Sunday (27th): Picked up my parents at the motel, then drove to San Francisco. My Google Maps directions had something screwed up, and then we discovered much ridiculousness trying to get turned around. The problem wasn't only one-way streets, but lots of intersections where left turns were only legal for taxis and buses! Following my imagination of how blocks are laid out, I ended up going up and down this massive hill just to go around the block. My parents' Tom Tom eventually saved us. If we had only been planning on doing the city and not anything in the surrounding area, it definitely would have been worth it to take the train. Anyway, we found the parking lot that we were looking for, then walked into Golden Gate Park. There were a lot of bums and/or hippies in the west end of the park. I wonder if this is what Dan referred to as Hippy Hill. It's the kind of place where I was uncomfortable but wanted to become comfortable. Maybe not with my parents. We all just walked through that part silently.
Then we wandered down Haight to try to get a feel of the Haight-Ashbury district. Mom didn't understand why I wasn't enthused about taking photos at that intersection. It's the kind of place where I'd much rather blend in and not look like a tourist. And of course, my dad did not like it at all and thought we were just going through there to get somewhere else. Be fun to go back, maybe, with people my age.
Checked in to our hotel. Rode a street car and met people from Michigan and Maine. Got dinner at this famous Vietnamese place, The Slanted Door. The meal was ~$100 for the three of us, but it was proportionately tasty. Imperial roles, elderberry spritzer, glass noodles with tofu skins, abalone, and lamb, I think. Took a long, pleasant walk back so we could estimate the time needed to get to Alcatraz. Fisherman's Wharf is kitschy by day, and still kitschy but a little more interesting by night. There was a guy spinning fire and two or three people doing spray paint art. (The kind where they make some sort of surreal landscape on a piece of paper.)
Wednesday morning my car wouldn't start. My parents got the bus to my house and Dad and I messed with it while Mom hung out with Cara and Lilly. We ended up getting it towed to the dealership that I've gone to before. $450 later, I have a new starter assembly... My parents want to send money to help with that although there isn't much reason for them to, as I see. It sucks but it's mine, eh? Now that I'm in the bicycle Mecca that is Davis, I find myself fantasizing about cars ceasing to exist soon, with the energy crisis. Anyway, we ate lunch at the Pita Pit, wandered in the arboretum, got the car back, and went to the Farmer's Market.
Thursday morning I took them to the airport and went back to school. Very good visit overall.