my day as a tourist

Our first day as San Francisco tourists. Here's how we looked as we left this morning:

I didn't take a picture, but I can tell you that we looked markedly less chipper by the end of the day. Can someone tell me what it is about playing tourist that is so exhausting? I mean, really. We just didn't do that much today, but I am completely spent. I wish Corey didn't have to work all week. I would rather do all of this tourist stuff with him around.

Here was our schedule:

1.) Drive to Golden Gate Bridge. Bridge entirely shrouded in fog. What bridge? I don't see a bridge? Where is it? Which way should we point the camera?

2.) Drive through Presidio, and make way over to Fisherman's Wharf. On the way, stop at Ghirardelli Square and have lunch at Lori's Diner. Eat way too much food. Good pickles, though. It's been too long since I've had a good pickle.

3.) Get in line for Alcatraz tour. A little unsettling to me how big a draw this is to people. I mean, really. What's the big deal? This was the pride of the American prison system at one point in history, and at no point in history was the American prison system really something to be proud of. Why all the fuss now? They told us they see about 5,000 people a day (at $16/person) and about a million a year. I've also heard that Alcatraz - as a national park - literally pays for all of the other national parks. I'm not sure exactly what all this says about us as a culture, but it feels a little slimy to me.

4.) Proceed to the top of Lombard street. Provoke cries of "Oh, my God" and "Holy shit" because of the steep grade of the hills we are climbing in my little green monster. Proceed down the crooked part of Lombard Street. Piss everyone off by playing tourist and taking as many pictures as is humanly possible.

5.) Head for Geary street and our dinner reservations. We're early, so walk over to Union Square and listen to free jazz music.

6.) Go to Millenium Restaurant. Eat a gourmet vegetarian meal that knocks your socks off. Finally, at the end of a very long day, spent some quality time with most important person in the world (Corey met us for dinner). At last, we're a foursome! I'd include a picture of us at dinner, but we looked realllllly tired, and there are much better pictures out there. Here's the restaurant:

7.) Proceed to the Sony Metreon entertainment complex. Consider seeing a movie before the end of the day. Reconsider. Proceed home.

8.) Die. Just utterly die.

So that was our day. Tomorrow will involve trees, a street full of gay people, and more food. Stay tuned . . .

-Doug

Posted: Thu - July 31, 2003 at 11:41 PM

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my day as a tourist

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