If you come to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair

Arrived in the US safe and sound after a fairly bumpy ride over the Pacific.  Thanks to Air Traffic Control in Australia being short staffed, wouldn't you know it, we had a late departure, but made up the time.

The weather is quite mild and we haven't broken into the severe winter woollies yet!!

Do they have idiots in Tasmania?

We lobbed at the hotel and dropped our bags and then off down Market Street, which is the main street of San Francisco.  We later found out it divides the city in half.  We knew something was amiss as we walked the few blocks downtown when we saw several rather scruffily dressed people pushing shopping trolleys full of even scruffier belongings and quite a few beggars etc.  There are also quite a few "Pay Day Loan" stores in the vicinity.  Oh oh!! the hotel is not in the best part of town.  We later find out it is in the part of town called the "Tenderloin" a term used by the early miners and sailors for the red light district.  There is a cinema over the road from the hotel.  Vara and Jane thought a trip to the movies to see Australia while we were in the US would be good.  No such luck.   The movies showing at this cinema are the X rated kind, like Nought to Nudity in 60 seconds.  Oh dear!!

Off down the street and had lunch in the food court of a giant Westfield Centre.  It was Thanksgiving Holiday weekend so lots of people around everywhere as once Thanksgiving is over, they launch in to Holiday shopping..

We boarded a very crowded tram car to Fisherman's Wharf.  Craig and Vara had quite a chat with the driver.  Commenting on some of the drivers and pedestrians, he asked "Do they have idiots in Tasmania too?"  Jane killed herself laughing, as we all know that Tasmania has more than its fair share of "idiots".  Sorry all you Taswegians.

What a bustling place the Wharf area is.  We wandered around just soaking up the atmosphere and checked out some shops, especially the Ghiradelli Chocolate Shop.  Jane had her first Ben and Jerry's ice cream - mmmmmm!!!!!  There are heaps of seafood places selling freshly cooked crabs and shrimp which are the local specialty.

We all started to flag by the late afternoon and had an early dinner at the Fog Harbour Restaurant, where an order of "chips" by Candice and Rhyanna was greeted with confusion until we remembered the lingo and asked for "french fries".

Back to the hotel for an early night and to catch up with our jet lag.  What a night.  The hotel is very basic.  The open window was necessary but that it was Saturday night, a holiday weekend and the sirens, music etc. proved quite a challenge for a good night's sleep.

Our sightseeing tour on Sunday was great, picking up all the major sights around San Francisco, including crossing the Golden Gate Bridge and getting some great views, seeing the Haight Ashbury area, Nob Hill and so on.  Alcatraz was imposing but disappointing.  There are lots of slowly decaying buildings with not much else.  The ferry ride was the most interesting part.

Monday was our Yosemite National Park (YSP) tour.  In a word - fantastic!!!  It was a very long day which started off in a thick San Francisco fog which seemed to cover a huge area as we were driving approx. 2 hours before we cleared it.  The YSP is grand, very grand.  Huge granite formations like El Capitan and The Sentinel, waterfalls and steep valleys.  We visited the Sequoia Grove to see some giant specimens.  One dead tree trunk has been hollowed out and you could drive a car through it - not allowed now of course.  Quite a walk, especially back up the steep grade at 2000m elevation. Jane was the slowest of course, but she made it.  We didn't see any bears, but we could see where they had "been".  Vara and Jane met a couple of wild life rangers on the walk.  Craig entertained the other tour members with his "Crikey" antics.

Rhyanna misses Patrick like mad but she is holding up quite well!!!

Tuesday 2 December is our last day in Fog City and we are planning to walk/bike the Golden Gate Bridge and to ride the Cable Car up Hyde Street - the steep hilly street - just for the fun of it.  Tomorrow, New York.