TOURING THE BAY AREA WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS

January 30, 2009

 

OUR TOUR GUIDE

 

Father/brother Joe picked us up at the airport and took us for the scenic tour across San Francisco.  He pointed out interesting landmarks, like the building he and brother Jim used to live in and the Jesuit conglomerate, above.  Click on Joe's photo to view a larger file.

 

THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE

I doubt anyone comes to this place without photographing the famous and picturesque Golden Gate Bridge.  We were taken by the barge activity.  Click on the photo to view a larger file.

 

FRESHLY PAINTED CABLES

   

Joe and Bob stand in front of a monument to Joseph Strauss, the engineer who designed and built the Golden Gate Bridge.  We walked to the middle of the bridge on a busy sidewalk, admiring the freshly painted cables.  Cars, trucks and tourist laden, double decker buses whizzed by as we dodging bicycles and joggers.

 

When Joe told us our goal was to walk to the middle of the bridge, we talked about how neat it is that the bridge is always being painted.  We decided to make a game of trying to spot the painting crew.  We were nearly halfway across the bridge when we were lucky enough to spot one of the crew taking a break to admire the view.  Joe went over and started up a conversation with him and he was happy to share.  He told us that the crew consisted of only about forty who continually painted the bridge just as we had heard.  They had recently been working on the cables.  And a while back what he called a "bed frame" was added to the bridge after a baby crawled off the sidewalk and  fell through the space between the guard rail and the road surface.

 

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BRIDGE

 

After leaving the bridge, we hiked over to the Presidio and down to Marshall beach, just outside the Golden Gate.

   

We couldn't resist taking off our shoes and playing in the surf.  It was mighty cold!  Blimps were a common sight.  This one seems to point out our path back up the hill to the parking lot.

 

PUPUSAS AT BALOMPIE WITH HENRY AND FAMILY

  

The three of us met Kelly, Mayari, Henry and niece, Ashley at Balompie (Ba LOM pee ay) for Salvadorian cuisine.

    

Henry brought tequila, we ordered beer and pupusas - thick, corn masa cakes filled with cheese, meat and/or refried beans.  They were delicious!

 

Ashley is going to college in San Francisco.  Mayari colored this beautiful picture while we ate and drank and talked.

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