Part Three

From the beginning of our planning for this trip, we decided that we would fly home the first week of May to be present for the eighth birthday of our granddaughter. She lights up our lives and we love her dearly, so we didn't want to miss it. The break provided a natural transition from the desert and dry weather days of Part Two to our foray into the Sierra Nevada's, Cascades and the Pacific Northwest.

We left the car at the San Francisco airport, flew to Dulles airport, stayed 8 days and flew back. The car wasn't touched in the airport garage and looked no worse for wear. We loaded our bags in the car and off we went on Part Three.

Part Three takes us north to Canada and back. '

But first we had to navigate out of San Francisco. We like the city, having visited several times and enjoying the sometimes off-beat vibe there. Like big cities everywhere in the world, social inequities are more prevalent in San Francisco, which has caused some issues. But it's still a beautiful place with good people. We didn't have time to stop and stay this time but we will again.

Waze routed us through part of downtown to get onto I-80 and cross the San Francisco Bay. There were a few things that made us nervous on the way: double-deck highways (always a concern to drive on in earthquake country); more autonomous cars (NO ONE IS DRIVING THEM!); $7.00+ gasoline; and crossing the Bay Bridge.

There is something unnerving about driving on a double-deck highway in California.

Downtown San Francisco, approaching from the south. We were in traffic on an off ramp, which is why the picture is a little tilted.

No one is driving the car on the right or the left. The guy in front of us bailed and turned off the street entirely.

Gas prices in downtown SF.

Almost at the eastern end of the Bay Bridge. The port of Oakland is on the right.

We navigated all those things successfully, and headed up the east side of the Bay towards the next stop -- Wine Country #2. More on that in the next post