Hop on - Hop Off in San Fran ...

Set the jet lag to one side, don't waste a minute... meet downstairs at 8, quick brekkie and let's hit the town!  With only a day to see the sights, options are limited, so first let's hop on a hop-on/hop-off bus tour... how to decide?  Come on girls, don't dilly dally, just do it...

 

The boys didn't wanna have fun, so here we are, from the left that's Hell's our favourite [and only] resident celebrity from MKR, Mel, Me and Shaden... girl's just wanna have fun...

 

Transamerica Pyramid Building, standing tall, once the world's tallest pyramid building until London's The Shard took over in 2012.

Remember the building covered in goo in GhostBusters II?

Mel and Shaden looking cool!  Actually, it was seasonally COLD!  
Double underwear weather at least!

... and Hel's with her warming coffee...

... pretty buildings ...

Saints Peter and Paul Church on Filbert Street

Love the architecture

Shaden gets up close and personal with dinner...

Good Pizza? Just look at that queue!

and, yay - this is it - we must be in San Fran... THE Bridge!

and real proof.. yes I was there...

Janet Sutherland, San Fran

Mutiny on The Bounty... 

Inspiration for Otis Redding's ... Sitting on the Dock of the Bay

Heading into Sausalito.  

A tragedy he died only 3 days after recording it and 6 weeks before it was even released.

So after a wander around beautiful Sausalito, a little town full of restaurants, cafe's and curiosity shops, a change of pace, all too soon, let's head back to San Fran on the ferry

Past Alcatraz...

 

... a perfect way to mix with the yacht's in the bay when you have limited time 

 

Let's not forget the The famous Bushman of Fisherman's Wharf!

and finally... The Night Tour... drive past beautiful City Hall

... and did you hear the beautiful story of how San Francisco and its people turned San Fran into Gotham City for a day?  

To grant a wish for 5 year old Craig, diagnosed with Leukemia who wanted to be Batkid for a day and his wish came true, thanks to the Make a Wish Foundation?

A pretty city of lights....

More pics available <click here> 

Tomorrow?

Wine tasting in the Napa Valley!

Google HQ - Friday 22nd November

Prepare to be WOWed at Google HQ!  Check out The Internship, it's exactly like that!  "Home" to 15,000 people as they go about their daily grind, having fun, being innovative, creating the stuff of movies, Google Glass, driver-less cars... I sound like a TV ad now, but I confess, I was at least a little impressed...

Google HQ, Mountain View, Silicon Valley

Reception and "That" Dance Floor! 

(That's me, the short one, second from left)

Check out the steps with the LED lighting indicating top down, up to the minute, the most popular search on Google right now... When we arrived, it was the 50th anniversary of JFK's assassination in Dallas, no prizes for guessing what the top searches were that day 

(JFK was rather ignominiously replaced by Miley Cyrus by our return on Monday!)

 Fancy a game of Crazy Golf?

 Or prefer to check out Google Earth???

Pause as we all hail Android

 Perhaps a cycle around the campus on one of the 10,000 bikes dotted around the place?

A slide down the slide?  Go on... you know you want to!

Lunch at Charlie's?  Founded by Charlie Ayer's, executive chef 

formerly known as the chef to the stars, servicing the dietary needs of the Grateful Dead

 

Stuff to see, wherever you look!

Virgin Galactic, prototype

... or shop on campus for those special little gifts...

 Take your dog to work? Sure, not a problem!

Looks fun?  Sure was, lots of WOW factor but honestly, we did do some work too!   No my team back in Bris-Vegas don't believe me either, but we were fortunate to have personalised presentations from Alberto Savoia, who calls himself an Innovation Expert but who is so much more and Mike Yapp (Director @ The Zoo, a Google creative team) as well as several others equally worthy of note.

But finally, back to San Fran and dinner at One Market

On Monday, we head back to Google, with an opportunity to check out Google Glass... check back in for more great pics... but first we have our hop-on/hop-off bus tour on Saturday as well as wine tasting in the Napa Valley to look forward to .... exhausting!

San Francisco - Arrival!

Well, this is it!! We have arrived... home for the next few days, The Westin St Francis, Union Square San Francisco! 

The Westin Hotel, Union Square, San Francisco

A room with a view!  The Westin

Day 1, a business meeting then, quick, get changed, lets go sight seeing...

Hop on the tram down to Fisherman's Wharf

Pop into Ghirardelli's Chocolate Factory en route

Check out the seals at Pier 39

Alcatraz in the setting sun

Back to base in Union Square, ice skating anyone?

Macy's Xmas tree, Union Square

... and tomorrow??? Off to Google HQ!

San Francisco - look out!

This is it - my first trip to the US!!! I am heading out on a business trip to San Francisco, Silicon Valley & Google Headquarters.... more to come.... watch this space, lets hope for some awesome pics!