Bonus, so you won't have to read the next one
Adam and I went up to San Francisco for the weekend. I've been wanting to drive to Carmel and see the 17 mile drive for a while and Adam had a Matches concert that he really wanted to attend, so this was a great excuse for a trip. I was a little concerned about driving for so long (Adam slept the entire time), but it was fine.
Most of the hotels were booked, but we found one that wasn't outrageous in downtown San Francisco (in the middle of all the adult theaters), and it was very nice. Parking was very expensive, but we had in and out privileges, so that took some of the sting out of it.
On Saturday we pulled into Oakland on gas fumes, but I couldn't find a gas station before the Bay bridge--that is a very long bridge. We made it across without running out of gas and got to the hotel. Later we were going to drive back to Oakland for Adam's concert, but I didn't want to get back on that bridge without getting gas first. I could not find a gas station to save my life. We finally asked for directions to a gas station and I couldn't get into it. It doubled as a car wash and I missed the only turn into it. So I went about 16 blocks out of the way to find a place to turn around and luckily there was another gas station there (with a car wash and equally difficult to get into). The first gas station was 3.29 and the second one was 3.18 per gallon. (We only saw one other gas station in San Francisco the entire time and we drove all around.)
After taking the wrong ramp to get to Oakland, it took about 45 minutes to turn around and go the right way, but finally we made it to the part of Oakland where the concert was being held. It was across the street from a movie theater, so I went to the movies while Adam went to his concert. That part worked out great.
When we first got to San Francisco, I wanted to walk down to Fisherman's Warf. The guy at the desk said it was about a 20 minute walk and we had a map. The problem was that the neighborhood while not horrible, was not all that good either. I was not too keen on the idea of whipping out the map. This was definitely a neighborhood to walk purposefully through. There were actually a lot of people on the streets and so many homeless people. Anyway, we went the wrong way and by the time we realized it, we didn't really have time to backtract. Thank goodness. On Sunday I drove to Fisherman's Warf--the hills we would have had to walk up were 90 degrees--straight up OMG. I missed the parking lot after two try's and so we never did go to Fisherman's Warf, but I'm sure we'll survive.
We came up the 5 freeway to San Francisco and we made it in about six hours. Going home, I took the 101, because I wanted to go to Carmel. Carmel is on the 1, so we had to find a way from the 101 to the 1. I didn't have a map so we stopped in a little store and paid $5 for a map. So much for looking for the cheapest price for gas. There were two ways to get there and one looked shorter than the other. So I took the shorter way, but after driving and driving it felt like we were going the wrong way, so I turned around. When I went to the next sign for the Monterey Penisula, it took us right back to where I had just turned around, so I told Adam that I was going to give that route one hour. It only took 15 minutes and then we were on the 1. We drove through Carmel (no parking places) and took the 17 mile drive (it looked different--the seals looked kind of sickly). I kept talking up the lone cypress to Adam and then there was no parking.
On the map, it looked like the 1 was shorter than backtracking to the 101, so I took the 1 south. I know better, I really, really do. That was so awful. It took us about twelve hours to get home and we didn't find a place to eat dinner until 7:30 and then Adam didn't want anything and nothing looked good to me either, so we left. We went to a hole in the wall market and got chips for dinner.
It was too long a drive for too short a time and I don't ever need to do that again. But I'm really glad we went. It was nice to see San Francisco and I think Adam enjoyed seeing places that he hears about though his music chat rooms.
The next blog is all about one of the movies I saw--it you didn't see Michael Clayton and you want to, don't read it yet.
Most of the hotels were booked, but we found one that wasn't outrageous in downtown San Francisco (in the middle of all the adult theaters), and it was very nice. Parking was very expensive, but we had in and out privileges, so that took some of the sting out of it.
On Saturday we pulled into Oakland on gas fumes, but I couldn't find a gas station before the Bay bridge--that is a very long bridge. We made it across without running out of gas and got to the hotel. Later we were going to drive back to Oakland for Adam's concert, but I didn't want to get back on that bridge without getting gas first. I could not find a gas station to save my life. We finally asked for directions to a gas station and I couldn't get into it. It doubled as a car wash and I missed the only turn into it. So I went about 16 blocks out of the way to find a place to turn around and luckily there was another gas station there (with a car wash and equally difficult to get into). The first gas station was 3.29 and the second one was 3.18 per gallon. (We only saw one other gas station in San Francisco the entire time and we drove all around.)
After taking the wrong ramp to get to Oakland, it took about 45 minutes to turn around and go the right way, but finally we made it to the part of Oakland where the concert was being held. It was across the street from a movie theater, so I went to the movies while Adam went to his concert. That part worked out great.
When we first got to San Francisco, I wanted to walk down to Fisherman's Warf. The guy at the desk said it was about a 20 minute walk and we had a map. The problem was that the neighborhood while not horrible, was not all that good either. I was not too keen on the idea of whipping out the map. This was definitely a neighborhood to walk purposefully through. There were actually a lot of people on the streets and so many homeless people. Anyway, we went the wrong way and by the time we realized it, we didn't really have time to backtract. Thank goodness. On Sunday I drove to Fisherman's Warf--the hills we would have had to walk up were 90 degrees--straight up OMG. I missed the parking lot after two try's and so we never did go to Fisherman's Warf, but I'm sure we'll survive.
We came up the 5 freeway to San Francisco and we made it in about six hours. Going home, I took the 101, because I wanted to go to Carmel. Carmel is on the 1, so we had to find a way from the 101 to the 1. I didn't have a map so we stopped in a little store and paid $5 for a map. So much for looking for the cheapest price for gas. There were two ways to get there and one looked shorter than the other. So I took the shorter way, but after driving and driving it felt like we were going the wrong way, so I turned around. When I went to the next sign for the Monterey Penisula, it took us right back to where I had just turned around, so I told Adam that I was going to give that route one hour. It only took 15 minutes and then we were on the 1. We drove through Carmel (no parking places) and took the 17 mile drive (it looked different--the seals looked kind of sickly). I kept talking up the lone cypress to Adam and then there was no parking.
On the map, it looked like the 1 was shorter than backtracking to the 101, so I took the 1 south. I know better, I really, really do. That was so awful. It took us about twelve hours to get home and we didn't find a place to eat dinner until 7:30 and then Adam didn't want anything and nothing looked good to me either, so we left. We went to a hole in the wall market and got chips for dinner.
It was too long a drive for too short a time and I don't ever need to do that again. But I'm really glad we went. It was nice to see San Francisco and I think Adam enjoyed seeing places that he hears about though his music chat rooms.
The next blog is all about one of the movies I saw--it you didn't see Michael Clayton and you want to, don't read it yet.
posted by KathrynVH @ 10:22 AM
1 Comments:
At October 30, 2007 at 7:14 PM,
Anonymous said…
Kathy, this is a major nightmare for a trip to San Francisco. It could have been so much better for both of you, you really needed a guide. Pat and I did that trip to Carmel and had no trouble getting around, she knows how to read a map. At the time we went, there were no vehicles at that tree on the 17 mile road. The archatecture of the various homes were most impressive. We also enjoyed walking through Carmel and ate at a very expensive bistro.
You show great courage going on such a trip with someone who can only offer minimal help. Please do it once with someone who knows that tereitory and can show you a good time.
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