Travelouge 1: San Francisco

Hai everyone! Tinker here, just back from a long day of traveling. Where from, you may ask? Well...

Before I head off on my Big Adventure to China, I needed to get a work Visa. Thing is, you can only get them from a Chinese Consulate, and you have to go in person (or use a courier, which was more expensive in the long run) Therefore, I went on a trip to..


San Francisco!

The traveling to and from was pretty uneventful. Just a full day of sitting in the car staring out the window wondering how much longer it would take.

I did see some pretty sunflowers though.

My first day in SF was focused on applying for the visa itself. That was a long, boring process that took three hours and a lot of patience. (and a pack of cards) My reccomendations for those who need to apply for a Visa:

-Show up early (There's always a line before they open and the place fills up fast.)
-Be ready (seriously, MAKE SURE all of your ducks are in a row before you get there. Also, the form they provide online doesn't always print off right and you'll need to re-do it. Lame, I know.)
-Have a book (If you show up more than an hour after they open or you have to re-do stuff and wait, be aware that it's going to take a while.)

My family got to wander around Japantown and see some really cool stuff while I was at the Consulate. Kinda Jealous really.

The next day was a LOT more fun. We went to Great America, an amusement park that happened to be celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. I don't go on many big rides anymore, but I enjoyed a few, including their new Mass Effect themed ride. (Cue Sqeeing about SFX)

Otherwise I just kinda chilled and acted as a $40 pack mule for the rest of the family's swimsuits and water bottles. At least I had the cheapest lunch. :P

Dinner was delicious. My brother's friend knows this excellent Falafel place in Sunnydale called Flafel Stop. It's the first time I had Falafel, and it was quite delicious! Then more cards while my brother chatted with his friends.

Day 3: Ghirardelli Square! We didn't get to hang around long (and we were on a budget and couldn't afford $10 ice creams anway) But it was really cool to visit the original factory for Ghirardelli chocolate.

We also wandered Fisherman's Warf a bit. Saw some REALLY awesome stuff (Like beautiful old Sailing ships!) But alas, our parking meter was only good for an hour. Curse you, lack of loose change!

After that we went to the Zoo. My sisters loved it, but I've been to a lot of zoos and I made the poor decision to wear shorts on a cold and windy day, so I stayed in the car and played solitare while they did a quick tour around. (my Brawl in the Family deck was really getting a workout this trip.)

The last day was for heading home. I took the BART (Bay-Area Rapid Transit) Into town with my brother so we could get to the consulate early to pick up my visa. The rest of the family came in later after they got the motel room packed up. After picking up and paying for my Visa (which took 45 minutes despite showing up before the consulate even opened) We packed up and began the long drive home.

But not before visiting one last San Francisco Icon...

See you next Trip, Travelers!