Certain parties expressed a good-natured envy regarding my trip, so I decided to smuggle a few folks in my luggage... but it started to get a bit crowded in there as departure came near |
Cartoon-stereotypical Oregonian nuclear power plant... I'd never seen one shaped like that in real life before |
Yossi is too fast for the camera as he returns to our trusty conveyance |
US vs. Canada culture-shock: Biblical references at In-and-Out Burger |
Soroosh demonstrates his guitar skills |
Dancing pupusas decorate this Mission taqueria |
A very San Franciscan hill backing Caesar Chavez |
My curiosity was piqued by this combination of spanish, hebrew, and Sunday service... |
This port-a-potty apparently "will accomodate 12 persons for a normal work week." Must get awfully crowded in there! |
Hill |
Cool flowering tree |
Soroosh goes for a slide |
It was fun |
The secret is waxed paper |
Berkeley emergency procedures go way beyond your average fire drill |
Campus clock tower |
Free movies in Oakland, with beer, pizza, couches, and cheesey ads |
Cactus graffiti |
Roar |
Funky campus bridge |
It's a long, long walk to the botanical garden |
Cathedralesque lighting in the redwood grove |
"750 AD: Ground level when tree started" |
Deer warning |
Botanical garden is not entirely tame |
But I forget why it was there... |
Flower amongst the foliage |
The greenhouse ventilation is being colonized |
Michael distracts the local wildlife while Soroosh begins to prepare dinner |
Mmm... Kashk-e bademjan and experimental barley porridge |
Does David know Berkeley has a Racine Street? |
Ornate vs. straight |
Requisite chinatown photo |
Interesting and ornate building |
Transamerica building from chinatown |
Transamerica building from rather nearby |
Sweet bike parking |
Transamerica building from extremely nearby |
All American icons are now fitted with security, it would seem |
"No loitering where children congregate" |
So much signage |
Reflections |
Laundry galore |
Chinatown cable car stop |
The cable car museum |
The cables in action |
How the cables work |
"Stop (except cable cars)" |
Ding ding! |
Street scene with icons |
Church |
Nice buildings |
View down Lombard Street (the sane part) |
Tree with its own picket fence |
Coit Tower being coy |
Written in stone |
André visits Coit Tower |
Cynthia examines a rock wall on Telegraph Hill |
The other suspension bridge in town |
Cute street |
One of Brenda's items in the Baggie of Suggestions involved visiting a cemetery... At the National Cemetery of San Francisco, I was struck by the orderliness and sameness of the gravesites |
Military precision |
"He" is "ES 179-H"? |
Cyn's not so sure about Soroosh's guitar stylings |
Soroosh runs to meet the ocean |
André turns our attention toward a couple strolling on the beach |
Michael plays hacky sack on Stinson Beach |
Cyn expresses disdain with the flotsam on the beach |
Beachy goodness |
Soroosh playing tag with the Pacific |
Goofy tourist shot |
Caifornia surfer dudes |
Surfin' |
The day's outing followed the Matt Davis, Steep Ravine, and Dipsea trails |
Cyn checks out a ravine on our hike |
Mossy |
Neat tree |
Spotlit bridge |
Weborama |
Can't... resist... |
... and up he goes |
Now what? |
Soroosh through the trees |
Taking a break |
Strange perspective |
The path before us |
Strange rock outcroppings on the hills |
Looking south |
Where were these warnings at the trailhead? |
Down the ladder |
Ladder and waterfall |
Ook ook EEK! |
Stinson Beach from the Dipsea trail |
Another interesting tree |
Snacking on the beach appears to cause uncharacteristic consternation |
Leftover kashk-e bademjan makes good beach food |
A certain famous bridge |
Sunset in Marin County |
Apple pie bake-off |
Shabbat dinner featuring barley soup, challah, the good wine, and... apple pie bake-off! |
Long-haired boys get all the (wrong?) attention |