If you go to San Francisco...

Things I learned on our trip to and from San Francisco:

• The northern most milepost on Interstate 5 in California is 796. SEVEN HUNDRED NINETY SIX! That's more than twice the length of the highway in Oregon, and just short of three times the length of the highway in Washington. That is a seriously long highway.


• While driving along the desert-like landscape of California (even outside of San Francisco I was surprised to see) is best driven with Josh Ritter as the soundtrack, even though he's actually from Idaho.


• At 4:30 a.m. driving in the dark, as much as it seems like listening to Music For 18 Musicians by Steve Reich would be a good idea, it's really, really not a good idea. I was listening to Sufjan Steven's Illinois album and noting to myself how much he took from Reich, and thought "I bet Reich would make some GREAT early a.m. driving music!" Really it just reminds you that it's 5 a.m. and you've been driving for four hours already.


• When we crossed into California at about 5:30 a.m. I scanned my iPod through the song title listings and listened to everything beginning "California." Surprisingly I only had four tracks that met this criteria (and was emberassed that I didn't think to make a more complete play list with tracks INCLUDING but not beginning with "California"). Of the four, three of them technically take place OUT of California and discuss either heading to, or longing for California. Joni Mitchell really just needed to leave Europe. It didn't make her happy.


• Dispite my stereotypical beliefs, the Golden Gate Bridge is not visible from every entryway into the city. Also, I was unable to convince my Frisco companions that we needed to drive into the city and across the bridge in a red convertible.


• I suck at haggling, and didn't realize I would be forced to do so while in town. We just wanted to grab a map, so we stopped into the first photo/tourist shop we saw. I thought as I walked in "If they have a credit card minimum cost, we'll just by that UV lense I need for my camera, and that only costs like $14." The guy pulled it out, said $50. I said "Um, no." He said he'd give it to me for cost, $24, and then (foolishly) pointed out that it was identical to the UV lens I had on my other camera lense, which I remember clearly buying for $14. I said no again, and Megan started digging for cash. Trying really to just not buy the lens at all he goes "Okay, okay, you're tough, but I'll give it to you for $20, but I'm making a loss." Uh-huh, whatever... but I'm sheepish and bad at saying no, so I buy it because I needed it anway. Mumblegrumble.


• You don't find Jack Kerouac Alley in San Francisco. Jack Kerouac Alley finds you. We split off from our bechildrened tourist mates in the evening so they could go home. We wandered about, and I decided that I really wished I'd looked up where the alley was before we left. We rip out the map, look on the index. It says it's in C14 on the map. WE are in C14 on the map, and about two blocks away from the site.


• Despite Megan's extensive background knowledge of all things musicals it took some negotiating to convince her that San Francisco's Chinatown was of note and worth visiting. About a block in she goes "Oh, this is a pretty famous Chinatown isn't it?" One with an approximate daily miracle count of 100 million if I recall correctly.


• Did you guys know that there was some 1980s and 1990s family television sitcom based in San Francisco? I sure didn't! But in my idiotic excitement to see all the landmarks of my favorite San Franciscan family, I actually misidentified at least one location. It be a crab sign at Fisherman's Warf. I found another crab sign I thought was it. It was not, and I am now sad. Also sad to know how close we came to THE Full House house and didn't seek it out. Blame it all on lack of preparation.
  

Photos of our trip can be seen here:

If you go to San Francisco...