san fran day four

Day 4: We got up, packed and checked out. Our hotel held our bags for us while we went on a few more adventures.

We took BART to the Port of San Fran, where we walked around checking out the local vendors.

Us.

There wasn't much happening, so we walked back to Fisherman's Wharf.

Fishy.

Noodle.

Lunch at Boudin, then some ice cream from Ben & Jerry's.

Walked up to Ghirardelli Square, and took a bus back to the hotel.

After another crazy cab ride and 2 more flights, we arrived safe and sound (and really tired) back home where our furry children were patiently waiting. For food.

Thanks to Joyent for hosting the giant party, and getting us to explore your hometown.

And to Mal and my mom, who took care of our children, and made sure they were still purring. And to my dad, who picked us up from the airport late Monday night.

And an apology to B, I am so sorry I missed your shower. But I am making something wonderful for you and your man-to-be, so I hope I can make up for it.

And to everyone else that survived my probably boring as hell vacation blog posts.

I can't wait for our next trip- 10 days on the road!

san fran day three

Day 3: Danny and I had the first part of the day to venture out together- he wanted to be back at Joyent for the final hour of the contest. We took a bus to the Cali Academy of Sciences- it had a huge aquarium, a planetarium, a 4 level rain forest and various other amazing displays.

By this time, I could only shuffle along. My thighs were so weak that I couldn't lift my knees, so stairs were out of the question. So we were elevator bound. We were going to go to the De Young museum next, but since we took so long in the Academy, and I wanted to go back to MOMA, we skipped it. We took a bus to MOMA, and it was just as amazing as the first time. I was excited that Danny wanted to go with me! After that we headed to Joyent for the final stretch of the contest.

Line to get into the academy.

Deep sea transparent fish. Kinda creepy, very interesting.

Flutterby.

Squirrel.

Blue tree frog.

Stinging Nettle.

Rain forest.

De Young, as seen from the Academy.

Sugar waffle for a snack.

Japanese Tea Garden. We didn't have time to walk through, just peek into the gate.

The last hour...

It was crazy in there! A table full of geeks, clacking away on their laptops. Evidence of a few all-nighters scattered around. Fridges full of beer, soda, and OJ. Counters full of twinkies, chips, and other snack food. Danny made the rounds, checking out all the finished entries. I was content to sit in my padded chair, sipping Dr Pepper and eating Starbursts. When the party died down, we left for Chinatown. We got some Japanese candy and some tiny kitty figures for my miniature shelf. We walked back to our hotel, then had dinner at the Pine crest 24 hr Diner on the corner. Before bed I had a long, hot soak in the tub.

Sleeping arrangements.

5 o'clock = stop!

Chinatown.

next up, day four...

san fran day two

Day 2: We got up and out the door by 9am. Danny went to spend the day geeking out with his new buddies, and I went museum hopping. (But my first stop was H&M. On the way, you know.) The forecast said it was only going to be in the high 50's, and since I always freeze, I took a jacket with me. But I didn't need it- I ended up stuffing it into the H&M bag for the duration of my day trip.

First, I went to Xanadu Gallery. The art was kinda lame, but the building is what I wanted to see. It was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, as a model for the Guggenheim. So in a sense, it's a mini version.

Great people watching in this city!

Xanadu Gallery.

I love Lush!

Next up was MOMA. I got a little lost, but thanks to my trusty iPhone, I eventually figured it out. It was amazing. I wandered and took photos, stared and sighed. There was a lot I didn't expect to see, so I had quite a few wow and omg moments.

Rothko

Technology.

Very impressive...

I love Claes Oldenburg. This piece is much smaller than the real one.

Up.

Close up of the tie sculpture by Claes, which is a mini version of the real installation.

Closeup of a Roy Lichtenstein.

An amazing portrait by Chuck Close.

Layers of handmade pulp paper and ink.

Incredible.

Some closeups of a Wayne Thiebaud.

I love his brushstrokes.

Ceiling to floor installation.

This is a pencil drawing right on the museum wall.

(I can't remember the artist's name though. Oops.)

Next up was the Asian Art Museum- one of the largest in the world. It was kind of a long walk there, and I was already limping and sore, but I was too excited to care. It was so amazing to see all that history- I took an Asian art history class in college, so seeing pieces that I had studied was incredible. Goosebumps. By then my legs were so tired that I had to take a few sitting breaks. Then I headed back to the hotel for some downtime.

Installation in the lobby.

Broken off of a larger sculpture.

This is a hand carved, jadeite, ruby encrusted teacup.

Time out.

Throne.

Also hand carved jade. Seriously. Amazing.

As soon as Danny got back, we headed out for Fisherman's Wharf. On a trolley of course. We walked around for a bit, then decided to eat at Aliotos. Danny had swordfish stuffed with crab, ew, and I had some fancy pasta. I have never walked so much in my life as I did that day. And boy, did I feel it!

Us on the trolley.

next up, day three...