2017 CROSS-COUNTRY ROAD TRIP - 4-28-17 - SAN FRANCISCO - PART 2

Friday, April 28th, 2017

 San Francisco - Part 2

Moving on from the Aquarium we didn't go very far before wanting to get a photo of this wonderful crab topiary in front of Pier 39.  It was created by Jeff Brees who specializes in topiaries, using different varieties of moss and living plants.  

  

I saw succulents all over the crab's body, very cool!

A nice couple came by and offered to take our photo.  We returned the favor for them.

There was a bronze sculpture nearby that I loved, called "Guardians of the Gate" by Miles Metzger.  It shows a male and female seal with their pup, and I stayed for a while studying it. Fabulous! 

Here's another one of us after a very nice tourist asked if we would like him to take our photo.  People are very kind.  Behind us is the Hard Rock Cafe.  No we didn't go inside.  We were too busy looking at the sites, and also heading to Fisherman's Wharf.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

We did, however, stop at Ben and Jerry's for a waffle cone.  It cooled us down on this hot day.

I sat on a wall and enjoyed people watching.  There was a bicycle rental next to me and the operators would bring their customers around the corner to give some helpful hints and instructions on riding their bikes.  I heard all nationalities.  I also enjoyed looking at the flowers while I waited for Gregg.

I didn't speak up loud enough when I told Gregg I was going to sit on the wall, and found an empty space just out of site.  It was pretty noisy and the line took a long time.  He wondered around a bit with his two fisted waffle cones, and thankfully I popped my head up and gave him a wave before the ice-cream melted all over his hands. We both sat on the wall and enjoyed our treat.  The  pigeons were ever hopeful as they stared at us, while also scurrying around for waffle cone crumbs that others had dropped.  

This is a picture of the Old Port Gate.  I could find nothing more online apart from other photos, no history and I searched extensively.  I even asked Gregg if he could find something, but neither of us had any luck.  Maybe one of my blogging friends knows something that can be shared.

It is all boarded off and looks in need of serious restoration.  Hopefully this is in the plan.

We made our way to Fisherman's Wharf.  We passed several street performers.  There were also a few people with signs asking for money; one woman sitting on the ground, hers read, "Money for weed.  Why lie?"  That works, maybe?  Just as there are in many cities you see the homeless, and it looked like people were giving what they could.    

It has been many years since I came to the Wharf, and I only remember the one time - my memory is a wee bit fuzzy.  I thought I remembered seals here but of course I was wrong on that.  They were back at Pier 39.  

We didn't get any further than one particular boat and it grabbed my attention.  Two men, the captain of a boat out of sight below street level, and his first mate, were selling tickets for a ride around the bay.  Gregg looked down and politely declined.  I on the other hand said we should go.  Yes I surprised him. 

We had never taken a boat ride around the bay and this one time I was eager to get on that boat.  Gregg wasn't sure I could make it down the vertical ladder onto its deck, and it was a small boat compared to the ones we have taken in the past.  I said quite gleefully, no problem!  

With instructions from the first mate I began to climb down, backwards - there were about seven or eight rungs, felt like more.  Gregg was a tad nervous telling me to be real careful, having dealt with my klutzy nature for all these years, but I assured him I would be fine and I held on as if my life depended on it.  

At the bottom the first mate said now just take it one step at a time, this as I miscalculated and missed the last step.  Grabbing on tight I stretched my leg out as far as I could and neatly touched down, just as though I meant to do that.  "Or you can do it that way" said the first mate.  I didn't look at Gregg because I suspected he was rolling his eyes.  He made his way down too.  

We were the first people on the boat and waited for about half an hour before others bought their tickets.  Our seat was prime and we had the overhang that cast good shade. 

  
It didn't seem too long before Captain Jim and First Mate Anthony were casting off the Nautilus, and we were on our way....  

and I have to admit the old theme tune of Gilligan's Island popped into my head as we headed into the bay, and I mean that in the most positive way as I loved that show. This was not a six hour tour and would only last one hour.



I have decided it would be better to make this trip into a three part post, and the boat ride will be in my next one.  It will be the third and final instalment of our day out in San Francisco.