Bridges of San Francisco

What a great experience, to arrive in San Francisco by sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge. 

From 1975-80 I lived in the San Francisco Bay area. I lived in Berkeley and Oakland and either worked or went to school in San Francisco, so I traveled over the Bay Bridge. So, when we were docked so that the Bay Bridge was right out our window I felt right at home!

The Bay Bridge at night from the bow of the ship.

A day exploring and walking on the Golden Gate Bridge

It was originally planned that we would only be one day in San Francisco, no overnight. We had arranged for 3 friends to visit us on that day, so we didn't expect to even get off the ship. As it turned out, the weather forced us in to port a day early, so we had an afternoon to explore. 

First, we took a Waymo self driving car to the Palace of Fine Arts. What an experience! We loved it. It works just like Uber in that you get an app - Waymo 1 - you enter where you want to go, it sees where you are and come picks you up. It's a bit of a freaky feeling to ride in a car with no one in the driver's seat, but it felt solid in it's driving skills. We took video and played it during our Episode 302 of our YouTube podcast. Here is a link that takes you right to where we start talking about Waymo and showing the video.

I remember from living here in the 70s that the Palace of Fine Arts was magnificent, and it did not disappoint.

Mind Blown

Oh, the universe just keeps weaving these incredible threads for us on this journey! You know, having cruised through the Panama Canal three times now, I've really steeped myself in its monumental history. I mean, what an absolute marvel of engineering and human will! And then, just when I thought I had a handle on that particular piece of the past, Jim and I found ourselves at the gorgeous Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. There I was, admiring its stunning architecture, only to discover it was a centerpiece of the 1914 Panama Pacific World Expo. And guess what one of the main reasons for that whole grand exposition was? To celebrate the mind-blowing accomplishment of the Panama Canal! My jaw practically dropped. It's moments like these, where my travels connect dots across continents and centuries, that just blow my mind. Learning about the world and its history, not from a textbook, but by living it and stumbling upon these profound connections – that's the real magic, isn't it?

Then we just walked towards the Golden Gate Bridge - about 2 miles away. The path took us through Chrissy Field which includes a beach where hundreds of people were enjoying the gorgeous day.

Then we climbed up to bridge level and actually walked out on the Bridge a ways. In all my years when I lived here, I don't think I ever did that. It was cool to look down on ships sailing under the bridge.

After our bridge walk, it was time for dinner. We decided to go to Pier 39, a top tourist destination which is just a few blocks from where our ship was docked at Pier 27. Here is one of the reasons Pier 39 is such a top attraction - there is almost always some sea lions on the docks in the Marina next door. This guy was quite a poser. Jim says, "nice stache."

Visitors!

Then, the next day we had our visitors. Melinda, Arynne, and Blake. I've known Arynne since high school, Melinda since law school in San Francisco, and Blake also from my San Francisco days. It was so nice to be able to share with them my new home. Both Melinda and Arynne had tried to arrange a week or two aboard, but it didn't work out. Melinda hoped to board in San Diego and get off in San Francisco, but that violates 'cabotage' laws. Those laws were originally meant to protect American shipping companies from foreign competition. They prohibit foreign-flagged ships from transporting goods or people from any port in the US to another port in the US - thus San Diego to San Francisco was out. Arynne wanted to get on in Vancouver an off in Juneau. That didn't violate any law, but even though I put in the request at least 2 moths before, that stretch was fully booked with guests. ☹️

On the bow with our visiting friends. Melinda from Reno, Arynne from Pacific Grove, and Blake from Oakland.

Arynne made the weaving that graces the wall behind our bed - I asked for something with mountains and ocean to represent my life. She made that long ago - even before I met Jim! It goes with me everywhere - house, RV, Ship.

Melinda's Dad was a cruise ship captain, so it was a special treat for her to get to meet our Captain Val - and on the bridge no less. He's such a cool guy! As was Melinda's Dad.

Last but not least, we met up with our friend Judy who came on board for a week "try before you buy." She is seriously considering following us into this nautical lifestyle. Welcome aboard Judy!

It was a wonderful time in San Francisco, but alas, we had to say good-bye.

And sail one more time under the Golden Gate Bridge.