Our day in San Fransisco was very photogenic. I've picked a few more highlights from the cameras of Michelle, Sarah, Chris and Glen for your perusal. I should have pointed this out earlier, but I'm the only member of the team who didn't bother to bring a camera (one reason I'm doing more of the words I guess!). Sarah & Michelle particularly are doing a great job of furnishing us with great pictures of our adventures. So, here are a few more...
On the way to 'the bay area' as the locals call it, we passed a very large wind farm. There are debates raging here about the appropriateness of wind power. I haven't heard anyone suggest that these beauties interfere with the flight pat of birds, but plenty of people complain about their ugliness. I've heard that they supply about 1.5 houses each. No one I've spoken to has been able to tell me if they have consistent power here, whether they try to use this as part of the base load, and if so how. Looks like they are heading in the right direction though.
Interestingly, we saw a lot of Vestas manufactured towers for windmills on the docks in Stockton. Apparently they are being unloaded from ships and loaded onto trans to be delivered to a massive new farm in Kansas.
Not an orange bellied parrot in site...
For the animal lovers among you, check out these sea lions around the wharves. Apparently local fisherman and boat owners want to chase them off, but tourism operators love them. They've reached a compromised where the sea lions are allowed to dominate this little area, but are shooed away from others. They make great noises! A throaty sort of half roar half yawn.
Sunny side up (Aussies: that's a US egg joke)
We explored fisherman's wharf. I had detoured to jog up Lombard Street (the zig zag street), so I arrived from a different direction to the rest of the team, but I think we all enjoyed it. There were street performers, tourists, restaurants, tourists, bars, tourists, sideshow rides, tourists and a few visitors from other places having a look around.
Some of it was plastic and tacky. Other parts looked really genuine and nice. Well worth a wander.
Should be called sideshow wharf!
Scott told us this used to be a lighthouse. Only mistake he made all day. I asked some Taiwanese tourists, who translated their Chinese guide book for me. Their book said it was 'big tower' or some such. Thurs out that it isn't anything much. A rich old lady donated some money to beautify the city, and this is what they built. It is pronounced Quoit Tower, but maybe spelled Coit I think.
Coit Tower - or should that be Quoit Tower?
Sean Connery made escaping from here look easy...
The rock (said in a scottish accent)
Last note, and this is aimed at Mark Fa Cannell. (Gerry, can you pass on to him if you email him?) San Francisco is the hill running capital of the world. There are block after block of good hills like these. Would love to design a tough, hilly fun run around here.
Hill running at its finest...
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