Adventure 1 - A sister's weekend in California

It's only fitting that my first adventure should involve my sister Dawn.  Although we are separated by distance (me in Calgary AB, her in Waterloo ON), it has never stopped us from hooking up and having fun.  From Newfoundland to British Columbia, Canada to Australia or meeting for a weekend in California, we are inseparable. 

Dawn had been hinting for a couple of months about meeting up in San Francisco.  She would be on a business trip during the first part of January and thought it would be nice if I could join her during the time she would be free.  It took me a few weeks to decide and even though I really didn't think I would find the time, it only took a  few Airmiles and a couple of days off work that turned it into a great idea.

First stop - Dudley Perkins Harley Davidson

If you ride a Harley or know someone who does, you never miss the opportunity to find the nearest Harley shop on your travels  Since I bought my first Harley last year,  and the added  influence from my Harley riding sweetheart Bill, there is an uspoken rule; find a Harley shop, check out the bikes and buy a shirt.

Second stop - Target

I've always wanted to check out a Target store and in California it went over the top.  Dawn was in search of a particular pair of pajamas in a particular size, so we set the GPS to the nearest Target store wherever we went.  Anytime we were close to one, off we went.  Target after Target after Target.  I'd love to say that we finally found what we were looking for but it wasn't in the cards this trip, put I sure did get the Target experience.

We drove down the coast highway from San Francisco to Monterey.  It was very scenic and the preferred way to travel, in my opinion.  We planned our time so we could see as much as possible in the little time we had.  We spent the first day on Cannery Row which is basically a shopping district on the waterfront where there used to be a sarding canning factory.  You have to wonder who's idea that was; a Sardine Canning Factory?  Are you kidding?  All .kidding aside, it was enjoyable.  We shopped and had lunch.  There was a plan to visit the aquarium at the end of the 'Row' but we didn't get there until closing.

17 Mile Drive is a scenic drive along the Monterey Peninsula with points of interest marked along the way.  It makes a nice leisurely day. Not to break tradition, Dawn and I built an Inukshuk on Pebble Beach.

The next day we headed to the Fisherman's Wharf and Randy's Fishing Trips to sign up for a whale watching tour.  Even though it seemed like we were chasing whales rather than watching them, we did spot a few.   We also enjoyed the scenery of pelicans and seals around the wharf, and the most memorable was the otter we spotted underneath the dock cruising on his back clappling a way.  It was the first time I'd ever seen an otter.  I didn't realize they were so entertaining.

Dawn would be working in the morning, so we headed back to San Francisco.  I would be on my own the next day.  There wasn`t much time to do a lot of touring so I set my sights on Alcatraz.  They say the Clint Eastwood movie Escape from Alcatraz has about 75% accuracy compared to other movies filmed about The Rock.  I would have to agree.  The audio tour was impressive with former guards and inmates as part of the narrative.

All in all it turned out to be a great sister`s weekend.  Not bad for my first of many exciting things to come.