California Dreamin': The Marin Headlands (Part 4)

After my beach fix, I was happy to get back in the car and drive around a little bit. On my way to the Marine Mammal Center, I had spotted an old church that now houses the Visitor's Center, so I turned off at that and drove past it to Point Bonita (I returned, later, to stop at the Visitor's Center).

In 4th grade, my classmates and I spent three days at a YMCA facility there, going on hikes to the tide pools, learning about marine life and going on one memorable nighttime hike that gave me my first look at the Golden Gate Bridge in all of its nighttime splendor.

This was the first time I'd been back that way in a long, long time.

Where I spent three cool days of 4th grade.

Over Bonita Cove, looking east towards the Golden Gate and the
City By the Bay.

The southern peninsula on which San Francisco sits.

Apparently down in the cove is a popular pull-out spot for seals and sea lions.
I couldn't see any on the small beach, but I did see some heads in the water.

On the other side is a lighthouse, but it was closed.

Some kind of seal or sea lion in the water.

I was down here by myself and I've been watching too much
"Supernatural" of late. I was creeped out!

Looking out at the open Pacific.

After I hiked back up the hill.

Back at the visitor's center.

EEEK! I stayed out of this.

A very cool beetle that was quite shiny and metallic.

By this time, it was getting later in the day, and my arms were looking a little too red for my liking (oops--but good news, they're better today). I decided to drive back to San Francisco. I had skipped lunch and had a very early breakfast, so by 3:00 I was feeling quite hungry and ready to eat. I thought about exploring some new part of San Francisco but in the end, familiarity and available parking won out and I found myself at Pier 39, my favorite tourist trap. I had a hamburger at Hard Rock Cafe--it had been years since I'd eaten at Hard Rock. It was delicious and I gulped it down, and every last fry, too.

After that, I set off for home, stupidly leaving the city at 5:00 on a Friday evening. It took me half an hour to get from Pier 39 to the freeway, another 20 minutes to get to the Bay Bridge (in normal circumstances, all of this should take 10-15 minutes). Then the Bridge was slow. Then it was slow through Oakland...and Pleasanton...and Livermore. When I finally reached Interstate 5, about 15 miles south of my exit in the northern end of Stockton, I was so relieved...only to find that even this normally fast-moving stretch of highway was a sea of brake lights. I finally got home at 7:30 and I was in bed by 9:30. "Tired" doesn't even begin to describe it!

Anyway, I'll end with some pictures from the city.

Another picture taken at another red light.

From the Pier 39 parking garage.

Swimmy wanted his picture taken with Coit Tower
and the Trans America Building.

Alcatraz, Angel Island, boats and Pier 39.

A closer look at Coit Tower and the Trans America Building.

They're not real.

Ducks! With names!!

More ducks! Swimmy was beside himself.

Don't think I wasn't tempted.

So few sea lions today. I've seen these pontoons packed with 'em.

Hey, how did Lindsay, Megan, Amanda and Sarah get lined up like that?

Only in California, and only in a tourist trap.