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[Epcot_Boy]

Great pics, especially of the Golden Gate Bridge =D>

[davewasbaloo]

>>>peter and pauls church<<<

My great grandparents were the first couple married in that church!!! We have a family crypt there.

I'm loving the report, you are making me homesick.

[experiment627]

Hey Riebi,

thanks for the awesome report and the great photos!
Is one week after getting back from Florida too early to plan the next vacation?  :wink: You're giving us some amazing ideas!

[Riebi]

Great pics, especially of the Golden Gate Bridge =D>

Oh and I have so much more. I think I was a bit mad with the bridge  :lol:

>>>peter and pauls church<<<

My great grandparents were the first couple married in that church!!! We have a family crypt there.

I'm loving the report, you are making me homesick.

Wow!!! So i was standing next to the Baloos family crypt without knowing it? THATS a small world after all! It´s a nice church and the place next to it also. it was full of lazy people sitting at the grass. And some small tents where they celebrated something.

Hey Riebi,

thanks for the awesome report and the great photos!
Is one week after getting back from Florida too early to plan the next vacation? :wink: You're giving us some amazing ideas!

Oh its not to early! I planned my next trip on the way back home  :lol: Also great florida report! I read it yesterday.

On the other hand why are you planning a trip, living in the wonderfull Zamonien (Korn Heim or Tatzeninseln?)


Now let´s start with

Day 3

05.10 San Francisco with wonderful views from little towers, cable cars and alcatraz

This night was the better one. I don´t now how fast the adjustment of a new time and world normaly takes but I can say the jetlag was history since morning of this day.

That said it sounds like a real fairytale cause now after 5 days of being home again I have still some problems. I think that means that I should move to california (or Zamonien maybe).

We took breakfast at a Starbucks near our hotel with a lot of men in suits. Financial district people.

So, I was fit for the day and happy to have my first visit to a Macy´s! Two things if learned from nanny fine: Visit Macy´s and Bloomingdales. So Macy´s at Union square was first.

It was just a short walk from our hotel to the union square, the wonderful westin hotel and the centre of the shopping district. The union square is a nice place and it seems that there are not that much tourists as at the pier areas.

Macy´s includes a Cheesecake factory and my friend had the idea to take their a short early lunch. But it was closed and cause I never was in a cheesecake factory before it doesnt bother me much. (That something that changed with my first piece of cheesecake at anaheim...)

They had a real nice holiday section with nice christmas cards (the cards at bloomingdales are even better). And they had a little salesperson shouting out that we must be Brits. We said no, germans. "OOOOOOOOOOOH GERMANS" screams she "how NICEEEE". Then she took us to the macy´s visitors center where we get some nice words and a macy´s discount card which gaves us 10 % at every macy´s from coast to coast.

"how NICE" said we. And after some looks around macy´s we walked down the streets of the shopping district to the westfield centre at market street which is the home of bloomingdales. They had no little screaming salesperson but nice christmas cards and free cookies.

We then decided to take the cable car. We bought a ticket one day earlier (5 $) at the cable car centre near fisherman´s wharf. It´s not recommendable to take the start point of the cable car line. We wanted to go to lombard street by using the Powell-Hyde line. The start point of this line is at the corner powell street/market street.
There are masses of tourists waiting for a car here. So we walked to the next stop at powell street (and next to union square).

Even here you have to wait some cable cars till you get one but that a matter of 15 minutes and down the street you have to wait over 45 minutes. So it´s ok.
It was a nice ride with the cable car cause we made a big part of the line (lombard street or the intricate part of it is a bit away from market street) and had so a very long cable car experience.

The cable car stopped above the intricate part of lombard street. So you have a nice view with coit tower in the distance. We walked down the street eating tuffys (cause we baught a lot of them the day before at pier 39) till we arrived again Peter and Pauls church. Cause we hadn´t time enough to go inside the day before we did this now and then we walked on up the hill to coit tower. It´s really steeply here.

Coit tower it a nice tower from 1933 at telegraph hill. You will have a nice overview here and it´s a bit like soarin´ over san francisco.

After nice views we made our way down the telegraph hill. There are little steps down toward embarcadero. This is a really quick and simple way to come back to the piers. We ate something at the Hard Rock Cafe at Pier 39, watched the sea lions again and went to the centre of fisherman´s wharf.


There we had to buy a new photocard cause we filled the first. (we had to lend a camera cause ours was broken just before our trip) The time was now right for our trip to Alcatraz. We booked a tour much much earlier via internet:
//http://www.alcatrazcruises.com/

We took the night tour cause that seems to be the most magical-scariest tour (and it was the best!!!) The pier where the ships to alcatraz leave is just a short distance from fisherman´s wharf.

The boarding was without any problems. You have just to show your printed tickets and the way to alcatraz is open.

It was a calm ride to alcatraz with a announcing sunset at the golden gate bridge and so we enter alcatraz island in the twilight. It was a oppressive adventure on the isle but a good one. I think you can´t understand the island better then while such a night tour.

And to get happy again you will have nice views: San Francisco Downtown by night. The tour isn´t something you can describe by words. Of course you see the cells of al capone and so on. But I was more shocked/impressed by the fact how small such cells are and the hospital was one of the scariest places in my life.

At the night tour they have special programm points where they explain more of the island and about famous inmates.

After some hours on the isle we decided to take the next ship back to reality. We walked through the nightly san francisco back to our hotel to get our minds clear again and took then some sweets on the bed.

[davewasbaloo]

Very cool. I cannot wait to hear more. Yep, my family were from Columbus Avenue (1331) my great great grandfather (who was a cable car driver before he became a fisherman on the wharf) built it. And my Great Grandmother worked in the Cannery (next to the cable car turnaround near the Maritime museum) as a young woman then as a rivitor in the ship yards during the war - she became the US west coast's 1st qualified engineer!

My family have a deep rooted history with the city, as one of the early Italian immigrants that settled North Beach. One of our family went on to be picked to play for a baseball team. You might have heard of him, Joe DiMaggio (married to Marline Monroe for a little while). His picture is also in DLP's hotel New York.

[Riebi]

Wow! That´s really intersting cause I strolled around this old cannery buildings and read a book where they describe the hard work of the people there. I have to see you now with other eyes! Celebrity-Dave!  :mrgreen:

It´s a bit like the living history is just a twinkle away if you just reports some things out of your family! Very interesting!!!!  =D>

[davewasbaloo]

My pleasure. I am a keen historian, I love talking to people about our different histories. It is what makes life a rich tapestry.

[Riebi]

And it´s really cool to hear all this things! especially if you was just at this places. And I was thinking all the time: Here live and work people?! How must this be.

Some pics from Day 2

The Morning

-Playing father christmas at macy´s


-cable car arrive


-me at the cable car


- I was one of the hang-out-guys! (The better tourists)


-Lombard street


-Lombard street

Coit Tower

-My feets and lombard street


-The tower


-the history of the tower


-on the tower


-on the tower


-tower plateau


-steps down (me making the viewer belief that we go up)


-hard rock meal


-Pier 39


-me with friends


Fisherman´s Wharf sign

Alcatraz

-way to the isle


-alcatraz


-sun at golden gate bridge


-the whole island


-city view





-the pier of alcatraz


-arriving alcatraz


-arriving alcatraz


-pier area


-the prison house


-shower room where the new prisoners once arrived


-the cells area


-a cell ready for a prisoner


-the operation room at the prisons hospital


-hospital room

[Riebi]

Day 4

06.10 along the sea down the "one" over Santa Cruz some sea elephants to San Simeon

Day 4 was our first driving day. We had a excelent "organic" breakfast at the cafe in our hotels building. (The new us "environment friendly" behavior and its outgrowths are really funny if you are european and 20 years forward but hey! they try something)

After this we leave our hotel and thank our GPS (we bought one at SF and named it Brigitte some days later) and a map we found our way out of the city. I was sad to leave San Francisco. In just two days I fell in love with this windy but wonderful city.


======Fazit San Francisco=========
San Francisco is a wonderful city to stay and to start a trip. It´s busy but not too much and have everywhere something to see. Even if the city isn´t that old like european cities you can feel a deep historic spirit. The wonderful architecture emphasise this. Everywhere - in a historic trolley, at the cable car, at the piers or in the centre of the city - you will find some places that are just unique and lovable.

The Galleria Park Hotel was the perfect location to get touched with the city. It´s at the center of the Financial district with everything you need next and with most of the attraction in a walking distance (and for the people who don´t like walking there is a trolley station just some steps away). The rooms are nice, clean and the staff gives you a very obliging service.

============================

Out of the city, we had our first stop next to a little beach. I went down the cliffs to the beach, saw some squirells (I LOVE THEM SOOO MUCH!) and had my feets into sandy grounds!

We drove down H 1 and had our first real stop at Santa Cruz. We visited the beachboardwalk, playing mini golf and having a snack. Then we continue our drive passing monterey and this wonderful landscape there. It´s really a nice highway and if you have the time you shouldn´t miss the landscape here.

Some miles before we get to our destination there was a little beach which was reserved for sea elephant. Impressing animals. It´s always good to find some new friends. They make completly diffrent noises then the sea lions by the way.

Around 5 PM we arrived our destination for the day: San Simeon. That´s a really little little littel "point" at the coast which has just some motels. We decided to take the Motel 6. It´s ok for one night but I think for a holliday not the best. But cause we just want to stay for one night it was ok.

Why San Simeon? Cause there lays one of the most enchanted and magical places of california. "Hearst Castle" is the old vacation home of a man named William R. Hearst. He was the first Rupert Murdoch and built this stately home on a lonley hill next to san simeon.

But about Hearst Castle we should learn more the next day. Cause for Day 4 we had just a short view of the hill (the enchanted hill) and the sea and then a nice little meal on our bed with a HBO movie.

[experiment627]

Hey Riebi,

thanks for the awesome report and the great photos!
Is one week after getting back from Florida too early to plan the next vacation? :wink: You're giving us some amazing ideas!

Oh its not to early! I planned my next trip on the way back home  :lol: Also great florida report! I read it yesterday.

On the other hand why are you planning a trip, living in the wonderfull Zamonien (Korn Heim or Tatzeninseln?)

I was thinking about getting a holiday cottage near the Great Forest.  :wink:

By the way, did you book your holiday individually or did you also go through a tour operator?
We did a combination of those two for Florida... Worked out quite well...

[Riebi]

Pics of Day 4
Good Bye SF

-hotel room


-view out of our window


-view out of our window


-view out of our window


-the lobby


-our hotel


-our little roof garden

On the way towards San Simeon

-me at the sea


-playing PIRATES mini golf at santa cruz


-santa cruz boardwalk


-boardwalk detail


-beautiful landscape


-the sea elephants sleeping


-motel 6 san simeon


-view out of our room

[Riebi]

Hey Riebi,

thanks for the awesome report and the great photos!
Is one week after getting back from Florida too early to plan the next vacation? :wink: You're giving us some amazing ideas!

Oh its not to early! I planned my next trip on the way back home  :lol: Also great florida report! I read it yesterday.

On the other hand why are you planning a trip, living in the wonderfull Zamonien (Korn Heim or Tatzeninseln?)

I was thinking about getting a holiday cottage near the Great Forest.  :wink:

By the way, did you book your holiday individually or did you also go through a tour operator?
We did a combination of those two for Florida... Worked out quite well...

Oh Zamonien Riviera! Something for the rich and famous!

We had a individual holiday. We booked the flights in april (travel agency), hotels for San Francisco, Anaheim, Las Vegas in June (via expedia.de), a California City pass (travel agency), Rental Car in September via ADAC and the Motels on our way were all without any bookings. Was travelling without problems. Had never before a full individual holiday so I was surprised that we hadn´t any problems  :lol:

Which part of your trip was individual and which via tour operator?

[davewasbaloo]

With Santa Cruz, besides having one of the world's earliest roller coasters, and a great mission, it was also the town in Lost Boys - lol.

Exp627 - I would never recommend a tour operator for California except for very specific things like a Napa Winery tour or something of that nature. Or a trip to Yosemite or Sequoia if frightened of driving the mountain roads (which these parks are the most beautiful part of California IMHO).

We did 4 weeks in California a few years ago and we spent 20% of what a tour operator wanted, and we stayed mainly 4 and 5* except for the Holiday Inn Express Santa Barbara. Use priceline for your hotel needs, you can get a 5* for about 60 euro a night if lucky.

[experiment627]

Which part of your trip was individual and which via tour operator?

Thanks for your reply!
We booked most of the hotels and the rental car through DERTOUR. (They are more specialised in adding individual elements to your itinerary than most tour operators.) The main reason to book the car through the tour operator was the additional insurance: should we have been involved in an accident, this insurance would have covered up to 1,5 million dollars in legal costs etc. - I thought this would be a wise choice when travelling in the US.

The hotel in Orlando (first two nights), the Sheraton Sand Key Resort in Clearwater Beach and the hotel in Naples was also booked through them. It actually came out cheaper than individual bookings at each of these places.
As most tour operators only have a limited offer when it comes to hotels on the Atlantic coast, I booked our Holiday Inn in Vero Beach directly.

A CM friend of mine booked Animal Kingdom Lodge for us.
That said, planning and booking our week at WDW was probably the most complicated part about our holiday itinerary. Disney does not really make it easy to plan a vacation with them... (With all the options and the extra stuff that needs to be considered.)

Exp627 - I would never recommend a tour operator for California except for very specific things like a Napa Winery tour or something of that nature. Or a trip to Yosemite or Sequoia if frightened of driving the mountain roads (which these parks are the most beautiful part of California IMHO).

I would not really book a full itinerary through any tour operator. But I would definitely check the hotels that they have got on offer.
But yeah, for California most of the itineraries sound a bit boring - at least to me... (Most include Las Vegas, which I am not really interested in...)

[davewasbaloo]

Exp627 - let me know when you start planning, I am sure I can come up with something you'd love - art galleries, skiing, surfing, scuba diving, theme parks, deserts, live music, bears, whales, trees, mexican heritage, japanese and chinese heritage, ghost towns, 5* oppulance, cheap safe places.

California has so much to offer. People automatically think Florida, but after the parks and Kennedy Space Centre, there is not much to offer (beaches and some wildlife, but not as varied as California)

Vegas is great for dining and stage shows, no doubt about that. Some of the rides and coasters are fun too. It is interesting, but not a priority. Though it is a great place to take off from for a Helicopter tour of the amazing Grand Canyon.