Adventure (Lost in San Francisco)

[SongDragon]

Okay, this is after the show. I quickly get sort of backwards directions from Dad before hopping in the car and heading back towards Oakland, where I'm staying, with my windshield still fogged up. This should be a long story, but I may not have the time.

I got onto Interstate 505, and all is going well. I'm comfortable, it's a two lane highway, kind of a quiet night, radio is making background noise and since I'm thinking about the concert I don't really care what's on, it can't compete with the music playing in my head. Everything is going faster, now that there is no traffic as there was coming to the Palms Playhouse, though admittedly not this far towards it. I get onto 80, and now need to get onto 580. Now comes the tricky part, I remind myself, my exit shouldn't be that long after I get onto 580. Remember, 580 East (even though most of the way I headed West). Well, that wasn't difficult... right.

Alright, taking signs for 580 was confusing, as it actually had traffic lights on it, though admittedly it was still a fast one-way road. Then, I had the choice between East or West. I thought fast... and grabbed West.

I don't even notice anything is wrong, until I go over a bridge that makes me pay a toll ("wait a second, Aunt Anneli said there wouldn't be a toll coming back"). Okay... Maybe she was wrong. Then I remembered, around where 508 turns into 101. So I get off, ask directions to get back to 508, and am told I want 101 South to San Francisco. I thank the man, pay for my gas, get on a one way street, miss the turn, take another street to a one way street in the opposite direction, and find my turn, and find 101 towards San Francisco. First exit... first exit... He kept asking me if I knew how to read. So I though there would be a sign that said 580. Dad later decided I must have already been south of where 580 gets on.

Good news: I got a great tour of San Francisco, though I did not know the name of anything. Okay, I'm headed across the Golden Gate Bridge, and I am calm about it (I figure it should not be too hard to get to Oakland from there). I pay my five dollar toll and get a talkative toll-booth person who realizes as soon as I open my mouth that I'm from the East Coast, but with the five dollars I'm suddenly not so happy about this. 101 seems to trail off, and I'm left in a small neighborhood. Calling Dad I end up on 101 again, but don't want to get onto the bridge again (I have fifteen dollars left, and it's mine! I am not spending any more on tolls!). So I take an exit off... and end up into a neighborhood with basically no highways. We find some winding routes to get me towards highway 80, and a few of them are really steep. I love my manual shift car, but I admit I was close to panic when I stalled (five times) on something that has at least a 12% gradiant. I finally revved it close to the red and stomped on the gas--it started creeping up the hill. Winding roads, some with tracks (amtrack? trolley tracks?) on one lane of the road that make me feel as though I'm in the wrong place, and I finally get to 80.

From there, no problem, though I was very strict with myself about not screwing it up any further. I had had enough of a tour of San Francisco, and it was after one by the time I got home. I made Dad find a parking spot for the car, and then he showed me where I had been driving. The only easier way out would have been through a bad neighborhood. My cousin got home after me, and thought it was funny that I got lost, but was proud of me for keeping this family driving manual shift (he's about the same age, another manual shift fan). Then we both went to bed. Unfortunately my bed was on a futon in the living room, and it was not long until I was awake (with help from two very loving collies with cold noses) again.

~SongDragon

P.S. The show did help keep me calm, telling myself that it was still worth it, and I would make it home. I had made it there, hadn't I?

[Bat]

Actually, Song, if you had gone far enough north on 101 after you crossed the Golden Gate, you would have come to the Richmond/San Rafael Bridge which would have taken you across the bay to Richmond, which is just north of Oakland...but I think you would have had to pay another toll.
Loved your travelogue...could practically see where you were the whole time, and it was even dark outside! I love San Fran at night!
We used to sail down to the Golden Gate Yacht club in the afternoon, and sail back with the tide, hopefully, late at night. Looking back, with the city rising above the fog coming in, showed us why Herb Caen used to call SF
"Baghdad by the Bay"...like it was on a flying carpet.
(this was long before Baghdad meant anything but just an exotic place in a fairy tale about Ali Baba and the 40 thieves.)
It was very beautiful, and I'll never forget it. I'm glad you enjoyed my old city, even though you got a bit turned around. ;)

[SongDragon]

Bat, that's what I did originally. The first toll I payed was crossing the San Rafael Bridge (I think, though I did not know what it was, but I know I went through San Rafael), and then I went across the Golden Gate bridge, and then to finally get back on track I went across the Bay Bridge.

Of course I enjoyed your city! All those lovely hills for me to stall on! I did see the marina, and I thought that my Nana would enjoy if it if she had been there.

~Song

[Rkitko]

Oh, Song! I got lost in San Francisco, too! I was supposed to take 580 toward Oakland as well (coming down 505 to 80 to 580) but traffic was so heavy when I got there, there was no way I could merge out of the lanes that lead to the Bay Bridge. So I just followed the signs for 101 South--I was meeting a friend in Palo Alto first--and got there OK. But seriously, the first thing I said to my friend when I met him on Stanford's campus was, "Remind me to NEVER move to a city with this many highways." I'm a country bumpkin, and have found that I'm incredibly directionally challenged in every city, with the singular exception of Portland, Oregon. Though I suppose New York is another story entirely, since no one in their right mind drives in there (been there, done that, though. Won't again!)

Glad to hear you made it through. And sometimes getting lost should be a destination for us.

[Marcia Drummergal]

I think we've ALL been lost on 580 at one time or another. (Bay Area folks). I remember winding up in Danville. I was trying to get to Pleasant Hill but went the wrong direction. I was with Bat (picturing your directons but backwards). Cause I'd have had you go north to the Richmond/San Rafael bridge to Contra Costa county as well. Glad you finally got where you needed to be. The scariest time I ever had was getting lost on
Mt. Tam (Marin County) at night. If anyone is familiar with it.....yikes! :eek:

Marcia :)

[Dar]

DANG IT Song! I thought you had clear directions. Peggy told me to check with you, but you had already walked out the back door and I let you go. Bad Den Mother Dar. We live about three miles from where you are staying (assuming it's that same aunt's house). You could have followed us.
I would have offered to have you drive up with us, but I though you had a whole group going with you. We avoid 580 as a rule. There's a better route you would have taken that would have let you avoid the nightmare that is 580W but really E altogether. It took me YEARS to get it straight. I've been lost in areas of Oakland and SF that curl my hair to think about now. I still don't drive a manual shift car after my one attempt which was going well until I had to parallel park on a hill. I put the parking brake on in the middle of the street and said screw it you park it. Automatic for me, thanks very much. You are my idol for handling those roads.

[Randy & Betty in Pa]

Song....

You should have asked Redjack for directions LOL... Diverboy did and hasn't been seen or heard of in months.... Incidently had you stayed on 80 for a short 3,216.9 miles you would have been within a couple miles of here.....

Glad you found your way safe and enjoyed the show...

Best to you and yours

R & B from Pa

[DaveM]

Since you went to San Francisco....did you wear some flowers in your hair?

[SongDragon]

Dar, what do you mean! I went out the front door right in front of GodSistah! It was actually my first time walking through the front door of the place. >.>

No, DaveM, no flowers in my hair. All flowers simply slide right through my hair. I don't know who has touched my hair on this board... but it is slippery, despite tangling easy.

I thought I had clear directions, too! I also thought I would be with a group, but when I ended up going by myself I said, "Well, I can handle this..." Wrong again! Don't worry, I feel like my own idol for starting uphill on that thing... Definitely not parallel parking on a hill, though! The roll back might catch up to me! Yes, Dar, same aunt's house. I just really didn't think about it... Besides, I would have gone later if I was you! Because it was me, I had an excuse! I had to go early because otherwise I might never get there on time...

Hah, Randy, on 80 East yes... On 80 West, no. I was so turned around I would not have been able to figure out which was which. No... I think I'll stick to the directions Dad gave me.

~Song

[GodSistah]

Just don't get out in Richmond and start asking directions.

:p

~Andrea~