Friday June 21 2002
Carmel, CA to San Francisco, CA
Weather: Overcast with some breaks of sunshine (mostly in Monterey), some rain as you get closer to San Francisco, daytime highs around 60...nighttime lows around 50
Total Miles To Date 5,319 miles
Money spent today:
$109.94 for hotel in Carmel
$3.25 on ice cream at Fisherman's Wharf
$57.92 on candles store
$14.95 for student discount ticket (the girl behind the counter hooked me up)
$40 on gas
$20 on parking at Pac Bell Stadium
$20 on Giants Ticket
$10 on food at Pac Bell
$159.60 pre-pay for 2 night stay at motel
Total Spent today
$435.66
Total Spent To Date
$2,550.91
Happy Birthday Bret!!
So, I'm up and out by 10am.. Time to really kick back into gear into my road trip.
The first place I decide to go is a place in Monterey called the 17-Mile drive. It's exactly what it sounds like. It's weird because it's a residential area that costs $8The only cool thing is it's interwoven thru a little peninsula around pebble beach and has these magnificent views of beach and extravagant houses. The first 5 miles were kind of lame until you hit the shore. Once you did hit the water it was beautiful. There were so many little different views surrounded by golfer paradise.
By the way, why do people have to play with the animals they see. There are signs EVERYWHERE...but no, people all thinks they can touch and play with the squirrels. Why do I tell you this? Because fortunately for some European guy I had my first aid kit on me. He decided to play with a squirrel and surprise, it bit him. I was impressed with the amount of blood that squirrel created....So, the not-so-doctor bob did some first aid. Idiot he is. So, I cleaned the wound, stopped the bleeding and bandaged it. I can't guarantee he won't get rabies, but oh well. Not my problem. I continue on my 17 miles.
my favorite view..
11:30 and I'm done with the 17-Mile Drive....and I'm at Fisherman's Wharf.
Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey is cool. It's not like South Street Seaport. It's not commercial at all. No stores or malls. It's just about the seafood. Tons of restaurants and fishing boats. It's a shame I don't care for seafood. It looked like the other people there had fun..
Another great thing about Fisherman's Wharf was that for the second time on my trip, I saw a monkey. I even got to shake this monkey's hand. kewl!!
I next moved onto Cannery Row. Cannery Row was where all the canning use to take place. This has now turned commercial and tourist. A lot of stores, restaurants and boutiques. This was a bad place for me. (My favorite's were: this cool toy store, a garlic store and x-mas store) I started buying stuff. Must stop...Must leave....So I did.
1pm and the next stop was the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
2:30 and I'm done with the aquarium. Every big aquarium pretty much has the same thing. This one was just presented better. This was wonderful. My favorite moments were the Jellyfish exhibit, the penguins, the touch pool with the manta rays and of course the sharks...very cool...much better than Norwalk or Boston...
I head back on the 1 North...
4pm and I'm at the Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz
This place was just strange. I'm completely serious when I say the natural laws of physics don't apply here. This place just confused me. It didn't make any sense. Gravity didn't work here. I'm serious, I saw balls rolling up a hill. Bizarre height differences standing on a even level board and 3 feet sideways...It was very strange, very cool and no one will believe me unless you go...very very very cool..
Please ask me about the mystery spot when I get back...
4:40 and I was done with the Mystery Spot and I'm off to San Francisco...and welcome to the fog, drizzle and cold weather...I even drove by a sign saying it's 52 outside....brrr
6:35 and once again, I'm an idiot...I drove to 3Com Park and nothing is going on here....That's because the 49er's play here, not the Giants...Fortunately, Pac Bell is on my continued way 10 minutes north...
I finally find Pac Bell and I park a place a block away and walk over to go buy tickets....
I find my way to the ticket booth. It's a bonus, every one here is really nice and helpful. While standing on line to buy ticket I end up buying tickets from some guy who had an extra....He charged me less than face (ticket was $28) and I was more than happy with that.....Cool, I'm in..
This stadium is beautiful. It's just cold. The temps here are what it's like at Yankee Stadium in October. This game was a special one. This was the first time the Giants played the Orioles and it was pin night. I end up sitting with the guy who sold me the ticket and his family. The seats were in the left field foul/home run territory. It was a fun game and the people I was sitting with were great. Hi to Scott, Lindsay and Patty. It truly made for a more fun game that I was anticipating being alone. Lindsay let me try something that Yankee Stadium doesn't have, but should....Garlic Fries...they rule. They also had churros and sushi here...bizarre. There was a constant mist over the field that looked like rain. All it was apparently was the fact we were in a cloud. Walking around the stadium is nice especially when you get to the walkway overlooking the bay....nice time and the Giants won 4-3 with a home run in the bottom of the 8th...
here's a bad picture of Barry Bonds at bat
After the game, I walked back to my car and realized I now have to find a place to sleep in San Francisco. This is the equivalent of driving into Manhattan and starting to look for a cheap hotel or motel....Yup, this was fun.
After driving a while and making some hotel calls, I drove by a place that didn't look at seedy as the others...a place called Francisco Bay Motel. According to the map I got from my cousin in L.A., I'm in the Russian Hill district of San Francisco...Well, time to sleep and get sightseeing tomorrow morning...
C YA
notes:
by the way, it's disturbing to see Arizona burning on the news. I drove thru those parts a week ago....I'm glad I was fortunate enough to see parts of rte 60 before the fire closed it.
Why would anyone pick up a hitchhiker not carrying anything except a shovel?
1617
Total Miles Traveled Today
178