Vacation: Part Deux

Day 3

So, on Monday, we got up and got our things together. We decided to try to find something for breakfast, but there really was not anything near our hotel. We walked several blocks and finally just ended up at the same pastry shop that Brian had been to the day before. But we did get an up-close view of the National Shrine that I mentioned in the last post. It sure is a pretty building--I wish we could have gone inside. Then, we hiked over to the National Rental Car place in Union Square, where we had reservations to pick up a car. There was a huge line that was moving very slowly. There were only 2 agents there. I think we waited in line for over an hour, which made us very frustrated. We finally got our car and hurried to our hotel to get our luggage and check out. We made it in time and then called my brother, as we were going to meet up with them and travel together. They had picked up their car already, but wanted to go to Haight-Ashbury (he has college-age sons). So, we headed over to Lombard Street and took a drive down the "Crookedest Street in America." After that, we headed out toward the Golden Gate Bridge, where we would meet up with my brother. We stopped and took some cool pictures of the bridge shrouded in fog (the only day we had fog!) While waiting for them, we stopped at East Beach in Chrissy Field. The girls kicked off their shoes and waded in the ice cold water. We finally met up with the rest of the family and headed north. It was so cool to drive over the Golden Gate Bridge! Of course, with the fog we couldn't really see anything other than the bridge, but it was cool, nonetheless.

We drove through some vineyard areas on our way up to Clear Lake. We noticed it get noticeably warmer (HOT!) soon after we crossed the bridge. After driving on some very curvy roads and stopping at a Petrified Forest, we finally arrived at Clear Lake. We stayed at Konicti Harbor Resort.

Days 4 & 5
Our main purpose for the trip to California was for a family reunion. We got see and meet some cousins and reconnect with aunts and uncles. We had such a fun time sharing pictures and stories and getting to know one another. I won't go into much more detail here. But I will say that it was a wonderful experience and I'm looking forward to the next time we have a chance to get together.

Next up: The final chapter