An Overview of My West Coast Trip

Well, I am back in Jersey after a satisfying trip to the west coast. The trip lasted seven days and involved three cities. I hooked up with some old friends, made some new ones and learned a thing or two on the way.


The trip can be broken down like this:



72 Hours in Seattle: What Has Happened To My Old Town?

24 Hours in Portland: Why Can't I Find That Old Hotel I Stayed in 1991?

48 Hours in San Fransisco: Why Do I Love This City So Much?


Seattle:

I got to Seattle on Wednesday the 9th, It was raining when I got there but that stopped soon after I arrived. The rest of the stay involved exploring my old stomping grounds, Drinking that Seattle coffee, Drinking sake with a new friend, Doing karaoke with old friends, Eating at Seattle fast food joints, Meeting some interesting women, Seeing two movies at some of the great Seattle movie theaters. Oh, and I watched too much TV on September 11th.


Portland:

I got to Portland on Saturday the 12th after a decent train ride. I wandered aimlessly until I finally found a hotel that fit my budget. Yikes. I wandered downtown again, Shopped at Powell Book Store, Ate at Carl's Jr, Rode the new Green Line light rail train, and Drank about 7 sampler beers at a modest beer bar during a bachelorette party.


San Francisco:

I got to San Fransisco on Monday the 14th after a long train trip that had nice scenery that would have been spectacular if it wasn't dark when we rolled by Mt. Shasta and Crater Lake. I toured the Giants ballpark, Walked the waterfront, Walked up to Coit Tower (whew!), Rented a bicycle, Rode over the Golden Gate Bridge, Hooked up with an old friend, Ate at In-n-Out burger joint, Toured by bike the Presidio, China Beach, the Cliff House, Golden Gate Park, Haight Ashbury and the Castro. I then rode the bike to visit my friend at her coffee shop in the Tenderloin. Ate some burgers with my friend and his wife. It was a blast.


I will go into details about the trip in more blog entries and explore some themes and trends. I think there is enough room on the internet for my ramblings.