already at work by the time I got up. Those homes are over-the-top expensive but tiny.

I gave up on that years ago. When I had three PB accounts and couldn't remember what was where I finally gave up and paid up.

Yeah, sadly, I think it's time. (Le sigh)

I agree with Mark, so funny to hear this after @Flossbolna's comments on them.

Haha! Yeah, I thought it might give you guys a kick to see the varied perceptions.

I didn't even realize there was a restaurant in that shop.

It's upstairs. By the way, we didn't go to the small shop on Pier 39, but the one on Fisherman's Wharf. I didn't know there were 2 actually. We passed up the one on Pier 39 thinking we'd do something else, but then came across the Fisherman's Wharf one, and lo and behold it was bigger and clearly the Main Deal one.

I prefer the little food stands on the corner near Alioto's, but it's been so long since I've been down there, all I remember is Alioto's. And I am very picky about my oysters, raw only and they must be small and briny.

Haha, I'm a coffee snob, so you're allowed to be an oyster snob. Love you, Alison.

My family has been going to Scoma's for decades- 3 generations- but we passed it up this time due to budget constraints. It's very spendy, but so delicious! Alioto's is the area we should have kept walking further for.

That's fine. I'll split the Milk Chocolate with Mark and let you fight Julie and my father for it!

Deal!

Oh don't worry about me, I will be so careful that I don't even DRINK ONE! That way if I want to pick my nose I can do so in safety!

One can never be too careful. I"ll make sure to keep you safe at The Ditch, so you can pick your nose safely for us.

 

[Steppesister]

Beautiful girls - nice to see you relaxed and happy! Sorry the Alcatraz tour didn't work out, that's one I'd love to do. Loved the oldish movie Six Against The Rock...

Awww, thanks. It's really ok, we'll be back down there eventually and do it then. There's a lot to see and do, and we were never bored.

I'll have to check that one out! I love a good oldie!

You? Trip Planner Extraordinaire? Needing help? I must be reading that wrong, because I'm sure that you have a feel for what you'd like to do most. Me - I'm headed straight for Peter Pan, but I'm also a sucker that would (and has) wait in line for 90 minutes. And that's why I downloaded the song, so that I can transport myself there (in my memory) any time that I want!

I do, but I need to be careful to plot it out carefully so as not to criss-cross too much. My instinct says:

1) SMo
2) PP
3) Spl M
3) Jungle Cr.
4) HM
5)PoTC

Then go back to TomLand and FantLand. I dunno... Still pondering. We have FiPs for 7DMT at least twice and honestly my kids aren't that excited about it. We have 2 AMs there, so can mix it up the 2nd time.

I have 8 Tracks playing Disney stuff a lot. Old ride music, BGM, Resort playlists, etc... I have the Parks CDs too that I play pretty often. LOVE Disney music!

 

[pkondz]

After a mediocre night's sleep

Sigh... I am too familiar with those.

I was ready to embrace the day of exploring new territory I'd not seen in a very long time.

I tried to embrace the day.
It told me not to touch it and turned a cold shoulder. That's how winter starts.

But first coffee.

#priorities

I don't generally do the filtered variety

Percolated? French press?

but deferring to my host's utter abhorrence of even the tiniest scent of it, I did what was asked by his SO. I thought it a bit odd. I mean what does he do every time he walks by a Starbucks? And I know she drinks it, so what does he do when she imbibes? I'm at a loss.

Holds his breath? That's what Kay and I do whenever someone smoking walks by.

I was resigned to sitting alone with Alberto the Cat who detested my very presence in his personal castle

the 4 million dollar homes (with one toilet),

Homes with no toilets are cheaper, though, right?

I had my shirt on. (And before you post that I was missing my pants, I had those on too.)

But clearly, no underwear.

From the station, we went downhill from there, (I am 39, you know, so this could only mean in geographical terms.)

Of course. The other never entered my mind.

Neat ones like this:

That is neat. I don't know how it can stand at a slant like that.

And thus began a long walk... a very, very long walk.

Ok, whatever. It was only 1.2 miles.

But for some reason, possibly because my feet were screaming in the new shoes, it felt like 12.1 miles.

Ah. New shoes.
I did wind up returning mine. Got another pair and... still not 100% sure if they're the right ones. Still feeling 'em out.

and the smell of salty, fishy air mixed with hot dogs and cotton candy.

I want to smell that.

Self-locking, time minimizing, single use, potties. I was SURE I had taken a photo of the one I used (because I'm pretty sure y'all wanna see where I took a leak),

That's okay. I posted about one on my Euro trip TR.
(That one was self cleaning.)

(Ok, going back to rant about PB. Seems they will no longer let me upload there as I've reached 85% of my free storage. No way in you-know-where I'm going to pay to store, so I'll have to find another place for my photo storage. This update literally took me all day. )

I'm paying. It wasn't the storage capacity so much, as the bandwidth. Too many people viewing at the same time.

Man, I really like this one. Did you do the soft focus on purpose? If you did, I'm extremely impressed.

I'm kinda diggin' the next one:

I can see why... but I still like the other one the best.

***Warning, you are about to enter an area fully devoted to charging exorbitant prices for cheap foreign junk, bland, greasy food, and specializing in catering to hordes of people who probably should have walked 4 more blocks for better food, better souvenirs, and fewer people. I can neither confirm nor deny that a certain walking party fell prey to the tyranny of the urgent.

You're on vacation. It's allowed.
(Possibly expected.)

There were exactly ZERO tickets available until August 25th (5 days from then) for ANY trips to the island. Sad day.

Sucks.

BUT

there was a very cool exhibit at the dock where the ferries launched from set up by the US Parks Service. If you don't have time to actually go to the island or want just a tiny taste of it, this little haven is for you. They have a really nice diorama set up of the buildings and a very nice exhibit on the horticultural and native plants on the island.

Silver lining? Maybe tin?

All of the families of the guards lived on that island, the kids were ferried over to the city for school each day,

Really! I had no idea.

and the moms did what most moms in that day and age did- gardening, cooking, caring for their families.

... drinking...

And what they did with the gardens was amazing! They propogated many native and non-native plants and made a barren rock landscape into a pretty nicely habitable place.

Interesting.

Next time, Alcatraz:

You should've just brought your bathing suits and swam over.
Pay no mind to the extremely strong currents or the sharks.

(Yes, I realize I need to straighten this photo. Too bad. Been at this all day; not going back now. Just pretend the whole Pacific Ocean is sliding off towards Japan.)

Obviously the San Andreas fault let go.

Further along, we fought the 4,000,000 tourists from all over the world to see these:

Cool! Gulls!

I'm not sure why. We see them several times a year on our own docks in Newport, and they are vile creatures. They stink, fight viciously, and wreck docks and eat all the fish. I suppose if you're from "out of town" they'd be fun to watch, but we moved along quickly from here.

So... you stopped to see what you see all the time.
Okay.

We could see our target in the distance (NO! to the left of the frigate (or whatever type of Naval ship that is)):

See? I told you! Gulls!

NO, not him either.

Oh.

A few more hundred yards and we'd be eating "where it all started". Soup in a bread bowl, that is.

Oh? Interesting.

But not until after my girls finished watching a guy doing some pretty cool art entirely with spray paint. It wasn't this guy, but he was doing the same thing. It was fun to watch for about 3 minutes when my head started to pound from the fumes. These guys face brain damage every single day. I'm positive.

Can't see the vid since I'm at work,
but I have a pretty good idea what it is.
And it's impressive.

Never thought about the fumes, though. You may have a point.

I watched the baskets go around and around. Maybe it is me who has brain damage, because, seriously, it amused me for far too long.

These amused me too:

I want that turtle.

Want.

After checking out the "real" restaurant and determining I am too few tax brackets low to eat there,

Oh. (again)

we settled on the cafeteria-style counterpart. Which had the exact same chowder and chili bowls.

Well, you're there for the food, ain'tcha?

Oh, and we did not have the option of oysters. Which is seriously fine with me. They remind me of loogies, and I've made a personal commitment to never try them.

You actually had to make a commitment to never eat loogies?



huh.

The chowder was mediocre, whereas the prices for even the cafeteria menu were not.

Really? Man, what a let down!

And paid the same price for a sit down meal (with oysters, should you care to poison yourself with them- (really Alison, I'm kinda just (mostly) joking here) ).

At least I can say I've been to the Original Boudins which is featured in California Adventure.

And that's what really matters.

And every good tour should end with dessert.

ooooh.... I think I want to go on tours with you.

Whatever, chocolate is chocolate and the only REAL chocolate is dark chocolate. Do not try to argue with me, your point is pointless.

I won't argue. I agree.... but I still don't care for it and love milk chocolate. (white chocolate too... but only in small doses.)

So naturally, we went with a sundae made with butterscotch.

Of course. Makes perfect sense.

It looked exactly like this (plastic cup and all) for $8.95:

Whoa. Disney prices.

I could have made that for $.75 at home. With homemade hot fudge.

Homeade. Hot. Fudge....





What's your address again?

But what really put me in the bad mood was throwing half of it away. Like I've said a million times, we just aren't big eaters; we split it 3 ways and walked away on sugar overload. We knew what was coming tonight and overdoing it now, wasn't going to be worth it.

Well that was anti-climactic.
I'm shocked that between three of you, you couldn't finish it.

Thank you for showing us your new shoes and sore feet.

My name is not Peter Piper, but I picked my peppers.

On the way home, I also accidentally picked my nose . There was an immediate volcano eruption right there in the car; hot lava foamed through my nostrils. Tears of anguish flowed from my eyes and my brain nearly melted on impact. Boys and Girls, let this be a lesson to you: Do not pick your peppers and your nose all in one evening.

Oh, no!!!

That'll learn you for going back on your commitment!!
Did you then rub your tearing eyes?

One can never be too careful with a jalepeno marg.

Apparently! Thanks for the heads up!

On the way to the restaurant, in a once very small farming community called Fruitvale, I spied a REALLY cool old building still standing from the glory days of that community. Perhaps it was a saloon, maybe a hardware store, a warehouse... who knows. But it was sagging and tilting at just the right angle to speak of its age, yet also to its resilience. The windmill still standing next to it was such a cool added touch. Wish I had had quite a lot more time here to do my subject justice... and with a camera not a cell phone.

That place just screams "Take my picture!"

The restaurant was directly across the street from the Fruitvale BART Station where the infamous Fruitvale shooting took place in 2009.

Yes... I had to look it up, and...

A subsequent movie was filmed about the story in 2013 and you are welcome to read the account in Wiki or your other favorite source.

... yes, it was wiki.

In addition to political discussion, we were also treated to authentic mariachi by a duo playing guitar and accordion. One guy was enjoying his job, the other was clearly not thrilled to be there and had a crappy voice.

Oh. Too bad. Before I read the second sentence, I was like "yes!"

 

[pkondz]

Your is better than mine.

But yours will be about three times longer.

No, your problem is you work too much. AND don't take long enough vacations.

Then again, maybe it's you AND Ruby who work too much.

I work (usually) more hours. She works harder.

See, we are two peas in a virtual pod.

2 fluently. American (so as not to offend Rosie) and Kazakh.

Thought as much, as a minimum.

I can understand a bit of French, despite having taken 3 years of it in high school, and a lot more Spanish. Learning Spanish better is a really high priority for me as I will really need in my job. And I want to go on our company's medical missions trips which will help lot too.

I can definitely see Spanish being more... required.

I can also understand a bit of Russian.

Oh really! How similar is it to Kazakh?

Yes, I was thinking about how much a doof move you pulled paying for parking and then... not parking. Among other things.

But there were too many telltale signs that it was going to be GREAT!

And it was! So.... moot point.

If you have not tried tapas, and you like to nibble your way through dinner over a bit of time, that might be something to try. Spanish food with potatoes, cheeses, nuts, olives, and other yummy bites. Always, at least in my opinion paired best with fruity sangria on a hot summer evening on a sidewalk cafe.

Hate olives... but the rest sounds good.

At first, I read that "corpse".

I was dead tired when I wrote it.

OH yes, a ton there. I am so beyond sad I've lost all of my photos from my European Tour in high school.

Oh man. That sucks. How did that happen?

Speaking of something related. My son tripped on my puter cord about an hour ago, and right after my heart started pumping again, I did the appropriate amount of scolding, then kicked my own butt for not having backed this baby up. Ever. I about died. Tuesday I'll look into how to even do that. I have no idea?

I went to the local Electronics store (Best Buy) and bought a portable hard drive. (Mine was a Passport.)
Just plug in the USB cable and copy your files over just like you normally would.

<glares at computer screen>

That one is from Oregon. He'll be driving through Taco Bell shortly.

No doubt.

I think I might like to wake up to one of those. I'm liking Canada more and more. After this election we'll see
if I like it enough to move there.

My Mom actually won one, decades ago.

You might have:

1) Gotten stung by a wasp between your 1st and 2nd toes?
2) Accidentally mistook the mustard for caramel sauce and died of woeriavlkmaoein- the fatal syndrome that occurs when you combine mustard and Twinkies.
3) You tried a raw oyster
4) Maybe your mind is on a permanent vacation with your knees deep in the water somewhere (you don't listen to country, so that one was likely lost on you.)

1. Ha! You're wayyyyyy off. It was the 2nd and 3rd toes.
2. I've heard of that syndrome. But I'm immune. Unless it's a coconut Twinkie.
3. Alison's gonna get you for this.
4. Nope. Not a clue.

You're so convincing that I did.

Good.

 

[pkondz]

And now, so I don't get busted for too much NON-Disney stuff

Yeah! What's with that! I would never do that!!



(please disregard 75% of my TRs....)

My weekends, to say the least, are EXTREMELY precious to me as I only have 6 more before our trip! EEEEEEK!

Oh, sure. First you complain that I'm going before you and now you complain you don't have enough time!

Wanna see a picture of the completed books?

What? Did you say something?

Nope!

I got a ton of work done on figuring out our RD strats as well. These are important things, ya know! Can I run a couple of them by you guys??

Shoot.

1) TT
2) Soarin'
3) S:E
4) M:S
5) Crush
6) Frozen at 11

Does this sound reasonable? We are fast walkers and burn rubber in the valuable first hours of park time. After that we know we can goof off doing the games and stuff.

I would switch TT and Soarin'.
TT is faster loading plus you mentioned single rider line for EE and that's an option for TT too.
As for SE... if there's a line, skip it and come back to it. That's the weirdest line in WDW IMHO. One minute there's a half hour wait, the next, it's a walk on.

At our AK AM:

1) EE x2 (2nd one with Single Rider
2) Safari
3) Dinosaur

Sounds about right.

MK AM:

NEED HELP!!!

Depends on your priorities. If you don't have FP for 7DMT, then go as fast as possible to that first thing. Otherwise, I hit PP first since that line crawls.
This is what Touring Plans says:

1. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
2. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
3. Jungle Cruise
4. Pirates of the Caribbean
5. Splash Mountain
6. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (I know... I know!)
7. it's a small world Then schedule therapy to get song out of head. (that's right off the website, not kidding)
8. Peter Pan's Flight

One has all the plans, numbers, checklists, etc...

The other has a lot of blank pages for writing down our stories and dining reports. I am pleased with how they turned out!

Nice!

 

[Steppesister]

Day 3- Golden Gate Park and Bridge, The Academy of Sciences, Thai Dinner​

Another beautiful vacation day to sleep in. The gloriousness of it all!

And coffee. Good Moooooooorning, Francisconam!!!!

The day always starts with coffee. Always. Not just because I love it, but because by 9:00, if insufficient amounts of caffeine are consumed, I become a monster with a colossal-sized headache.

Now that coffee was sipped slowly and my taste buddies were happy, we all began the process of making Dutch Babies for breakfast. They were so fluffy and delicious, made moreso with the mountains of powdered sugar and fresh lemon off of Matt's tree, picked just minutes before. The bacon was thick, perfectly salty, and practically oinked in protest it was so fresh- the butcher store they go to is a couple minutes away. At precisely 10:00, we pulled out the driveway with no idea what we were in for that day (cue the dramatic music).

Our first stop was the Golden Gate Bridge- the quintessential, and rather mandatory, activity for any traveler to San Francisco. My youngest, Nari McSassyPants, was the only one in our group who hadn't beheld its awesomeness yet. I think she was duly impressed. The weather (and therefore lighting for photography) sucked oysters. But at least it wasn't raining. It was gray, but not cold; breezy, but not windy. While they all walked the bridge to the first tower, I ambled around and took a few photos:

(I'm sorry, I can't decide which one I like better. And yes, there are subtle differences.)






Eventually, they returned, and someone offered to take a group photo.



We reciprocated the favor and were off again.

Our destination was The Academy of Sciences, also located in the Golden Gate park. Tickets weren't cheap, but then again, it is an entire day's worth of things to see and do. I showed my student ID, so we each 3 paid $29.95 to enter. Yes, it was worth it.





Sit back, relax, and enjoy some of the things we saw:

This is not an albino alligator. It is a rare white alligator and you can, apparently, tell the difference by the color of the eyes??



I LOVE, love, LOVE this one! I LOVE how it turned out Bokeh, and unintentionally too.



There was a 4-story living Rain Forest exhibit that we spent a very long time in. Clearly, I was geeked out over the butterflies.











Next, we strolled through the sizable aquariums. I was like a kid on crack in a candy store. It was a photographer's heaven!























After the aquariums, we took a little lunch break and I wound up with these little beauties:



Vegetarian samosas with a couple of dipping sauces and a cabbage salad. It filled my stomach and emptied my wallet. At $10 for 5, I paid $2 each. They tasted great given they were laced with flaked gold.

Following our quick lunch, we made our way to the Planetarium where we watched Soarin' Over California. They are grateful to Disney for giving them their hand-me-downs.

Alright, not really; we did watch a pretty cool show about our Solar System though. This was included with our admission.

After that we went into the Earthquake simulation machine where we experienced the same feeling that both the Loma Prieta and the 1906 Quakes would have been like. It was a good reminder for our family to get serious about preparing for the Cascadian one that is predicted to hit any time. They upped the chances again last week with new research from 12% to 40% in the next 40 years depending on your source. And it will be FAR worse than either of the ones in the Simulator.

We called it good after that as the place was shutting down soon. On our way out back to the car, we came across an outdoor Lindy Hop gathering which looked like FABULOUS fun! A few years ago we got involved in a dance group that does English Country dancing, and once in a while the leader will put on swing and some of us would Swing or Lindy. It would be great fun to learn to Swing a lot better than I do now. It also makes me want to go to a Dapper Dan's Day at DLR really, really badly.



No one goes to California without at least stopping by the beach. So we did. It was chilly and we were all hungry so didn't spend much time there. The only thing of note while we walked to the water and back was watching the Beach Cops stop and talk to everyone who didn't have their fire in a cement pit. One family had their fire literally kicked out with sand by the cops. I was, on the one hand, sad for them, and yet not. Hot coals on feet or hands hurts. My baby was burned by this very badly one time at a park by a moron who dumped their coals out. She thought it was sand and dug her hands in them to play.

Here is my one artsy-fartsy photo from the beach:



Next up was dinner. Matt and Susan had their favorite Thai place on the docket for us and we couldn't wait! We adore Thai food, having lived there for a spell and having visited multiple times during our stay in Crapistan. It was a little piece of Heaven when Winter was giving us her worst.

I only took a couple of photos because- taking pictures of food. Who DOES that?! Suffice it to say, everything was delicious.







Thus ends the storytelling-worthy part of our day. We packed a lot in and loved every minute!

Until next time,

Wad-dee!

 

[irene_dsc]

I'm so far behind on yours! Oopsies!

I feel weird that I apparently have eaten more dim sum than most, while still not nearly as often as I'd like, lol. First time in Toronto, then in Chicago (both regular Chinatown - Phoenix is the place, and Furama in New Chinatown), and also once in SF. I also love tapas. Dh and I have tried a few different places. Small plates are fun to share. Of course, I grew up with a family that liked to order dishes together, and then everyone would try a bit of everything, esp at Chinese restaurants. It was weird the first time I went to a Chinese restaurant and realized everyone was just ordering one dish each, and not sharing!

The museum photos are gorgeous!

Also, I don't think I ever want a jalapeno margarita now! But, I will take dark chocolate.

 

[franandaj]

My weekends, to say the least, are EXTREMELY precious to me as I only have 6 more before our trip! EEEEEEK!

I am so glad to not be tied to a M-F Day job. But then again though my job may seem cushy, there are times that it basically sucks. I am hoping that right now is not one of those times.

Here's my RD plan for our AM at EPCOT in this order:

OK, I'm tired just looking at the micro-management that you have planned. I have enough trouble keeping up with my FP+

I would love to meet a cat who likes attention. I haven't come across one yet. Maybe there is something about me they just don't like too? Who knows. But if I visit, I will give them a shot and see if they will change my mind.

If you come and visit, I'm sure that our Dalmation kitties will be thrilled to meet you. They are enthralled by everybody.

I just did a Google search of the Chinese Seafood place we went to in Garden Grove about 10 years ago, but couldn't be sure. It might been the King Harbor Seafood Restaurant?? But what I DO remember is that I ate HANDS DOWN the BEST scallops I have EVER eaten there. Cooked just perfectly with a light black bean sauce, and not smothered in it. YUM!

I did a Yelp search for Dim Sum and couldn't find any Chinese restaurants with more than 3 1/2 stars, much less any that people reviewed them for their Dim Sum, if they even offered it. We'll have to do more research when your visit it imminent.

I remembered that GG is the place for Chinese, but didn't know that LB is where the Thai are. One more good reason to visit. Although going back to Thailand for a 5th time wouldn't be bad. My daughter would love to visit her birthtown. (Chiang Mai)

So that's kind of interesting....is she considered an American citizen since she was born outside the US?

Keurig works in a pinch. I dunno, I think living in the PNW has turned me into a huge coffee snob. That and having Dutch teammates who got me hooked.

I was dubious about making the switch, but when we started moving 5-6 years ago my life became much more complicated. When my coffee grinder broke, rather than get a new one, I decided to simplify things. Now I'm hoping that it will break so I can get a Nespresso machine.

Susan had one spare bedroom with a pullout sofa bed that the girls took. Matt has spare bedroom with a queen that I used. I truly was only there long enough to go straight to bed and most mornings he was already at work by the time I got up. Those homes are over-the-top expensive but tiny.

I used to think that Oakland was mostly slums and then on our way home from a trip to Tahoe in college we stopped at one-of-the-guys-in-our-car's house where his parents lived. They were in the Oakland hills and the house was HUGE, and that's when I discovered the multi million dollar houses there.

It's upstairs. By the way, we didn't go to the small shop on Pier 39, but the one on Fisherman's Wharf. I didn't know there were 2 actually. We passed up the one on Pier 39 thinking we'd do something else, but then came across the Fisherman's Wharf one, and lo and behold it was bigger and clearly the Main Deal one.

I wonder if it had an upstairs when we were there. At the time it was close to the street in the middle of a parking lot. I didn't even know there was one on the pier.

Alison's gonna get you for this.

That's OK, I don't expect everyone else to like the same things I do, but you should try one someday.

we all began the process of making Dutch Babies for breakfast.

Our destination was The Academy of Sciences

I haven't been there in DECADES! Your pictures are all gorgeous!

Vegetarian samosas with a couple of dipping sauces and a cabbage salad.

Wow! Impressive for museum cafeteria food.

Following our quick lunch, we made our way to the Planetarium where we watched Soarin' Over California. They are grateful to Disney for giving them their hand-me-downs.

OMG! I have to go there! I miss it already!

Alright, not really;

Oh, man! You really had me going there!

It was a good reminder for our family to get serious about preparing for the Cascadian one that is predicted to hit any time.

And now you're reminding me. I have plenty of water, but might need to think of a few other things. I sure hope that our glass in our french doors is tempered.

I only took a couple of photos because- taking pictures of food. Who DOES that?!

Who doesn't?

 

[franandaj]

It was weird the first time I went to a Chinese restaurant and realized everyone was just ordering one dish each, and not sharing!

Really?????? The only time I've ever done that was when we went out to lunch at my day job and we got the lunch specials which only had enough for one person on the plate. That's the whole fun of it to eat 5-7 different things. When we order chinese delivery it usually runs us $50-70 and we are eating it for 4-5 days because we get so much.

 

[pkondz]

Another beautiful vacation day to sleep in. The gloriousness of it all!

So you got some sleep that night?

Good Moooooooorning, Francisconam!!!!

Good movie. Miss him.

because by 9:00, if insufficient amounts of caffeine are consumed, I become a monster with a colossal-sized headache.

For the love of God! Get her some coffee! Stat!

fresh lemon off of Matt's tree, picked just minutes before.

Oh, yum!

The bacon was thick, perfectly salty, and practically oinked in protest it was so fresh- the butcher store they go to is a couple minutes away.

Do the same. Worth it.

(cue the dramatic music).

Dun dun dun dunnnnn!!!!!!



You're welcome.

Our first stop was the Golden Gate Bridge

Never heard of it.

the quintessential, and rather mandatory, activity for any traveler to San Francisco.

Oh that Golden Gate Bridge.

The weather (and therefore lighting for photography) sucked oysters.

You're really trying to tick off Alison, aren't you?

(I'm sorry, I can't decide which one I like better. And yes, there are subtle differences.)

Allow me.

This one. Although I'd crop it just a tick to remove the green post on the right.

Nice shot of you guys.

I showed my student ID, so we each 3 paid $29.95 to enter.

Not bad, I think.

It is a rare white alligator and you can, apparently, tell the difference by the color of the eyes??

I was going to make a comment like:
You can tell it's white by the colour of its skin.

But....
http://animals.mom.me/albino-animals-pink-eyes-5764.html

I LOVE, love, LOVE this one! I LOVE how it turned out Bokeh, and unintentionally too.

Veryyy nice shot.
And I wonder how many of your readers will know what Bokeh is.

Clearly, I was geeked out over the butterflies.

Clearly!

Next, we strolled through the sizable aquariums. I was like a kid on crack in a candy store. It was a photographer's heaven!

So I see. I especially like these two.

At $10 for 5, I paid $2 each. They tasted great given they were laced with flaked gold.

Following our quick lunch, we made our way to the Planetarium where we watched Soarin' Over California. They are grateful to Disney for giving them their hand-me-downs.

You had me going there for a sec.

After that we went into the Earthquake simulation machine where we experienced the same feeling that both the Loma Prieta and the 1906 Quakes would have been like. It was a good reminder for our family to get serious about preparing for the Cascadian one that is predicted to hit any time. They upped the chances again last week with new research from 12% to 40% in the next 40 years depending on your source. And it will be FAR worse than either of the ones in the Simulator.

I'll stay where I am, thanks.

We called it good after that as the place was shutting down soon. On our way out back to the car, we came across an outdoor Lindy Hop gathering which looked like FABULOUS fun! A few years ago we got involved in a dance group that does English Country dancing, and once in a while the leader will put on swing and some of us would Swing or Lindy. It would be great fun to learn to Swing a lot better than I do now. It also makes me want to go to a Dapper Dan's Day at DLR really, really badly.

I agree. I can't dance worth spit. But I love watching Swing.

No one goes to California without at least stopping by the beach.

But not go in the water.
You guys have great whites.
no thanks.

The only thing of note while we walked to the water and back was watching the Beach Cops stop and talk to everyone who didn't have their fire in a cement pit.

Oh?

One family had their fire literally kicked out with sand by the cops. I was, on the one hand, sad for them, and yet not. Hot coals on feet or hands hurts. My baby was burned by this very badly one time at a park by a moron who dumped their coals out. She thought it was sand and dug her hands in them to play.

Wow. Now I see why.
Never occurred to me to dump coals on a beach!

I only took a couple of photos because- taking pictures of food. Who DOES that?!

 

[Steppesister]

I tried to embrace the day.
It told me not to touch it and turned a cold shoulder. That's how winter starts.

So cold weather already has come your way. We had a major cooldown here as well. It's ok; I'm ready for Fall. Really.

Percolated? French press?

I have an espresso machine and make a latte every morning. French Press works in a pinch if I"m traveling.

Holds his breath? That's what Kay and I do whenever someone smoking walks by.

What if s/he stops to window shop?

Homes with no toilets are cheaper, though, right?

Those equipped with outhouses are only a cool 2 bones.

But clearly, no underwear.

Ummm.... I actually have a story about... ummm.... this.

I don't know how it can stand at a slant like that.

I call that one "Pisa's Competition".

Ah. New shoes.
I did wind up returning mine. Got another pair and... still not 100% sure if they're the right ones. Still feeling 'em out.

Aaaand... I still have mine. They are a bit better with socks and I think they MAY work. Maybe.

(That one was self cleaning.)

Shut. Up.

How do I get one of these??

I'm paying. It wasn't the storage capacity so much, as the bandwidth. Too many people viewing at the same time.

I caved. I had to. I've tied to copy and paste directly onto this board, but get errors pretty frequently. I hate paying for stuff that used to be free.

Man, I really like this one. Did you do the soft focus on purpose? If you did, I'm extremely impressed.

Yes, I did. It seemed like a dreamy scene that I wanted to emphasize. I guess it worked.

You're on vacation. It's allowed.s
(Possibly expected.)

I"m disappointed in myself. I should have done better planning.

Maybe tin?

Possibly pewter.

... drinking...

I literally laughed out loud at that. That was some funny stuff right there.

So... you stopped to see what you see all the time.
Okay.

For a total of about 1 minute. Truly.

You actually had to make a commitment to never eat loogies?

Well, yes. Shouldn't I have?

ooooh.... I think I want to go on tours with you.

I think I'd like that.

(white chocolate too... but only in small doses.)

But just, no. Eww. Not even in micro doses.

What's your address again?

You've Google mapped it, for crying out loud.

I'm shocked that between three of you, you couldn't finish it.

This may be a common theme starting in 40 days.

Thank you for showing us your new shoes and sore feet.

Oh, Dear Sir, while they are my feet, they are NOT my shoes. By then, I'd traded Michaela for her shoes.

Did you then rub your tearing eyes?

I may pick my peppers and my nose, but I'm not that dumb.

 

[Steppesister]

But yours will be about three times longer.

Well, as long as you put it that way, I like mine better.

I can definitely see Spanish being more... required.

I could sure have used it today.

Oh really! How similar is it to Kazakh?

Not. One. Bit.

It is in the Turkic Language family, so I guess you could say that I can understand MOST of Kyrgyz, Uzbek, and somewhat less of Turkish, although getting to fluency in it wouldn't take much.

Russian is totally different; even a non speaker of either could tell the difference in minutes.

Hate olives... but the rest sounds good.

Ok, first you like white choco, and now you don't like olives. This mermaid is eyeing the edge of the pool.

Oh man. That sucks. How did that happen?

My parents have moved several time since I graduated- out of California, over to Virginia, to east Tennessee, and then to Bowling Green. They got tired of lugging my crap around, the very few boxes I had left with them. Should've gotten it when I because an adult. Tough life lesson.

I went to the local Electronics store (Best Buy) and bought a portable hard drive. (Mine was a Passport.)
Just plug in the USB cable and copy your files over just like you normally would.

Friday is the day... I'll let you know what I get.

3. Alison's gonna get you for this.

I do hope she knows I"m yanking her chain and just jesting. Spicing up the Boards a bit.

 

[Steppesister]

Yeah! What's with that! I would never do that!!




(please disregard 75% of my TRs....)

OH never.


However, if there wasn't 75% fluff, I'd likely not have stuck around very long.

Oh, sure. First you complain that I'm going before you and now you complain you don't have enough time!

Every day I look at my ticker I think, OH man! How did it get so close? In all seriousness, I think starting this job made time sort of warp for me.

I would switch TT and Soarin'.

TT is faster loading plus you mentioned single rider line for EE and that's an option for TT too.

As for SE... if there's a line, skip it and come back to it. That's the weirdest line in WDW IMHO. One minute there's a half hour wait, the next, it's a walk on.

Hmmm... you have very good points.


Yes, SE is a crapshoot. I've seen it for sure. The skip option is on my list.

Depends on your priorities. If you don't have FP for 7DMT, then go as fast as possible to that first thing. Otherwise, I hit PP first since that line crawls.

This is what Touring Plans says:

1. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
2. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
3. Jungle Cruise
4. Pirates of the Caribbean
5. Splash Mountain
6. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (I know... I know!)
7. it's a small world Then schedule therapy to get song out of head. (that's right off the website, not kidding)
8. Peter Pan's Flight

I saw that same list and cracked up at the IaSW line. WE do have at least 2 FiPs for 7DMT, so we aren't too stressed about that one. We may do this, but do PP right after Pooh, then the others in the same order. Then hit up TomorrowLand from there.