The city by the bay

After what seemed like an eternity of tossing, turning, and literally sliding around in the tent, the sun finally decided to rise. While it may have only been 6am, it seemed like the perfect time to get out of the tent and on with the day. The only problem was that it was still freezing cold outside and extra clothing wasnt a top priority on the packing list the afternoon before. Slowly but surely my body warmed up and began functioning as it should. It took some prying but JD and Derek eventually gave in to peer pressure and crawled out of the tent to start the day.

The hike back down the mountain was naturally a much smoother and faster trip than the hike up the mountain. What seemed like half a decade on the way up to the peak of the falls passed by in the blink of an eye on the way back down. I think we were all happy about this considering sleep was at a premium the night before and hiking wasnt at the top of our to do list for the day.

A quick van pack, a trip to the wilderness center, and a momentary stop at the camp shop was all that separated us from the road to San Francisco. We were on our way there when things took a turn for the worse. I mean whats a leg of the trip without a good story?? So we were probably 10 minutes out of the park, driving along nicely in the 95 degree heat when all of a sudden the air conditioning decides that it has had enough for one road trip. So there we were in blistering heat with no air to circulate the already crowded van. To say the least Derek was not happy about the situation. We soon became the epitome of PA rednecks. We already had the PA license plates and then we were driving around without shirts on to keep the sweaty laundry to a minimum. In order to ease his pain, and grumpy mood Derek decided he was going to get gas, and treat himself to an ice cream cone and a mt dew. (It worked superbly) Luckily for us by the time we hit San Francisco 3.5 hours later the temperature had dropped to 60 and we could use the non air conditioned air again.

We arrived at our host home around 3:30 in the afternoon. The person hosting us is John Paul Peterson, a 2003 graduate of Messiah and lives in downtown San Francisco. We all went to a local sports bar to watch the end of the Magic Cavs game, get dinner, and get to know each other. John Paul has been an excellent host to us in San Francisco and has really helped us find our way around. That night he showed us around his neighborhood and some of the places in the area as well as providing us with a good game plan to see the rest of the city the next day.

By the end of the evening tired was on the top of everyone's list of current feelings. A long day and an even longer night before in the woods provided a great platform for some fantastic sleep (even if it was still on a floor.)

Cool thing of the day: Between the time we arrived at Pope's house (John Paul) and the time we went out to dinner, the three of us took off to see what we could find on our own since Pope was still in work. Wouldnt ya know it, we stumbled upon the Golden Gate bridge. Although I wouldnt say its the coolest thing I've ever seen, it was weird to actually be standing in front of it. All my life i've seen pictures of it and caught a glimpse of it every time full house was on but to really be standing right next to it was pretty cool.

Craving of the day: A homemade meal- of anything.

Quote of the day: “Life is either a great adventure or nothing.”- Helen Keller