First stop, San Francisco.  The City by the Bay.

I have been there before. The first time was with my friend Julie (face of this blog). We did all the usual touristy stuff. Rode the cable cars (I hung out the side of them just because), Alcatraz (island prison), Pier 39 (seals), Clam Chowder (out of bread bowls). Julie couldn’t eat it all but I could. I eat more than MOD,  Hooters, much to Julie’s disgust, but I had to pop my head in, Lombard Street where we met John Smith from No. 1 Lombard. Not much older than us, he had made his fortune in Silicone Valley, retired and filled his days as the self appointed gardener of the whole street. Last experience on the way to the airport was the obligatory altercation with an angry and dishonest cab driver. Who I reported.

Next time I went was a very different experience.  I went with MOD. There was a luxury hotel involved, visits to his friends (he had lived there for a number of years), Napa Valley (much wine) and a visit to Walmart where I was disappointed not to see all those wonderful diverse people of  internet fame.

This time will see us staying in an AirBNB and hanging around the city meeting friends and family.

On Saturday we board a big boat to head out of SF bay up the inner passage to Alaska. (Ok its the inside passage).

We become cruiselings!!!!

I am starting to feel excited 😎

Now the two flights…….I hope ‘Mama Mia Here We Go Again’ is playing. I wouldn’t mind a little sing-song on the plane.