San Francisco, Oakland and Sausalito

In September, I was fortunate enough to travel to California with work to do a best practise review and educational visit with San Francisco's famous Chinatown and other BRZ / BID / CBD's in the area.

With Chrissy at the end of her 2nd trimester it was still safe for her to travel so she accompanied me on the trip as our 'last honeymoon'.

The work meetings were excellent and I got a lot of benefit from them all but as the 'last honeymoon' this blog will feature more of the fun stuff.

San Francisco

Chrissy and I were just in San Francisco a couple of years ago and had hit a lot of the tourist hotspots. This time we went back and visited a couple favorites and tried to see what we missed last time.

As the reason for the trip was Chinatown, we spent quite a bit of our time touring through that area and in the various shops and restaurants.

Golden Gate Park is freaking massive. We were lucky enough to have fantastic weather and walked / waddled around as much as Chrissy could take.

Ocean Beach is a 3.5-mile stretch of white beach on the westernmost border of San Francisco.

It was a perfect day and we walked nearly the full length enjoying a respite from the big city.

We were surprised to see people fishing along the shore in between sunbathers and dog walkers.

After casting out their line, the fisherman tether their rods into posts along the surf. It just so happened that while we were walking by, one of the rods took a deep bend indicating a bite.

Tons of kids (and myself) flocked to see the fish come out of the water, I still get excited when someone lands a fish....especially a nice sized fish. 

Oakland

Work took me to Oakland to visit their Chinatown as a comparable to the world renowned San Francisco Chinatown. We learned many valuable lessons on zoning, land economics, community acceptance and migration patterns but really one of the big take aways is just character. If it feels like Chinatown it`s Chinatown...

Oakland's Chinatown while not bad, is a little underwhelming. Probably the most prevalent visual aspect of the area is the graffiti. It is everywhere. 

After the tour of Chinatown I ventured out to explore a bit more of Oakland of which I had no real knowledge of. I just started wandering around to see what I could see. About 8.5km`s later I ended up seeing quite a bit.

Lake Merritt, a large tidal lagoon and the United States first official wildlife refuge, is situated in the middle of Oakland and was a pleasant surprise that I spent a long time walking around.

Eventually I found myself passing by Everett and Jones. They were actually cooking their ribs right on the sidewalk. Going in for a sample was the easiest decision I ever made.

The ribs were fantastic and made all the better by washing it down with some Saucy Sistah! 

Eventually I found myself at Jack London Square along the waterfront.

Getting fatigued I headed back towards the BART station and San Francisco when I came across The Warehouse Bar and Grill. It looked both safe enough and divey enough for me to take a load off in. I walked into what appeared to be a cop bar and asked for a Pabst Blue Ribbon and was elated when I got a super-can for $3 instead of the exaggerated prices in San Fran.

My kind of bar and a good summation of Oakland. A little rough around the edges but many pleasant surprises. 

Sausalito

When we were last in San Francisco, Chrissy made it apparent that she really wanted to goto Sausalito....and we didn`t. It was a sore point for Chrissy and I have been paying for it since. So, when we went back to the area Sausalito was a must do.

I was up for it this time, mostly just for the boat ride.

Alcatraz from the boat

Sausalito was alright. Obviously it is a nice looking place offering cool views back to San Francisco, but there is nothing really to do other than shop or eat. You can do very well doing those two things in Sausalito but it wasn`t really what I was looking to do. 

That being said I am glad we visited as I am less in the doghouse from the last trip and Chrissy's curiosity has been satisfied.

Other Highlights Playing Tourist

Maui - April 2013 - Waterlogged

My long overdue posts (#2 of 3) of the adventures of Stu, Chrissy, Rob & Carryn in Maui.

While I love hanging out at lakes, casting from a boat, canoeing down streams, and being near the ocean I wouldn't characterise myself as a 'water guy'...as in I don't swim well, or enjoy water sports. That and my general hyperactivity and inability to sit still at a beach had Chrissy and I unsure just how well I would do on an island.

While some days were packed full of stuff to do, other days we just lounged around beach hopping.
Usually, a beach day would consist of Rob and Carryn snorkeling (Chrissy and I would sometimes join), a short walk, a beverage, some boogie boarding, switch beaches, another beverage, a fish taco and then the guys doing more boogie boarding while the girls sat in the sun watching for whale spouts and admiring the surfer dudes.

Christina at the Dragons Teeth near Kapalua

Windsurfing at Ho'okipa Beach Park

Crashing Waves at D.T Fleming Beach Park

During our beach hopping we made it South to Big Beach:  3,000 feet wide with fine white sand regarded as one of the best and most picturesque beaches on Maui. We were soon to learn that it's also known for big erratic breakers.

As soon as we arrived and staked our spot on the beach Chrissy grabbed a boogie board and headed for the water.

She got a few rides in on some nice waves when the big breakers started to hit. She took a few tumbles but continued getting back on the board.  I was pretty impressed and entertained so I started videoing her rides. And right at that point a huge wave came in. She got up on the crest, rode it for a second and then took a header into the sand. Thankfully, she ended up rolling off her shoulders and wasn't seriously hurt. As she stood up though she left some of her modesty behind - her bathing suit top had slipped to her waist. It only took a second as she noticed the look on the man beside her and pulled up her top. With another wave coming crashing in on her she turned around and attempted to ride it out by sitting on it. It was pure comedy gold.

Unfortunately I am banned from showing the video to anyone. But as a sample, the picture below displays how I will imagine for all time my beloved defending herself from waves (note Carryn's graceful stride into the water as a counterpoint).

Like I mentioned she ended up from the ordeal sore and without major injuries. Christina was lucky. The next day at Big Beach a teenager ended up breaking his neck from a bad spill. Later in the week when Chrissy went to get a massage to alleviate the pain of her water beatings the masseuse confirmed his suspicion: While pressing down on a knot in her back "Big Beach?" Christina, "Yup".

Everyday on the island was it's own unique day with the water being murky, calm or rough. The only constant was by the end of the day it would be nice and settled. Almost every night on the island the four of us would watch the sunset together, usually from Kamaole Beach III. While none of the sunsets were the spectacular type found on postcards they were all quite stunning.

Rob and Carryn - Lovebirds

My beach experience turned out pretty great but I think the majority of the positive experience is a reflection of the company I shared.