A week of San Jose Fun!! April 2014

Sue, Jane and Tim!

Well!!!


I landed in the USA and after my fingerprints were taken, face and palmed scanned and a long talking to.. I was allowed through! Yea!!  As you may have assumed - my excitement levels were up there then.. I was picked up in a convertible - I knew I was in California!!

I had a great week with Sue, Tim and Jane (whom I met on the Greenland Cruise) they were such great hosts!!

The Mini!!

The first day was a "see if I get jet lag" day so Sue and I did a bit of driving around and saw Silicon Valley including Apple Headquarters, Google, Facebook, etc!  They actually exist in building from and not just on the net!

I was also lucky enough to head to Sue's Family Ranch,  It was great, so green and they have a wonderful view of the bay from the top of the hill!  There was horses and calves to fees so we organised them then headed back to have dinner with Tim and Jane to discuss the next days touring.  After much discussion and a glass or two of wine - San Francisco won out! (as if i was going to be able to sleep knowing that!!)

This is where we are going today!

Telegraph Hill - a tribute to the Fire fighters

Hi Dive- good food!

Amazing I slept like a log and after a bit of organisation we headed out to San Francisco.  It was such a beautiful day again!  We had lunch at a Dive right on the wharf, rode a cable car, visited the top of Telegraph hill and of course walked along the Golden Gate Bridge.  Even Had a photo with the Bridge Patrol!

The convertible!!

The beginning! 

Cable car ride with Sue!! 

Golden Gate Bridge

Bridge Patrol!

The Ladies of the Bridge!

Jane, Me, Tim and Jane

One of the best parts of the day was waiting till it got dark.  We headed over to Treasure Island to look at the city from another view point.  It was great and I tried very hard to get a good photo..

After all that excitement I was buggered! The next day I headed to Point Lobos, Carmel and Monterey with Tim and Jane. It was great to go for a road trip down south.  We saw seals - and seals!  Point Lobos has some great walks and beautiful coast line. So rugged and the colours.. Magnificent! We ran out of time but we went past Bubba Gumps Shrimp!!  Monterey is a great little tourist place. I would go there again to just see Bubba Gumps Shrimp! 

Seal sunning! 

Point Lobos

A fungus on the trees at Point Lobos

 I said good bye to my guides Tim and Jane, (thank you so much!) and went exploring with Sue the next day!  ( it was like pass the Bee!! hehe)

Sue the tour guide!

We went and visited Henry Cowell Redwood Park,  Santa Cruz and.. well I'll leave that till last!  Henry Cowell was great - there was so many trees and they are so big!!  It was like being in Tassie! (apparently they are part of the same family!) It was amazing to see, even saw a Banana Slug which is native to North Americas Costal parks.  They have preserved it really well with walkways and a pamphlet that you can read on the way around.  (Not that some people actually stay on the path!)

Banana Slug!

at the Boardwalk.. 

 Santa Cruz and the boardwalk!  Well, that is a explosion of colour!  There is so much going on I was overwhelmed!! We walked down the board walk and along the jetty which was cool.  So many different types of people - it was a people watchers dream!

Sue and I at Santa Cruz

The explosion of colour that is the Boardwalk!

Wine Tasting at Bonny Doon!

 Before all the excitement of Santa Cruz, we went to some wine tasting.. at..
BONNIE DOON!!!!
I know I was very excited as well, wine tasting at Bonnie Doon!  (well they call it Bonny Doon and I think that it is a bit more sophisticated than our Bonnie Doon!  They had some nice stuff too so if you every get over this way. I would recommend it!

My last day :o( and Sue took me to a Diner!  It was all decked out in the 1950's style!  Burgers were great and the cheese fries!!  Well you will just have to come and visit and taste them yourself! We had a huge milkshake!  I was so full I needed a nap afterwards!!

Sue and I at the Diner!

 Well that was my week in San Jose!  By the time it ended I needed a holiday!! Thank you to Sue, Tim and Jane for looking after me, feeding me, sheltering me and showing myself around!  It was great!!

 I flew out to Calgary on the Saturday.. where my next adventure begins!  Stay tuned for the next blog!

I had to throw in the School bus!  it is like out of the Simpsons!!