Alright. So I'm back now from going to see Weeble AKA Alfred Muller. Boy did Polar and I have fun. Hmmm. Since there's so much to say I might as well split this up a bit.
Day One:
Woke up and waited for Polar to meet me at 4:00 am. I took over driving down the dark highway till somewhere 10 miles past Ventura. We pulled off on some off-ramp that let us off on a no name road that led pretty much nowhere. Then it was Polar's turn to drive till we got to San Luis Obispo. Pretty boring so far huh? Luckily I had my Metroid Metal and Hot Action Cop CDs handy, along with the DVD player to listen to Ron White (comedian, Blue Collar Comedy Tour). I should mention that San Luis Obispo had some fantastic views of clouds rolling over the mountains.
After Breakfast at Denny's I took over driving again. Now the fun and beautiful part begins. So we reached the 1 Highway (PCH) and got to San Simeon where we could have visited Hurst Castle but didn't. Instead we went to a small pier in the opposite direction and got a great view.
Continuing we soon got to the fun part of PCH. The road started curving and gaining altitude in some of the slowest driving I had ever done. But it was fun and gave us some fantastic views for the entire three hours we were on it. We made a couple of short stops. At some point I had to tinkle and get a break from driving so we stopped at the Lucia Lodge also known as The Rockslide Inn (Gee I wonder why?). So it seems I have a bladder problem, we also stopped in Big Sur which (not suprisingly) was not so big.
Monterey and Cannery Row was our next stop. We took a trip to see the fishies at the Aquarium which was cool except that the staff seemed to go out of their way to make me feel guilty for eating seafood. So what did we do? We went and got some $8.95 Fish and Chips!
Polar took the reins for the last leg of the day which brought us right into rush hour traffic. :( Eventually we got to Walnut Creek and the Embassy Suites Hotel where we got (I'm sorry I got) free drinks till 7:30! I do enjoy a good buzz after a long drive! Forced Polar to watch the movie Joyride about a twisted truck driver that fucks with these guys on a long road trip. I am so evil. Sleep.
Day Two:
After our free breakfast at the hotel we hopped on the BART train to see San Francisco proper. I have to admit I like taking the train... ALOT! We are let off in the middle of the Financial District surrounded by tall skyscrapers and street bums. This is a big change from anything I have ever experienced in my life. We hopped on the "F Line" Railway to ride down to Fisherman's Wharf all the time I am wondering "Where's the hills that San Francisco is so famous for?" Well I found them as soon as we got off and turned around. Woah.
Then someone took us to prison. No I didn't do it, we went to Alcatraz. I was kinda cool just trying to imagine what it was like to be stuck in one of those cells for a large portion of your life. Believe me I didn't want to hang out in a cell for all too long. Besides that it was a surprisingly small facility it only housed a little over 200 inmates at any time. Got some great pics though. Moving on we also took the Bay Cruise which gave us a close up look at the Golden Gate Bridge, nice.
Walked a couple blocks and we reached the USS Pampanito (yea it's hard for me to pronounce too). God that thing was cramped! I could never imagine spending months in a sardine can of that size, but some people did and we won the war!
After spending too much time at the wharf we moved on to the Cable Cars and got quite a show from a guy calling himself ESCAPE MAN!!! Very funny guy. He escaped from a straight jacket and chains. We took the VERY cramped and overloaded cable car to the top of the hill where we went to the cable car museum (it was free so it was in the budget). Then moved on to Chinatown. Reminded me of Westminster but with tourist crap. Decided to stop in at the Far East Cafe for dinner. Some of the best Chinese food ever. From there it was a short walk back to the train and the hotel. More free drinks then sleep.
Okay that's enough for today Kiddo's be sure to check back soon for more Adventures in San Fran!
Media Center:Note: These pictures are beyond desktop quality to ensure clairity. Dial-up users are fucked, sorry.
Outside San Luis Obispo.
In San Simeon (Hurst Castle).
Random broken stairs in San Simeon.
The view from PCH.
View from the Rockslide Inn AKA Lucia Lodge.
Big Sur not so big.
Historic Cannery Row.
Eh, not so historic.
Pizza Anyone?
Hey we came for the views!
Even in the middle of nowhere we couldn't get away.
Oh God! Don't let them put me away!
Maybe you should call someone about that?
God they were mean. They even plugged up the toilets!
Oh Purty!
What can I say? It's a big city.
Damn boat ruined the picture!
OK now I'm just getting artistic.
One of many Street Preformers
Note: All this guy did was sit and look around while "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" played on the boombox. Now I've seen it all.
USS Pampanito (everyone salute!)
Robot Man was cool.
Escape Man broke loose while waiting for the Cable Car.
Said Cable Car
The True Power under the Streets of San Fran.
Road Trippin!
-
CujoSR
- Practically Lives Here
- Posts: 1423
- Joined: Fri Jan 31, 2003 2:00 pm
- Location: Huntington Beach, CA
- Contact:
Road Trippin!
"A little swordplay, now and then, keeps my mind off sheep!"
"You're messing with my Zen thing, man."
"Dreams are as portals,
flat visions of misty places,
fragments bound below my surface,
but I can write dreams,
they flow from me,
inscribed but now unbound,
I touch them,
and they are real,
and they are real."
"You're messing with my Zen thing, man."
"Dreams are as portals,
flat visions of misty places,
fragments bound below my surface,
but I can write dreams,
they flow from me,
inscribed but now unbound,
I touch them,
and they are real,
and they are real."
-
CujoSR
- Practically Lives Here
- Posts: 1423
- Joined: Fri Jan 31, 2003 2:00 pm
- Location: Huntington Beach, CA
- Contact:
For those who were just enthralled with the first part of my road trip story here's the rest! Sit back and relax. This might be a little painful.
Day 3:
So Polar and I wake up pretty beat but we get up have breakfast and make our way to Santa Claira to visit Paramount's Great America! On the way we ended up getting off on the wrong road which happened to have the same name as the road we were looking for (Rd. vs. Ave.). I caught it early and we didn't loose much time at all. When we get there we paid 10 dollars for parking! God what a rip off there wasn't even anyone directing us! We got in and rode on "Top Gun" (Batman Ripoff), and the Psyco Mouse (same as Mullholland Madness but with LEG ROOM!). That's where the good part of the day ended. After getting on the Grizzly, a wooden rollercoaster, apparently they could not get the saftey bar to latch down. Now I must mention that this is was on of the smallest cars I have ever gotten in and I have some big thighs. With that it was my fault that the bar would not latch and I was told that I could not ride. :( Poor me. So Polar rides alone I am am sad and depressed and a little selfconcious about my weight. Then I saw the fat guy across the way and felt much better about myself. :) It's a good thing I didn't ride since Polar had such a bad ride he was hurting afterward. Next stop was Invertigo, a hanging boomerang type ride but passangers face each other. I thought this would be fun but at that point the 90 degree weather was starting to get to me and about 20-mins. into the line I started feeling sick. Heat exaustion, although I was drinking water I still felt like puking. I found some shade and sat for awhile and we went looking for a ride with shade. We found the Demon (similar to viper but not as tall). Afterwards I couldn't move my neck! That's it! And just like that we were dust. If anyone want's to complain about DCA EVER AGAIN I suggest you go to PGA first then complain!
We got back to the hotel room and relaxed for a while before we went to go see Alfred Muller (AKA Weeble)! This was the reason to go on this trip in the first place (or was it just a thinly veiled excuse to see San Fran? You decide.) Anyway we took the BART over and luckly landed right next to the 50 Mason Lounge which ended up being a very small hold in the wall club, but all the better. Ended up that we needed to make reservations for that night's show (thanks Alfred :| ). We were forced to stand till we could be given a seat. Bad news was by the time we got a seat there was only one left. One of us had to stand. I sat for the first couple of acts till I needed a drink and handed off to Polar. Alfred was setting up a camera to record his act and I offered to run the camera for him. When he went up I could barley contain my laughter! Many times the camera wouldn't follow him because I was having too much fun! After the show we went down to Red's Corner Bar which was so thin (only about 6 feet with bar stools and a small counter by the window,) your were forced to talk to your neighbor. "Sorry is that my elbow in your speen?" Either way it was great fun. Polar and I were in the heart of San Fran sharing a beer at 11 PM! Fuck Yea! I did have a nice conversation with the homeless drunk outside while smoking. Apparently he was there to keep the streets safe and clean. :) Back at the hotel we crashed.
Day 4:
We woke expecting to meet Alfred at 8:00 for breakfast. We sat in the room till 9 when I finally called his home and woke him up! We met him downstairs and had breakfast. The night before we presented him with a framed thong (if you have to ask you don't want to know ;) ,) that he loved so much that he took it around and made sure some of the hotel staff took pictures with it. Of course who want's to take a picture with a thong? Especially guys! Hilarity ensued.
After saying our goodbyes we hit the road bound for San Jose and the Winchester Mystery House. They say that after her husband and child died, Sarah Winchester beleived the the spirits of those killed by the Winchester gun would come for her too if she did not keep building her house till she died. After taking the tour and seeing all the sights I have another theroy. She was bored. She lost her family and probably did not plan to marry again so with $1000 a-day allowance she splurged. She might have been a little essentric and paranoid, being all alone with the servants and all that money, but that doesn't make her crazy!
Continuing on the road we reached Santa Cruz to do one thing, ride the "Giant Dipper." One of the oldest rollercoasters in the world, and in my opinion, the best. After getting throught the line we were in the car and wouldn't you know it? The bar wouldn't latch! Luckly this car had major leg room and I learned what went wrong at PGA. Click. Whee!
Before leaving Santa Cruz we made a stop over at the Mystery Spot. Out in the back woods is this little tourist trap where up is down and left is right, Weher you can walk on walls and do the Matrix bullet dodge. Ok so it's just a house that is REALLY crooked, but it's still some campy fun, and for 5 bones it's worth it!
On the way down PCH we had to make our way over to Highway 101 but our Yahoo Map gave us some little road that evedently we missed so we stopped to eat. The resturant we found was called The Good Food Resturant. I wouldn't say if it was really good or not but there were hot sandwiches listed on the cold sandwiches menu. Nuff' Said.
Using the trusty GPS we found a Highway that led to the 101 and we were homeward bound! I took most of the driving back while Polar watched the Matrix Revolutions. i realized we were almost when the drivers started being less courtious and the road got really rough! I finally got home and slept.
All in all it was a great trip and I would want to do it again next time the cash flow goes my way.
Media Center:
Pictures:
In line at Top Gun.
The hottest line.
Alfred (Weeble) with the show's MC.
Alfred talking out of his ass again.
Just Alfred's ass.
This is inside the hotel from our room. Killer View
Polar just had to leave a magnet.
Close up view.
Since he loves it so much we gave Weeble an SGT Thong! He had to show it off!
He convinced the breakfast staff to take a picture!
Thong in front of a planter!
Thong at the Wildcat Room!
He convinced the Front Desk TOO!
Winchester Mystery House
Picture of the grounds.
The Door to Nowhere.
These stairs go right into the ceiling.
There are 42 tiny stairs to go up one floor (9ft).
Boy were those stairs cramped!
Sarah Winchester like to keep an eye on the house staff.
This cabinet was only one inch deep.
The largest cabinet actually opened up to the next room!
Back of the Door to Nowhere.
The road leading to the Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz.
How isolated!
Is the house crooked or are we? You decide.
Yes you can even do the Matrix!
We found it! A place called the Good Food Resturant! Yea we were a little lost.
Day 3:
So Polar and I wake up pretty beat but we get up have breakfast and make our way to Santa Claira to visit Paramount's Great America! On the way we ended up getting off on the wrong road which happened to have the same name as the road we were looking for (Rd. vs. Ave.). I caught it early and we didn't loose much time at all. When we get there we paid 10 dollars for parking! God what a rip off there wasn't even anyone directing us! We got in and rode on "Top Gun" (Batman Ripoff), and the Psyco Mouse (same as Mullholland Madness but with LEG ROOM!). That's where the good part of the day ended. After getting on the Grizzly, a wooden rollercoaster, apparently they could not get the saftey bar to latch down. Now I must mention that this is was on of the smallest cars I have ever gotten in and I have some big thighs. With that it was my fault that the bar would not latch and I was told that I could not ride. :( Poor me. So Polar rides alone I am am sad and depressed and a little selfconcious about my weight. Then I saw the fat guy across the way and felt much better about myself. :) It's a good thing I didn't ride since Polar had such a bad ride he was hurting afterward. Next stop was Invertigo, a hanging boomerang type ride but passangers face each other. I thought this would be fun but at that point the 90 degree weather was starting to get to me and about 20-mins. into the line I started feeling sick. Heat exaustion, although I was drinking water I still felt like puking. I found some shade and sat for awhile and we went looking for a ride with shade. We found the Demon (similar to viper but not as tall). Afterwards I couldn't move my neck! That's it! And just like that we were dust. If anyone want's to complain about DCA EVER AGAIN I suggest you go to PGA first then complain!
We got back to the hotel room and relaxed for a while before we went to go see Alfred Muller (AKA Weeble)! This was the reason to go on this trip in the first place (or was it just a thinly veiled excuse to see San Fran? You decide.) Anyway we took the BART over and luckly landed right next to the 50 Mason Lounge which ended up being a very small hold in the wall club, but all the better. Ended up that we needed to make reservations for that night's show (thanks Alfred :| ). We were forced to stand till we could be given a seat. Bad news was by the time we got a seat there was only one left. One of us had to stand. I sat for the first couple of acts till I needed a drink and handed off to Polar. Alfred was setting up a camera to record his act and I offered to run the camera for him. When he went up I could barley contain my laughter! Many times the camera wouldn't follow him because I was having too much fun! After the show we went down to Red's Corner Bar which was so thin (only about 6 feet with bar stools and a small counter by the window,) your were forced to talk to your neighbor. "Sorry is that my elbow in your speen?" Either way it was great fun. Polar and I were in the heart of San Fran sharing a beer at 11 PM! Fuck Yea! I did have a nice conversation with the homeless drunk outside while smoking. Apparently he was there to keep the streets safe and clean. :) Back at the hotel we crashed.
Day 4:
We woke expecting to meet Alfred at 8:00 for breakfast. We sat in the room till 9 when I finally called his home and woke him up! We met him downstairs and had breakfast. The night before we presented him with a framed thong (if you have to ask you don't want to know ;) ,) that he loved so much that he took it around and made sure some of the hotel staff took pictures with it. Of course who want's to take a picture with a thong? Especially guys! Hilarity ensued.
After saying our goodbyes we hit the road bound for San Jose and the Winchester Mystery House. They say that after her husband and child died, Sarah Winchester beleived the the spirits of those killed by the Winchester gun would come for her too if she did not keep building her house till she died. After taking the tour and seeing all the sights I have another theroy. She was bored. She lost her family and probably did not plan to marry again so with $1000 a-day allowance she splurged. She might have been a little essentric and paranoid, being all alone with the servants and all that money, but that doesn't make her crazy!
Continuing on the road we reached Santa Cruz to do one thing, ride the "Giant Dipper." One of the oldest rollercoasters in the world, and in my opinion, the best. After getting throught the line we were in the car and wouldn't you know it? The bar wouldn't latch! Luckly this car had major leg room and I learned what went wrong at PGA. Click. Whee!
Before leaving Santa Cruz we made a stop over at the Mystery Spot. Out in the back woods is this little tourist trap where up is down and left is right, Weher you can walk on walls and do the Matrix bullet dodge. Ok so it's just a house that is REALLY crooked, but it's still some campy fun, and for 5 bones it's worth it!
On the way down PCH we had to make our way over to Highway 101 but our Yahoo Map gave us some little road that evedently we missed so we stopped to eat. The resturant we found was called The Good Food Resturant. I wouldn't say if it was really good or not but there were hot sandwiches listed on the cold sandwiches menu. Nuff' Said.
Using the trusty GPS we found a Highway that led to the 101 and we were homeward bound! I took most of the driving back while Polar watched the Matrix Revolutions. i realized we were almost when the drivers started being less courtious and the road got really rough! I finally got home and slept.
All in all it was a great trip and I would want to do it again next time the cash flow goes my way.
Media Center:
Pictures:
In line at Top Gun.
The hottest line.
Alfred (Weeble) with the show's MC.
Alfred talking out of his ass again.
Just Alfred's ass.
This is inside the hotel from our room. Killer View
Polar just had to leave a magnet.
Close up view.
Since he loves it so much we gave Weeble an SGT Thong! He had to show it off!
He convinced the breakfast staff to take a picture!
Thong in front of a planter!
Thong at the Wildcat Room!
He convinced the Front Desk TOO!
Winchester Mystery House
Picture of the grounds.
The Door to Nowhere.
These stairs go right into the ceiling.
There are 42 tiny stairs to go up one floor (9ft).
Boy were those stairs cramped!
Sarah Winchester like to keep an eye on the house staff.
This cabinet was only one inch deep.
The largest cabinet actually opened up to the next room!
Back of the Door to Nowhere.
The road leading to the Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz.
How isolated!
Is the house crooked or are we? You decide.
Yes you can even do the Matrix!
We found it! A place called the Good Food Resturant! Yea we were a little lost.
"A little swordplay, now and then, keeps my mind off sheep!"
"You're messing with my Zen thing, man."
"Dreams are as portals,
flat visions of misty places,
fragments bound below my surface,
but I can write dreams,
they flow from me,
inscribed but now unbound,
I touch them,
and they are real,
and they are real."
"You're messing with my Zen thing, man."
"Dreams are as portals,
flat visions of misty places,
fragments bound below my surface,
but I can write dreams,
they flow from me,
inscribed but now unbound,
I touch them,
and they are real,
and they are real."
-
techie-13
- Seasoned Pro
- Posts: 537
- Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2003 12:32 pm
- Location: Former Paramount Parks Employee
Oh Man! You guys come to town the weekend I go to Missouri! :( I had fun in Missouri but I would have liked to meet you and Polar!
Sorry that you didn't have much fun at PGA (my old park). The Demon is probably the oldest of the coasters at the park. And as far as the Grizzly, the ride was built using park employees as the labor. Coaster Enthusiests (sorry I can't spell) love the Giant Dipper in Santa Cruz and hate the Grizzly. The bouncing and shaking on that ride is the reason that some of my more endowed female friends will not ride. Too bad they took out Stealth to put in the water park, you probably would have liked that one. It had a harness and a lap bar as restraints and would roll over so you were hanging under the track looking at the ground. :shock: Scary for me but I have a fear of falling!
Anyway, it sounds like you had a good trip (except for PGA of course)!
Sorry that you didn't have much fun at PGA (my old park). The Demon is probably the oldest of the coasters at the park. And as far as the Grizzly, the ride was built using park employees as the labor. Coaster Enthusiests (sorry I can't spell) love the Giant Dipper in Santa Cruz and hate the Grizzly. The bouncing and shaking on that ride is the reason that some of my more endowed female friends will not ride. Too bad they took out Stealth to put in the water park, you probably would have liked that one. It had a harness and a lap bar as restraints and would roll over so you were hanging under the track looking at the ground. :shock: Scary for me but I have a fear of falling!
Anyway, it sounds like you had a good trip (except for PGA of course)!
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IndyBob
- Regular Guest
- Posts: 180
- Joined: Sat May 10, 2003 4:46 pm
- Location: Former Attractions East & West: Indy, Mansion, Splash and my fav SPACE!!; and again Mansion &
When did that happen??? That was the best coster in the park, the top 10 in cali as well. That horrible news. The last time I rode it was back in 2001 in think. Sad times, sad times.techie-13 wrote: Too bad they took out Stealth to put in the water park, you probably would have liked that one. It had a harness and a lap bar as restraints and would roll over so you were hanging under the track looking at the ground. :shock: Scary for me but I have a fear of falling!
Anyway, it sounds like you had a good trip (except for PGA of course)!
oooh, I miss the Bay Area. I lived up there in 79/80 - have gone back many times to see my cousins and friends. My old roommate wasn't allowed to ride the Dipper when she was a teen - her parents forbade it! They thought it was too old, too dangerous.
Funny thing. The last time I went to the Winchester Mystery House, I took all kinds of pictures on a 35mm camera, and not one of the location turned out. All the other stuff on the roll did...think Sarah didn't want me taking pictures of her house??? :shock:
Glad you guys had fun, and glad to hear the Weeble-meister is doing great.
P.S. the pics are beautiful!!! BTW, is the Dream Inn still in Santa Cruz? The tall hotel next to the boardwalk? I used to go there on romantic dates in their beautiful dining room facing the ocean a long time ago.
Funny thing. The last time I went to the Winchester Mystery House, I took all kinds of pictures on a 35mm camera, and not one of the location turned out. All the other stuff on the roll did...think Sarah didn't want me taking pictures of her house??? :shock:
Glad you guys had fun, and glad to hear the Weeble-meister is doing great.
P.S. the pics are beautiful!!! BTW, is the Dream Inn still in Santa Cruz? The tall hotel next to the boardwalk? I used to go there on romantic dates in their beautiful dining room facing the ocean a long time ago.
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techie-13
- Seasoned Pro
- Posts: 537
- Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2003 12:32 pm
- Location: Former Paramount Parks Employee
I think they took it out last year (one of my coworkers would know but he's off today) and announced that they were building "Buckaroo Bay" which is supposed to be Crocodile Dundee themed. It opened this season and I haven't seen it yet.IndyBob wrote:When did that happen??? That was the best coster in the park, the top 10 in cali as well. That horrible news. The last time I rode it was back in 2001 in think. Sad times, sad times.techie-13 wrote:Too bad they took out Stealth to put in the water park, you probably would have liked that one. It had a harness and a lap bar as restraints and would roll over so you were hanging under the track looking at the ground. :shock: Scary for me but I have a fear of falling!
Anyway, it sounds like you had a good trip (except for PGA of course)!
Management at the park has wanted a water park for years. Even when I started there in 1986 they were trying to figure out how to pull it off. The shame of taking out Steath is that the management supposedly had an agreement with the maker that PGA would be the only "flying coaster" on the west coast for 5 years. PGA broke the agreement and moved the coaster somewhere else so now the manufacturer is free to sell one to Magic Mountain or Knott's. Way to screw up an exclusive! :roll:
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hulkcoaster
- Repeat Traveler
- Posts: 72
- Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2004 12:25 am
-
MEng85
- Regular Guest
- Posts: 105
- Joined: Sun Sep 05, 2004 3:34 pm
- Location: INDY!!!!!! just moved to fullerton...bye bye Frisco
hi im new to the forums, not a disney cast member but i hope to be next summer, hey i hope u enjoyed alcatraz because i work there! im glad to hear that u had lots of fun in the bay area, did u perhaps go on an extra behind the scenes tour on the rock? heres a tip for anyone whos goin to visit alcatraz find a ranger or volunteer who has lots a time on their hands( the rangers are in green and the volunteers are in grey) they usually have nothin to do...and ask to go places closed to the public its awesome a few tunnels get locked in a cell etc.! i have to say this is a really cool forum now i know its not only on the island were tourist leave their brains at home, some of these incidents seem so familar...
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Main Streeter
- Permanent Fixture
- Posts: 4608
- Joined: Fri Aug 20, 2004 6:10 am
- Location: D L
- Contact:
Hi MEng, glad you have joined us. The Rock certainly quaifies as an attraction. That place must have great stories & lore. Please share. We have more stupid guests than The Rock thoughMEng85 wrote:hi im new to the forums, not a disney cast member but i hope to be next summer, hey i hope u enjoyed alcatraz because i work there!
only due to guest ratio. So cold up there in windy Marin. We lived on Mt. Tam. ::shiver:: How do you stand the cold & rain when on tours? Give you tons of credit. DLR will be looking forward to having you as a CM next summer.Edited by Polar33 to fix error in BBCode
"You work here? You must be SO rich!"
RESCUE A PET! [font="Arial Black"]Within the heart of every stray Lies the singular desire to be loved.[/font]
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MEng85
- Regular Guest
- Posts: 105
- Joined: Sun Sep 05, 2004 3:34 pm
- Location: INDY!!!!!! just moved to fullerton...bye bye Frisco
thats awesome dude, yea i have to admit that it is cold up there. as for the island recently its been in the high 80s and mid 90s this week, hot!!!! when it rains we try to give indoor talks and while were in the office we look out the windows and feel sorry for all the poor tourists who have to trudge up the hill in the rain (lol no tram) ... im now waiting for the thick blankets of fog to roll in to relieve us of the heat. man reading all these stories ... it seems like i lived through most of em ... yup its great! :DSo cold up there in windy Marin. We lived on Mt. Tam. ::shiver:: How do you stand the cold & rain when on tours?
hey how do ya use someones sn on the quotes?