Return from the Left Coast
I have returned from the West and my first trip to the Bay area. It was cut short by a day because America West Airlines broke their plane, and I arrived at 4:30PM on Friday instead of 11:30 PM on Thursday. However, I did get to share some time with a lovely couple of Bush supporters on the way out.
Last bit of consumer news - our trunk on the Camry - rented at Hertz - refused to close after Sunday morning. Much tape and piling of luggage in the back seat later - we got a $30 voucher out of it.
Other observations of the left coast:
-The Geography is visually stunning, especially around the Golden Gate Bridge where the Bay meets the Pacific and is ringed by the coastal range. However, those hill covered in dead grass, those are not "Golden Hills". It's just dead grass.
-Berkeley is overrated. I've seen many a liberal college town in my day, and Berkeley doesn't fit the hype. If you want to hang in a freaked out, hippie liberal environment AND have a hell of a time doing it - just go to Madison. There is none finer. Congratulations Madtown, you have put Beserkely to shame.
-Those little dashes on the interstate aren't what I thought. Going into the atrocious Bay area traffic, I thought they were lane dividers, uh-uh. They are motorcycle lanes. And it turns out they are perfectly legal motorcycle lanes. I haven't had so many close encounters of the Harley kind since I was in Milwaukee for the 100 year Harley-Davidson anniversary.
-San Francisco has a certain reputation. However, I was hard pressed to see much evidence of it. During my few trips to Seattle I saw much more overt, public, and dare I say pornographic, displays.
-San Francisco has a population of 798,000. San Jose - 923,000.
-The A's will be a playoff team. The Giants will not.
Last bit of consumer news - our trunk on the Camry - rented at Hertz - refused to close after Sunday morning. Much tape and piling of luggage in the back seat later - we got a $30 voucher out of it.
Other observations of the left coast:
-The Geography is visually stunning, especially around the Golden Gate Bridge where the Bay meets the Pacific and is ringed by the coastal range. However, those hill covered in dead grass, those are not "Golden Hills". It's just dead grass.
-Berkeley is overrated. I've seen many a liberal college town in my day, and Berkeley doesn't fit the hype. If you want to hang in a freaked out, hippie liberal environment AND have a hell of a time doing it - just go to Madison. There is none finer. Congratulations Madtown, you have put Beserkely to shame.
-Those little dashes on the interstate aren't what I thought. Going into the atrocious Bay area traffic, I thought they were lane dividers, uh-uh. They are motorcycle lanes. And it turns out they are perfectly legal motorcycle lanes. I haven't had so many close encounters of the Harley kind since I was in Milwaukee for the 100 year Harley-Davidson anniversary.
-San Francisco has a certain reputation. However, I was hard pressed to see much evidence of it. During my few trips to Seattle I saw much more overt, public, and dare I say pornographic, displays.
-San Francisco has a population of 798,000. San Jose - 923,000.
-The A's will be a playoff team. The Giants will not.
posted by Bill Gilles | 10:15 AM
3 Comments:
So... what about those super-secret weapons? Get any glimpses?
This is your best blog in a long time, I guess the left coast cleared your head a bit.
ABS.
Sounds like you had an interesting time in SF. Mom told me to remind you that her birthday is in two days.....just so you know!
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