Day 12: San Francisco
Hello everyone! This will be our last post as the Sleepys so we'll make it a
good one!
This morning we got to sleep
in a little today...at least until Ian Objio woke everyone up 45 minutes early
because he felt the need to shave. Once we had given him a piece of our minds
and put all of our things away, we loaded onto the bus and vans. If everyone
wasn't awake by this time, they were definitely awake in one of the vans that
smelled like moldy cheese and feet. It was laundry day, and suffice it to say
that it was long overdue. We had a traveling breakfast this morning, which
consisted of an assortment of cereals. Pouring milk on a moving vehicle is a
learned skill, and experience is the best teacher. After our little breakfast,
we headed down to the Cliff House where a couple of people shared their reports
with us. Here, many discovered very quickly that California isn't
necessarily all sun and fun. Those who confidently wore t-shirts and
shorts now shivered in the gray ocean spray. After learning about the house’s
storied past, we clambered down a well-worn path, past some ruins that seemed
straight out of a Terminator movie. These crumbling walls, as it turned out,
were actually remnants from a fort, caused by a sense of panic in the 1860s
that the Civil War would come to San Francisco’s doorstep. The battery is a sad
skeleton of itself, but its historical significance is palpable. We moved past
the old battery, making our way into a long tunnel cut into the rock. The ocean
hissed and roared through large holes shielded by safety fences. At the end,
the old road had collapsed long ago, leaving a nice cliff to take pictures
from. Once we had gotten our fill (and taken a group photo), it was back into
the mercifully warm vehicles and into the heart of San Francisco itself. Things
were actually warming up outside, so the walk to Fisherman’s Wharf was
pleasant. Many new smells met us here at the busy port; fish, street food,
restaurants, and maybe a public bathroom or two. While we gathered on the end
of a pier for a few more pictures, the fog was lifting across the bay,
revealing an ominous bit of land sticking out like a thumb. This was Alcatraz,
San Francisco’s famous prison that held the likes of Al Capone, and never had a
single escapee on record. Unfortunately, due to time and age restrictions, it
would not be one of our stops today. Luckily the city had plenty to offer. Most
made a beeline for the local In-and-Out burger joint, just to get a taste of
those burgers known across the West Coast. Others sampled different restaurants
such as Boudin, which has been making the same kind of sourdough bread for almost
90 years. So much for those diets. Of course, no one could resist a ride on San
Fran’s cable cars. The fare was a little much at $14, but the fun was
priceless. Our members explored the city excitedly, looking for places such as
Lombard Street, which is known for being the most crooked street in the world. Chinatown
was by far the favorite stop for many. If you weren’t there for a bargain (fake
Guccis can look pretty good), then you were there for the beautiful Chinese décor
and delicious cuisine. Later in the day, Grant even treated everyone to egg
rolls, lo mein, beef and orange chicken on the aptly named Grant Avenue. We
didn’t have time to digest it though, as we still had one stop today: San
Francisco’s beauty in the bay, the Golden Gate Bridge. We had hiked the canyon;
one little bridge was going to be a cakewalk. The fog and wind tried to ruin
our day, but we were just too excited. The views from the soaring deck were
spectacular and the city glittered in the afternoon light. Once we had trekked
the mile or so across and back onto dry land, we took one last photo to commemorate
yet another TWB milestone. With that, we packed up and headed back to the
church we slept in last night. Tomorrow another group will give you guys more
riveting stories of our journey, but our time is done. Thank you for reading
and we will see you all soon!
 |
| Group shot with a glimpse of the ocean (middle/right) and the Cliff House (left) |
 |
| Miss Beautiful! |
 |
| Group shot at Fisherman's Wharf |
 |
| Grant's preferred method of transportation |
 |
| Alcatraz |
 |
| A view of some of San Fran and the Coit Tower (middle) |
 |
Ready for our delicious meal in Chinatown
 |
 |
| Maximum efficiency!! |
 |
| An assembly unpacking line |
Love,
The Sleepys
******A note for tomorrow: Hi parents/friends/blog readers! Tomorrow morning we will wake up in Yosemite where there is no cell or internet service. I will get the blog posted tomorrow as soon as I can, but it may be midday before I can get enough connection. Thanks for following us across America!
Daisy
