Alcatraz and the remains of the wardens house
San Francisco in the fog
San SimeonThe Coast and Sea Lions
San Simeon
A Pirate ship in the fog at San Francisco
Floss incarcerated
Jeff and Wayne this one is for you - I'm on a road trip to Milwaukee - couldn't even reach the pedals!
Some of the many Halloween displays
Even the seagulls are big here - This one wanted my corn dog! (an American version of our hot dogs)
Eric and Richard on the last night
The cable cars in San Francisco - I didn't get any pictures of the steep streets on account of hanging on really tight!
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Alcatraz from the recreation yard
Alcatraz in the fog
Gidday folks - sorry it,s been so long since the last post but as Richard said the last five days have been a bit of a whirr and Internet access has been difficult - and also expensive.
Today finds us settled in a gorgeous place called Morro Bay - about four hours south of San Jose. We travelled down the coast route (Highway 1) from San Jose Airport this afternoon.
I will back track a few days and fill the gaps in since the last post when I had just spent the day sightseeing and Richard was at the Conference. The next day I went with a lovely group of ladies on a morning bus trip to a pretty little place called Los Gatos (Spanish for "The Cats"). It would have been lovely but the shops were closed so we found ourselves with four hours to fill in with nothing to do but window shop. The afternoon was much more productive as I decided to check out the suburbs by riding the light rail train to different areas of San Jose. On reflection this was a stupid idea and not entirely safe. I certainly got to see a cross section of San Jose people. It appears that the recession has had quite an impact of the people of San Jose as there were a number of homeless men and woman, and sad looking people. On Sunday evening we had the privilege of spending time with some fellow ICMA attendees over some excellent food and ales. Monday, Richard was busy with workshops and I again got to be the tourist with other ICMA partners. This tour was by far the best of the three that I did. It took us to a place called Winchester Mystery Mansion. The house had something like 160 rooms and was built by a very wealthy woman who inherited the Winchester fortune (apparently from rifle money). The woman was only 4 ft 10 - and Mum, you would have loved her house as all the doors were made to her height and the stairs made only one inch high to allow her arthritic legs to go up and down them. The lady had lost her six week old baby and her husband at an early age so spent all her years grieving. She thought that she would have eternal life if she kept building onto the house because a psychic had told her so. Apparently this lady was wealthier than Bill Gates. The house was quirky and had doors that went nowhere, stairs to nowhere, false cupboards etc. It was fascinating and had some fine examples of Victorian architecture. After this tour we then visited LOHR vineyard and tasted Californian wine. The wine was unlike any New Zealand wines and each one of them tasted exactly like the descriptions of them. I LOVED them. New Zealand wine was not as tasty as this wine. I wanted to bring a whole case home but they don't import to NZ due to our import duties. The tastings were of generous sizes, and the bus trip on the way home was rather noisy as everyone had had the equivalent of four glasses of wine. That always makes for great conversation. Once again I met people from all over the states, and really enjoyed talking with them about their lives as city administrator partners. I had a quiet afternoon as the wine took effect and a snooze was required.
Today finds us settled in a gorgeous place called Morro Bay - about four hours south of San Jose. We travelled down the coast route (Highway 1) from San Jose Airport this afternoon.
I will back track a few days and fill the gaps in since the last post when I had just spent the day sightseeing and Richard was at the Conference. The next day I went with a lovely group of ladies on a morning bus trip to a pretty little place called Los Gatos (Spanish for "The Cats"). It would have been lovely but the shops were closed so we found ourselves with four hours to fill in with nothing to do but window shop. The afternoon was much more productive as I decided to check out the suburbs by riding the light rail train to different areas of San Jose. On reflection this was a stupid idea and not entirely safe. I certainly got to see a cross section of San Jose people. It appears that the recession has had quite an impact of the people of San Jose as there were a number of homeless men and woman, and sad looking people. On Sunday evening we had the privilege of spending time with some fellow ICMA attendees over some excellent food and ales. Monday, Richard was busy with workshops and I again got to be the tourist with other ICMA partners. This tour was by far the best of the three that I did. It took us to a place called Winchester Mystery Mansion. The house had something like 160 rooms and was built by a very wealthy woman who inherited the Winchester fortune (apparently from rifle money). The woman was only 4 ft 10 - and Mum, you would have loved her house as all the doors were made to her height and the stairs made only one inch high to allow her arthritic legs to go up and down them. The lady had lost her six week old baby and her husband at an early age so spent all her years grieving. She thought that she would have eternal life if she kept building onto the house because a psychic had told her so. Apparently this lady was wealthier than Bill Gates. The house was quirky and had doors that went nowhere, stairs to nowhere, false cupboards etc. It was fascinating and had some fine examples of Victorian architecture. After this tour we then visited LOHR vineyard and tasted Californian wine. The wine was unlike any New Zealand wines and each one of them tasted exactly like the descriptions of them. I LOVED them. New Zealand wine was not as tasty as this wine. I wanted to bring a whole case home but they don't import to NZ due to our import duties. The tastings were of generous sizes, and the bus trip on the way home was rather noisy as everyone had had the equivalent of four glasses of wine. That always makes for great conversation. Once again I met people from all over the states, and really enjoyed talking with them about their lives as city administrator partners. I had a quiet afternoon as the wine took effect and a snooze was required.
That evening we had a busy social calendar, with three functions to attend. We didn't manage to make it to the Anzac dinner, sadly, as the other functions clashed with them. The first was a social gathering of all the city administrators of Missouri and their partners. Most of the people we had met either during the exchange or the conference, so it was a fun gathering. I was impressed with the vibrancy and obvious talents of these people.
Next we had the privilege oft being invited to the Kusimat alumni dinner - where ex students and current students of the Kansas University Masters in Public Administration Programmes gathered for a formal dinner and award ceremony. The comradeship and pride that this group share is something that I am quite jealous of. The University has a really great programme where the students do an internship in their second year and are sponsored by city mangers throughout the country. Each class only has about 12 - 15 students. It is ranked the best programme of its type in the country. The evening was a late one but well worth the experience. It is a shame there is not similar organisations in NZ.
Next we had the privilege oft being invited to the Kusimat alumni dinner - where ex students and current students of the Kansas University Masters in Public Administration Programmes gathered for a formal dinner and award ceremony. The comradeship and pride that this group share is something that I am quite jealous of. The University has a really great programme where the students do an internship in their second year and are sponsored by city mangers throughout the country. Each class only has about 12 - 15 students. It is ranked the best programme of its type in the country. The evening was a late one but well worth the experience. It is a shame there is not similar organisations in NZ.
Yesterday I got up early and ventured back into San Francisco as there were things that I wanted to see and do. Richard was busy with workshops and a visit to Googleplex, and there were no arranged events that I could attend so rather than shopping I caught the train again, into San Francisco, and went back to Fisherman's Wharf. When we did the tour a few days ago we only had a short time there and unfortunately missed seeing Pier 39. This adventure was like being a lone ranger with sketchy written instruction from the concierge of how to get there. On reflection it was pretty bold to do this by myself as San Francisco is really BIG. Never mind some lovely English tourists helped me find my destinations. My sketchy instructions said to go to the street level at the end of the train ride and catch the trolley bus to Fisherman's Wharf. Well, when you exit the train station at street level, there wasn't a trolley bus to be seen and people for miles, and very large buildings. At this moment I realised the stupidity of doing this by myself. It was almost meltdown material. This is when the English couple helped me. Together we found the bus and all was well from there. I was lucky enough to get an Alcatraz tour ticket on the spot as apparently you have to wait for them. So I spent the next two and a half hours at Alcatraz. It was very well organised and a scary place. Actually quite dismal and bleak, covered in fog and cold. You were guided around with an audio tour. Alex you would have loved the part about the escape attempts. Back at Fisherman's Wharf, I enjoyed looking at the shops and taking in the ambience of the place. It reminded me of Queenstown. Further down I came across an old WW2 submarine that you were able to go aboard and see inside. It was very cramped inside and an insight as to the horrible conditions that these soldiers worked and lived in Their bunkhouse reminded me of that caravan that we all squished into at Hamner Springs all those years ago. To finish the day off I walked and found the cable cars. You can't go to San Francisco without riding the cable cars. It was great fun - even if I was hanging off the side due to the cable car being packed like sardines. I walked for miles that day and had very sore feet at the end of the day. I left the Hotel at 7am and arrived back at 6.30pm. Apart for the two hours on the train I had basically walked for a solid seven hours. It's great fitness training.
Today was our final goodbyes to all our new friends as the Conference closed. It has been a fantastic experience and we have learnt many new things and made many new friends. We both attended a Partners breakfast and listened to a guest speaker regarding juggling time. She was excellent and had some great ideas. Watch out Kids - you will be in for some changes in the household.
After picking up a rental car we drove down the coast road as described above. The California coast is very much like New Zealand's coast, only a little warmer and a little browner. The vegetation is also less dense with a lot more sand. We made stops at Monterrey, San Simeon and Hearst Castle. San Simeon is beautiful and a spot that we both loved. Tonight we are staying at the Anderson Inn, which is right on the water at Morro Bay. Tonight I am writing this blog to the sound of sea lions mating and seagulls chirping and the gentle sound of water swishing with the tide. It is gorgeous and very very calming. Our door is still open at 9.30pm. We have a small balcony and will enjoy watching the sun rise from there tomorrow morning. Both of us are very tired as it has been a busy five days. Richard was late home last night as he was "out with the boys" for a final few farewell ales. Today I faced my fears of driving in the states and braved some "Lefty Stuff". It was unsettling at start and just felt wrong, however I managed - that is after nearly killing us at an intersection in Monterrey. I had a really good navigator in Richard and also the Navman helped as "Sandy" tells you when you are wrong or when you need to turn. We have nicknamed her "Sandy" as she has a female voice and we drove past lots of beaches on our first day. She is loud and does not like insolent drivers who do not do as they are told. She dislikes lanes that are closed, and road works with detours. However Sandy is our friend and we couldn't go anywhere without her. Thank you "Sandy". (The name bears no reflection to any "Sandy" that we know and apologise if any offense is taken). It is late now and bedtime. We have both enjoyed a luxurious spa bath and are more that ready for sleep. Goodnight all.
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