Tuesday, May 29, 2012

I Left My Heart in San Francisco


San Fran is a beautiful city.  The skyline is so unique with all of the different colored row houses.

On our way to Alcatraz.




Listening to the tour with head sets, Peter may have to stay awhile, he was bad.


San Fran at night, looking out over the bay.

Peter taking a picture of me taking a picture, I guess I get the need to take an over abundance of pictures from my mom...

More Alcatraz Island

Views from Alcatraz, learned a lot about the history and the people besides the prisoners that called Alcatraz home, such as the prison guards families and such.


A little rain didn't stop us from taking our bus tour of the city.

It's the "Painted Ladies" known as the "Full House" house by anyone that grew up in the 80's-90's.  

The Full house house is behind me and this is the park that Michelle used to play in.  I think I hear uncle Jessie??

Even on a foggy day the bridge is break taking.


This is the Palace of the Fine Arts, the World's Fair used to be held here.  I want to some day live in the awesome houses across the pond that over look this beautiful place, when I make my first million that is... :)

Turn your head sideways... Ok sorry didn't get this flipped, I am at Muir Woods with the large and phenomenal Red Wood trees.
One more close up for D.J. and Stephanie...


We saw all the famous neighborhoods in San Fran and ate in China Town,  Haight Ashbury where all the hippies live, Little Italy, the restaurant where the God Father was written, Union Square, the Presidio, the fancy neighborhoods on Nob Hill, Russian Hill, the Financial District, Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf, Golden Gate Park, to name a few...

We love the interesting people we meet on the bus tours and the tour guide that just makes stuff up as we drive or starts a story and then just stops mid punchline...

We could sit and watch/listen to the seals for hours..but we didn't because we had a lot to see in a short time, but boy were they funny, They would just flop up on the docks and kick the other ones off and then the one in the water would do it to the other ones, it was a cycle of anarchy and "arf, arf arf-ing".

Of course we stopped at the place known for chocolate, anyone who knows me knows I couldn't visit and not taste.  We saw a short demonstration of how the chocolate is made.


Here is eating the ice cream in action, yes we shared this one.



These are the flowers I saw all around that remind me of salvia but prettier, I wanted to take a plant home, not sure if that's allowed at the Golden Gate State Park?

That's one big tree stump, more Muir Woods.

An half hour cab ride later on a curvy road, deep into Muir Woods, crossing our fingers that our cab driver would hang around and take us back to the city so we wouldn't be stranded where we didn't get cell reception... we enjoyed the majesty of the trees.

These trees may be tall but Peter has to hold this one up.

Yes, the cab driver waited for 40 minutes with out any charge and then took us back to the city, so all was worth it.


The view atop Lombard Street.

Here's that crazy, curvy, windiest road in the world.  There was a nice set of stairs going up to the top but of course we climbed the street parallel to Lombard on our way up and it was straight up ramp incline, no nice steps, but we made it.

We stayed in a hotel right off Fisherman's Wharf, lots to do and places to eat right near by.


Another fun place to walk to Pier 39.  We enjoyed the restaurants and shopping here as well.



This is a nice set of stairs going up to Lombard street,  not sure how people drive here because all the roads are so steep, and they park at crazy angles on the roads, good thing they don't have snow.


After a stop at Lombard street we walk a little further down to see the Real World House San Francisco, Peter hopes to see Puck.

Of course you can't go to San Fran with out riding a street car also known as a trolley.




This is my Lombard Street hike victory pose, we made it.

Last Muir Woods pic, you might not be able to tell but that isn't a Red Wood in the middle it's me, yes,  I'm posing as a Red Wood, remember I do teach Kindergarten and we like to pretend.

We drove over the bridge in the cab when we were on our way out of San Fran to Sausalito area to go to Muir Woods.

Remember how I mentioned when I made my first million we would like here, this is a little view over the pond from the Palace of the Fine arts to the beautiful homes that over look it each day.


I think I'll live in the one in the middle, you can come visit.
One last pic of this crazy ass road, we would not see this in MN.


Time to go home, what a fun trip, he's thinking... wow my wife is such a great tour guide can't believe I saw all that Sh** in such a short time, now I need a vacation from the vacation :)

I probably left something out, but I would strongly recommend a visit to San Francisco if you are so inclined.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

MSP

We live in a beautiful city.


sometimes



Sometimes the most frustrating things in life are the things you can't control.

Perhaps God gives us the things we can't control to remind us that we are NOT in control and sometimes you just have to let go and realize you are doing the best you can.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Art Art Art

My cousin Melena is a visual artist.

She paints using a canvas, plastic bags and layers of colors. Adding on colors and letting them run together, wait for it to dry and add the next layer. She also uses brush work to add detail.

This is a non artist (me) trying to explain these "interesting, vibrant and powerful paintings", and probably not doing Melena's process justice, if you are interested in how she does it from the artists words herself here is her link to her website....

http://canvasthrowdown.com/home.html

Anyways, I went to her senior show back in our college days and was always very impressed with her style and unique abstract quality of her paintings, as that is the style of art I prefer. She is still painting and showing her work on canvasthrowdown.com.

She was kind enough to make a painting for Peter and I and it is proudly hanging in our family room down stairs. I highly recommend purchasing a painting from this wonderful artist, (who happens to be related to me :) )
I know I'm happy I did.