California, Here We Come (Part 2)

Saturday, March 21 st (cont)

After the leaving the aquarium, we stopped to watch the Sea Lions that congregate on some floating docks by Pier 39.



On our way to lunch, we stopped to do some more shopping. Steve found a very attractive number....the knit bikini is very becoming, don't you think?? :-)



We couldn't NOT stop at Boudin's for lunch. The best sour dough bread, heaven. Mot had clam chowder in a bread bowl, I did a sour dough grilled cheese. Steve did a bowl of chili with a sour dough sandwich...and Danny got jipped (sp?). His sandwich was good, but lacking the sour dough. :-)



They made EVERYTHING out of sour dough. :-)




A street performer on the way back to the hotel. :-)

From there, we got the Jeep and headed on to destinations beyond walking.

1st stop...the UFO, Big Foot and Loch Ness Museum. There was NO WAY I could pass it by!!!!

We drove, and drove....went around the block, over and over.........just to get this picture. You ready?

I present to you, the UFO, Big Foot and Loch Ness Museum.......



....that is now an insurance agency.

I can't tell you how hard we laughed....and laughed....

...and laughed!!!!!

Once we got the tears wiped away from our eyes, Danny pointed the vehicle in the direction of Chinatown.




Mot, actually presenting a photo op...on purpose. It never happens folks, drink it in!!!!

We hit quite a few shops...but this one was Mot's favorite, by far. The Wok Shop.



The lady in the Wok Shop read him the riot act. We were merely looking, and didn't know what questions to ask. We kindly told the first person to ask us if we needed help, that we were just looking. After 5 minutes, another woman came up to us.

"Do you have any questions?" "We would help you, but you aren't listening to us."

Mot told her that he'd just started cooking with a wok, and didn't really know what to ask.

"I know...but you need to ask, and you need to let us help...and you need to listen to us."

Ouch.

The four of us got separated while shopping, at one point. Mot and Steve disappeared.

OK, maybe it was Danny and I that did the disappearing. :-)

We found a store with $1.88 Chinatown t-shirts...and couldn't resist. Then I found a wallet...and then a purse...and then we decided the wallet didn't match the purse.....well, you get the idea. :-)

We finally met up, and headed for the car. On the way, we passed Old St. Mary's cathedral. Quite the place.



From there, we went on a mission. A fountain drink mission. Coca-Cola to be specific.



You see the technique he's using to get the cola into his blood stream quicker? :-)

Next stop....Haight and Ashbury.




What an awesome area of town. Known for being the center of the 1960's hippie movement.

No, we didn't get tattoos, but I can say that one of us came really, really close. I've been sworn to secrecy, and can't tell you which one of us it was. :-)

Steve and I hit the Haight Street Market for some fruit before continuing our journeys of the day. The smell of that store.....was insane!!! Fruit of all kinds....man it smelled good!

After The Haight area of town...we jumped in the Jeep and tried to find The Castro. I'm sure we drove through it and past it numerous times. Back and forth. Danny is still convinced there is one more way he could have driven down all the same streets...but the rest of us aren't convinced.

In his defense, the streets were messed up. And we were tired and hungry.

So, speaking of hungry. We decided getting close to Castro was good enough, and headed back to the Wharf for dinner.

Based on the recommendation by Sheila, we finally found (after asking directions from the worlds most self absorbed hotel security person - not our hotel) Scoma's.

Wow, Wow, Wow!!!!

Thank you Sheila!!!!!

The place was amazing.





I picked the place because a) it was seafood (of which I don't eat), but Mot really wanted a good seafood place b) it came highly recommended c) crab ravioli was on the menu. I was curious.

The ravioli was awesome!!!! I didn't order it though, Steve did. I ended up with a Cajun blackened Alaskan King Salmon. Danny and Mot ordered the house special. Which was good. But nothing we ordered rivaled the crab ravioli. The sauce was to die for. Yummy Yum Yum!!!!




(Trying on sunglasses after dinner.)

After dinner, we headed to Las Margaritas on the way back to the hotel. They advertised as having like 200 different kinds of tequila. We went through a few pitchers, and chatted up the couple sitting at the table next to us in the bar.



Actually, it started as a bet...trying to decide where they were from. We couldn't hear them talking, so we weren't able to use vocal accents as a guide.

I guessed Illinois, someone else said Seattle...and I really can't remember the other two guesses right off the top of my head. But, it doesn't matter , we were all wrong.

Mot went over and asked them. Brisbane, Australia. :-) We talked to them for quite a while...and I think eventually scared them off with a certain beard comment.

OK, maybe it wasn't the comment itself, as they couldn't hear it...but it was our tequila induced laughter because of the comment. :-) Darn rude Americans. :-) :-) :-)

After our last pitcher of margaritas, we headed for the hotel. Steve and Mot went up to their rooms, but Danny and I were still awake. So we walked back down to the wharf to see what Alcatraz looked like all lit up.

There wasn't much to see for lights on the island...but things were hoppin' at the fish market.



(to be cont)



I will have all the pics posted of our trip on my webshots page....as soon as I get done blogging. I'll post a link when it's ready to go.