Embarrassing trip to bakery, thanks, Google Maps
Lars/J. Robert Scott
7 years ago
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Trip to National Chavez Center (pics)
Comments (2)Thank you for sharing your pix. Man, it was hot today (in southern CA) too. I miss that lovely smell of citrus wafting in the air. When I was a kid in the early 60s, my family could drive only a few miles to Anaheim or Fullerton and find orange groves. They used to have u-pick groves. When the trees were in bloom, the smell was intoxicating. I love California poppies. I spent my day going to the Theodore Payne Foundation (San Fernando Valley) and picked up a bunch of native plants to plant. Love your bearded irises. The sad part is that the flowers don't last long and you can't use them for cutting. I grow the dutch irises for cutting and native douglas irises for landscape....See MoreOur trip across the pond
Comments (23)Rosewitch, England was definitely one of my favorite places I have ever visited. My folks took me there when I was 14, and I remember bits and pieces the Crown jewels, walking amongst the Stonehenge stones (roped off now, vandalism), Stratford upon Avon. Time for me to take my own 14YO. Im trying to think how I can get over there for a whole summer, LOL. Dlynn, I could have worked so much more. I didnt really look at night time stuff and there was loads to do. Greece: cant help you, but shoot Yasou a line, she went a few years ago. LOL Annie! Teresa, well go together. I wanted to explore more cooking and food shops/stores but didnt get to. Terri, here is more a link to Pictures of England, a website pointed out to me by Denise. I started it on Bourton on the Water, where we stayed for a few days. Thanks Sharon, I was actually thinking how can I even come close to posting her quality of travel guides, I dont do the pictures she does LOL. We might have sat at the same table in the Cheshire Cheeses dining room! Sawdust still there, but we didnt make it to the cellar. I missed a lot of the British Museum. It has changed.check out the new atrium. I couldnt keep up with DH and DS16. Afternoons, when I planned museums, I crashed. Next time! Pam, lots of people did more than we did per day! Theater every night, more attractions, I cant imagine. Gina heh heh yeah I need another vacation like a hole in my head. Speaking of whichDH has another week off in August. Nooooooooo! Kathleen, DH says he took an average of 200 pictures a day. Yup. Me, I just buy the post cards or Google the images, same thing (DARFC from the photo bugs here) Cathy, thanks for giving me the War and Peace moniker heh heh. Next time I go with CF friends! LindaC, I know. Im still exhausted. Speaking of the V&A, did you know there was a Dale Chihuly chandelier in the entrance room?...See MoreTrip to California! San Fran info
Comments (16)Okay, I'm back.... The advice about the jackets is spot on. It can easily be 20 degrees colder in SF than in Marin, just over the GG bridge, or the East Bay (just over the Bay Bridge). That said, there are amazing bargains at Fisherman's Wharf, with fleece jackets for less than $20. Here are a few specific recommendations: Take a bus tour of the city on one of your first days there. I know some people think they are hokey, but honestly, I think they are great. You see some things that you otherwise wouldn't have time for, and it also helps you know which things you definitely want to spend time at. There used to be a good one, in a double-decker,red, English-looking bus, maybe Grayline Tours or something. Check Tripadvisor. So.... in no particular order: Find a place to rent bikes in the Marina, or close by. Ride across the GG Bridge and then back (there is a great spot to stop and take photos). When you get back to the Marina, there are zillions of places to shop, go in and get some hot soup and a baguette, latte's, ice-cream, etc. The Marina Green and Crissy Field, and Palace of Fine Arts are outstanding for people watching. Let the kids get a frisbee and play there, etc. The Exploratorium is a great hands-on museam there. There are some fabulous hills, which could be amazing fun on a bike if your kids are a bit daring and in good shape. If you have the time and inclination, it is an easy bike ride to Fisherman's Wharf from there. Fisherman's Wharf: very touristy, but your kids will love it. Pier 39 is the area with lots of shops and restaurants, and is a bit more upscale than the rest of FW. For better prices on souvenirs, sweatshirts, food, etc. look at the shops along The Embarcadero (the road that runs along the water). There were hundreds of sea lions on the docks at FW, but I seem to remember that they all suddenly left.... Lots of street artists performing, etc. There is a wonderful Cost Plus World Imports store just a block in or so, that is fun to browse. From FW, you can take a cable car to chinatown. Chinatown is so much fun, just filled with shops of stuff you and the kids will love, noisy and crowded and very authentic. Great, great, great chinese food there (again check Tripadvisor for latest recommendations). The Ferry Bldg Marketplace.: Just down the street from Fisherman's Wharf. Similar to Fanueil Hall in Boston. Lots of gourmet food stalls, street art, etc. Lots of fun. You could easily ride your bikes from FW to the Ferry Bldg. Alcatraz: I'm putting this in here, just because a lot of people seem to like it. Honestly, it is about the last place I would bother with if I was in SF, but if you do want to go, you can get a ferry from Fisherman's Wharf. GG Park: Go on a Sunday if you can plan it that way. Rent bikes. It is a HUGE park. There are a couple of fabulous museams. You can rent row boats at the Stow Lake Boathouse (and get icecream etc. there too). There is a herd of buffalo, a Japanese Tea Garden, ...Bring a map of the park with you. Despite lots of signage, it is very easy to get lost (ask me how I know, LOL!). The kids will see all kinds of neat people there, street art, musicians, etc. North Beach: this is the Italian area of the City. Great family style italian restaurants. Be forewarned, there are also lots of burlesque show type things in this area, with barkers outside trying to lure you in. They are generally pretty respectful of families, but just a heads up. Tennessee Valley: This is north over the GG Bridge, and is part of the Golden Gate Recreation area. 101 North, take the Stinson Beach exit, and you'll see signs. Fabulous trails, and you can actually hike right down to the beach, which is pretty neat. Mt. Tamalpais (Mt. Tam) is another fabulous hike in this area). Muir Woods: this is the nearest redwood grove to SF. It's a wonderful spot, and an easy drive north over the GG bridge. Try to get here first thing in the day. The parking gets more and more difficult throughout the day. You should definitely plan to drive 101 North as far as you want to go, but at least for a few miles. Lots of hairpin turns, ocean waves crashing against steep cliffs, etc. If you think you want to venture outside the immediate area, consider Carmel, about 2 hours south of the City. It is a wonderful little spot. The Carmel/Monterrey area is home to the famous Pebble Beach golf course, the amazing 17-mile-drive scenic route, with lots of amazing homes on the coast, etc. Carmel itself is a charming village, and is where Clint Eastwood runs a restaurant (the Hog's Breath Inn), and was mayor for awhile. Home to some famous people, shopping, dining, sightseeing. There is a wonderful aquarium in Monterrey, which adjoins Carmel. You'll see darling sea otters in Monterrey Bay. Okay, that should get you started. Keep a city map with you all the time, so that you can take advantage of nearby things when you suddenly find yourselves with a free hour.... have a BALL!!!!...See MoreJamaica trip report
Comments (23)I am not a seasoned traveller to the Caribbean, but even my middle class friends who travel told me that when going to an all inclusive, never ever go to less than five stars. They say that will only guarantee a bare minimum of cleanliness and amenities. I didn't really care for what I saw of Negril and wouldn't hesitate to stay farther out in the countryside again. I would REALLY like to get to Cuba before it opens up a bit more. I would just like to see the culture before it changes. As for the negatives, we rented a bare bones b and b and I would take care to rent better, more professional accommodation and hire a well-recommended driver (I did really like our driver and he really made the trip for us! In fact if you stay near Negril I would recommend him for sure). If I had done these two things, I would have been fine. Our last day was the 'get the money out of the rich people day' and I was asked by locals to pay school fees, adopt children, leave my tablet with them, etc. etc. (adopting legally from Jamaica is almost impossible btw). That was a little uncomfortable and made the last day a lot less fun. I think being asked for stuff is not uncommon when you are a relatively rich person visiting a poor area. I do wish I had thought to bring more stuff to give, like antibiotics and ibuprofen. Everyone we met had enough to eat but some people definitely lacked for basic medical care. The real downside is that our host was just sketchy. His business partner quoted us $10 a day each for suppers and he tried to charge us each $50 a day! He said it was because we were big...not THAT big! He was also hardcore hitting on one girl in our group -- and although this was my first trip to Jamaica, I spent a lot of time in dancehall clubs in my wilder days so, although I'm an XL girl and don't get hit on by white guys that often, I am quite familiar with being hit on by Jamaican and Caribbean guys. This dude was well over the "being forward" line into sketch territory but trying to make that girl feel like it was "just" cultural differences when it was well beyond that. And he was not like a young handsome guy either, just pushing his luck. That said she could have been a lot ruder, but also that's problematic when it's a person with a key to your room. I didn't mention that part at the beginning because I am somewhat familiar with Island guys and felt this guy wasn't representative (he was the worst person we encountered on our trip and maybe the worst person I've encountered on any trip, but I've been lucky while travelling and haven't run into many horrible people!). I have never been to Cuba but all the people I was travelling with had been. They preferred Cuba for the most part but felt the food was MUCH better in Jamaica. The scenery was extremely beautiful in Jamaica. They said the animals are much better off - Cuban cows, according to them, all look on the verge of starvation and the Jamaican cows, dogs, chickens and goats I saw all looked fat and happy (unlike Cuba, most dogs belonged to someone and a lot were fixed). My friends all were comfortable driving scooters around Cuba where they preferred having a driver in Jamaica between driving on the left and the potholes. Some of my friends had pretty sketchy nightclub experiences in Cuba and certainly sketchy nightclub experiences were there to be had in Jamaica although our outings were quite tame. There are a lot of rules and a lot of police in Cuba and they occasionally had to pay bribes. One friend had been arrested in Cuba. I didn't feel like that was going to happen in Jamaica although according to our driver he felt the police were "in general a very corrupt bunch." You can get by with English in Jamaica: although you may not understand everyone, they will certainly understand you and the signage is in English. I suspect the same cannot be said for Cuba although I have never been....See MoreLars/J. Robert Scott
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