San Francisco (Part Three)

On my fifth day in San Francisco, I started out exploring the neighborhood of North Beach. This in the home of the iconic City Lights Bookstore.

North Beach (where there is no beach, btw) is a little grittier and more crowded than I would like. After a yummy frittata breakfast and a quick stop at the post office, I caught the bus to the Palace of Fine Arts. On the way, I passed by this beautiful sidewalk produce display, which just epitomizes California for me.

A short walk later I reached the Palace of Fine Arts. Oh. My. Gosh. It's beautiful!

It was like a classical Greek oasis at the edge of the city. The water and the park were beautiful and if I lived in San Francisco I would take a picnic lunch and watch the birds at least once a week.

Not only were there seagulls, there were also a few swans, a bunch of ducks, and maybe even a goose or two. Everyone there seemed to be having a wonderful time. There is definitely the feeling that people who live in San Francisco are just really happy to be where they're at.

Sadly, the Exploratorium (the children's science museum that operates inside the building) was closed on Mondays. So I headed up the hill (shocking, right?) to the Presidio. The closest part was 1 Letterman Drive.

I'm not exactly sure what all goes on there, but there is a division of Lucasfilms there. And there is a great Starbucks on the ground floor of the building on the right. And behind that building? There's a Yoda fountain!

The next day I went back to the Palace of Fine Arts so I could go inside the Exploratorium. I didn't actually go into the museum, but I did hit their shop and got some very cool goodies. My favorite? A cherry tree bonsai kit in a can. I can't wait to open it up and grow my own mini cherry tree.

After another chunk of work at the Lucasfilms Starbucks, I hopped on a bus that I thought would take me to Point Lobos and Cliff House. Only my bus decided to change route numbers halfway there, took me two blocks (downhill) out of the way, and I decided to hop off before I got even more off track. Since getting back to my original bus would require hiking up two block (and I was so over hills at this point) I just kept walking toward the ocean. Instead of heading to dinner at Cliff House, I decided to go to the beach. And I'm so glad I did.

At first, there weren't many people on the beach. Just a few dedicated surfers and some other tourists trolling for shells. Then, after five, the people and the dogs came out to play.

Just being by the water energizes me. So much so that, when I had to figure out what I wanted to do on my last day in San Francisco, I decided to head back to the beach.

I paid homage to my mermaid princess. Sat on my fleece jacket. And just ... absorbed the beach. If I close my eyes, I can almost hear the roar of the ocean even now.

The only bad thing about the beach was that, because I was so far north and the air was so cool, I didn't give sunscreen a second thought. Or even a first thought. My hours on the beach turned into a pretty angry sunburn. Not everywhere, because thankfully I didn't have a swimsuit with me, but on my chest, arms, face, and (strangely enough) on my right calf.

You can see my tomato-like complexion in this pic, which I snapped in the lobby of my hotel while I waited for the airport shuttle. I have to say, I was extraordinarily sad to leave San Francisco. I adore Seattle, and I'm excited to move there, but if I had the money... Well, we'll just see what happens if my Medusa girls become bestsellers. I might just have to make their home, my home.

Well that is the end of the official travelog of my Great Adventure of 2010. Technically spent a couple weeks in Texas before finally heading home, and I'll post a blog about the TLA conference soon, but my grand tour ended in San Francisco. I'll have some concluding thoughts over the next few days. And I'll have the photos and memories to last a lifetime.

Hugs,
TLC

San Francisco (Part Two)

On my second day in San Francisco, I met up with fellow young adult author Shelley Adina. She had discovered, by chance, that WonderCon opened on the very day we had agreed to meet. After a yummy pancake breakfast at the insanely popular Sears Fine Food...

...and a stop a Britex, one of the coolest fabrics stores ever (I got a yard of an adorable owl print corduroy) we headed down to the con. Now, let me just say that this was my FIRST CON EVER. I was a little (a lot) scared. And a little (a lot) overwhelmed. But as soon as I saw Virginia Hey from Farscape...

...and Adam Baldwin from Firefly (squeeeee!)...

...I was pretty okay with all the crazy. We also attended a very cool workshop about "Superwomen in Modern Mythology" by Ink-Stained Amazons author Jennifer K. Stuller. After a delicious Mexican dinner, Shelley and I said goodbye and I tucked in for the night.

On day three I got back to my research quest. I wandered around Nob Hill and Russian Hill, looking for more things to work into the books. I found this high school:

Which is where Medusa girl Gretchen Sharpe goes to school. (Thankfully this was Saturday, so no one was around to wonder why I was taking so many pictures of a public school.)

The school is not far from Ghiradelli Square, where they have this great (but topless) mermaid fountain:

Because I can't resist the water, I grabbed a cookies and cream cone from the Ghiradelli Chocolate shop and headed down to the shore, where I saw this guy making some kind of unidentifiable sand sculpture.

Then I wandered up (yet another) hill, through the Great Meadow park, where there were a lot of families playing, biking and flying kites. Then, below the park, I found this very cool (and very fenced off) tunnel entrance.

I don't know what it leads to. I don't know if I'll be able to work it into the book. But it was oh so cool. And it just happens to be right next to my third major research success.

This is Fort Mason, aka (the model of) the home of Gretchen Sharpe. Technically this property belongs to the National Park Service, but if anyone could get digs in an inaccessible location, it's Gretchen.

Fort Mason is right next to the Marina neighborhood. This area instantly became one of my favorite parts of the city. It was beautiful and clean and right on the water. I could totally live there. (I couldn't afford to live there, but I could live there.)

My fourth day in San Francisco was Easter Sunday. It was gloomy and rainy and not at all spring-like. Still, I love gloomy and rainy weather, so I donned my bright pink dress and headed to the nearest Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (one of my favorite coffee shops).

I worked some and watched out the window as people walked by with their dogs and their umbrellas.

The number of dogs in San Francisco really surprised me. There were dogs everywhere, and almost every shop and boutique had a dog bowl of water sitting outside the door. I missed my adorable Daisy the whole time.

Only one more San Francisco post to go. Check back tomorrow to find out how the adventure ends.

Hugs,
TLC

San Francisco (Part One)

Okay, time to wrap up my great adventure travelog with my final destination: San Francisco. I traveled from Seattle to the Bay Area via Amtrak train. It was an overnight train and I have to say, after my wonderful experience on Via Rail in Canada, it was pretty disappointing. (The bed, especially, was super uncomfortable.) But the sights were still beautiful.

Especially when we hit this crazy snow storm in Oregon.

Now, the main reason for my visit to San Francisco (which, along with New York and Montreal, was one of the few cities I had been to before) was to research my untitled Medusa girls trilogy. The trilogy is set in San Francisco and I really wanted to have a better feel for the city before I finished writing the first book. Boy did I get it!

Amtrak delivered me (via Thruway bus service) to the city in the morning. I picked up a week long visitor's passport, good for rides on any Muni transport, including cable cars, and then headed to my ultra fabulous hotel in Japantown, the Hotel Tomo. (Next time I visit, I'll we definitely stay there again.)

I was lucky that the hotel had a room ready so early. Not wanting to waste time, I dumped my stuff, freshened up, and headed out on the town. First, I explored Japantown a bit and had a delicious lunch, which included my first taste of kimchee. Sooo spicy!

Fortified by a great meal, I headed out to explore new areas of the city. My first quest: Pacific Heights. I wandered up the quaint Cottage Row, a short strip of early 19th century clapboard cottages from pre-Victorian San Francisco.

Then I climbed a hill. A really, really, really high hill. Of course, all the hills in San Francisco are really, really, really high. Which is why they need signs like this:

But I think this one was extra high.

I was rewarded for my efforts, though. At the top of the hill was Lafayette Park, a beautiful square of green with more hills, winding paths, and big shady trees. And across the street from the park on the east side was this house:

My first research success! This is (the model for) the house of Greer Morgenthal, one of my Medusa girls. (Her house is light gray, though, with gold highlights, and it has a turret. But still!)

I wandered around Pacific Height a while more, snapping tons of pictures of breathtaking Victorian mansions. I found my way down to Filmore (maybe my favorite street in the city) and Tully's coffee shop. After a little work and a caffeinated beverage, I decided to bus it down to Fisherman's Wharf. On the way, I found my second research success.

This is (the model of) Grace Whitfield's apartment building. (Only hers is less Spanish colonial and more Art Deco. But still!)

Fisherman's Wharf (Pier 39, actually) was typical. Packed with tourists, street performers, and probably a pickpocket and con artist or two. I had some delicious clam chowder and watched the sea lions from the Sea Lion Cafe.

And I love the guy at the street end of the pier who plays his, uh, whatever beneath the giant flowering crab. (Yes, that's what I said!)

Whew! All of that on my first day. Don't want to overload the blog, so I'll divide the San Francisco portion of the trip into three parts. Tune in tomorrow for Part Two.

Hugs,
TLC

Calling All San Antonians

We interrupt this travelog (still have San Francisco to recap) to bring you and important announcement:

I will be signing ARCs of Forgive My Fins on Thursday, April 15 from 12:30-1:00 in the Harper Booth (#2222) at the Texas Library Association conference in San Antonio.

This will be one of your last chances to get an advance copy before the book comes out in June!

The TLA conference is being held at the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center. Thursday is Teen Day, so there are sure to be tons of amazing authors around. Find out more about how to attend and check out signing schedules on the conference website.

If you're in town and can make it, please stop by!

Hugs,
TLC

Seattle

After my time in beautiful Vancouver, I hopped on a Greyhound and headed to Seattle. (This border crossing, by the way, was soooo much easier.) It was my only bus leg of the trip and I'm glad, because four hours on a bus is about my max.

The bus arrived at the Seattle station and my Buzz sister Dona picked me up and immediately whisked me away to Pike Place Market for a food tasting tour. I got to see the original Starbucks store.

I might have cried a little. (The pic above is not the first Starbucks, but it's where the tour group met before taking off on our amazing exploration of the public market.)

We saw the world famous flying fish stall. Yes, they actually throw fish. And clams. And crabs and lobsters and scallops and whatever else people order. You see that blur in the picture below? That a fish flying through the air.

The market mascot is Rachel the pig, who is also a really massive piggy bank. Since the market is a public enterprise, they are always in need of funds for repairs and maintenance.

One of the coolest things about the market is that the city does not allow chains or big business to set up shop. It's only locally owned and locally harvested, with no middle man to jack up the cost. On the tour we had amazing cheddar cheese, fresh hot mini doughnuts, smoked salmon, crab cakes, and so much more.

After the tour, we went to Dona's house and she served up a totally delicious chicken dinner with risotto. Then we headed to the movie theatre and watched Ghost Write which, I have to say, was quite painful.

Sunday morning we walked to Starbucks (because, in Seattle, there is always one within walking distance) then just relaxed before going to meet Buzz girl Heather for dinner.

Heather selected the Pink Door for dinner, and fun restaurant with (you guessed it) a pink door. It also had another fun surprise: trapeze performances. Twice while we were eating a woman came out and performed a trapeze routine above the tables.

Then I went home with Heather, since her apartment is close to downtown and all the fun things. I met up with fellow Seattle YA authors Barb Ferrer and Serena Robar, and we spent the morning at the waterfront.

We visited a very cool used bookstore, where I picked up a couple of vintage Nancy Drews with fun inscriptions from the original owners inside.

Barb also took me to the fabulous Third Place Books, where they are big fans of the Oh. My. Gods. series. It's a huge independent bookstore and I had a blast.

One of the funnest things about Seattle is all the sealife around. Felt very Forgive My Fins friendly. There was this doormat in Heather's building.

And this massive squid sculpture hanging high in the Pike Place Market.

But the best thing about Seattle is just the natural beauty. Even though Heather's building is right in the heart of downtown, this is the amazing view from her rooftop.

This was my first visit to Seattle, and I have to say I fell in love. There is just something about the climate (I love rain) and the energy and the vibe of the city that just felt comfortable. I'm planning on making another visit to the Emerald City this summer to do a little apartment hunting and make sure that's where I want to move. And, if all goes according to plan, Daisy and I will be packing up and heading to the Northwest this Fall.

Hugs,
TLC

Happy Easter From San Francisco

It's raining in San Francisco. After being off-and-on cloudy for the past couple of days, and then absolutely gorgeous yesterday afternoon, the rain has finally come.

The funny part is there are a lot of girls and young women wearing bright, beautiful sundresses in honor of the holiday. Myself included! Here's how I'm spending my Easter:

• lazing around my cheery motel room until afternoon
• wearing a bright pink dress (how bright? see below)
• sitting in Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
• writing this blog
• uploading my San Francisco pictures to Flickr
• watching San Francisco walk by
• eying the bright bags in the Marc by Marc Jacobs store across the street
• planning my move to Seattle this Fall
• working on the untitled Medusa trilogy

All in all a pretty successful Easter Sunday, especially considering the gloomy rain and the first item on my list.

Hugs,

TLC