One Breezy Bay . . .

A Bostonian and Texan took to the streets of San Francisco, driving past the Victorian homes, apartments and businesses perched atop many a steep hill to conquer:  1. Lombard street; 2.  Cycling across the Golden Gate Bridge; 3.  The Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory!

1.  Lombard Street


I apologize, but my camera died before we got to a shop so I could buy some more $1.50/ea AA batteries, so I have no pictures of the 1000 block of Lombard Street!  Click here for the Wiki article about the street and some good pictures.  I have to say, driving the STEEP ( ! ) hills of San Fran is really a thrill the first time!  The grades are crazy steep.  Lombard St has a grade of 27% straight shot down.  The 8 switchbacks now give it a 17% grade which still feels extremely steep as you look down over the city and bay as you drive it!  This street is known as the "crookedest street in the world."  The streets of SF offer incredible views of the city and it's really breathtaking to see the beautiful city from atop the hills and then gaze over the beautiful blue waters of the bay surrounding the city.

2.  The Golden Gate Bridge

We packed our bikes up in/on my car, made the hour-long drive into the city, found FREE parking, as close as you can get to the bridge, and then did our best to climb the hills from the bay up to the Golden Gate Bridge (we were at 0 feet and the Golden Gate Bridge stands 220 ft above the sea . . . how a 220 ft climb can feel like 1,000, I'm not sure, but we definitely felt a good burn!).  We couldn't have asked for better weather to do the GGB and were fortunate enough to have a fog-free experience and got some amazing views of the Bay.  GGB facts:  construction started in 1933 and was completed in 1937; project cost was $35 million and provided thousands of jobs; 11 people died in accidents while working on construction; more than 1,000 people have committed suicide by jumping off (there are signs on the bridge with numbers to suicide hotlines).

The art deco towers stand 746 feet tall,

which is 191 feet taller than the Washington Monument.

Kelly and I, looking super-cool and super-hot 

in our cycling gear!

The view toward Angel Island.

The large cables suspending the bridge house

27,572 wires and are 3 feet in diameter.

These pictures do not do the Bridge and Bay justice!

It's breathtaking!

3.  The Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory

My Bawstonian friend and I decided we would reward all of our hard work and cycling about 3 miles at a very strenuous pace of 6.4 mph with $8 sundaes at the Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory soda shop! : )  Good end to a day in the city!

This picture is not from today, but, if you look carefully, you can see the Ghirardelli sign, which is the factory. : )

I haven't forgotten I have a job here as well, even if it is very easy to forget!  I have had 2 shifts on the floor and have 2 more this weekend.  Everybody is very friendly, but being new to a floor, new to the systems/protocols/policies, is an adjustment.  I'm thankful they are very stringent on their nurse-to-patient ratios! Everybody has been very friendly so far.  I haven't decided how I like the e-charting software.  Ask me in 2 weeks, when I leave! :)  Hope you are all doing well!!!