San Fransisco Trip Day 2

Friday we got up bright and early and headed out to the Jelly Belly factory in Fairfield, Ca. This is where we met up with Aunt Jenn, Ter's sister. We took a very informative tour in which Spencer and Brevin were asked to sample a couple of the less desirable jelly bean flavors. Spencer tried rotten cheese and Brevin tried skunk flavor. Oh, their breath was disgusting. Thankfully along the tour they gave several samples of the more popular flavors, this helped camouflage their breath.



On our way back into San Fran, Jenn caught some cool pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge through the sunroof of the car.


Once we were back in town, it was time for lunch. Crab anyone! Thankfully my kids love sea food. We had clam chowder in a sour dough bread bowl. Fried calamari and a shrimp sandwich. Mmmmm, good!
I can't say I completely enjoyed our lunch break because I was on the phone duking it out with Uhaul trying to find a car dolly that would fit my van so it could be transported from Barstow to St. George.
Let me digress from our lovely meal for a moment and fill you in on our automobile trauma. My dad was on his way back from Calif to Utah and already in Bakersfield. Uhaul would not allow my dad to use his small truck to pull my van because the weight from both vehicles did not match what Uhauls computer said it should be to pull my van and the wheel span on the car dolly said, it was to small to hold my van. Mind you, his little truck already pulled my van from Idaho to Utah two summers ago when we hit a dear. So, he heads back to Hanford to get a bigger truck from his shop and I call another Uhaul to try and find an auto transport. This is the big flat bed looking thing that toe trucks use. Well do you think there was one available anywhere in Bakersfield. NO!!!! I finally locate one in Mojave. This is good 'cause at least it's on his way to Utah. But once he gets to Mojave he encounters the same computer mathematical equation problem. Thankfully the owners of this Uhaul franchise fudged the numbers and dad was hooked up to the auto transport and back on the road in fairly short order.
Unfortunately, he didn't get to the ford dealership in Barstow before it closed and had to stay in a hotel until the next day. Can someone explain to me why someone at the dealership could not have gone down to help my dad load my van after hours? It's not like this happens every day. Or does it? At any rate, dad finally got the van loaded after the dealership guys informed him that they could not help get the van onto the auto transport because of liability. Hugh!? So my dad parked the trailer down at the bottom of this hill, hopped in the van and coasted it down the hill to get up enough speed to get it onto the auto transport. Way to go, dad! Wish I could have been there to see that!
Dad made it back to St. George and found the transmission shop that put a new transmission in our last van, then finally headed home.
This would be three for three! All the cars we've owned have required new transmissions.
Dad thanks for bailing us out, again! A trip that should have taken you 11 hrs turned into a 30 hr ordeal.
Meanwhile, back in San Fransisco we are having a great time!
Aunt Jenn has an awesome camera and took some great pictures.


Crabs at lunch time...

Megan outside our hotel...

Spencer down at the wharf...

Snuggled up in the rental......

After lunch we headed to the Fire Station Museum. It wasn't very big but had some antique engines the kids were allowed to sit on. It also had the history of the earthquake and fire of 1906. I was very interested to read up on this event.

Each engine had a large bell to draw attention as it rushed down the road.

I thought this picture to be quite funny! These are windshield wipers on both the inside and outside of the window. If you'll notice, there is no roof. As you sit in the drivers seat, your head is above the windshield. So what's the purpose of the windshield or it wipers? You're going to get hit in the face anyway.