Category: USA

Spring Break Memories: San Fran

Spring Break 2011 has come and gone for some of us, is slowly approaching for others, and if you’re like me, you’re a “grown up” and don’t get a spring break at all. I thought it would be a good time to practice a little photo editing (actually, the weather was so nice that this trip barely needs any) and compile some “greatest hits” posts from some of my Spring Breaks.

In 2009, before I even knew I was going to Morocco (I traveled so much in 09 my carbon footprint must have been terrible), I jumped in the car with my friend and co-worker Brittany at 11:00 pm. We drove all night from San Diego and arrived at Half Moon Bay at 8 in the morning just in time to get some excellent shots of Pigeon Point Lighthouse:

We stayed in a Hostel, which I recommend due to low cost and high interaction with people from all over the US and the world! At some hostels, you can get a private room (in Spain, we got a room for 3 so we could leave our stuff behind without worrying) but Brittany and I chose to take up 2 beds in a room for 6! We met an interesting girl, I think she was from the East Coast (can’t remember) but she had dinner with us! This dinner was a turning point as I discovered I loved eggplant. Later we roomed with some Europeans and a Chinese girl. We brought little padlocks to put on the lockers underneath the bunk beds so our laptops and suitcases would be safe and sound.

We were joined by our friend (incidentally, the two of them are now married), a Bay Area native, and channeled our inner Princess Diaries moment by visiting the Musée Méchanique on Fisherman’s Wharf, ate clam chowder in a bread bowl, walked the area (we did a ton of walking on this trip). We bought chocolate from Ghirardelli’s (didn’t last long) and did some window-shopping.

Checked out some gorgeous late-afternoon views of the city from Coit Tower:

The next night I had my first encounter with crab. It was delicious. Since that night, I have wanted more. Not even the lobster I had in Maine could top it (blasphemy, I know). We were there for several days, did more than I wrote about here, and ate many, many delicious meals, but I’m just going to leave you with the highlights for now. If you ever get the chance, visit this great city!

Have you been? What’s your favorite part of the city?

Kansas Day

Last Saturday (Jan 29) we celebrated Kansas’s 150th birthday.

To do this, we took a trip out to the Maxwell Wildlife Refuge, where there are buffalo, you know, roaming. What could be more Kansas than driving around in a rusty old truck trying to find buffalo, right? (Or I suppose they could be bison, not sure what the difference is). Thanks to Paul’s trusty binoculars, from the lookout tower we could see some “little dots.” We think they were buffalo.

More important (and very telling of Kansas Culture) was the monument we saw at the wildlife refuge.

Image courtesy of a friend who thinks photo credits are lame.

You read that right–the first known white child to be born in McPherson county. He really had to work hard for that honor, you know.

Do you know when your state’s next big important birthday is?

Washington DC Memories

Well, just because I’m not on the road as much as I’d like to be, that doesn’t mean I can’t reminisce about my recent (or not-so recent… becoming more distant) trips I’ve taken. In fact, I kind of want to talk about them so I have it written down… I’m not much one to journal while things are happening (maintaining a blog or 2 has helped with this) but even so, I don’t want to forget important times I’ve had.

I’ve been to Washington DC twice in my life and loved it both times. It was just a little over 2 years ago that I went with my PLNU group for the most recent inauguration.

The night my group got to DC I immediately went to a party with my friend who knew some people from his semester in DC experience. There, I met a cool guy from South Africa who had a Led Zeppelin tattoo! This was very cool to me as I had just begun to get into Zeppelin’s music at the time. The next day, we went to the “We Are One” Inauguration concert where I got as close as I’ll ever be to Bono (and the rest of U2) as well as Springsteen, and others. The irony of Irish band U2 playing at a concert days before the American Presidential inauguration was not lost on the performers, but Bono is pretty much as involved in US politics as a rock star can be, so I think everyone let it slide.

The next day, all the Smithsonian museums were packed (not a huge loss, as I’d been to some of them twice), and it was freezing. So after picking up a new hat at Urban Outfitters (and eating at the very same place I had my very first Chipotle burrito in January 2006) we went to the botanical gardens. The rationale was that it would be warmer in a greenhouse–our bet paid off and we avoided the cold for an hour or two.

On the 20th, we got to the National Mall around 5 in the morning. They played the concert from the 18th on a loop to keep us entertained but it didn’t help keep my mind off of my numb extremities. Things finally kicked off around 10AM with the inauguration itself around 11. After it was over, getting to and on the subways was a nightmare. Upon arrival at my hotel room, I took as hot a shower as I could stand and dove into bed for a several hour nap. Got up in time to primp for a nice dinner at Old Ebbit Grill. I don’t remember what I ate (this is why I should blog the day of events!! ) but I do remember it being delicious.

 
In front of the Capitol building, right after the inauguration. I was a mere one of 2,000,000 spectators.

Finally, my second video to ever grace the internet. Videos made my me are even more rare than Sasquatch sightings.