San Francisco, Santa Rosa and Home

Union Sqaure

Arrived in San Francisco this afternoon, the 9th Oct, on the final leg of an amazing trip. Reached the hotel, settled in and we were out and about by about 3-00pm.

Speaks for itself!!

Walked from Union square to Fisherman's wharf, then around the waterfront, past Fort Mason to the Marina district. The signs said we were heading towards the "America's Cup marina", where I thought we would find the remains of the Team NZ camp, but when we got there it was only Oracles base!! Apparently Team NZ was at the other end of the harbour!!

Cool little fishing boats

Headed back into town, through the very nice Marina district, down through China town, Union Square where we had some dinner, and then back to the hotel. The feet are complaining at the moment but they should be fine tomorrow morning.

Marina in Marina District

Here are a few images from today... 

The Marina District

Alcatraz Island

Cable Car

Cable Car and Alcatraz

Unique Houses

Impressive Building

China Town

Love the Buildings - Market St

Second and final day in San Francisco today and we got around a good portion of the city. We didn't walk it all today however, bought a one day pass on the cable cars, trams and buses, so did a combination of walking and public transport.

Ferry Building - Shopping Center

Began with a walk to Market St and purchased the tickets, then caught the bus to the down town Ferry Building which has been converted into a great shopping arcade. Had a good look around there before walking through the Embarcadero Centre, a great walkway, one level above the street, linking many of the Financial District buildings together over a three block area.

Embarcadero Centre - walkway 1

Embarcadero Centre - walkway 2

Then we jumped on the cable car at Market St and went to the end of the line, before grabbing a bus and heading to the Civic Centre. Had a bit of a look at that, then back on the bus and up to Alamo Square, where the iconic photo is taken of the six SF houses with the city in the background. Back to pounding the streets, we then walked to Haight Ashbury, one of the birth places of the "hippy" movement in the 60's. Discovered that a few of them haven't left, or their kids have now joined them, it's hard to tell as they all look the same, at least from a distance.

Embarcadero Centre - walkway 3

Back on the Cable Car

Classic San Francisco

Back on the bus, we traveled across town to the Presidio and the Marina district and then walked around those places for a couple of hours, before finally catching a bus back to the hotel. Busy day but we saw many of the major attractions and sights of this great city.

Tomorrow we hire a car and head up to Santa Rosa for a couple of days to catch up with Jo, Adam and the family. Looking forward to that :-)

Haight Ashbury

The Presidio

I never get sick of seeing these :-)

Heading North on the Golden Gate

We picked up the car and left San Francisco yesterday. Drove to Santa Rosa via the Napa Valley, that is very yellow at the moment. Stopped at Napa and then St Helena a great little town in the Napa valley.

A little Pool with Zoran

Arrived at Jo and Adam's Mid afternoon to much excitement. Great to spend the final part of the trip with family as we ease back into NZ. Had a fun afternoon catching up and playing pool.

Great fellowship with Rod at Peet's

This morning began with a coffee at Peet's with Rod Wallace. I have met Rod once before, at the same cafe a number of years ago, but I seem to have "known" him for a long time, as our lives have intersected over the years, but at a distance. Rod is a New Zealander,  although he told me this morning that he was actually born in England, who married an American and has lived in the US for many years now.

Ruth and Jo getting some shopping therapy

There are so many people and close friends that we mutually know and we have been on a similar spiritual journey, particularly in recent years. We had a great time together and it was a real encouragement, I am looking forward to reconnected with him again, some time in the future and sharing some more :-)

Ruth in her element

Jo, Adam, Ruth and I then spent the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon in Healdsburg, a beautiful little town just north of Santa Rosa, had a nice relaxing walk around the town, got some lunch and returned home around 4-00pm. Heading off to some friends for dinner, who have a small vineyard near Healdsburg, so looking forward to a Napa Valley fun "Wine" expedience and  fellowship.

Love Healdsburg

Love Healdsburg 2

Adam, Jo and Ruth, just finished lunch :-)

Bruce and Sue's Vineyard

Adam, Bruce, Sue and Ruth

Just returned from Bruce and Sue's house and vineyard, beautiful evening, great food and wine and fun company. Church tomorrow, lunch with Dennis and Jan then back down to San Francisco to stay with friends for the final night before flying home on Monday.

Great meal time together

Off to church yesterday and caught up with a number of friends, Amber, Pam, Paul, Tom, Regina, Mike, Zan. Then went and bought lunch at Hi Tech Burritos, in Montgomery Square, and headed off to Dennis and Jan's for lunch.

Ruth, Jo and the Kids

Had a fun couple of hours with the extended Peacocke family, reminiscing and trying to convince Dennis to write a children's book on the Wifferofforus. He thought that was very funny, that his life might be then remembered for writing a children's book. He still has the pictures that Michael, Dianne and Jono sent to him, after he had shared with them the "truth's" of the Wifferofforus, one time that he stayed with us. He said when he received those pictures, he just laughed until he cried. Fun times :-)

Ruth with Dennis and his Samurai sword

He then showed us around his office and demonstrated his Samurai sword, the real thing, that he received from his students, when he "retired" from teaching them.

Dennis, Jan and Ruth

We then drove on down to Concord in San Francisco and have stayed at Bill and Annie's place last night. Went out with them to a lovely local French restaurant for dinner and had a good catch up. Will spend the next few hours with them and head off to the Airport this afternoon.

Bill feeding the chickens in backyard

Now sitting in the Air NZ lounge, waiting to board NZ7 to Auckland. Spent a relaxing day with Bill and Annie catching up and sharing a little of our recent journey's.

Bill demonstrating the "fly" gun !!

While we were in Boston I saw a Tee shirt that I thought would be appropriate for Bill, and an additional "spare" one. The tee shirt say's "Beer is proof that God loves us and want's us to be happy".

Bill demonstrated his latest method of killing fly's, a gun that uses salt, and effectively becomes a shotgun for eliminating fly's. You can't take the "gun" away from an Arkansas guy :-). We went out and had some lunch, then said our goodbye's and headed for the Airport.

Bill and I, partaking in God's Love :-)

Mexican lunch with Bill

 







So this amasing three month trip is just about over. How do you express the incredible adventure that we have just had, it is just about impossible. We have seen so many incredible places, met some wonderful new friends, and reconnected with some old ones. We have been on Airplanes, boats, trains, buses, visited 20 countries, everyday experienced a new city or town, stayed in 28 hotels, most of them experiences just in them selves. We have done a cruise, two coach tours and so much more. It has been a wonderful trip and we are very blessed and grateful to have had the opportunity to do it.

What a fantastic experience this has been,  so here's to the next one :-) 

Washington's Shut the Doors

Inside the Washington Railway 1

Arrived in Washington this afternoon and although the lights are not out (yet), it already feels like the doors are shut. It's funny how you "get a feel" for a place pretty quickly, first impressions and all of that.

Inside the Washington Railway 2

We took the train today from NY's Penn station and arrived at the Washington train station around 2.00pm. Another great railway station, apparently it's 65th on the list of the top 300 things to see and do in Washington. It will probably be getting close to the top of the list, with all the places that are currently closed!! 

We are staying at the Washington Hilton and as we knew the checkin was late, we stayed at the railway station and had some lunch. I went up to the travel desk where they sell "hop on, hop off" bus tours around the city. Found out that they have combined a couple of the routes because they can't access the bus stops, not a good sign!!.

Replica Liberty bell outside Railway

I then asked which of the places where they have stops, the "attraction" is still open. It appears that over half the places are closed, basically anything that had a free access is closed, anything that has an admission is open. Closed are all the Smithsonian museums and galleries, Washington memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, National Gallery of Art, Washington Zoo, US Capitol Visitors centre, Holocaust Museum, National Library and Archives, National Mall and memorial parks etc etc. OK.....

Capital building, hopefully we can get a bit closer!!

Got a taxi to the hotel and the room is not ready, waited an hour, still not ready, took an alternative room, got to the room, internet access is $14 per day, per device!! OK...

We have been in 27 hotels over the last 3 months and had to pay for the internet twice, I think, the most was $45 for 5 days, all devices included (we have 5). So "first impression", not good, hopefully when we get out and about tomorrow, those "impressions" will change, if not we may just have to go and camp at the train station, free internet access there :-) We are currently sitting in the lobby of the Hilton, with all our devices, blogging, charging, and updating :-)

Anyway here are a couple of photos from the railway station :-) To be continued.......... (hopefully)

Georgetown street 1

Georgetown street 2

Yes, it's official, the doors are shut!!, and it's raining today, the first days rain that we have had in the 3 months that we have been away. In spite of the rain we decided we would set out this morning and walk to the Phillips Art Museum, on route to Georgetown the oldest area of Washington, predating the "Federal Washington" that we know today. The Phillips Museum is  a private Art collection that we would be able to pay to get in and enjoy a few hours viewing, of what looked like an impressive collection from what we had read, see link for a better look. So off we headed only to find... yes you have guessed it the Museum is closed on Monday's :-).

Cute little house

Old stone house in Washington

looking at the bus timetable 

So we continued the walk to Georgetown and enjoyed viewing the quaint little streets, houses and nice shops in the main area of the town. Saw the stone house that is the oldest unchanged house in Washington, see link for more details. At 2.00pm  we decided to head back to the hotel as the rain was getting quite heavy. The forecast is for a fine day tomorrow so hopefully we can get out and at least take some photos of the places that we couldn't go into..

Down by the Potomac River. Any guess's where the umbrella was purchased?

The Backyard of the White House

It's now Tuesday the 8th Oct and our final day in Washington, and no rain :-). So out we went walking, and to kick a few doors open. Well Ruth was doing the kicking and I was recording the evidence. It is a little frustrating at being so close to things that we have seen for ages and not been able to "get to them". On top of that, this "close down" is just a whole lot of political posturing so didn't feel to guilty by going through the barriers, at a number of closed sites.

Do you sense a little rebellion in that stride?

The Reflecting Pool

Left the Hotel on Connecticut Ave and walked to the White House, then down to the National Mall and alongside the reflecting pool to the Lincoln Memorial and the Korean War Monument, all of which are "closed". Had a good look around and then got back on the road and headed to Arlington Cemetery. Really enjoyed that, saw JFK and Jackie O's burial site and memorial, then went onto the Iwo Jima 2nd WW war memorial.

Lincoln Memorial

Looking back to the Washington Monument

A little more rebellion :-)

For a break, took the metro back to the centre of town where we had lunch and then walked down Pennsylvania Av to the Washington Memorial and then up to the Capitol Building, following a "major" immigration demonstration, which was a bit exciting. Had about an hour up at the Capitol and then went back to the Hotel, via Constitution Ave, Pennsylvania Ave, The White House and Connecticut Ave, looking longingly at the outside of all the Smithsonian Museums and Art Galleries.

Korean War Memorial

Arlington Cemetery 

Iwo Jima WW 2 Memorial

Felt like we have got a "feel" for the city, although we never got to see inside the major attractions.

Tomorrow we are up at 4-30am in order to catch the flight to San Fran and the final leg of the trip :-(  

Capitol Building

Capitol Building 2

Spot the photographer