First, it was off to Boudins for breakfast. I had the sourdough french toast, and it was awesome!
Then, I decided to go for a ride on a cable car. These things are amazing, and I find their operations fascinating. It also is a great way to see San Francisco.
After the streetcar ride, I did some walking around and checked out of the hotel. Then it was time for a drive down Lombard Street, which was really fun. Good thing it doesn't snow in SF! Here's the view out my windshield as I was driving down. It really doesnt do the zig zag of the street justice.
Here's one of the buses that runs on overhead catineary I was talking about in an earlier post
And here's another type of San Francisco bus
Then, I took a trip to Coit Tower, which is on the top of Telegraph Hill. It was supposedly errected by a longtime city fire buff who had wealth to honor the volunteer firefighters of the city in the early 1900's.
The views from the top were amazing!
Then, after unsucessfully looking for the Mythbusters HQ, I took a ride to try and find Station 2, which I did.
Here's Rescue 2:
And Rescue 7 (I have no idea what the purpose of this truck is, it looked brand new)
San Francisco's training center even uses a Mack CF, the first one I've seen in person on the West Coast
Oh, almost forgot this view of Alcatraz from Coit Tower
They're building a new Bay Bridge. What a massive and fascinating project.
On the way to Oakland Airport, stopped at In n Out for lunch. I caught Oakland Engine 29. The crew was super friendly, and they let me know about the 5 alarm fire I just missed. I don't chase, I get what comes to me, like this shot. :-)
Then, it was time to fly to LA. My jetBlue plane to Long Beach was "Blue Better Believe It", and it was equpped with the new upgraded larger seatback monitors.
The flight was very smooth and short, and I had one of the best in flight crews in a while, very freindly and attentive. I love arriving in Long Beach, 1 because you can deplane from the front or back, and 2 because you exit right out into fresh California air, onto the tarmac and then walk a path into the terminal. For a big jetBlue and Airbus A320 fan like myself, this is one of the few chance to get up close and personal with the plane.
I love renting from Enterprise Rent A Car. Not only is their customer service top notch, freindly, and attentive, but I always get a nice suprise. My rental truck was a 2006 Dodge Dakota Quad cab, almost exactly what I currently drive and own at home, minus the high output V-8. It also came with a GPS navigation system and satellite radio, which are nice touches, especially the GPS. It was too dark for photos., look for them tommorow
My hotel, The Standard Downtown (read more about it in my "LA Bliss" entries earlier this month) is awesome. My room is really cool, and you have to love the rooftop deck in the middle of the LA skyline. Here's the funkiest part of the room. They also give you a TON of amenties, and the rooms are huge, and the prices relatively cheap. I plan on taking advantage of the rooftop pool in the morning.
Time to settle in for bed, a full day of buffing LA City and County ahead of me tommorow in . Hope you enjoyed this entry. When I return home in 2 weeks, I'll be posting more and bigger photos from this trip as a feature on EMTBravo.com
One side note, ever since I met Kristen, traveling alone like I always used to is no longer fun. She is the best travel companion, and wish she was here with me. Can't wait for Oregon with her next week.
Goodnight!
