WHITE OUT!  Utah/Wyoming state line area

Driving through a a blinding snowstorm in the mountains and trying to remember sunny California as we do.  Listen to how loud it was and imagine how hard it was to see.

http://youtu.be/seQXKSzaDBQ

We are trying to go back and retrace our steps in the past two weeks.  We had such a cram-filled delightful time with family, friends, and visits to schools that we did not take the time to blog.  Took us awhile to remember all that we managed to do but here it is.


After we left Palm Springs (which feels like a long time ago) we headed up the coast on Route 101 which at times combined with Route 1.  That highway has to be one of the most beautiful on earth!  

We stopped at a Ramada Inn the first night.  It was a great hotel but its claim to fame were the birds.  Ducks and geese, of all shapes and sizes, followed us begging for food.

We stopped at Pismo Beach which is known for its dunes to have lunch in the RV and enjoy the ocean.  The woman in the car to the right of us was from New London, CT.  It is such a small world!  We shared Connecticut geography facts. She had retired in CA with her husband. Not a bad place to retire!  

We arrived in San Francisco on Monday, the 10th.  We went first to MaryBeth's office.  She was waiting outside filming us as we drove up.  In the video you will fully understand how happy and amazed she was to see us pull up! 

http://youtu.be/4OVs2Sce4dc

Thankfully Michael and MaryBeth found us a place to park the RV behind the shopping plaza by them.  It was a godsend.  The city is not a good place to park a 26' vehicle!  

I stayed at the Love-Russoms' house the next couple of nights and Cathy stayed with the kids in the Mission section of SF. In fact, we all went into the Mission the first night and had Mexican food for dinner.  It was great to be all together!

The next couple of days Cathy and I met downtown.  We had lunch with Kevin and got to see his office with a view.  


Kevin's View from his Office

He also took us to the Ferry Building for lunch-yummy oysters and home-made ramen noodles!  Sat in the beautiful sunshine and looked out at the bay.  Of course, we made one of our trips to Macy's also!  We began to feel right at home taking the BART!

The next day we visited with the OLLI program of San Francisco State University. Their classes are held in downtown SF and they were holding a meeting to explain the program to new and interested members.  Two other people came to hear the presentation and two men who were member of the OLLI Board answered questions.  This was the smallest OLLI program we visited and the Board members explained that there is a lot of competition in the Bay area for the over 55 audience.  The cost of the program was also higher than most but so are most things in San Francisco.  Their courses sounded fascinating and there was a lot of enthusiasm.

On Friday night we went to see/hear Dylan's orchestra concert.  They all did a marvelous job and Dylan looked so handsome.  The students at SOTA are so talented.

Dylan and Floss

Mary Beth and Dylan

Shannon, Dylan and Brandon

On Saturday I went for a walk during the day with MaryBeth and Michael.  It was that outrageously beautiful walk along the Pacific that they call theirs.  I have loved the pictures for years and was eager to experience it myself.  I was not disappointed!

Marybeth and Floss

That night we went to Mary Beth's surprise party at Clare's house in Berkley.  It was a huge success and also it really was a surprise. The music was wonderful thanks to Peppino, Alezia and Michael and the food was terrific due to Clare, Michael and her community.  It was so heartwarming to see and hear so many people who love MaryBeth.  She continues to be an inspiration for many people.

On Sunday we went into the Castro, the gay section of SF.  As we were driving to HiTops where we enjoyed beer, hard cider, nachos and wings, Collin was telling us that before new ordinances were passed many men sat naked on benches in this certain area. Just as he finished speaking a young man passed us wearing a new piece of clothing unknown to us. It covered only one vital part of his body.  It was gold with golden streamers hanging from it.  Entertainment was everywhere in SF!  We don't have a picture of that but we do have some of us in HiTops.

On Monday we visited the Fromme Life-Long Learning Center at the University of San Francisco.  This center is by far the highest funding we had heard about and was the first life long learning institute.  The Director had worked with the Frommes to develop the institute.  It was a lively and fascinating history.  The University reminded us of Immaculata University where both of went to college.

Afterwards we went to the Cliff House near Land's End to eat.  Collin, told us that you had eaten here, Roy and Cinde.  We had eaten near there when we visited for Kelsey's graduation.  What a glorious view!  The first Cliff House burned down in the early 1900's but the remains of the heated ocean pool are still there.  What a place that must have been!

On Tuesday we met Shannon and her friend, Erin, for lunch.  There are so many good places to eat in SF.  Right now Shannon lives so close to work we walked to meet her for lunch on more than one occasion.  Brandon's offices are now downtown so that is not a luxury he shares.  He and Kevin's offices are close to each other now.  They both take the BART in and out of SF every day.

That night we went out to the Ritz in Half Moon Bay.  It is an incredible place.  Gloriously beautiful inside and out.  The bagpiper plays at night, the golf course is manicured and on the ocean, the sunsets behind the windows in the dining room and bar....in other words--gorgeous.  Katherine and Gary Weed's son-in-law, Jim, is the manager and his wife, Laura, and two children live there with him.  It certainly looked like a heavenly place to be raising young children. Brandon put it on my bucket list to stay there and he will pay when he makes his first million!

We stopped at Sam's Chowder House on the way back to SF.  It was a different kind of atmosphere.  Right on the ocean with lots of windows and outdoor seating and gas heaters.  You could tell it was a happening place on the weekends!

The next day we left for three glorious days in Santa Cruz.  Clare's mother lent her beach house to us.  It was right on the ocean with flowers out front and an ambience of your quintessential beach cottage.  We loved it.  The upstairs bedrooms have the wall that looks out at the Pacific lined with windows so we woke up to the sight and sound of the ocean.  What a wonderful gift.  The sun never set without us toasting it good-bye!

 

 Donna was with us for the first night and on the second day she took us into Capitola before she left.  What a wonderful town to walk around.  Houses along the ocean that are painted bright colors, outdoor cafes and quaint little shoppes,  We also walked the canal and saw gorgeous homes and flowers.  Donna wanted us to go to this delightful restaurant, Shadowbrook.  It was right on the canal with trees coming up through the middle of it.  It is on many different levels on the bank of the canal with a gondola that went up and down the bank to deliver you to the level you were dining on.  Of course, it was closed for a private event but we still walked down and explored.  It is on my bucket list also.

As we left the last day we stopped back in Capitola and ate at the end of the wharf.  That too proved to be delightful.  Between long walks, sister bonding (including Donna -  We were so sorry you were not there, Frish!), toasting the sunset, and seeing more of stunning CA, it was a marvelous trip!

On Friday night we went to meet Evan, Shannon, Erin, and Brandon for dinner.  Collin and Steph were supposed to meet us after dinner but it is March Madness and that was a part of our time while we were in the SF house.  We are all fans!   We walked with Kevin to the Atlas and had a dinner of appetizers and returned to March Madness.

Height-Ashbury

On Saturday we went to a local private city park in Palo Alto.  Kevin's friends, Andrew and Anna, were having a birthday party there.  It was a pristine, undeveloped large piece of land.  A guard had to check us in because only Palo Alto residents are allowed into the park.  Shannon, Cathy, and I took a hike to a vista at the top of one large hill.  Cathy and Shannon kept saying how much it reminded them of Ireland!

After watching UCONN beat Villanova, Kevin took us to the Waterbar for dinner.  The food was exquisite and view was more than exquisite.  It sits beside the Bay Bridge and the bridge lit up at night is mesmerizing!  Kevin ordered lots of appetizers and we experienced food most of us had never tasted...all scrumptious!

 

 

On Sunday we visited the Japanese Garden and the Botanical Gardens at the Golden Gate Park.  The camellias, rhododendrons, succulents, and cherry blossoms were all in bloom.  We were surrounded by natural beauty.  The sight and smell of the blooms filled the air.  The landscape architect was a true artist.

Our last SF meal was at Baretta, on Valencia St.  We had great thin crust pizza and lots of appetizers again, most of which we had never tasted!  Our whole SF visit was full of over-the-top food.  

We left early morning on Monday to go over to the RV and meet Mary Beth and Michael for a good-bye breakfast.  When we tried to start the RV after two weeks of sitting, the battery was dead.  Thank God, for AAA.  We went to breakfast, the mechanic came and we were ready to go. Mary Beth sent us off with delicious granola made with Love!  It has been our breakfast every morning since.

We did not leave SF without a few tears.  We left behind children, a sister, nieces and nephews, a brother-in-law, and many new friends.  It was and is an enchanted place for us. It was gratifying to see our loved ones thriving there.