11-15-2024
H: 56ºF L: 50ºF
San Francisco RV Resort, Pacifica, California
It was horribly windy all night but we were greeted with a beautiful full moon over the ocean in the morning.
We had a lazy afternoon but spent the evening with our neighbors, Phil and Angela. Phil is a retired homicide detective from Las Vegas and Angela is a retired parole officer. Phil was also a state champion in weight lifting and track cycling. They are a delightful couple and we really enjoyed talking to them and getting a tour of their beautiful camper. We also watched the Mike Tyson/Jake Paul fight with Phil and Angela. Neither of us are sports fans but it was interesting to watch Tyson, who has obviously worked really hard to be in fighting shape, and learn of the history of both men.
11-16-2024
H: 56°F L: 45°F
San Francisco RV Resort, Pacifica, California
We went to Brisbane, CA today. We took the boys for a walk on an old quarry road. Downtown Brisbane didn’t offer much for us but it was fun to drive around the crowded neighborhoods.
We stopped at San Bruno Mountain State and County Park and were able to drive to the top which is only allowed on Saturdays and Sundays. There were beautiful 360-degree views and we enjoyed watching crows or ravens (it’s hard to distinguish between the two) playing in the up drafts. They twirled and dived and one picked up a stick and seemed to have fun trying to fly while holding onto it.
11-17-2024
H: 55ºF L: 46ºF
San Francisco RV Resort, Pacifica, California
Today is an adventure day! We started the day with the site of the last known legal duel in California. In 1859, a duel between a California US Senator and an ex-Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of California was fought resulting in the demise of the Senator. These two men had been friends but had a disagreement over slavery. The area where the duel took place is now a state historic landmark.
Next we stopped at the last Doggie Diner dachshund head statue still on public display. The restaurants no longer exist but this iconic cutie is still making people smile. It is an official San Francisco landmark.
Saint Francis of the Guns statue was our next stop. It was made by artist and pacifist, Benny Bufano, in 1969 and is made of 2000 melted handguns. The guns came from a voluntary gun turn in program run by the city of San Francisco in 1968.
Next we went to Esmeralda Slide which is nestled in a neighborhood in a hillside park. Daniel went down it but said it was too fast for me and I would hurt myself. Apparently, one trip to the emergency department with me was enough to last him a lifetime.
We went to the Cinema Peephole which is in an alleyway and hard to find. It previously showed short silent films but today it just flashed between several pictures.
Next we went to Balmy Alley Murals. Most of the murals had a political theme. We drove down the alley rather than walking down it. I would suggest not coming here at night.
Our next stop was the Golden Fire Hydrant which saved the Mission District after the 1906 earthquake and subsequent fire that destroyed much of the eastern part of San Francisco. Apparently, this was one of the few functioning fire hydrants as the earthquake damaged the water mains in many areas. This special fire hydrants gets a fresh coat of gold paint every year on the anniversary of the fire, April 18th. Although one year was a little different because someone accidentally bought silver paint but, since it was painted early in the morning before the sun rose, no one noticed the mistake until later in the day.
Next we drove by a costume shop, Piedmont Boutique, which has fishnet covered legs dangling from an upstairs window. This famous shop in Height-Ashbury is the place to find great costumes for Burning Man, Halloween, and theme parties.
Next we drove by the Bohemian Club. When we went to Muir Woods, we learned about this secretive, all-male club started in 1872 by journalists. The club’s membership history contains prominent men such as US presidents, CEOs of major companies, and top officials of the government and military. The membership must contain 10% journalists and artists. They have an annual two week long summer camp where the men gather in Sonoma County and put on plays and burn a giant effigy of the woes of life.
We drove down Lombard Street, the very curvy street in SF, and I took a video – or at least I thought I did. All I have is a subpar picture. Apparently, the road was reworked with all the curves because cars in the 1920s could not make it up the steep 27% grade. The redesigned curvy road is now at 16% grade. Its curves and gardens have made it world famous. However, Lombard Street is not the curviest street in San Francisco according to this article. That honor goes to Vermont Street where they have the annual Big Wheel Race which sounds like a lot of fun to me.
11-18-2024
H: 55ºF L: 49ºF
San Francisco RV Resort, Pacifica, California
We stayed at the camper most of the day and took the boys for an evening walk. We said goodbye to our new friends, Phil and Angela. We hope to catch up with them some time in the future.
11-19-2024
H: 56ºF L: 46ºF
San Francisco RV Resort, Pacifica, California
We went to Grocery Outlet for some great, low-cost groceries. We love eating whole food, plant-based but we do find we have to go to the grocery store frequently to get fresh veggies.
I have been reading The Miracle Morning (updated and expanded edition). I read the first edition years ago and found that having a morning ritual was so beneficial for me. Life gets in the way sometimes so I stopped doing the six practices recommended (but still did 3) every morning. Now that we have settled into retirement, I no longer want to sleep in. I want to get up and feel productive. The book explains the benefits of and the how to of six practices: meditation, affirmations, visualization, exercise, reading, and journaling. It may sound like a lot to cram into your morning but you can reap benefits even if you devote 30 minutes of your time.
11-20-2024
H: 57°F L: 53°F
San Francisco RV Resort, Pacifica, California
It’s another adventure day! It’s raining but we are making the best of it.
We started the day by visiting the Wind Harp in South San Francisco, CA. We didn’t hear much sound emanating from it even though it was windy but it was a pretty sculpture.
Next we drove to Stanford University’s campus to see the Rodin Sculpture Garden including his Gates of Hell sculpture based on Dante’s Divine Comedy.
We also went in the Cantor Arts Center which has free admission. We enjoyed looking at the different exhibits. Below are some of my favorites.
We went to see the Barron Park Donkeys in Palo Alto, CA. One of the donkeys, Perry, was the model for “Donkey” in the movie Shrek. Sadly, Perry did not receive mention in the credits of the movie.
11-21-2024
H: 59ºF L: 55ºF
San Francisco RV Resort, Pacifica, California
It was rainy and very windy all night. It has been quite windy most days we have been in Pacifica, CA. Last night it was so windy our dog fence blew into the neighboring site. Luckily, we don’t have any neighbors right now.
Since we signed up for the Thousand Trails Journey membership, Daniel has spent the last 10+ days reworking our travel schedule. He’s amazing! He has to juggle campground locations, car charger locations, areas of interest, distance traveled, etc.
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Stats
Expenses:
- Tesla Cybertruck fuel: $0
- Tesla Model X fuel: $0
- Campsite: $124.6
- Camping memberships: $43.33
- Food: $173.70
Tesla Cybertruck miles driven: 0 (0 kWh)
Tesla Model X miles driven: 162.8 (55.8 kWh)
Number of people asking about the Tesla pulling the camper: 1
Contact Happy Vegan Campers!
Happy Vegan Campers are traveling the country and building a passive house! Any suggestions on places we should visit or questions about our house? Love our recipes? We’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment at the bottom of the page or send us an email: happyvegancampers@gmail.com
