Berkeley, Then Sunshine in San Fran

16.03.2011 - 16.03.2011

Berkeley

Yes, UC Berkeley offers guided tours of the campus...at 10:00 a.m. I debated whether or not to sign up for the tour. Considering that I typically haven't been waking up and leaving the hotel until at least mid to late morning this week, I decided to go the self-directed exploration route.

First, I did some window shopping at the vintage stores, music shops and other eclectic establishments along Telegraph Ave, followed by coffee near the main campus bookstore.

The most entertaining part of my time in Berkeley? A student acappella group performing a cover of Kanye West's "Heartless" near the campus center (see below).

Clearer Skies = Breath-taking views of the Bay

After spending a couple hours in Berkeley, I felt ready to go back to San Francisco in order to explore more of the city. Just before heading back to the BART station, I came to a strange realization: this was the first day I did not need to use my umbrella in the Bay Area!

Once I got back to Union Square, I grabbed my DSLR camera from my hotel room, and then I made the impromptu decision to take the Powell-Mason cable car to...somewhere.

By the way, is this not the coolest thing? Once the cable car starts its route up Powell St, operators must physically turn around the cable car on a track (see above).

The cable car is worth at least one novelty ride, but it is more expensive and time consuming (in terms of wait time with the other tourists) than the Muni trains or buses. I ended up deciding to get my full $5 worth by staying on the cable car until the end of the line at the Fisherman's Wharf.

Slumber Party at Pier 39

I headed towards Pier 39, hoping there might be more sea lions today...and I found more than I expected. I discovered the rest of the sea lions and the rest of Pier 39 that I did not realize was there yesterday during the fog and the rain.