Sun 16th Dec 07
Today we got up early... for our day trip to Yosemite National Park in our minivan... we passed by the windmill valley... into the Sierra nevada... and through the old mining town of Groveland... and finally we reached Yosemite National Park itself... the guide brought us to various scenic spots for photos... Yosemite Falls... Bridal Veil Falls (though the flow of these waterfalls is down to a trickle as they are all frozen up upstream).. the must see El Capitan and Half Dome...
at about lunch town... we had our free and easy time... we took a quick lunch and ventured off on our own to capture shots of the Half Dome which we missed earlier... The Giant Sequoias region would have been a nice area to visit... but it was too far away and we might not be able to make it back in time.. so we gave tat a miss...
it is only in places like US where the area is so huge that you will find such natural formations... awed by the wonders of the world around us....
Mon 17th Dec 07
we got up early to catch the first few ferries to Alcatraz... seems like an exciting experience... to be able to go on a tour of the island where some of the most dangerous criminals used to be locked up...
upon reaching the island and after brief history of the island by the tour guides... we are given audio sets and we are off on our own on a self guided audio tour.... this is quite good as we can set the pace and decide for how long we want to stay at a particular spot...
Alcatraz is so full of history... so many stories... and it being so close to the city... yet so far off in the middle of the ocean... it's little wonder that there were so many escape attempts made... and just being here on the island itself... gives me an indescribable feeling...
after we got back on shore... we explored the famous pier 39 area... with its interesting little shops selling all kinds of souvenirs... and a platform area where lots of seals gather and of cos.. make lots of noise.. haha..
in the evening... i wanted to go take a look at the famous 'most crooked' street in the world... true enough... it is really crooked! with sharp turns zig-zagging all the way down the slope... it's interesting to see how cars navigate down it... and of cos it tireds us out having to walk up and down tat slow... before we eventually walk to Ghirardelli Square.. and was greeted with free choc samples as we enter the shops... :)
Tues 18th Dec 07
last night... upon knowing that today's gonna be a rainy day... we booked a day tour of the Napa Valley and Sonoma region... figuring even in wet and rainy weather... we could still visit the vineyards for some wine tasting session and not wasting the day...
We visited 3 vineyards in total... Madonna Estate... Viansa...and Cline Cellars... and as with the vineyards we visited previously... we were there at the 'wrong' period as it was already past the harvest season and the rows of grapevines have been harvested and wat's left behind is nothing more than leaves and twigs... so there was really nothing much of a winery tour... other than touring the insides of the winery with its barrel after barrel of wine... and the countless 'wine appreciation'... well.. to be honest.. i'm not so much of a wine person... but the trip was nonetheless an eye opener...
Wed 19th Dec07
on our last day in SF.. we have a tight schedule packed to cover all that is left to see... got up early in the morning.. and took a bus to the Golden Gate Park... it is none other than a super big park... with a Botanical garden... a Conservatory of Flowers... a Japanese Tea Garden and a lake... we happen to be there at 9am and in time for the free admission from 9-10am... :)
the Japanese Tea Garden is kinda like our Chinese Garden... but more nature and zen like... with it's streams... bridges... bamboo forest... pagoda and buddha statues... gives u a very tranquil feeling being in there... like doesn't belong to this world...
after spending the morning in Golden Gate Park... and having a hard time finding our way out of there... we were finally on the right bus out... the bus took us past ocean beach... seal rock... cliff house... and the windmill by the sea... all the way to Palace of the Legion of Honor... a fine arts museum... of cos we did not go in... but the main thing i wanna see there is the statue of The Thinker... rem back when i just started this blog... i did mention it in my first entry...
Next we went in search of the place with the best view of the Golden Gate Bridge... and it's none other than Fort Mason and the north of the bridge...
After lunch... we are still in time for the cable car museum... before it closes... the museum is small... but it is actually where the actual machinery of how the cable cars operate is housed... so wow to look at the gears turning... pulling thick cables along with it... in turn pulling the cable cars up and down the slopes of San Fran City.... amazing!
In the evening... we are down to one more stop... the Coit Tower... took the elevator up the tower... and from there... u can see the entire city... 360 degrees of it... beautiful...
San Francisco is such a unique city built on hills... resulting in its steep and winding roads... and the unique means of transportation... the cable car... not forgetting its unique architecture as well as the dense population of asians...
-jiahua
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