San Francisco

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I’m Here!

Quick post from my first morning in California!

My first thought upon setting foot into the Californian outdoors was so strong I actually said it out loud: “Bloody HELL! It’s FREEZING!” Boy am I glad I packed long skirts, long-sleeved tee-shirts, and cardigans! LOL

From San Francisco airport, it was a long walk and a short Skytrain trip to the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) station, which took me downtown in about a half hour. There, I knew that the only way I was getting to Neil’s was by taxi, so I made my way to the surface. For a moment, I thought I was at Montreal’s Berri station because there were so many panhandlers waiting to help travelers with doors, stairs, and directions. The one who got my suitcase up the steep stairs got 50 cents, the one who pointed out where to find a taxi got 25 cents, and the one who just begged got nada.

My taxi driver was great, getting me to Neil’s in what felt like the shortest way possible, and helping me with my luggage (he got a nice tip).

San Francisco, well, what I’ve seen of it, is GORGEOUS! I love how almost all buildings have bay windows. I thought that the terrain would be like Montreal, also a city built on hills, and it is, but a Sims City version of Montreal where the hills have been pulled up and up and up…. Going down Neil’s street, I had to tell the driver to slow down because I’d left my heart up two blocks back!

Neil’s apartment fits in with my stereotype of a ‘typical’ San Fran building–a gorgeous old Victorian with bright airy rooms. He even has a garage, which gives me a place to park my rental car when I get it at the end of the week and opens up some options for me as to when I’m leaving for Vegas.

This morning, I’m taking the CALTRAIN to Mountainview to visit Google headquarters and meet Neil for lunch. I’m aiming to take the 11 o’clock train and walking to the station. Neil mapped out a trek for me that’ll take me though Chinatown so I can kill two birds with one stone.

I’m off to find breakfast. Photos will follow later!

Feeling Welcome
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Feeling Welcome

in San Francisco, and I’m not even there yet. Neil just sent me details for how to get onto his computer and how to log on to the wireless network with my laptop. So, I can definitely be expected to post a few times from there! The following week, though, will depend on how compatible Blogger is with my laptop’s archaïc (and unupgradeable) browsers.


Packing is so much work now that I’m more style-conscious, WAH! I left for a MONTH in Scotland with a fraction of what I currently have in this suitcase… and I’m not done packing yet! What’s not helping is that I have to pack for four climates (home, SF, Vegas, LA) . But it looks like the suitcase will close without a) my having to ‘expand it’ or b) sit on it (or c) expand it AND sit on it), and I’ll have room left for ‘extras’ I’ll pick up along the way, so it’s all good. For carry on, I have a little matching bag which will hold my paperwork, notebook and pen, books, magazines, food supplies, and other sundries, and into which I’ll stuff my purse since my laptop doesn’t fit in it. Hopefully stuffing one bag into another will get me around the two article limit for carry on luggage…. I am proud that I’m not using the third suitcase in my set, a ‘carry on’ size. Next trip! 🙂

I’ve decided to try the bus to get to the airport this time to save 30$ (bus is 3$). So Tuesday 6AM will find me schlepping my luggage for two blocks to the Térrasses de la Chaudière where I’ll catch the 8 to Lebreton Flats, where I should have more than enough time (I hope) to catch a 97 that’ll get me to the airport for seven (it better). My plane technically leaves at 8:20.

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The Plan

I am about to embark on the most structured trip I’ve ever taken, even more so than my month in Scotland in that I have actually made reservations. My fixed itinerary is such:

June 19th: depart Ottawa in early AM to arrive in San Francisco by dinnertime, with a four hour layover in Vancouver
June 20th to June 23rd (inclusive): explore San Francisco, with a trip to Alcatraz booked for the 23rd
June 24th: drive to Las Vegas by way of Sacramento and Reno, to arrive sometime in the early evening at the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino
June 25th: spending the morning on a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon, with a flyover the Strip upon returning to Vegas

Then things get fuzzy. I’m not sure if I’m leaving Las Vegas the 26th or 27th, but I’ll spend the second half of the week in Los Angeles, concentrating on Hollywood. Depending on how late in the week I arrive there, I’m hoping to have time for a day trip to Tijuana, Mexico. Whatever I do, I must be back in San Francisco by June 30th.

July 1st: depart SF mid-day to arrive in Ottawa very late after a 1.75 hour layover in Calgary.