3. San Francisco

San Francisco certainly has it all!!

Alcatraz was something right out of a Clint Eastwood movie.  The tour must be booked months in advance, with a return ferry ride to Alcatraz and a self guided audio tour included.
An informative day, enjoyable apart from the arrival protocol of the communal shower and rubber glove ordeal; followed by the naked walk to the cell to find our new uniform laid out on the bed.

Go directly to gaol, or jail!
An ideal location for a captivating new resort!
The worst of prisoners were sent here as a last resort. 

The architecture has changed since the original use as a fort showcasing over 100 canons in 1865

Three tiers of prisoners and many more tears by the prisoners.
Once the cell doors closed, relative security was attained by the prisoners.
The mess hall and exercise yard were the most dangerous areas.  

Opening of all the cell doors of the entire level simultaneously.
Surprisingly no cell phones were evident. 

The dreaded exercise yard where the pecking order and prison hierarchy was sorted out.
We could well imagine Clint Eastward among us.  

One of the famous break out cells with a dummy that fooled the night watchman until roll call.
Dummies are rife in prison. 

Architecture in San Francisco is totally unique.  We averaged 20,000 steps and 60 staircases each day in walking around San Fran.
Then we discovered public transport and Uber.  We rode the cable car as Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda on their first date.

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Halloween is big time all over, with so many properties sporting different decorations. 

Some beautiful architecture.
The flags a delight for Vexillologists. 

Designs of fire-escapes were many and varied.  Almost every structure had them.
We planned on using sheets tied together in event of fire for exit from our 16th floor room. 

Narrowness of houses was more than made up for by intricate design. 

Independent residences joined together making borrowing a cup of sugar easier during inclement weather.
Karl is the name of the fog which affects all in San Francisco. 

Immaculate presentation.

Small gaps between residences to allow fire fighting.
The painters and decorators need to be on special diets before taking on such jobs.
There is theoretically just enough space for a fire hose to douse flames. 

The famed "Painted Ladies". 

We were informed that any Victorian House painted with at least five colours, earns the honour of being named a Painted Lady!  Having the house painted wouldn't be cheap!

Cable Cars and Museum highlighted many years of tradition and lack of safety issues.

The four cables which drive all the cable cars in San Fran.
All run at the same speed of 9.5mph or 15kph.
The cables run continuously. 

The four Cable Car routes in San Francisco

Lack of safety practices in many situations is evident.  One slip and his finger, arm or head would be off.
In Australia all moving parts would be guarded, the operator would be wearing fluro clothing, safety goggles and hearing protection.
The cable cars would also be stopped when he goes to smoko.  

Iconic San Fran icons.
The roads follow a grid pattern giving learner drivers many opportunities to practice hill starts.

The backing of the over length fire truck into a small fire station was impressive: aided by a steering pod in the tail, and the Dalmation keeping a vigilant lookout.  

The safety cone riding on the back step is the sole safety protocol.
Eight passengers stand on the left running board, six on the right.
Hanging on is optional, hence the origin of the term "running board".  

Fully air-conditioned.
When riding on the running board, back packs must be worn on the chest and face into the cable car.
The Gripman, now Gripperson, operates the device that grabs the cable rattling under the track at 9.5 mph.

Our ride over the Golden Gate Bridge on E-bikes with suspension was a highlight.

Weaving through the area with our guide showcasing so many scenes and facts. 

Built for the 1905 World Fair and to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal, the Palace of Fine Arts is quite impressive, and has stood through several major earthquakes

Simply add water to the top horizontal to transform into a Roman aqueduct. 

Cables of the bridge being consumed by birds. 

Temperature varied by about 10 degrees during the ride.
We are at Crissy Field, which was a major military base during the war. 

Non peak hour traffic not having the foggiest as to the what is holding up the cables. 

View out into the Pacific Ocean.
Australia is just out of shot to the left

Cables in easy reach at this part of the bridge, now we see what is holding up the cables!
The wires in the two main cables total 128,000kms.

Lombard Street has featured in many movies, is not suitable for road trains or cable cars, and is a must when visiting the area.

The street always features more tourists than cars. 

A length restriction applies to vehicles. 

A possible tourist draw card idea for Brown Street, Newcastle NSW

Walking around Fisherman's Wharf area provides more varied view.
Don remembers so clearly being in the Royal Theatre in Newcastle in 1969 whilst awaiting the  James Bond movie, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" seeing a three minute feature on San Francisco about the flower people, with Scott McKenzie's song about San Francisco as the sound track.

Reminiscent of  the 60s flower power where San Francisco played such a major role. 

A top sailing location with some brilliant yachts and events.
The mistified Golden Gate Bridge can just be made out in the background.

Muir Woods sports groves of Coast Redwood or Sequoia trees, and are some of the oldest and largest living organisms on the planet.
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The tree was born in 909AD
That certainly means many letters from various queens over the years. 

Looking up with a vertical panoramic shot. 

The people walking through would be just a blink of an eye compared to the age of these trees. 

Reaching for the stars. 

Dwarfed

Gentle giants, until branches are dropped. 

Ageless beauty 

A drought is gripping California at present, however, the water reserves in most places seem better than in Australia. 

Next we join our Intrepid Tour of National Parks taking in more natural beauty and meet some new travelling companions.

As Everett Mamor once said "We can learn a lot from trees; they're always grounded but never stop reaching heavenward!"

Regards, Don and Carrol.

2. Sydney to LA LA Land

Dorothy once said "There is no place like home!" when she found herself in the Land of Oz.
We plan to see how things differ from home when we leave the Land of Aus.

What better way to start off a trip than a relaxed afternoon and evening in Sydney with great friends, old and new.

Sydney put on a remarkable show of weather and sights to entice us back to the wonderful land of Aus.

For those who remember the Susan Raye song from the 70s, we landed at LA International Airport, where the big jet engines roar, LA International Airport I won't see you any more; that is except in another few days.
Straight to Hollywood to seek our fame and fortune (or more to the point, spend a fortune as nothing is cheap).

The famed Hollywood sign has been modified over the years to read as Hollyweed and Holywood to suit various senses of humour and occasions. 

We were bewildered by this sign on the hills which also appeared on buildings, trees and sky as our bus drove along. 

Los Angeles River near our hotel.
More suitable for car chases than river boating. 

Subway showing more class and cleanliness than most. 

Plus providing education on history rather than graffiti. 

Then on to Venice Beach and Santa Monica, where pumping iron and beach volley ball in bikinis is all the go!  We felt right at home.

Surfing at the famed Venice Beach is akin to surfing at Warners Bay.
We are not sure what would have happened if a wave had come along. 

Venice Beach
Said to be birth place of skate boarding.  No doubt due to lack of surf. 

Wheel chair accessible fishing spot. 

Down on the updated boardwalk.
A slow ped can be seen in the foreground; as per the sign. 

On a bicycle built for two from Venice Beach to Santa Monica. 

For the true road trip enthusiasts.
The end of Route 66. 

Surf, sand and sea pigeons. 

Failed early attempt at creating a paddle boat at Santa Monica.
Later adding flotation and lowering the paddle into the water proved successful.  

The endless crowds applying pier pressure. 

Hollywood, and a chance to meet fellow stars.

 

Picking a good way to make people laugh seemed effortless for Charlie; simply relying on talent and timing without the backup of sound or special effects. 

Breakfast at Tiffany's turned out to be more like morning tea at Tiffany's.
Audrey was so much looking forward to porridge.

Raquel trying to teach 70s dance moves from 10,000 years BC. 

An affinity to river cruising was apparent from the very first scene. 

All I said was "We need some rain man!", and he got all down in the mouth.  He was evidently needing a friend to talk to.  

Sharing a joke about the White House residents. 

Jack is always good for a laugh!
We waxed lyrically for quite a while. 

Meghan was good for a chat, however, Harry's mind was elsewhere. 

Feeling lucky despite no gun to draw.
He made my day!

The Chinese Theatre is the centre of Hollywood.

Actor Billy Zane was the only non wax, hence live personality we saw.
He is seen here sporting less hair than in his Titanic days, however, still believes ships and icebergs are not a good mix.
Like the others at Madame Tussaud's, it looks as if his head had been waxed. 

We did a tour of the homes of stars.
Here is Julia Robert's home when Richard Gear carted her off in Pretty Woman.
It wouldn't happen now as the limo would have too much difficulty with the traffic congestion, give up, and a new movie ending would have to be written. 

Concrete will never be the same with messages, hand and foot prints.
Archaeologists in future years will study these prints in the way they do now with dinosaur prints.
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Everyone's favorite.
What a clever little girl!

Expensive paving. 

How do you solve a problem like Maria?

Keeping her age well, although her measurements appear to have changed from her heyday. 

Others with stars laid in the sidewalks.

The most popular star as noted by the crowds trying to take this photo. 

Nearly slipped on grease on this one. 

Disneyland had the edge taken off, by firstly taking 3 hours to get in the gate from our hotel.  Then it was a case of standing in wait lines for rides for 1hr 45, 1hr 35, and a couple of just 45mins.

Unbelievable crowds.
The line-up for shows approaching 2 hours gave us a chance to meet fellow shufflers in the line.  

Decorations for Halloween at the Haunted Mansion. 

Our lunch for the day which only required a 20 minute line up.
AUD$16 for two ice creams. 

The happiest place in the world!
Not today though!!
Kids and strollers add to the fun of the parents. 

The highlight of the day was the Mad Hatter's Tea Party, in that we only had to line up for 20 minutes.
An hour and a quarter quicker than some other line ups. 

We were in Fantasy Land!
What more could we ask for?
And from the smell of legalised Marijuana in the streets of Hollywood, many people are living in Fantasy Land. 

Universal Studios had smaller crowds, plus we paid for an upgrade, and gained easy access for all the rides.  Money talks in the USA!
We upgraded after our day in Disneyland, where 40 upgrade customers would enter a ride to 5 of commoners. Hence not many rides in the day for those who didn't pay extra!!

Arriving early to avoid the crowds.
Such a shame the gates weren't open. 

Fake light weight facades which have been in many movies. 

We travelled back to the future for this shot. 

A typical Mexican village before the rains. 

And after the rains. 

Jaws evidently has a good dentist.
He has been showing his pearly whites, or great whites, for 44 years. 

The War of the Worlds played havoc with a 747.
The Martians haven't been back to clean up their mess. 

Kings Cross Station Platform No. 9.75

The snow on Hogwart's Village roofs indicates a temperature of 26F and not 26C. 

A hairy potter was known to have resided in this castle. 

On now to San Francisco, with flowers in our hair, and the aim of keeping up the average steps per day of 18,000.  No time to gain weight so far.

Hoping all are keeping well!!
Cheers, Don and Carrol.