USA 28 - SFSF Weekend Day 4

(Once again, don't start reading the SFSF stuff here - make sure you start back on HOS Hits San Fran SFSF Day 1 - or it will be way too wacky!)

Day 4 - Sunday

Our final day together dawned.

The day started with a romantic lie in, deteriorated into a disgusting IHop festival, then further disintegrated with a Death-like March of billions of kilometres!

I'm such a drama queen!!!

It was a bloody awesome day - though we really needed that San Francisco Chili in Sourdough bread from Boudin by the end of it all - pic 1 - thought I'd shake things up a little by starting with last first. I'm in that sort of mood (I'm writing this at the Princess Wilderness Lodge up in the Denali National Park in Alaska - I'm running a little behind! But that doesn't matter cause I saw two bears in the wild today, from the train, and I'm still on a high from it - one was a baby bear, then a few minutes later I saw a bigger black bear - there are no words for how cool that was!)

Anyway. Day 4. Yes, of course. Bloody IHop.

For those of you who don't know, IHop stands for International House of Pancakes. I'm not sure where the "international" fits in, although there were crepes on the menu! HOS had been BUSTING to eat there when he was out the first time, and we just didn't make it. So, when we finally decided to haul our butts out of bed, I told him that today was going to be a special day for him...today was IHop breaky day! Oh the joyful smile on his face - those big bluey green eyes dancing with anticipatory delight.

We tracked down our local IHop over at the Marina. The place was packed - it was lunchtime on Sunday. HOS was so antsy, he just couldn't sit still. I was sorta dreading it! Now, down to business...what to have? Well seeing as HOS's favourite at Pancakes on the Rocks is Strawberry Patch, he went for some stack of pancakes with strawberries and this quasi awful watery sweet whit stuff they call chantilly cream...hmmmmmm. I, on the other hand went for a combo - I got 2 Double Blueberry Pancakes with aforementioned revolting sweet white runny stuff, and a plate of scrambled eggs, sausage and hash brown - all for just $8.95!

Now, not to dampen my man's enthusiasm for American fast food (some of which I have enjoyed, in parts), it was all pretty awful. HOS's strawberry pancake saucey stuff looked like it was coloured in with texta it was so artificially red. The pancakes tasted like packet mix, and the cooked breaky was ok. Having said that...seeing the look of excitement, fulfilment and satisfaction on HOS's face melted my heart and along with it, melted all those small little...well...issues. The little kid face of my 50 year old man made the trip unforgettable, and I would do it every day to see that look on his face. Soooooo cute (I think I'm still mushy from seeing the bears!).

So, we paid our "check" and headed off on our last adventure.

And what a bloody big adventure. We set out for the Golden Gate Bridge - our mission...to cross it! We set a cracking pace...powerwalked through the Presidio area which is right on the Bay, walked with all the other locals and tourists alike through some park closer to the bridge, and within an hour we were there at the Bridge - and it was absolutely spectacular. I've wacked up a few pics up there to bore you with. We walked across with the blustery wind in our faces - it's 2.7 miles long, then we turned around at the end and came all the way back, this time with a bit of a tail wind helping us out. It was FABULOUS, EXHILARATING for me, and a little FREAKY for HOS. We watched container ships come in, watched the windsurfers and suicidal kite surfers, there was a bike lane on the other side, and we actually saw the wind slam a woman cyclist into one of the pylons...OUCH.

Feeling oh so virtuous and very proud of ourselves, and not a little buggered, we decided to find some food. Well about 5pm, and another 6km later, we found it!!! We walked all the way back along the Marina, then across over the park to Fisherman's Wharf...by this time I was pooky and very very cranky (we all know what I'm like when I'm tired AND hungry), but we marched on. It was worth it. Wonderful wonderful chili in sourdough bread bowl from the famous San Francisco sourdough bakery, Boudin....it was heavenly. HOS, a card-carrying member of the Chili Police, gave it his seal (and sigh) of approval! Thank goodness. We then splurged on sharing one of their White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut cookies. MMMMMMMMM (Don't miss soup at Boudin, just next to Fisherman's Wharf - on my first day in San Fran I had the clam chowder in the bread bowl...divineeeeeeeeeeee).

Things started to get a little sadder at this time...we knew it was time to get back for HOS to start packing, and for us to say goodbye.

I won't go into the farewell scene - don't want to spoil my bear high I'm on.

All I can say is, thank you, my love. Those four days were some of the best of our travels together, and I will cherish them forever and forever. When I stop to think of certain things (you know what they are) I just burst out laughing!!! I will keep them with me always.

End of mushy stuff.

End of Super Fantastic San Fran Weekend.