San Francisco Baby!

Hey All:
SanFrancisco for Chinese New Year was such a blast. I have to say that this was one great experience that I definetely would love to do again. So all of us Dickran cousins, and some of their respective others went on the lonnnnng journey from here, there and everywhere.
So lets say we left Camarillo, CA at 3:30 AM yes AM and the first stop was exactly 30 seconds down the hill at the donut store, after two dozens donughts and there was only 7 os us in the car we left for Davis, CA. With 6 Ipods in the car, full of great music, suger rush off the wall, and lots of caffeine buzzing us, we experienced the 5 freeway all awake for about 30 minutes before people started crashing for not sleeping all night. So off we went to Davis, CA to pick up our cousin up there. So we arrived in Berkely around 11 AM and we hit the town, mind you it is all of maybe 5 by 5 blocks and I walked everyone of them. So we picked up our other cousin and now there is 8 and we head to San Francisco.
Wait? What is that? Where are we staying.Hmmmm, we left those directions at home, but hey there are only so many hotels that start with an "R" so I'm so we can figure it out. After lots of calling around we find our hotel. Yeah!!!
So we made it to San Francisco, and all is good. We change and head out to hail taxi's to go to the shopping district and dinner of Sushi. After lots of Sushi I learned to love this food. Okay so I am still a beginner but I really do love it. Gotta work on one called the volcano that has a clam sauce on top of it since I wasn't to keen on it, but hey there is a whole lifetime for me to figure that one out.
After shopping it is off to a few small bars to visit the nightlife and a sampling of every dessert on one restaurants menu for all of us, that was way fun.
So the next morning is Alcatraz (kristen, jen, debra, remember our lovely picture, I looked it up in my picture album for great memories) and then on to tackle the wharf's endless supply of seafood.
After seafood, we went to Ghiradelli square and then more shopping and then the dreaded tak of finding a taxi when you know that all of them are on the other side of town where 3 million people are getting together for the Chinese New Years Day Parade. I literally had to jump in the middle of the road as a taxi was in the midst of turning a corner and grabbed his door handle and made him stop in the middle of the intersection, and then everyone else came running over and jumped in. The cop who was stopped at the stoplight across the street just shook his head. Poor taxi driver he was a little scared. But it was funny.
Then back to the hotel to change and go to the parade. Word of advice if they say somethiing is close in San Francisco it means 10 blocks in one direction. Yup, all of us girls are in stilettos and we walk 10 blocks up and two blocks inland and we hit the parade. That was sooo stinking awesome. The fireworks, the dragons, everything was sooo way cool. We pushed our way to the front of the crowd and ended up being right in front where everyone started and it was way fun.
After the parade we headed to little italy for someone good italian food and wine. Those italians really know how to cook.
So the next morning we visit Golden Gate Park and Golden Gate Bridge and then we take Highway One for an 11 hour drive home. Yes, I get car sick and 11 hours later you tend to get really cranky. But I would do it all over again, I loved my cousins their boyfriends and my brothers girlfriend (soon to be finance).