We made it!

In the early afternoon on Tuesday, we reached a milestone in our journey west - California - the state that held our final destination. We stopped for lunch at an In 'n Out Burger, which is a fast-food place that has good veggie options apparently. After lunch, we drove through the Mojave Desert and skirted LA, but we noticed the smog in the distance. We settled in with Krista, Gamelan, Rob and Paul - Martin's friends from Sault Sainte Marie - for the evening and the next day.

It was nice to have a day of rest and relaxation. We watched internet videos, walked on the beach, got our feet covered in tar, and played Munchkin. We were also treated to many wonderful meals out (it's our treat, Krista when you visit us in the Bay!).

Thursday morning, we were on the road again headed for San Francisco. We made one pit stop at the Hearst Castle. We took the basic 1-hr 45-min tour of the main floor of the house. During the tour, Martin realized that he was not a fan of excessive displays of wealth. I found it odd and some what disturbing to see so many artifacts from Europe - particularly ones form Italy - mismatched together.

After our detour, we hightailed it up the coast on California Highway 1. Well, not hightailed it exactly since it's pretty tricky driving. We made it to our sublet and home for the next 3 weeks around 7pm Thursday evening. And running on empty, we managed to get everything out of the car, and to eat a quick dinner. Then, Martin returned the car to the rental place at the airport. Where was I, you ask? Where do you think - passed out in bed, of course.

Today was our first day in the city. Because our internal clocks are still set somewhere east of the Rocky Mountains, we got up around 8am and headed out in search of a grocery store. Eventually, we stumbled up on a Safeway, the San Francisco equivalent of Kroger, and got ourselves breakfast and food for future meals. Then, we ambitiously decided to go home and cycle to Golden Gate Park. To my amazement, I was able to cycle there without any trouble at all. We walked around the Botanical Gardens a bit, before heading to a bike shop and lunch - that cycle was a bit more troublesome. Needless to say, when we got home this afternoon, I took a nap, while Martin somehow continued to function.

Our last adventure this evening was heading to a dance performance at the Yerba Buena Cente for the Arts. We braved the city's light rail system - Muni - and found ourselves in downtown SF. The show was great. There was an interesting combination of modern dance and cultural dance in the show. I walked out and wanted to head to dance class. I guess that adventure is still in my future.