After a long drive from Yosemite we hit up the beachside town of Santa Cruz with glee, I had really missed the ocean and Santa Cruz was a brilliant way for us to be reacquainted.
And then we met some of the locals…
The sea lions were very adorable and we spent quite some time wandering the pier trying to chat with them all. Apparently they read Oneills Abroad all the time, big fans, they love the food pics but get exhausted from the hiking ones. So lazy!
We had fun wandering the main street, Pacific Avenue and found a great spot for lunch then dinner later on and of course, some ice cream. Anyone who visits USA soon, go to Cold Stone, it’s so good and have the cake batter flavour. Swoon, it’s so tasty!
Then we were off to San Fran after our one night stand with Santa Cruz. We loved the winding drive on the Pacific Highway and stopped at a few beaches along the way (don’t ever bother with Half Moon Bay though – very average beach, overly populated and $10 just to get in, rude!).
We have loved San Francisco, it’s such a joyful city and the people here seem so genuinely happy to call it home. We did a lot of cool stuff but one of the most interesting days was the bike hire for a “bike the bridge” experience. Sean, for reasons still unbeknownst to me, decided hiring a tandem would be the coolest thing ever. i think he just didn’t want to wait around for me when i huffed and puffed behind him screeching “it’s not a race prawn, slow down!” if i was on the same bike, he could pedal away furiously and there i’d be, right behind him.
My first mistake of the day was an unavoidable one. Despite Sean’s advice of “just recycle”, i had only one pair of undies left before the laundromat the next day. A cyclists worst nightmare – the g-string. Let alone the chafe, the seats on the hire bikes are sooo darn uncomfortable, you need all the padding you can get. My lycra workout pants were not enough and by the end of the day I was wincing over every pebble.
Second mistake was to let Sean be the tour guide (i know, when will i ever learn). After a wonderful visit to Sausalito with coffee, sunshine and other happy tourists, we wanted to visit the Marin headlands and see the “best outlooks of San Francisco”. Sean found the most direct route, clever fellow, which turned out to involve off-road cycling up steep, oh-so-steep mountains. Did I mention we were on a hire bike? A tandem hire bike? And remember the smalls I was donning? Awful combination. We peddled furiously through the countryside with many serious mountain bikers zooming past hollering “Yeeeeaaaahhh, go the tandem” or “Niiiiice work” which certainly was encouraging, but there was more than a little respect in their voice because who would be so crazy to take a rickety old tandem (with thin wheels) on such rough domain? One Sean O’Neill, that’s who. Here is the beast himself, in his element;
Then with sore buns, we bade farewell to our bike before trekking over to the Alcatraz ferry terminal, ready for our second San Fran icon of the day.
Couple pics from my birthday! We spent the day tram-riding, finding a delicioso lunch place (Tartine, yum), finding Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf for a tea latte (addiction right there), shopping, shopping, shopping then Sean, against all odds, came with me to Sex and the City 2. He didn’t even fall asleep. We ate a cupcake in the movie and then we had more cake after dinner. It was a good birthday!
The tram with alcatraz in the background… this is the city for cool views, if you don’t mind a steep hill hike to get there!
And my birthday present!! Thank you Sean, I love it. I don’t usually wear a watch, but this one isn’t leaving my wrist.
We even managed to find somewhere to get our hiking rocks off… Lyon Street at the end of Broadway has the most awesome set of stairs with beautiful surrounding gardens. This is definitely where the wealthy reside! Some of the most amazing houses.
- and a couple more snapshots of San Fran…
- Hot Cookie! Got Sean out of his comfort zone in the gay area of San Fran, was fun and very different. Hot Cookie has amazing biscuits, some shaped like cookie, some shaped man bits. Different yah?! We stuck to the cookie-shaped cookies this time.
- One last pic! We went to Coit Tower on our last night in San Fran which was yet another spectacular location to see the city from. Nice story behind the tower’s origins, but too tired to elaborate, need some zzzz badly…
Tomorrow off to Lake Tahoe with a few stops in Napa Valley and Sonoma, yippee!! And with that friends, goodnight! Pay us some love, you know you want to! xoxo
Can’t wait to visit San Fran, the photo’s are fantastic!!! Now Lisa, that bike looks pretty comfy, but I reckon no nickers would have been a better option that a G-string:(
I’m glad to see that you’re indulging in all the treats on offer, you’ll need to with the rate of hiking, biking and walking that your doing. Can’t wait to hear what you get up to in Lake Tahoe:) Happy travels xoxoxox
Good work both of you – it doesn’t seem as if you are missing much in any of the places you’re visiting. You have become expert tourists and everyone is enjoying reading about your exploits and seeing your photos.
Looks like your tan is coming along really well Lisa – you look like a Californian girl now.
Love the new birthday watch – like Liz I think the pics of San Francisco are fabulous and I now have the feeling that it might now make it onto the list of places I’ll like to visit too.
Enjoy Lake Tahoe.
Keep safe and keep smiling – do you know how envious we all are?
Love and hugs
Hi guys, of course we are still reading!!!! I am loving this blog, despite the jealousy. You both always look so happy, fit and healthy in the pictures. I wish I was travelling with you too. Love the watch. ‘spose to be skiing today but it’s too windy up the mountain. doh! kids are home so we’ll find another way of amusing ourselves. Rob and I off to Gold Coast on Tuesday for 4 days, then Sydney for the weekend. Then Rob’s sister, husband and 6 kids are coming down for school holidays… hello, 12 in the house!!! I better start peeling potatoes now. 🙂 Love you lots. xxx
Dear Lisa, just had a lovely lunch with Val and Ali at Zamia and now sitting in Kings Park opposite the lake. Beautiful sunshine and warm, warmer than you by the looks of your photo! Lovely to see you both looking so happy and enjoying your travels. You have packed so much into your trip already and it’s only a month.
So good to see your photos (note from Val – isn’t technology wonderful – seeing Grandma reading your blogs on an iPad! Have now just had a story about in my day a telephone was an amazing invention 🙂 )
Lots of love, Grandma xxx
Hi there you two
at Linda and Pauls having Sawanees thai….are you jealous?
Have just read through ALL your adventures and it sounds as though you are having an absolute ball.
Sounds as though you could get my princess tiara (for a few of your escapades)which I was given in Vanuatu…as I don’t fly midnight horror!
I’d have cried too!
Enjoy all the fun to come, will check out your blog from time to time.
Take care and stay away from those bears.
love and hugs
Usxx