Day IX (July 14, 2009)

Today we decided to set out, by car (not BART), to San Francisco and beyond. We crossed over the Bay Bridge and then the Golden Gate Bridge.


Driving across the Bay Bridge, San Francisco in the distance


the Bay Bridge (to enter San Francisco)


The three of us, the Golden Gate Bridge behind us


the Golden Gate Bridge

Driving across the Golden Gate Bridge

After we made it over the bridges, we landed ourselves at the Muir Woods National Monument. We walked around and had an opportunity to see some redwood trees.

Another adventure, another Welcome sign


Some of the tallest trees in the world, in Muir Forest


John and David quietly take in Muir Forest


David, thinking on "Kent Tree"

Our drive back gave us another chance to see the bridge, and other structures in San Francisco. On our tour of the city we decided to drive historic Lombard Street (a windy road that curves through SanFran).


Alcatraz sits in the distance


Lombard Street (while driving)


Lombard Street (from the bottom)

Then we set the GPS for Palo Alto, CA in order to visit Stanford University. Our trip there was short, but just enough for the three of us to get our fill of the university and for the two UC travelers (John and David) to pay their respects to this fine private university.


John and David christen the Stanford fountain


Stanford students bathing in the fountain

Tonight we settle in, ready for a good night's rest.


from the Bay Bridge (underside) at night

Day VIII (July 13, 2009)

This morning, we woke up a little later than usual - but just in time to catch BART and stumble back into San Francisco. For John and Eric - weary travelers by now - it was a novelty to see the same city twice. But San Francisco was worth it.


the first shot of the day, an image of San Francisco harbor

Our goal today was Fisherman's Wharf and beyond. John went to work plotting our course and we fully utilized San Francisco's public transportation. From the back of BART, MUNI (like, above ground trains), buses and beyond we saw a new side of the city.


The three of us in the back of a ferry bus

Fisherman's Wharf was our first stop, we wandered around, saw sights and took pictures.


David is a SanFran kind of pirate, holding his sign as proof


Eric, outside a store for left-handed people


Sea Lions gather near Peir 39


Ghirardelli Square

After, we traveled to Golden Gate Park. We got a great view of the bridge and an even better view of the park. It is a beautiful break from the urban setting of San Francisco.


David at the Japanese Tea Garden, in Golden Gate Park


Our first - and not last - picture of the Golden Gate Bridge

We used the beautiful view to catch up on some much needed shut-eye.


Napping... in style...

Tired and having seen our second full day of SanFran, the three of us headed back to Berkeley for a cheap dinner at a New York style pizza place and an early night. Tomorrow we're headed a bit more North for a bit more adventure.

Day VII (July 12, 2009)

David, John, and Eric woke up in their apartment with one clear goal- San Francisco. There wasn't much else on our minds as we boarded the BART (that is Northern California's public transportation system, works like a subway) headed for SanFran.


David (the third amigo) in the BART station

the BART train pulling into the station

On the BART, we noticed a lot of people were wearing Giants (San Francisco's baseball team) jerseys. David suggested we see a Giants game, and a passenger mentioned that this would be the last game of a 4 game series against the San Diego Padres. We took the chance, followed some kids to the stadium, and bought $30 tickets from a local ticket salesman (scalper). The game wasn't exactly close, but it was a fantastic spur of the moment experience.



AT&T Park, home of the San Fransisco Giants


The crowd


the three amigos, AT&T park in the background

After the game, the city was our oyster. We took to cable cars and cruised around. One of our first stops was Union Square. We wandered through an 8-story mall and street shops. We took plenty of pictures:


Watching the Cable Car getting prepared to take us up the hills of San Fransisco


David hanging on for dear life on a Cable Car


8-story mall, from the bottom


8-story mall, from the tippy top

Hungry and tired, the three of us made our way back to Berkeley via the BART and met up with Suzi - a future Golden Bear and mutual friend who happened to be in the area for Berkeley orientation. The day ended in the same place it began (unusual for our trip, but something we're getting used to) but we covered a lot of ground (via road, cable car, and foot).

Day VI (July 11, 2009)

The day began as a quiet, cold morning. The pair of travelers walked to a grocery store and bought cereal and milk to ensure that they ate a responsible breakfast each morning (and to save money on food).

John will be attending the University of California, Berkeley in the fall and the two of us decided to tour his future home (although we've both been around it a couple times - we figured there were still pictures to be had and sights to be seen).


John studying a map, which came in handy as we got to know campus


John in front of Sather Tower, a Berkeley landmark


John, in front of Sather Gate - another Berkeley landmark


Eric, eye to eye with a T-Rex

We walked around campus and stumbled into a BBQ for prospective band members (John went to get informed, Eric went for the free hamburgers).


the Berkeley Band, welcoming their own

Eric will be attending Stanford University in the fall. It just so happens that Stanford and UC Berkeley are rivals. In fact, Eric had to wear UC Berkeley gear to stay safely disguised. But he managed to infiltrate some parts of the UC Berkeley campus... we ran around campus, Eric's hat tucked beneath John's sweatshirt, taking pictures of Eric with his Stanford hat on.


Eric studies the map, plotting his targets


Eric ("hidden" in the lower left) on campus, in Stanford gear


Eric (in the lower right hand corner) at Sather Gate
Tired and having gotten our fill of UC Berkeley's campus for one day, we retired back to the apartment and watched a movie, caught up on summer work for college, and eventually drove to pick up David - the third amigo on our adventure - from the Oakland Airport.
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With David along for the ride we settled into our apartment and went to sleep.

Day V (July 10, 2009)

Today there isn't much to say. We're alive after a 9 hour drive on the I-5.


We woke up in Las Vegas, NV and we're settling in to sleep in Berkeley, CA. It was a long day. We're tired. Tomorrow we will tour the campus, and for the rest of our trip we'll be broadcasting from a quaint little apartment in Berkeley (thanks to Nathalie).


John at his battlestation

Day IV (July 9, 2009)

Day IV began as a three hour tour, a short jump to the Grand Canyon West and then back home to a quiet night in Las Vegas. However, our entry is not short - and neither was the day we endured.

After deciding to leave for the Grand Canyon early (10 am) we set the GPS to take us through the Hoover Dam. We parked and walked around. The size and scale of the Dam is really impressive, almost 80 years later it is still pretty amazing to look at. It is dam big.


the two travelers having a dam good day


A shot of the Dam, looking over the wall (don't worry, John is a good swimmer)


Eric pointing to a company his dad used to work for, who worked on the dam

Then, we set sail for what we thought was the "Grand Canyon West". After a long trip (about two hours) we arrived at what was NOT, in fact, the Grand Canyon. It was rather frustrating to realize we had passed the turn off for the Grand Canyon almost 150 miles ago. But we were determined, and turned around.


At this Chevron, we got gas (twice, once on the way to the wrong
place and again on the way back from the wrong place)

Once we arrived, the place was closing - but we snapped a couple good pictures and took in a sunset.


the Grand Canyon West Rim

John took over driving and we escaped the Grand Canyon safely. The whole trip was a lot more than we bargained for, but turned out to be an adventure. We even stumbled upon an In-n-Out along the way.

Once we were back to the hotel, we were exhausted and took in the city of Vegas from the comfort of our own hotel.


After a very long day, in front of a very dirty car

Day III (July 8, 2009)

Today, we woke up in Bryce National Park from a campground that served us well for the night we spent there. When we left, the goal was clear - we had a broad set of new destinations in sight and first in line was Zion National Park.



The Zion Welcome Sign

It was a puddle jump, a quick drive from Bryce to Zion along Route 9 (the "Zion Scenic Route"). The road actually carves itself through Zion's breathtaking canyons and we took the trip at a cool 20 mph to soak up the scenery. Part of the way we drove through a mile long tunnel (a major accomplishment in 1920s architecture, and the final link between Bryce and Zion parks). Below are a few shots that can say much more than either of us are capable of saying.



The backdrop is the entrance to Zion Park


The entrance to a mile long tunnel


t taken from our camera (sitting on the street)


This shot shows how massive the rocks truly are. The cliffs are giant.

After the trip we were hungry, and stopped over at Blondies Diner for a great lunch. The place was a converted house decorated with novelty items, we laughed throughout the meal and walked to the "Zion Prospector" store to look through rocks, pebbles, and carved items.

Once we were finished we put the peddle the metal and made our way towards Las Vegas, NV. By the time we arrived Eric had tallied 20+ hours behind the wheel and John, a steadfast wingman, had stayed seated that long too.


Arriving in Las Vegas, NV around 3pm

It was a rough arrival but when we pulled into the Luxor Hotel we were exhausted and ready for a nap (see image below :D )


John, in Las Vegas, NV at the Luxor Hotel

The rest of our day we spent wandering Las Vegas seeing hotels and sights. We cruised through the Paris Hotel and Margaritaville, walked the strip, and found our way back to two comfortable beds and warm showers.


John, putting the size of the Monte Carlo in perspective


The New York, New York Hotel from the strip

The Belagio Hotel from the strip

This entry is short, but our trip today was eventful. Even now it is amazing to think that we woke up in Bryce National Park and will close this entry from the comfort of a Las Vegas hotel room. We've put serious road beneath our tires and miles behind our smiling faces. Tomorrow is a calm day, a short expansion of our adventure and a calm night.