Back To the City: Part 1

Today I got to spend some quality time with Summer, my fellow Chico Music Ed survivor and long-time dear friend. It occured to me recently that in September, we'll have known each other 10 years. How far we've both come from confused college choir kids to 30-something ladies with careers!
Anyway, before I get all sentimental, I'll continue. We met at Summer's place in Oakland and went to the nearest BART station (Bay Area Rapid Transit for the uninitiated) and caught a train into my beloved City By the Bay.

At the BART station, you can gaze across the bay at San Francisco's famous skyline. The train goes under the bay for a few minutes, which is no big deal if you've ever been on the Chunnel from London to Paris.

We got off at Powell St. Station, and had lunch in the mall there. Then it was back on BART to ride to the Embarcadero station, which is just a hop, skip and a jump from the Ferry Building.

Along that little walk, I started taking the first of many "pretty building" pictures I would take today. I don't know a lot about architecture, but I do know that San Francisco has an amazing blend of styles, from Victorian to modern. It really is a cool-looking city.

The Ferry Building

One half of the Bay Bridge.

Ghandi statue behind the Ferry Building.

From the Ferry Building, we walked several blocks to Pier 39. Turns out the sea lions are back! I'm so happy, as they had left for a while and no one knew if they would return. They're not all back, but there was a good-sized group in attendance. Summer and I spent a couple of minutes laughing at them, got a few good wiffs of their fishy/poopy smell, and then hustled off to get out of the wind and have some tea.

Trans-America Building

In all the years I've been visiting San Francisco, I don't think I've ever seen a cruise ship there.

THEY'RE BACK!!!!

Pier 39

We had tea--it was cold and windy today!

Next post: Our super-long walk.