San Fran day 2

Prepare for picture overload.
Day #2 was spent sight-seeing all over San Fran. With so many pictures to share, I'll hop right in and explain the day's events as we go.

First up...Map? What map?

Once we figured out north from south, we finally found our way to the trolley station. If I felt I needed the acclamations, I might say it was yours truly and her trusty map that lead the way. But I don't need them. I'm confident and secure.

On our way we spotted a Bloomingdales, where Shawna and Jessica required a picture.
Even better? Heading inside for the Bloomies experience. And their bathroom.
Street vendor turning out some pretty awesome sounds

Up next...Clang clang clang went the trolley!

We hopped aboard the trolley car and headed toward the wharf. What an experience! I've got a video as we trundled up the street. All 4 of us stood on the side-walk side of the trolley, which mean we had to suck it in every time we passed a vehicle parked on the street. Hand to my heart, the first deliver truck we passed, there was less than 2 inches between my, ahem, chest and the side of the truck. Talk about a tight squeeze! Just past that obstacle we were stopped, in the sunshine, for about 15 minutes. Looking up the road you could see a service truck parked in the middle of the road, so we were stopped as long as he was stopped. But us being stopped didn't stop the rest of the traffic. Trucks and cars whizzed by as we waited. And waited. It was unseasonably warm for San Fran; I'm talking over 80 degrees. NOT typical for the Foggy City, so being stopped in the sun wasn't exactly comfy. But we made the best of it, taking pictures, cracking jokes, and commenting on the inappropriate places we were sweating. Or at least Shawna and I did. I'm not sure exactly what Jess and Jake were up to!

Headed up the hill
The famous Lombard Street from the top looking down
We were all a little warm by this point
Of course we made the trek down
Say cheese Shawna!
Up next...Fisherman's Wharf

Talk about hustle and bustle! There was so much happening at the wharf it would have been impossible to get it all in at once. Luckily we spent some amount of time down there every day of our visit so we managed to get it all in. Food, shopping, culture, boats, tourism, games, museums, you name it, they had it.

And we have arrived
I present you Bush Man - there's a clever dude hidden behind those branches who loves nothing more than to poke his head out and scare the bejeezus out of less-than-suspecting folks. BRILLIANT! And such good entertainment!
Up next...Getting crabs

We decided to nosh at Joe's Crab Shack. We'd never been to one and got to experience the dance party, happening every 45 minutes, on the dot. Pretty fun if you ask this ex-cheerleader. I think, though, I was the only one that appreciated the tunes.

Celebrating her birthday in liquid style
Jake being too kewl for skewl. Me, on the other hand, busting it to Michael Jackson. Who can deny the MJ?Not sure?
None of us ordered crab, but we still wanted to rock the bibs, to which our server was happy to oblige

Up next...I'm onna boat!

I deserve a gold star! We all picked 1 thing we wanted to see/do while we were in San Fran, but other than that there was absolutely no plan. I thought this would make me crazy, but it actually turned out to be a little refreshing. We didn't have to rush to be somewhere at a certain time or worry about missing an appointment. I learned it's actually a nice way to enjoy a vacation! Sure an itinerary would have been welcomed, but I'm glad I threw my inhibitions to the wind and took the 'roll with it' approach. Part of not having plans meant when we came across a boat tour of the San Fran Bay, including the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island, we said why the heck not?! It was a BYOD ride, so a quick trip to the liquor store meant we'd be able to toast our good fortune while cruising through the bay, on a boat. I'M ONNA BOAT!

Getting cozy, waiting for the trip to begin
San Fran skyline
I'm onna boat! Gangsta.
Alcatraz Island and my cutie
And there she is, The Golden Gate Bridge
Jessica, going for the wind-blown look
Loving how Shawna's hair has created horns for her :)
Happy to have some cooler weather on the water, which gives me the perfect excuse to cuddle close with my man
My attempt at an artist pic of the bridge
Our captain and crew were awesome; this is only 1 of the 20 pics he took with my camera!
Incredible
Checking in, me and the bridge
We managed to make a couple of friends while we were on the ride; a husband and wife from England. Absolutely great people! What's so funny is that Jake was drinking New Castle, an English beer, while he was drinking Bud, an American beer. Add to that Shawna, Jessica and I were drinking a sparkling wine from her home country, and it's like we got confused as to whom hailed from where! Jake and this guy (I totally forgot his name) even said "Cheers!" and clinked drinks. I'm pretty sure I caught a 'mate' in there, too. Such a great memory!
Next up...Out of my element!

There aren't many photos to share of our dinner at Opaque because it was PITCH BLACK. I let them talk me into a dining in the dark experience, and even though it gave me anxieties, I'm glad I went through with it. I've made it no secret that I'm a control freak. There's a certain calming in having my hands in everything, leaving no leaf unturned. So take a Type A and toss them into a situation where they literally have no control and have to rely on a complete stranger and it can make them a bit crazy. Add in my food allergies, and the evening had butterflies the size of Manhattan flying through my belly. But, having said that, it's an experience like none other. Not only does it make you focus on your food (which was out of this world), it also makes you re-learn how to communicate. I was sitting at a table with my husband, little sister and dear friend, and yet I was finding it difficult to maintain a conversation. I wasn't allowed to look around and comment on art, food, other people, etc. We were left to our own devices and awkward as it was, it was an incredible learning experience. All of the wait staff at Opaque are visually impaired; sitting through 2 hours of what life is like in their shoes is quite humbling. When we were led out of the restaurant afterward, and I was blinded by the light of a few 60 watt bulbs, I thanked God for my site, something I guarantee I've taken for granted. In the end I was nervous the entire time, but am so happy I did it. I wouldn't let Jake get away from me the entire time. At one point he scooted over as if to give me more room, and I just scootched right night to him. I felt like if I wasn't making physical contact, then I was going to be swallowed by the darkness. I'm also a giant weeny. When we were led to and from our table, we had to walk in a conga line and I refused to be the last in line. It was tucked between 2 people or else I wasn't going to budge. People, it was DARK! Imagine midnight, in your closet, eyes closed. Now imagine it 100x darker than that. Now imagine you have to feed yourself. Comical, no?

We survived! Even though it was after 9:30 in the evening, having sat through 2 hours in complete darkness, we needed our sunglasses in order to readjust to the light. That and it just makes us look extra cool.
Survivor!
Glad to have her with me