On the road to Seattle!

We've got the new car, and we're on the way to Seattle for Memorial Day Weekend. Woo!

Backpacking Tahkenitch Dunes

For our first backpacking trip together, we headed to the coast with K+L. Most options to the east are still under snow, so the coast seemed like a good idea. We couldn't have ordered better weather, we picked the perfect weekend. Leaving Eugene a little before noon, we stopped for lunch at the Gingerbread Village where we had sandwiches, burgers, clam chowder, and salads. We'll have to remember this place as a good option between Eugene and Florence, a bit closer to Florence.

We arrived at the Tahkenitch campground in the early afternoon and set out towards Threemile Lake, going clockwise on the loop rather than counter-clockwise as recommended in the book. It was about three miles to the lake, incidentally, and we found it to be a nice hike through forested coastal land. The trail went up to a summit, then dropped down to the lake, with the ocean less than a half mile to the west.

After setting up camp, we gathered our beach toys and headed down to the beach. This part of the Oregon coast is in good shape as it doesn't see too much use, but it does allow vehicles on some parts. The wind was definitely there, and very consistent, which made for excellent kite flying conditions. The good Dr. Huck brought a couple of custom boomerangs which were left handed such that only he could throw them. We also had a frisbee that fared pretty well in the wind.

After playing at the beach, we headed back to camp to cook dinner. Both teams brought mac & cheese and added various items to the pot. K+L's freeze dried vegie snacks won the prize for best new food product, we'll have to get a pack for snacking or future camp cooking. As the light faded, we gathered firewood and started a nice little fire to roast marshmallows, melt chocolate, and make smores!

The soothing ocean waves sang us to sleep from our ridgetop camp. I think we all slept pretty well. After our morning oatmeal and cereal, we broke camp and again headed for the beach. We walked about a mile north and back, checking out shells and other bits along the way and stopped at large wave thrown logs to rest. After returning to camp, we loaded up our packs and headed back to the car.

We really didn't remember so much downhill on the way to the lake, so we were all surprised at how much of a climb it was from the lake. The extra miles on our legs made it a slow slog up to the summit, but we were soon there and then quickly down to the car. Back in Florence, a parade as part of Rhodie days was in full swing. We ate seafood lunch at Weber's fish house, and then got some fantastic ice cream and shakes at BJ's before returning to Eugene.

All told, a great weekend!

Golden Monday - The Bridge

Monday, we headed out on our own to find Crissy Fields and the Golden Gate Bridge. The drive was easy enough, no traffic. It was, of course, foggy and windy and the bridge was partially hidden when we first arrived. We snapped some shots of the hidden bridge and a pelican that was hanging out on the dock. I stopped in at the Warming Hut and picked up a game called Foodie Fight. We ventured up the path to get a closer look at the bridge and wow, there were some lovely views. There were a lot of people walking across the bridge but the funny part is the local bicyclists.

Dear local bicyclist: You live near a very famous land mark. Do not get upset at the tourists who come to visit the land mark who do not understand how you ride your bike on the bridge. Yelling at them to get out of the way only upsets everyone. Get a bell, stay to the right except when to pass, and stop whining. Jeesh.

The walk to the first suspension of the bridge scared the daylights out of me. I am not a fan of the water at all. There is a lot of cold water a long way down. It was windy and with the 6 or so lanes of traffic flying past, it took everything in me not to run back the other way. Alan helped me and took pictures as proof that I walked part of it. :)

After the walk down we wanted to grab a bit of lunch before we met up with K&L to head back to Eugene. We decided to try and find a spot close to the Spanish Consulate so we were nearby when the finished their stuff. We located a Mel's Drive in on Van Ness and had some tasty sandwiches. The diner itself is super clean and the food didn't take long. Just as we were finishing, K&L called. They were successful and so we quickly met up with them and headed North.

With four of us in the car, we could use the carpool lane. That was the ticket to getting out of town without waiting in traffic. As we sped North we listened to This American Life and some stories about big breaks and how they don't always end up being so great in the end. We also asked each other questions from the game Foodie Fight. The questions are really fun, I think the game is a keeper!

We each took our turn at the wheel and stopped for dinner at the Black Bear Diner. The food is nothing to write home about and the servings are WAY TO BIG. It is not hard to see why we have an obesity epidemic in this country.

Overall, a fast and fun trip. Good company, great times, and of course, tasty treats. Thanks San Francisco, K&L, and the Suria family.

Until next time...

Acting the tourist in San Francisco (Sunday)

We had all day to be touristy in San Francisco. The folks we were staying with had a few errands to run in the morning, but we were well entertained with their adorable 3 year old. I did my best to show off my juggling skills and she showed us how far her education had already come (and how much she liked Pingu).

Heading in to downtown San Francisco, we started with an early lunch at a Boudin. We each had a sourdough breadbowl filled with either clam chowder, or chili, and a half a sandwich each. Their sourdough was fantastic, and the chowder even better. I snagged a small round of sourdough on the way out.

We headed for the nearest cable car stop and waiting in a couple of lines (first to get tickets, and second to get on). We were amazed by the way that the cable cars work. They have giant turn tables that turn the cars around, and the cars are pulled by a underground cables. Very cool. Very touristy.

We rode the whole length of the line we got on and it left us at our destination, Fisherman's Wharf. From here, we walked along the bay to Ghirardelli Square. Before indulging in any chocolate, we stopped at a cute little cupcake place, Kara's Cupcakes. Our friend from the area had forgotten his sunglasses and though it was a cloudy day, needed pair for his eyes (as I usually do when outside). He found a couple of tents set up where people were playing a demo of a Nintendo DS game, after playing he score some sweet shades with neon green sides. Very stylish!

The chocolate place is pretty cool, you can see them make the chocolate right there, just as they have for years. We had some hot chocolate (verdict: almost or too rich!). And found some take home treats before we left.

At this point, Misty realized that she no longer had her pashmena (wrap) that she'd bought in Canada so long ago. We scoured the area for it, but alas, could not find it. I looked back in my pictures on my camera and found that she didn't have it when we were at Kara's, the first place we stopped, so we just headed back the way we came. As luck would have it, some kind soul had found it, folded it up (along with some uh, interesting drawings) and left it on a park bench. Misty was very grateful.

Along the piers, we stopped at the historic Hyde Pier where lots of old ships are parked. Each ship is lined with displays and placards giving history. Cool place, glad we stumbled upon it.

From there we walkd to Pier 39, the shopping mall pier. Somewhat interesting, but too many shops and people. We did find a nice little crepery to eat at.

For dinner, our hosts made us some fantastic Dosa. Probably the best Indian food I've ever had.

Saturday, arriving in the Bay Area

We ate breakfast at the B&B with some... interesting folks, and then headed on our way down I-5. Along the way, we stopped at the Olive Pit in Corning, CA. I've never seen such a selection of olives in my life.

The two teams parted ways at the BART station, K+L to downtown San Francisco, Misty and I to Foster City across the San Mateo bridge. Once there, we took a scenic walk along the bay. One of the first things we came across was Project Bay Cat, a collection of homeless cats that live on the rocks by the bay. Poor kitties.

Heading South and...

Birthday wishes and happy thoughts go out to Dr. Huck!!!

We are on a road trip to San Francisco. First time road trippin' with anyone else. K&L are braving the Pontiac G6 with us and soon we will hook up with some friends for tasty food and the big city with a bridge.

Pics soon...

Journey to San Fran

We set out Friday afternoon from Eugene after work with K+L. Heading South, we stopped at Rice Hill for shakes and fries and then made it to our destination for the night, Mt. Shasta City. We arrived in time for a birthday dinner at Strings Italian restaurant. We stayed at the Dream Inn, a cozy Bed and Breakfast where every room is covered with small figurines, glass pieces and other such knick-knacks. The place was fairly inexpensive and was huge; there was a full kitchen, dining room, living room and the two bedrooms with a pass through bathroom between them.

It was a good distance to make for the first day so that we didn't have to travel straight all the way to San Francisco.