We flew over to Mari’s favorite city this three-day weekend.

SFO Airport

Passing through the terminal that are adorned with painted wild red-crowned parrots of Telegraph Hill.

Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center

Early bird gets the parking stall.

Golden Gate Bridge

Starting our walk across the one mile suspension bridge that spans across San Francisco Bay.

Golden Gate Bridge

Looking down at the safety netting that was installed in 2017 to cut down on people jumping four seconds to their death by trauma or hypothermia. Fort Point can also be seen sitting on the promontory overlooking the entrance to the bay.

Fort Point

Photo of the seacoast fortification circa 1891 taken by James Schepp. Plans for the bridge originally called for the fort’s removal in the 1930s but it was redesigned to save the now historic site.

Golden Gate Bridge

Bug’s eye view of the South Tower.

Golden Gate Bridge

Marked safe from getting a speeding ticket.

Golden Gate Bridge

Looking down at The Needles, a rock formation primarily inhabited by seabirds.

Golden Gate Bridge

End of the bridge walk for us.

Vista Point

North side views.

Golden Gate Bridge

We crossed underneath the bridge to go back the other way. Or so we thought.

Golden Gate Bridge

Nothing to see here. Move along. The other side was reserved for bicyclists only. Besides, the views were on the ocean side.

Golden Gate Bridge

Bird’s eye view of the iconic bridge of San Francisco. If the US military had their druthers, the bridge would have been painted in yellow and black stripes instead of the now recognizable International Orange color.

Golden Gate Bridge

Fun fact: There are 27,572 wires in each of the two main suspension cables that are roughly three feet in diameter and weigh 24,500 tons.

Golden Gate Bridge

I thought there were only 128 light poles on the 4,200′ bridge. I guess we are off the bridge. End of the walk.

Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center

Wandering around the exhibits and shop before leaving so that the circling vultures could come home to roost.

Golden Gate Bridge

Contributing our toll fee to the daily revenue generated which is around $440,000. By contrast, the neighboring Bay Bridge rakes in almost $2 million daily.

Lombard Street

Driving our way down the eight sharp hairpin turns on a 27 degree grade down the crookedest street in the world. It’s actually Vermont Street, but Lombard Street has the better marketing machine.

Pier 39

Love is in the air, after all it’s Valentine’s Day.

Pier 39

Walking around the popular tourist attraction that was built in 1978, where we saw sea birds and lions, sampled chocolates and donuts, had clam chowder and crab sandwiches washed downed with the “better coffee” and ended with a magic act.

Alamo Square

Drove around the residential park a few times before snagging a questionable parking spot.

Painted Ladies

Soaking in the views of the “Postcard Row” of colorful painted houses that were built in the Victorian and Edwardian style popular in the late 1800s to early 1900s.

Salesforce Tower

Mari next to the tallest building in San Francisco, topping out at 61 stories which translates to a height of 1,070′.

Salesforce Park

Strolling in the public park that are home to 600 trees and 16,000 plants.

Salesforce Tower

The skyscraper was originally known as Transbay Tower but was changed to its current name when Salesforce became the anchor tenant.

Salesforce Tower

We took the short gondola ride down instead of the elevator. The wait was significantly longer than the ride itself.

Waymo

Who’s driving?

Waymo

The self-driving car navigated the congested streets of San Francisco with great aplomb. No worries whatsoever.

In-N-Out Burger

No trip to the Bay area is complete without a stop at the popular fast food restaurant, that is still family-owned to this day to ensure quality control.

Home2

Home Sweet Home for the night.

Chinatown

Day 2

What better way to celebrate the year of the Horse than in the oldest Chinatown in North America?

Chinatown

Mari against the backdrop of Transamerica Pyramid that is the second tallest building in the city topping out at 853′.

Chinatown

Not my year.

Chinatown

Multiple vendors were selling bunches and branches of the “queen of flowers,” plum flowers represent the five blessings of longevity, prosperity, happiness, peace, and good luck.

Chinatown

Taking my picture against Tin How Temple, which is one of the oldest still-operating Chinese temples in the United States. Closed for the holidays. Even Taoist monks need a vacation.

Chinatown

We caught the colorful lion dance parading through the streets. The lion is not native to China, so the dance is thought to have originated in Persia or India.

Chinatown

What fortunes await us at the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory? The Chinese fortune cookie actually originated in Japan and spread to America in the 1900s. Don’t ask for them in China. No fortune cookies for you!

San Francisco

The iconic cable cars of San Francisco are the world’s last manually operated cable-car system.

Cable Car Museum

Spending some time at the working museum that chronicles the history of the cable cars.

Chinatown

What?!?

Chinatown

Standing at the Southern entrance to Chinatown that is marked by the Dragon Gate that was built in 1969 as a gift from Taiwan.

Union Square

Checked out two of the four Hearts in San Francisco sculptures at the public plaza that is at the hub of upscale stores, restaurants, art and entertainment bordered by the homeless.

Union Square

Mari in front of the 85′ tall Dewey Monument that celebrates Admiral Dewey’s victory in the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898.

Waymo

Better than Uber.

Ghirardelli Square

Of course we had to stop here. The square was originally the headquarters of Ghirardelli Chocolate Company in 1893, until they relocated to San Leandro in the early 1960s. In 1964, it was repurposed into a community of shops and restaurants.

Ghirardelli Square

Fed our savory and sweet tooth’s.

Waymo

Shotgun!

Trader Joe’s

Pit stop at the “neighborhood grocery store” that seems to be a magnet for Hawaii people.

California Academy of Sciences

Day 3
The forecasted rain finally showed up on our last day. What to do on a rainy day? We drove to Golden Gate Park to visit one of the largest natural history museums in the world.

California Academy of Sciences

We were greeted at the door by a replica fossil of a T-Rex with a Tiny Chef in its mouth.

California Academy of Sciences

Meandering our way through the over 400,000 square feet of over 46 million specimens. We were going to see a mere fraction of that.

California Academy of Sciences

Looking down at the Alligator Snapping Turtle, which are the largest freshwater turtles in North America.

California Academy of Sciences

Standing in simulated earthquakes that have rattled San Francisco in 1906 and 1989. We then walked over to the Morrison Planetarium to take in an immersive meteor crashing simulation.

California Academy of Sciences

Is that Tiny Chef dressed up in a wetsuit and ready to clean the stream?

California Academy of Sciences

Which watermarked photo shall we pick? We’ll take them all.

California Academy of Sciences

Judging by the long line, this must be the most popular exhibit.

California Academy of Sciences

Exploring the four-level dome that are home to over 1,600 live animals.

California Academy of Sciences

Passing by the aquarium teeming with marine life.

California Academy of Sciences

Probably a close runner up for the most popular exhibit, the African Penguins. Didn’t know they had penguins in Africa.

California Academy of Sciences

Checking for cavities or holes in my head.

San Francisco

Checking out. San Francisco, it was real. Until next time.

Photos taken by Mari Saito and yours truly. Not necessarily in order.

Note: I have been made aware that some hikers have been using my blog as a hiking guide and getting lost on the trails. Please note that this blog was made to document the hike for the crew(s) that did it. That is why some of my comments will seem to have no relevance or meaning to anybody outside of the crew(s) that hiked that trail. My blog was never meant as a hiking guide, so please do not treat it as such. If you find inspiration and entertainment from these hikes, that is more than enough. If you plan on replicating these hikes, do so in the knowledge that you should do your own research accordingly as trail conditions, access, legalities and so forth are constantly in flux. What was current today is most likely yesterdays news. Please be prepared to accept any risks and responsibilities on your own as you should know your own limitations, experience and abilities before you even set foot on a trail, as even the “simplest” or “easiest” of trails can present potential pitfalls for even the most “experienced” hikers. One should also always let somebody know of your hiking plans in case something doesn’t go as planned, better safe than sorry.

It was July 4th weekend, so we did our patriotic duty and flew to the 51st state. Too early?

Lansdowne Station

July 4, 2025 – Friday

We cleared customs, caught a taxi to our hotel to get rid of extra weight and then walked to the nearest train station.

Downtown

Got off at the Waterfront station and started our walk about in one of the densest urbanized parts of the country due to limited land, so they can only build up.

Gastown

Photo in front of the iconic Steam Clock that was built in 1977. It’s not as vintage as many people are lead to believe and it was installed to help revive the area. Every quarter hour, the clock plays the Westminster chime accompanied by multiple steam puffs.

Gastown

The colorful sign was installed in 2024 to help bring more foot traffic to the town center known for its historic cobblestone roads and brick buildings. The town got its name from John “Gassy Jack” Deighton who had sawmill workers build his bar in one day in 1867 in exchange for all the whisky that they could drink.

Downtown

We soon found ourselves in the part of town that was cluttered with imported chronics who were openly going about their “business.”

Chinatown

Entering the second largest Chinatown in the world that has been undergoing gentrification as Chinese have been leaving for greener pastures such as the city of Richmond, which has opened the door for other ethnicities to fill in the gaps.

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden

Visited the first Chinese garden built outside of Asia, that was built in 1985-1986. The garden strives for harmony by balancing opposites, yin and yang.

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden

Mari checking out a vintage bicycle with a cart attached. This “running machine” was invented in Germany in 1817.

Downtown

Take away the N and the E, what do you get? The early donut that was brought to New York by Dutch settlers in the early 18th century, while the modern donut with the hole in the middle was invented by Hanson Gregory in 1847.

Downtown

Passing the bronze sculpture installed in 1992, called “Spirits in a Landscape.”

Mott 32

We ate at what is supposedly the most awarded Chinese restaurant. More awards means higher prices.

Mott 32

Our assorted dishes that we had for lunch today. Cost a pretty penny.

Downtown

Passing by a building in the Beaux-Arts architecture style. Well, that’s what AI said.

Vancouver Lookout

We stopped at the skyscraper built in 1977 to get a view of the city. Just like with humans, the building’s height has ranged from 458′ to 581′. Will the real Harbour Centre please stand up?

Vancouver Lookout

Riding up the glass elevator as the Swiftie pointed out the stadium in the background where Taylor Swift held her final concert of her Eras tour.

Vancouver Lookout

Enjoying the panoramic views of the city below us. Neil Armstrong placed his footprint onto a slab of wet cement to publicize the grand opening of the tower in 1977, unfortunately it was probably stolen during renovations.

Pink Alley

Mari playing hopscotch in the color splashed alley.

Waterfront

Walking around the heavily trafficked Granville Square Plaza and soaking up the sights and sounds.

Waterfront

Taking a picture with the temporary Styrofoam fuchsia colored sign. Not the Swiftcouver sign, but it’ll have to do.

Downtown

Passing a local artist on the street selling his interpretation of the world to whoever will buy them.

Miku Vancouver

Our dinner was at a sushi restaurant specializing in aburi-sushi or seared sushi. It doesn’t have a Michelin star but is in the Michelin guide. Close but no wasabi for you.

Richmond

We caught the train back to our station and walked back to our hotel. On our way, we stopped at the local McDonald’s serving Canadian beef to try out the Biscoff McFlurry. Did they use Canadian ice cream too?

Richmond

After a long day, we finally checked into our room and got to sleep off the jet lag.

Stanley Park

July 5, 2025 – Saturday

A local guide picked us up for an all day tour and took us to the 1,001 acre public park that is larger than New York’s Central Park.

Stanley Park

The guide said if we were lucky, we might see seals sunbathing on the seawall and the the world’s longest uninterrupted walkway at 14 miles. We just got scenic views. Not bad.

Stanley Park

Looking out towards Lions Gate Bridge that was built in 1938 and was originally the property of the Guinness family until they sold it to the province of British Columbia in 1955.

Stanley Park

Checking out the most visited attraction in British Columbia, Totem Poles at Brockton Point. Most of them are replicas, as the originals were moved to museums to preserve and protect them.

Stanley Park

The last of the floating fuel barges in Coal Harbor. There used to be five to six of these maritime fuel stations in the harbor and was known as Gasoline Alley. There is a “9 O’Clock Gun” that fires every night at 9pm as a time signal for the general population. In 1964, pranksters were able to put rocks in the cannon and the rocks actually damaged a Texaco fuel barge, but did not sink it contrary to popular belief.

Stanley Park

Is that a copy of the Copenhagen’s The Little Mermaid? No, it’s just a statue of a girl in a wetsuit. Lack of Canadian creativity according to our tour guide.

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

We stopped at a popular tourist attraction for a few hours.

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

“Mac” MacEachran one of the former owners invited local First Nations to place their totem poles in the park. Marketing 101.

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

Walking across the swaying suspension bridge which measures 460 feet long and is 230 feet above the Capilano River. Supposedly the bridge is rated to hold the weight of a fully loaded 747 plane. That is between 735,000 and 987,000 pounds. Marketing 101. The bridge was originally built in 1889 out of hemp ropes and cedar planks. It has since undergone multiple renovations and replacements.

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

Canada is home to 23 native species of squirrels. This was the closest we were going to get to see one.

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

Walking 110′ above the forest floor on seven suspension bridges hung amongst the towering Douglas fir trees.

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

Catch and release?

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

Only one of these are real, otherwise we would be in deep kim chee.

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

Standing for scale next to “Big Doug,” a 500 year old Douglas fir tree that measures 200′ high and 8′ in diameter.

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

Over a million people annually cross this bridge back and forth.

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

Those selfie wooden posts sure come in handy.

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

Enjoying the views on the walkway secured to the granite cliff high above Capilano Canyon.

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

Tree huggers.

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

Make sure you get that framed.

A-maze-ing Laughter

Riding on the bus and noticed that one guy didn’t seem to be in hysterical laughter. What’s up with that?

Granville Island

We stopped for lunch at the industrial park that was transformed into a shopping and mixed-use development. Sampled the recommended foods at Stock Market, Ala Mode and Lee’s Donuts and browsed through the markets and walked around the former fishing turned factory island.

Vancouver Lookout

Deja vu moment at the one of the tallest structures in Vancouver. It was part of the tour package. We parted ways with the group in downtown to find a place to eat dinner.

Pidgin

We ate at this place close to home, well as far as dialect. Quite tasty and pricey. Another one that’s in the Michelin Guide but not Star.

La Quinta Inn & Suites

Ubered back to our hotel to have Uncle Tetsu cheesecake for dessert. Remember when they had a store at RHC that opened in 2016? Unfortunately they shuttered their location awhile back.

VanDusen Botanical Garden

July 6, 2025 – Sunday
Our last day we checked out and ubered to the public garden that opened in 1975.

VanDusen Botanical Garden

The sprawling site covers 55 acres that contains plants from all over the world.

VanDusen Botanical Garden

We still have to grow into these chairs.

VanDusen Botanical Garden

Getting lost in one of six Elizabethan hedge mazes in North America. The maze is made of 3,000 pyramidal cedars that was planted in 1981.

VanDusen Botanical Garden

I couldn’t quite place this particular red and blue plant, but I believe it’s of the Fordson genus.

VanDusen Botanical Garden

We were allowed in before the wedding party crashed this section of the garden.

VanDusen Botanical Garden

I was contemplating tranquility just by looking at this rock garden.

VanDusen Botanical Garden

During excavation, they found seashells indicating that this area was underwater over 12,000 years ago. Climate change has been around for some time.

VanDusen Botanical Garden

Two sharp-eyed people lead us to look up in the tree and see this perched bird of prey sound asleep.

VanDusen Botanical Garden

Crossing over a short bridge that spanned a small pond full of water lilies, which are the national flowers of Iran, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

VanDusen Botanical Garden

Take a good look at this pair of Canadian geese. Look familiar? They should, as they are related to the Hawaiian Nene whose ancestors flew to Hawaii from Canada over 500,000 years ago.

VanDusen Botanical Garden

Passing a water tank camouflaged as an owl. I guess it’s better than a cell tower disguised as a tree.

VanDusen Botanical Garden

Taking a selfie with two story poles that tell the tales of the mosquito and black bear.

VanDusen Botanical Garden

The land that the garden occupies used to be home to a golf course. The Vancouver Botanical Association supported turning the land into a botanical garden and saving it from commercial development and lumber magnate, WJ VanDusen donated a million dollars to kickstart the project.

VanDusen Botanical Garden

“Look, up in the sky – Its a Bird, Its Superman. No, Its a Plane !!”

cowdog

The highlight of this trip was this visit to one of two coffee shops in the area. IYKYK.

Vancouver Airport

We cleared customs and flew back to the 50th state from the 51st state. Thanks Vancouver, for not living up to your nickname, Raincouver, and blessing us with beautiful weather for the entire three day weekend.

Photos taken by Mari Saito and yours truly. Not necessarily in order.

Note: I have been made aware that some hikers have been using my blog as a hiking guide and getting lost on the trails. Please note that this blog was made to document the hike for the crew(s) that did it. That is why some of my comments will seem to have no relevance or meaning to anybody outside of the crew(s) that hiked that trail. My blog was never meant as a hiking guide, so please do not treat it as such. If you find inspiration and entertainment from these hikes, that is more than enough. If you plan on replicating these hikes, do so in the knowledge that you should do your own research accordingly as trail conditions, access, legalities and so forth are constantly in flux. What was current today is most likely yesterdays news. Please be prepared to accept any risks and responsibilities on your own as you should know your own limitations, experience and abilities before you even set foot on a trail, as even the “simplest” or “easiest” of trails can present potential pitfalls for even the most “experienced” hikers. One should also always let somebody know of your hiking plans in case something doesn’t go as planned, better safe than sorry.