Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Hawaii / California Vacation Part 2

Later our seventeen-minute flight to Honolulu where we caught a Boeing to San Francisco. Most people leave the islands around midnight so they can sleep during the flight and arrive in California around 7 a.m.; but we left Honolulu about 2 p.m. and arrived in San Francisco at 11:30 p.m. The flight to San Francisco was virtually empty so we each took a row of seats and slept.

After securing a rental car in San Francisco we gladly anticipated the old, restored hotel I had selected for our lodging. Much to our dismay this hotel was in the heart of a rowdy prostitute district! We decided to go elsewhere, but due to a convention lodging in San Francisco was not to be found. At 1 a.m. we drove back to the airport and found a nice La Quinta Inn with two rooms left, we took one and it was quiet.

In the morning we went to the Science Museum where we enjoyed the Planetarium, gem and mineral collection, aquarium, and earthquake room! In the earthquake room one stands on a platform and a movie is shown of an earthquake as the platform shakes erratically from magnitude 5 to 6. Neglecting to hang onto the railing I fell off the platform, but did the "earthquake" five times!

In San Francisco’s China Town we found a charming restaurant, "The Lotus Garden." Members of the Taoist religion who are vegans own it and the waiter’s only means of pay are tips as this is their mission work. Above the restaurant they have their shrine and religious services. We had egg-less egg rolls, seaweed soup (actually shredded asparagus), vegetable soup with baby corn, and rice with sweet and sour “pork,” almond “chicken”, crisp vegetables, almond pudding and fortune cookies. The "pork" and "chicken" tasted too real so we asked about the ingredients, it was charming to hear the waiter say "gluten!"

We stayed at a church campground in Yosemite overnight to see the ancient Sequoia trees. Oh, how I love those trees and wished I could have one of my own!

The whole vacation was simply wonderful! It could not have been better! Thank you Heavenly Father!

1 comment:

Teresa said...

Sounds like the perfect vacation to both places! You ought to write for a travel bureau--you describe it so well! What a blessing to be able to see these places, but also a blessing to have someone share them with us. Thanks!