Note to self
Add selection for GMT - hours to blog app :)
At Angel's Camp
Kris and I are at Angel's Camp now. It was a decent drive, but we had to keep the top up on the car due to our already reddened necks and the high temperatures. It's supposed to be in the upper 90s all week, and us Portlanders just aren't used to it :).
We got here around noon, and checkin time wasn't until 4, so we drove about 30 minutes in either direction of Angel's Camp, and checked out 3 or 4 teeny towns along the way. Kris was starting to wonder "Why did we choose to vacation here again? It's hot and there's no shopping." But that's exactly why we chose it :). Out of the way and few people.
The land around here is gorgeous. As we drove Kris was giving it all a look of slight distaste. It reminds us both of Texas to some degree, and we're spoiled by the lush greenness of Portland. But I like it... it's like the difference between Martha Stewart and Ikea. Martha loves to have a vase full to the brim of flowers... falling out all over the table. In an Ikea catalog you'd see a single tulip in a glass vase. They're both beautiful in their own way. This area of California is dry, hot and not all that thickly wooded, but gorgeous nonetheless.
Tomorrow we're heading to Murphy where there are several wineries. We'll visit a few and get a better lay of the land. We're also going to check and see how far a drive it is up to Yosemite, and we may take a trip there. Neither of us have been, and it would seem a shame not to go given how close we are.
More updates to come :), but you won't get to see pictures until I get home. No way I'm uploading them over this dialup :)
First day of vacation down...
Kris and I arrived in San Fran yesterday, and immediately started playing with the controls on our rented convertible (a Chrysler Sebring ;). Kris has determined that she does indeed need a convertible now. It's just too shnazzy. :)
After that excitement was over, we headed downtown to the Marriott we're staying at. Kris and I are still of the opinion that San Fran is just a dirty town, and one we'll only visit this once unless it's to see friends or conduct business. Just a little too expensive, and too many vagrants. I was amazed and upset at the number of homeless people on the streets downtown. The touristy area around Fisherman's Wharf didn't have as many people asking for change, but the areas around our hotel were rife with them. Truly saddening.
Well, we did get one of Kris' goals taken care of. A trip to Ghirardelli Square (a bit anti-climactic if you ask me) but we got some chocolate, a few chotzky's and a bit of sunburn (already). Yesterday evening we walked around the huge shopping area around the hotel and checked out the Virgin Megastore (sooooo many CD's... drool drool). Picked up the new Jack Johnson (wonderfully relaxing as usual), new Rod Stewart (he's Rod man..., but I haven't listened to this one yet) and a disk called "Standing In The Shadows of Motown", a disk of classic Motown hits redone by the likes of Meshel Ndegecello, Joan Osborne, Ben Harper and Bootsy Collins (who don't like Bootsy).
Took a few pics, but I won't be fiddling with all of those until we get back to the house, unless I fill up the card on my Canon.
Might post another update tonight, but not sure if I will starting Monday, since I'll be on <gasp>dial-up</gasp>, we have hi-speed in the hotel.