Trip down Route 1 and Go C's!

Tuesday and Wednesday we drove down the coast of Route 1. Gorgeous! Tuesday also happened to be the opening day for the NBA with the Celtics kicking off the season vs the Cavs...There was no way that Tyler was missing the game. After driving along the boardwalk of Santa Cruz and sitting in about 40 minutes of bumper to bumper traffic, (caused by an accident on the OPPOSITE side of the road!) we pulled into Monterey with only a few minutes to spare. We booked a room at the Days Inn, walked in the door, turned on the tv and the game was just about to start!

We then ventured around Monterey which was sooooo pretty. The next day we took our time sightseeing along the coastal route 1 and made it to LA around 7!

San Francisco Part III : Woodstock Reunion

After the tour of Alcatraz Island we all made our way over to Golden Gate Park which just happened to be hosting the 40th Anniversary of Woodstock Reunion show called WestFest... For free! 4 stages, 40+ bands, hundred's of craft dealers, and vendors. We made it there to catch the last couple hours of the show and to see Sly and The Family Stone play a Jimi Hendrix tribute! The whole thing was crazy!

On Monday we decided to stay an extra night. Instead of staying in Union Square again, we booked a hotel right in Fisherman's Wharf. We walked along the water right after sunset, got something to eat, and searched the pier for something to eat for desert. We ended up walking a few blocks up to North Beach (similar to Little Italy) to find a cute little Italian Pastry shop and called it a night. The next day we drove through the Castro and Mission District. (Castro made famous by political figure Harvey Milk, a story now told in the Sean Penn film "MILK") We wish we had more time to explore these areas by foot because they looked very cool. Overall, San Fran was an amazing time! Too bad we have to leave but now onto LA!

San Francisco Part II : Alcatraz Island

On Sunday we met up with Tyler's Uncle Andy and Cousin Ben to take part in the tour of Alcatraz Island. What an awesome day! We took the 11:30 boat from Pier 33 over to the famous prison that was home to some of the world's biggest criminals. The Island closed down in 1963 and has since become a great historic landmark and now a preserved National Park. We arrived on the Island a little before noon time. After a quick orientation video, we were free to roam the island. We saw a gorgeous view of the city and its skyline, something the prisoners were rarely able to look at unless it was through plate glass. We took a 45 minute audio tour through the prison cells, prisoner's rec yard, warden's office, dining room, and much more. If you ever visit San Fran, this is a must see attraction.

San Francisco Part I

Have no fear ladies and gentlemen we are still alive and well! We haven't posted in a few days because for our stay in San Francisco, we managed to find the only hotel in America that didn't offer wireless! San Fran was gorgeous. We spent an extra night because we enjoyed it so much. We explored everything here; Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf, Haight Street, Fillmore District, Financial District, the crookedest street in the world, Ghiradelli Chocolate, the pier 39 sea lions, the skyline from coit tower and downtown Union Square. Our hotel was right in the heart of downtown. Here are some pictures from our first two days in San Fran. Part II, including Alcatraz and Woodstock 40th Anniversary to come later!...And tonight the Celtics open their season, we'll be looking for a spot along the coast to watch the game...Go C's!

California!

On Tuesday we made our way down the incredibly gorgeous Oregon coast into California! (Where at the border we were asked if we were carrying any plants, fresh fruit, firewood, or animals...) Since then we have stayed at Lucy's house in Arcata California with her two roommates. During our time here we explored the coast and a pebble beach, hiked through the Redwood forest, and went bowling!

Welcome to Portland

We have spent the past few nights staying in Portland, Oregon with Rachel's Uncle Al. Him and Marina live just outside the heart of the city in a really cool neighborhood. With one look around it's easy to see that the most popular mode of transportation is by bike and almost everyone has a dog. There's a lot going on in their area, but it isn't as busy as downtown. On Saturday we went to explore the heart of Portland and checked out the market that goes on every weekend. We also went to see the "Where The Wild Things Are" movie...which we both loved... well Tyler loved but Rachel thought it was weirder then she expected. While we were in town we went to VooDoo Doughnuts, which is a more scandalous doughnut shop than you would find anywhere else and offers doughnuts topped with Captain Crunch, Rice Krispies, Fruit Loops, or Oreos to name a few!
On Sunday we were surprised to not see any dark rain clouds so Al took us to Forest Park for a hike. We brought Max (the dog) and went on a beautiful and strenuous two hour hike through the woods of Portland! The leaves have changed and are pretty just like home. We really wanted to check out some live local music while we were in town and we just so happened to see a sign at a place advertising four bands for four dollars. Good deal...the music was...well...interesting!
We had a great time here! Now we're both excited to get to California tomorrow. Especially Tyler, he's never been! We are driving down the Oregon coast, which we have been told is absolutely beautiful and will spend a few days visiting Lucy Brown, the Redwood forest, and the lovely area of Arcata.