Jan 25-26 San Francisco

First time visiting San Francisco via cruise ship.  We've been here many times by plane/auto, so we were looking forward to the sail in through the Golden Gate.  Thanks to the miracle of modern technology we were able to determine our passage under the Golden Gate Bridge.  The fog was so thick you couldn't see the bridge until directly underneath.  I was following along on the GPS map and looked up just as we went underneath, and this was it.

 The fog was lessening as we pulled into the bay.  However, Photoshop has sharpened the pictures somewhat beyond what our eyes were seeing.

 We docked almost directly below Telegraph Hill

 Alcatraz shrouded in fog

 After dinner we walked down to Fisherman's Wharf, about a mile and half.

 Cynthia never did have an Irish coffee, even though we passed the Buena Vista several times over the two days.  (Cynthia not woman enough to have Irish coffee at 9 am!)

After a good night's sleep -- all that exercise -- we awoke to a bright and sunny day.  We walked from Pier 27 towards thr tourist areas...

 ...and boarded a cable car on the Powell-Mason line.  This line, a couple of blocks away from Fisherman's Wharf, is much less crowded than the Hyde-Beach station.  Of course, this early on a Sunday morning, there weren't any other people about.  In fact, we had the cable car to ourselves going downtown.

 On arriving at Market street, we got in line for the next cable car heading to Hyde-Beach.  We were first in line, and a group of tourists came up shortly to fill out the car.

 The tour guide directed a couple of his guidees into the standing positions right in front of Cynthia and me.  I think they were Chinese (not from Corona infected areas, I hope) and were fascinated with what must have been their first visit to San Francisco.  Especially with Chinatown as we passed through it.

 Union Square

 Lombard Street -- can't see the curves from the cable car atop Russian Hill.

 Going down Hyde towards Beach, with Alcatraz in the bay

 We walked west from Hyde street through the Maritime Park to Fort Mason, up and over the hill, and onto the Marina.

 Palace of Fine Arts

 Street art

 There was a Farmer's Market on Fort Mason with lots of locals and their dogs buying the weeks produce.

 Sunday morning exercise.

 One of the beautiful painted ladies that front the marina

 Someone from 1968 who never left

 After lunch at In-N-Out Burger and dessert at Ghirardelli, we returned for the life boat drill and sail out.  Much better weather than the sail in, although it was COLD.  Even on Sunny Sunday we were wearing our arctic wear and not regretting it.

 Out through the Golden Gate to begin an Around the World circuit that will return here on July 4.

Jan 24 Los Angeles and before

Sometime has passed since the last blog post, mostly because there hasn't been anything going on. There have been some very pretty sunsets along the way.

We stopped in Puerto Vallarta, a beach town in western Mexico.  Since we have been out for nearly 2 weeks, we had discovered what we had forgotten, or perhaps didn't pack enough.  Literally right across the street from where we docked was a Walmart.  Our day's journey was decided.

 Here's the view from the front door of the Walmart.  The ship is the Insignia.  But it was actually nearly a mile to walk from the ship to the store.  We had to go nearly a half-mile east to get to the cruise terminal, part of it via a tram.  We had to wind through the cruise terminal, feeling like rats in a maze as we followed the signs to "Exit".  Then it was back a half-mile west (no tram) to Walmart, with a very busy street to cross out in front.  If you're on a cruise ship, or just visiting in PV, and need liquor, (or Oreos) this is your spot.

 There was Mexican folk dancing in the terminal.  We were one of three ships in port this day -- us at 650, Holland America Oosterdam at about 2000, and Norwegian Joy at about 3500.  We were about 10% of the people around on this day.

 There was a pirate ship in the bay, successfully repulsed.

 During the two days at sea following PV there an Indian Buffet in the Terrace Grill one night. 

 Being the adventuresome eater I am, I had the sirloin, medium, with baked potato.

 Our arrival in Los Angeles at the breakwater

 La La Land

 Film making may be the big business in town, but at the port it's moving containers.  Lots of huge container ships, lots of containers lying about -- how do they keep track of them?  And Many huge cranes loading/unloading the ships as fast as they can.  Here's about 5 cranes unloading simultaneously.

 We pass the battleship museum USS Iowa.

 We took the shuttle bus to Long Beach and walked around.  If you're a Champ Car fan, or just about any US Racing you'll recognize the Aquarium fountain that's part of the Long Beach Grand Prix circuit.

 There's the Queen Mary berthed across the harbor.

 Fountain in front of the aquarium.

Pedestrian bridge to the shopping mall.

 Long Beach is an interesting old town.

 After visiting LB (and the local Von's, a grocery store), we shuttled back to the ship surrounded by acres of containers.