Alcatraz

    Two weeks and this years adventure will come to a close. Really hard to believe and comprehend all that happened to me in one single year. The people I have met and the places I've been I'm sure will talk about forever. One things that has progressively gotten worse is my annoyance with having to journal everyday. It's a choice and I'm so glad I do it but I am looking forward to a break come Michigan. I feel I'm ready for a break in general to recharge the batteries. We have a lot of things we want to accomplish while home but the constant living on the road has burned me out. The thing that I can compare this feeling to is when your at work and vacation is next week, that's all you think about for that week.  
    The three of us spent the whole day last Monday rearranging life and simplifying yet again. We were forced to rethink a lot of things and what was important to us. Something as simple as where to put three bikes takes time and a lot of head scratching. With the purchase of some new totes, creative packing, and some going to Goodwill, we managed to get it all in the bus with a proper spot for each thing. We finished up the final odds and ends on Saturday and the bus is back to a home. We've been driving the bus around a bit and dropping the trailer makes a huge difference in performance and ease of travel. We no long travel very slow, only a little bit with hitting the speed limit more than ever. We've even been catching ourselves speeding here and there. 
    San Francisco is an unbelievable place. I would have to guess it is my favorite big city we have been through so far. There is a lot of culture and diversity with amazing scenery and the steepest roads ever. Driving a car or the bus seems completely pointless here. We've been traveling everywhere by bicycle and having a riot doing it. As cars sit bumper to bumper, I'm riding my bike down the middle of them making great time. I've gotten the opportunity to explore San Fran in my two favorite ways: biking and also kayaking. Us and Cj went for a really cool bike ride across the Golden Gate Bridge and to an unbelievable view point. Standing while overlooking the bridge with San Francisco in the background was incredible. We also got our boats down and on Friday explored the bay by kayak. Going under buildings, around marinas, and even sea lions captivated our attention. It's nice to be able to kayak again after being in the mountains for so long. Our boats are generally to big for mountain rivers but they are at home around here.
     Our friend Cj has taken us in and let us live at his place. Since we pulled in, he has shown us great hospitality and I feel spoiled. It's easy to forget how cold it can be at night while watching T.V on the warm sofa. Soon we will head south and not get that comfort anymore. Cj's family came out for Thanksgiving and invited us to spend it with them. The food was delicious and it was nice to watch the Detroit Lions and relax with great friends. I couldn't have asked for a better few days. While here, we are now volunteering at The Exploratorium. It's a huge museum with hundreds of hands on learning stations. You could wander around for hours and learn something new at every station. As we were getting our tour, it was incredibly tough not to get distracted by some interesting contraption and cease paying attention. We helped out today by building some hands on cardboard contraptions. It was like arts and crafts all over again. I'm curious to see what the next couple days will bring and can tell I'm going to thoroughly enjoy my time here. Sadly, the clock is ticking to go home so we have to be on our way shortly.