GOS
Livin' for Disney holidays with great friends
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2006
- Messages
- 12,107
Sunday 20th May 2007 – It’s my birthday
Happy Birthday to Me, Happy Birthday to Me, Happy Birthday Dear Meeee, Happy Birthday to Me.
Well as predicted the jet lag has had it’s evil way with us and I’m awake at 4.30am. Last night there was a lot of noise in the corridor and outside in the street. This morning, there’s a road sweeper outside and trucks backing up going…beep, beep, beep! So is it any wonder that I’m awake.
ET moment and we phone home, its 12.30pm in the UK. I’ve opened all my cards and put them on top of the TV cabinet, I leave Rick’s one till later as it’s one of those noise cards. Rick has given me one of my presents that he packed. It’s a pair of diamante Mickey Hand earrings, the rest he has left at home – it turns out that he has bought me a new laptop (which I’m using at this moment!). To pass the time, I turn up Rick’s sleeves on his fleece jacket as they were annoying him yesterday. I make some coffee, but it’s still only 5.30am. Breakfast this morning is in the hotel café, which opens at 7.00am. We opt for the cereal, pastry and fruit selection.
Today is the only day we have in SF, so we have to make the most of the time we have. By 8.00am we are waiting at one of the tram stops, which takes us all along the Embarcadero to Ferry stop/Market Street. The tram terminates here today as there is the ING Bay to Breakers 12K footrace today. Market Street stretches out in front of us and as we continue up to Union Square we pass lots of walkers, all in fancy dress. There are some fairly elaborate costumes. After a coffee and rest room stop, we stop off at Old Navy and the Virgin Mega Store. The Ghirardelli Chocolate Shop is open for us to purchase a couple of gifts and as most of the stores do not open till 11.00am, we sit in the square, catch a few rays and I take the opportunity to make a quick call home as I have forgotten a shopping list. The Disney Store is now open, but we buy nothing as the majority of the stock is for young children. Next stop is Victoria Secrets for some underwear and then Macy’s for some Benefit cosmetics. I explain that the cosmetics are for my Niece and the salesgirl offers me a free make over and of course, I have to purchase a few items for myself. Well it is my birthday after all.
We take the lift/elevator to the top floor and have Cheesecake for lunch – yum. The Cable Car Museum is located on Washington & Mason Streets, so we climb to the top of Nob Hill, definitely not something you should do after a huge piece of cheesecake. The museum is free and explains how the cables and the cars work, also how before the great earthquake how there were approx 22 cable lines in operation. The remaining 4 lines have recently been refurbished and as we take the Powell & Hyde line towards Lombard Street I get talking to the conductor/grip. He explains that all drivers and conductors have to have a lot of training and that some are trained for both drivers and conductors.
We alight at Lombard Street, the crookedest street in the world, and take the stairs down the side. Finally back to Beach Street and our hotel, but we only stop to drop off my shopping. I want to visit the tram museum, which was not open this morning, so we catch the tram to Ferry stop. The volunteer notices our accent and says that there is a tram running today that has been brought all the way from Blackpool. At that moment, the Blackpool trams turns the corner on its return journey back to the Wharf area, so we make a dash to the next stop in order to catch it.
This morning we asked at Hotel Reception where the nearest cinema was and got directions. Shrek 3 opened this weekend and it’s the ideal opportunity to see it and also stay awake. So we catch the bus to Van Ness and find the Marie Theatre. The film is OK, nothing worth writing home about. At the end of the block is Mel’s Drive in and the menu looks quite good, so we stop of for a burger and fries. It was delicious and if you are ever in SF it is well worth stopping off here for a meal. We take the bus back to Ghirardelli’s and walk along the Wharf area. It is quite cold now as there is quite a strong wind. There are also not so many people about. I think that as its Sunday evening people are making their way home, in time for work tomorrow.
We head back to our room. I have had the perfect birthday. Rick said that it was because I was with him! The weather was glorious, if a bit chilly at times, but we are both very tired as we’ve been up for about 16hrs and we walked about 10 miles today.
Happy Birthday to Me, Happy Birthday to Me, Happy Birthday Dear Meeee, Happy Birthday to Me.
Well as predicted the jet lag has had it’s evil way with us and I’m awake at 4.30am. Last night there was a lot of noise in the corridor and outside in the street. This morning, there’s a road sweeper outside and trucks backing up going…beep, beep, beep! So is it any wonder that I’m awake.
ET moment and we phone home, its 12.30pm in the UK. I’ve opened all my cards and put them on top of the TV cabinet, I leave Rick’s one till later as it’s one of those noise cards. Rick has given me one of my presents that he packed. It’s a pair of diamante Mickey Hand earrings, the rest he has left at home – it turns out that he has bought me a new laptop (which I’m using at this moment!). To pass the time, I turn up Rick’s sleeves on his fleece jacket as they were annoying him yesterday. I make some coffee, but it’s still only 5.30am. Breakfast this morning is in the hotel café, which opens at 7.00am. We opt for the cereal, pastry and fruit selection.
Today is the only day we have in SF, so we have to make the most of the time we have. By 8.00am we are waiting at one of the tram stops, which takes us all along the Embarcadero to Ferry stop/Market Street. The tram terminates here today as there is the ING Bay to Breakers 12K footrace today. Market Street stretches out in front of us and as we continue up to Union Square we pass lots of walkers, all in fancy dress. There are some fairly elaborate costumes. After a coffee and rest room stop, we stop off at Old Navy and the Virgin Mega Store. The Ghirardelli Chocolate Shop is open for us to purchase a couple of gifts and as most of the stores do not open till 11.00am, we sit in the square, catch a few rays and I take the opportunity to make a quick call home as I have forgotten a shopping list. The Disney Store is now open, but we buy nothing as the majority of the stock is for young children. Next stop is Victoria Secrets for some underwear and then Macy’s for some Benefit cosmetics. I explain that the cosmetics are for my Niece and the salesgirl offers me a free make over and of course, I have to purchase a few items for myself. Well it is my birthday after all.
We take the lift/elevator to the top floor and have Cheesecake for lunch – yum. The Cable Car Museum is located on Washington & Mason Streets, so we climb to the top of Nob Hill, definitely not something you should do after a huge piece of cheesecake. The museum is free and explains how the cables and the cars work, also how before the great earthquake how there were approx 22 cable lines in operation. The remaining 4 lines have recently been refurbished and as we take the Powell & Hyde line towards Lombard Street I get talking to the conductor/grip. He explains that all drivers and conductors have to have a lot of training and that some are trained for both drivers and conductors.
We alight at Lombard Street, the crookedest street in the world, and take the stairs down the side. Finally back to Beach Street and our hotel, but we only stop to drop off my shopping. I want to visit the tram museum, which was not open this morning, so we catch the tram to Ferry stop. The volunteer notices our accent and says that there is a tram running today that has been brought all the way from Blackpool. At that moment, the Blackpool trams turns the corner on its return journey back to the Wharf area, so we make a dash to the next stop in order to catch it.
This morning we asked at Hotel Reception where the nearest cinema was and got directions. Shrek 3 opened this weekend and it’s the ideal opportunity to see it and also stay awake. So we catch the bus to Van Ness and find the Marie Theatre. The film is OK, nothing worth writing home about. At the end of the block is Mel’s Drive in and the menu looks quite good, so we stop of for a burger and fries. It was delicious and if you are ever in SF it is well worth stopping off here for a meal. We take the bus back to Ghirardelli’s and walk along the Wharf area. It is quite cold now as there is quite a strong wind. There are also not so many people about. I think that as its Sunday evening people are making their way home, in time for work tomorrow.
We head back to our room. I have had the perfect birthday. Rick said that it was because I was with him! The weather was glorious, if a bit chilly at times, but we are both very tired as we’ve been up for about 16hrs and we walked about 10 miles today.
