July 4th was spent wandering the great city of San Francisco from its piers to the Golden Gate park. We started by arriving from the east bay on the local transit which early in the day was not crowded at all. Most would arrive later for the fireworks in the city.
Grabbed some spicy Mandarin food at a place called Red Jade. Had heard good reviews on a local food show. The Onion Pancake was a cripsy delight with peanut sauce to go with it. Then we tried a lamb dish with spring onion and green capsicum. Also a tongue pleaser. Dessert was these little sweet doughy balls coated with white sesame seeds. Much like a modak but less sweet. Steaming hot and just enough sweetness to wipe away the spicy heat from the palate.
Then we set out on a local bus to visit the Ferry Building. Always a view to be had from here to see the Oakland Bay Bridge span across the waters of the Pacific as they pierce inwards (it too is almost as old as the Golden Gate at 75 years).
From there it was a first for us - a street car ride to connect to a bus to visit the de Young Museum of art in Golden Gate park. Named after a journalist who also ran the AP at one point, this museum houses premanent collections of artefacts from all over the world - from ancient to contemporary along with special exhibits. The treat here is the viewing tower to which admission is free. This is actually the best part for me since I am not much enlightened by watching art however amazing in its 3D form.
From the tower you see the views of SF that you cannot from anywhere else. The pinnacle of the golden gate bridge just peeping out from a hill that tops its height in one direction to another hill with the Ignatius Cathedral to views of Cal Academy of Sciences right below you with the Amphitheatre in one corner.
Great weather helps too. No fog in sight and just enough warmth to not need layers of clothing...can get to be a drag.
Since we did make the hike here we toured the museum which does have some amazing stuff esp that which took some patience to put together 200 or so years back. Best exhibits were some chairs that looked beautiful even after such time had passed and someone sat on those for years.
The daughter has an artistic bent and she throughly enjoys taking such things in.
From there we tracked back to the train station for the ride home but not before the rest of the familia got some action in the form of the quintessential shopping throw in - at the mall in SF - too glitzy to pass up I guess. For me a good chai latte made to order kept me awake .. what else could I want in life at this time?
This autumn the weather gods cooperated as we took a family trip in the northeast to see six states that qualify or makeup what is known colloquially in America as New England. Mass, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island (tiniest state in the union). The outing helped tally up the states we either lived in, visited or have worked in to 47. Guess which three have eluded this intrepid traveling family. Any rate the drive was all in about 1,800 miles and included some memorable geographic wonders or points of interest. Easternmost part of state of Massachusetts being one. Furthest drivable road east in Mass being another. Visit to all Ivy League schools (term harkens to a collegiate athletics conference and generally regarded as elite academic institutes of some repute worldwide) is another random bucket list item of which this trip afforded the chance to knock two more of the list. Dartmouth in Hanover, NH and Brown (and its sister institute the RISD - school f
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