Arriving in San Fransisco

We set out early for our 2 hour drive to the port of San Fransisco only to be tied up it terrible traffic.  Our 2 hour trip took 4 hours.  We arrived at 3:29 and the gang plank was pulled in at 3:30, right on our heels.  It was bumper to bumper most of the way and just crawling along.  Talk about a nail biter.  

Cool car in front of us as we approach the Bay Bridge.

looking back on San Fransisco

The weather could not have been more perfect as we sailed away. It was in the upper 70"s and clear, amazingly none of the usual fog.

old fort underneath the Golden Gate Bridge.

Funny, we have sailed past here many times and I never noticed the old fort nestled under the bridge.  It looks so tiny under that massive bridge, but I image in it's day it was a very important defensive position for early California.  There is another much larger fort on the opposite side of the mouth of the bay.

Fort on opposite side of bay.

The Grand Princess is a very nice ship and the pools where sparkling blue and very inviting.

We found this sign on our cabin door.  This was our celebration cruise and the crew made us feel right at home.  The seas where calm for the entire week.  Barely new we where at sea.  And our captain was great at docking, never once did we feel the ship arrive at port or leave.  I have to commend him on a great job.  Smooth sailing all the way.

This was the view from our Balcony as we arrived in  Santa Barbara,  Mr. K went into port to do some shopping for things he forgot to pack and I stayed on board the ship and just spent the day relaxing.  We had a room on the top deck making our views spectacular.  You can just see the bridge of the ship peaking out at the top of the picture, same deck we where on.  There was even a small pool at the end of our hallway just outside, that hardly anyone else used.  I think I am spoiled now.  I loved being this high in the ship.  

On our first day out we had a medical emergency on board and had to turn the ship around back towards San Fransisco to meet an evac. helicopter.  The starboard side of our deck had to evacuate their cabins during the airlift for safety concerns, in case  the helicopter had an accident, during the lifting of the passenger.  Everything went smoothly and in a couple of hours we where back on course.  Hope everything turned out alright for the patient.  

Tomorrow we sail for Long Beach Harbor and our shore excursion into Beverly Hills and Hollywood.