Phoenix AZ, San Francisco and Novato, CA (10 Rest days with family)
Situation: hang with the bros while parents back east on business; finally find an A+ job to apply for; uncle and cousin visit; remembering what it’s like to be home; the vineyards of Napa valley; the beautiful Rock; Pebble beach; shave and a haircut
First, Phoenix has a wonderful light-rail and has the coolest bike racks inside!
So back in February my folks had asked me if I would be willing to watch my brothers at the end of June while they went back east to take care of some business. I of course said yes, and thought, “well if I don’t make it to the Pacific by June 27 I could fly to them and then return. This is exactly what I did.
It was a wonderful week and a half and I needed the rest badly. My ankle was in bad shape and my body was just spent from traveling over 1,000 miles in the month of June alone.
The stay was marked by many awesome hours of playing Starcraft II with my brothers. Taking walks with our dog Kerry where my brothers and I experienced the most incredible smells. It kind of smelt like a dentists office… only good and not synthetic. My brothers and I made a trip to the Sutro Baths while the folks were away and it was beautifully fogged in.
What once was the Sutro Baths
The Brothers walking down the slope to the abandoned baths
Sam and I on the coast
My uncle David also visited the family with his daughter (my cousin) Makayla. It was great to see them. They live in Detroit and I typically only get to see them once a year at Christmas though lately that’s been difficult for me to swing, so having this all line up was more than ideal.
The Rock from a far
Together we all visited Alcatraz which is well worth the time and money. First, it’s beautiful. Perhaps some of the best real-estate in the bay. Second, the audio self guided tour is very well done. It really had a beautiful way of guiding you through the history and making you a part of it and explaining how things happened. My brother Sam thought it wouldn’t be too bad to be a prisoner there. By the end I almost agreed with him. They provide for all your needs you just have to behave. The one thing though that one of the former prisoners shared was how you could see the city and life every day from the prison and every day you knew life was literally passing you by. I think being unable to leave would eventually get to me. Solitary also didn’t look too exciting. Other than that though, good food, incredible views and free healthcare—what more could you want?
This is the view from Alcatraz
Even from inside the prison you can catch a glimpse of the life you're missing
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