Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Top of the World

We've been sleeping with the drapes drawn open, so when we wake, the city is there, winking back at us, even at 4 in the morning. A block away, I can see a star of lights turning slowly on a rooftop, and the William Sonoma and Tiffany stores. And it's strange to remember that we are so high up, so far from the street, the taxis, cable cars and sparkling sidewalks. A faint, distant hum is building, like hearing the surf from far away, and I know that the city is waking too.

Yesterday was a clear blue sky day, a walk and explore day, a House of Nanking day. We started with a driving loop around the north side of the Bay, roughly from the Financial District to the Golden Gate Bridge, across and around to Point Richmond and then back over the GGB and to The Exploratorium, where we found the best parking space. Do you know why we found the best parking space ever? Yes, The Exploratorium, most awesome science museum in the world, is closed on Mondays. That was probably the only disappointment of the day.

After the driving tour, we parked at the hotel and set forth on foot. Those hills! We covered a lot of ground, many blocks, up and down. Chinatown was our main destination and we made a very thorough tour. It took a while for Max to warm-up to the newness of all the hustle, bustle, sounds, and sights, which is not unexpected with Max. By evening time we were all really enjoying ourselves. We stepped in to lots of shops and discovered strange, cheap, expensive, and rare treasures, and also plenty of junk. It was awesome. Our late lunch was timed perfectly, because we did not have to wait an hour to squeeze into House of Nanking, where the chef came out and decided to order our food for us. The best, and that's all I am going to say about that... no need to draw more crowds to our favorite spot for tasty eats.

Lots more to say about our walking day, like the fun we had at the park and the place selling live chickens, but Geoff's alarm is reminding me that we need to pack, sort, pack, roll sleeping bags, shower and pack some more. It's time to get to the airport. It's time for the Midwest leg of our journey. Did I mention it has been warm and clear-skied here? Such a contrast awaits us! OKay. Time to go. No time to waste. Must get busy. I'm not full awake, actually, so I am stalling.

One thought: My traveling email box fills quickly and Geoff emptied it last night to make room for new messages, so if anyone emailed me on Sunday, I may not have got your message... sorry. Plenty of room in the box now!

Can you tell I am not a big fan of air travel...?... stalling... humming... Well, it won't do to skip my shower, so I am signing-off. Thank you for your comments... it sure is fun sharing our adventure with friends!

4 comments:

Mama Spark said...

I hope you make it to your next destination before the snow storm! We are under a winter storm warning and expecting 4-7 inches tonight! You should see and experience LOTS of snow too. Enjoy it in all its sparkling white wintery goodness!!

Tracy said...

Air travel can be an acquired taste--LOL! Think of it as another means to get from point A to point B ;o) Happy Days as you all travel--be safe and enjoy! ((HUGS))

Julie said...

Your days in SF sounded lovely. How did the flight go? Hope you arrived safe and sound.

Jennifer said...

Safe travels. And hey, it's a shorter flight than ones you've taken recently (isn't it? hmmm, maybe not...). Well, so much awaits you in the heartland (so aptly named). Be good, enjoy it all, and keep us posted as you are able.