Terry and Kathy Living Our Dream: San Francisco

Just as the meteorologist forecasted the weather changed from bright and sunny days to dreary rainy days with a bit of chill in the air. We took advantage of those days and hung around the campground to rest and relax.

The big day was finally here. On Wednesday, October 5th we were going to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. Seeing the bridge glowing a orangey-red color against the blue sky and the City of San Francisco as a back drop for the first time as we came out of the Robin Williams tunnel on Hwy 101 was definitely a "WOW" moment. We had heard so much about the bridge and not one description adequately described what we felt as walked across the Golden Gate Bridge that was once called "the bridge that couldn't be built."

We had all worked up an appetite after our walk across the bridge and knew we would have many restaurant choices once we arrived at Pier 39. After dinner we strolled around the pier until the sun went down. We wanted to get a glimpse of the bridge at night so we stopped by the visitors center on our way out. It was pretty with all the lights but I think seeing it in the natural sunlight was stunning.

On Friday, October 7th we went back to San Francisco to take the Bridge to Bridge Bay Cruise. Joe had warned us that everything in city was expensive so we weren't taken by surprise when we had to pay $10 per hour to park. The tickets for the cruise were $74.00 for the two of us and that was a bargain because The Blue Angels Air Show started just as we set sail out of Pier 43 1/2 on the Princess Harbor. We were anxious about the cruise but to see the air show from out in the bay was fantastic. The air show was one of the main attractions going on during Fleet Week, an event held each year. While on the cruise we went under the Golden Gate Bridge around Alcatraz Island and to the Oakland Bridge for a closer look at these historical landmarks. We felt fortunate to be able to enjoy the bay out on the water while keeping our eyes focused on the sky.

The return trip back to Olema started with very heavy traffic leaving the bay area. After all it was a Friday afternoon and our timing was not great to be leaving during rush hour traffic. We planned our departure date from Olema to be on Sunday morning in hopes that the traffic would be lighter than a weekday because our route took us straight through Oakland. What we did not take into consideration was the Oakland Raiders had a game at home and the interstate was bumper to bumper with football fans. The San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland area has a combined population of 8.7 million so I doubt very seriously that there would be a time with light traffic.

The Golden Gate Bridge

Length is 8,891 feet, width is 90 feet and the height is 746 feet
To walk across and back is just under 4 miles.

The Lone Sailor is a memorial to everyone who shipped out through the Golden Gate.

Views from the bridge as we walked across.

San Francisco - the Oakland Bridge can be seen in the distance.

Alcatraz

Cruise boats in the bay.

Robin Williams Tunnel

Sea lions were playing around this rock.

Joe and Crickett walk the bridge for the second time. The first time they crossed it was in 2014.

Moving cargo

The bridge is also known as "The Bridge of Death". Emergency phones have been placed along the bridge in hopes that one would call for help before jumping. In an attempt to reduce the number of suicides the bridge is closed to pedestrians at night and beefed up security patrol looking for potential jumpers.

Not sure if the seagulls were attacking the sea lion or if it was the sea lion attacking the seagulls.

It was a nice day to walk across the bridge.

We dodged bicyclist the entire way because they do not follow the rules and yield to pedestrians.

Water taxi

More love locks.

Opened in 1937 and cost $35 million

80,000 miles of wire used on bridge - diameter of one cable is 36"

Pier 39 offers waterfront dining, shopping, street performers and live music.

This is not a place for Cajuns to buy boudin but it sure did get our attention.

Cruise ship heading out to sea.

No comparison to Café Du Monde beignets in New Orleans.

Joe trying a beignet for the first time. He was somewhat disappointed just like we were.

Red and White Cruise Line at Pier 43 1/2 offered the Bridge-to-Bridge cruise that we took.

I don't know how many people were on that sailboat but there was a lot. We heard on the news that one of the sailboats with 38 people on it had capsized in the bay the day of the air show. Lucky for them the bay was filled with security.

Magnificent! I love the way the water sparkles in the sun.

This was taken from the west side of the bridge.

A closer look at Alcatraz Island.

We did not get a chance to tour the island but tours are available.

The air show brought out the boats.

San Francisco Belle with a crowd on it.

Port of San Francisco

USS Potomac - The Floating White House because it served as Franklin D. Roosevelt's Presidential Yacht until his death. You can tour the ship or charter it for a special event.

F-22 Raptor

Speed 1,498 mph

This plane was amazing to watch. Like Joe said the pilot put this plane through maneuvers that planes are not suppose to be able to do.

Breitling Jet Team

Blue Angels

The Diamond in tight formation flown at lower speeds of 400 mph perform maneuvers such as formation loops and barrel rolls. The highest speed flown during an air show is 700 mph.

Plenty of security all around the bay.

Lead and Opposing Solos Blue Angels 5 and 6. One of the scariest maneuvers are when these two solo pilots fly straight at each other at incredible speeds.

I love this picture. It shows the mountains, sailboats, Golden Gate Bridge, U S Cost Guard and The Blue Angels.

F/A- 18 Hornet Fighter Jets

The closet distance the jets fly to each other is 18 inches.

The maximum rate of climb is 30,000 feet per minute.

The team lost a member on June 2, 2016 when he was transitioning from a high performance climb to the Split S (plane turns in the opposite horizontal direction from which it came after a swooping dive) too low and too fast and could not avoid contact with the ground.

These pilots have to be 'the best of the best".

The Blue Angels first show was in Jacksonville, Florida on June 15, 1946.

The first team named the group after the famous Blue Angel nightclub in New York City.

These pretty blue jets cost $21 million each.

The jets never fly under a bridge or structure but will give the illusion that they do.

This 747 flew over the bay several times at the end of the show with a few impressive maneuvers.

Cupid left evidence of being in San Francisco. This 60-foot high painted fiberglass and stainless steel sculpture is called Cupid's Span.

The speed boats were fun to watch.

Transamerica Pyramid is the tallest building in the San Francisco skyline but no longer houses the headquarters of Transamerica Corporation.

Oakland Bridge

The bridge has two levels. East bound traffic uses the lower and the top level is for the west bound traffic.

The crowds on the Pier for the airshow. So glad we were able to watch it while on our bay cruise.

Another picture of Old Glory. We are so thankful for those that protect us.

SS Jeremiah O'Brien is a rare survivor of the 6,939 fleet of ships that stormed Normandy on D-Day, 1944. It is now being operated as a living museum at Pier 45.