Day 38 - Why you should read the Google reviews

Today should have been a fairly relaxing transfer day to get into San Francisco, but Murphy decided to show up.  It was a cold morning and we had a full day planned, but the boys were sleeping in and this always means that they need it.  So, we didn’t wake them up, but decided to absorb the impact on our day.  Once they were up, we had breakfast and then packed up so we could check out of the site and still see some of Pinnacles before we left.  We hooked up Dover and drove down the road a little bit before dropping it off at the lower hiking trail area.  Then we went up the hill to the top of the road and started to hike.  


At the beginning of the hike, it was clear that the boys were tired and their moods suggested as much.  However, once we started hiking, their mood (as well as their parents’!) improved as we all got distracted looking at the Pinnacles.  The hike very much exceeded our expectations.  It included the pinnacles (surprised?), but also caves and a beatiful reservoir.  While exploring the reservoir, we also were rewarded with the sight of four snakes.  Thankfully they were all the non-venomous variety so it was great to watch them swim or bask in the sun.  Pretty neat to see.






When the hike was over we started north toward San Francisco.  On the way, we sought out a laundromat that was close to a place to buy shoes for the boys (we were hoping they could stretch through the trip, but that was not to be).  We found a laundromat and while it had a low rating on Google, I asked “How bad can a laundromat be”.  Little did we know, we were about to find out.


We pulled up near the laundromat and pulled out our laundry and decided to put it all in one of the industrial washing machines.  It was expensive, but at least it was just one load.  Once started, it said that it only had 15 minutes left in the cycle.  I decided that must just be how amazing industrial washers are.  


It turns out, 15 minutes gets you a wash and rinse, but doesn’t include a final spin so we were left with some clean, but VERY wet clothes.  It was then that we looked around and realized that the laundromat was missing some features that would be nice to have in a laundromat including 1) a bathroom, 2) a number to call for issues, and 3) a sink.  We did what we could and dragged our sopping mess out of the washer and then hand wrung them into one of the washing machines before putting them in the dryer.  Unfortunately, we left a bit of a puddle (lake?) on the floor, but we didn’t know how to avoid this.  We tried to mop up some of it, but you can only empty the ocean with a sponge so long before you realize the futility of it.


Needless to say, drying the clothes took a bit longer than normal (especially when 2 of the 3 dryers we tried to use generated no heat!) and it significantly delayed our day’s plans (remember how this was going to be a full day?!!!).  The one blessing was that there was a delicious Mexican restaurant in the strip mall so we could avoid hangry situations and a very nice woman also doing laundry that had some recommendations for San Francisco.


While we thought about heading straight for San Francisco and skipping the shoes, we ultimately decided to get all of our errands done since the day was already gone.  So Amy and the boys bought shoes while I booked a hotel for the night.  I thought I had found a heck of a deal only to realize after I booked it that I had only booked one night.  Ugh - what a day.  That explains why it looked like such a deal.


Rather than drive Rover and Dover into Oakland, we decided to park in Oakland near the airport and take BART into the city.  So, I dropped Amy and the boys off at the station and sent them on their way into the city while I parked and followed behind them.



Amy and the boys made great time getting downtown (they rode on the “Shirley Temple” streetcar instead of walking) so they picked up a dinner on the wharf of special sandwiches and pizza. 




They met me at the hotel and we finished what was an overall catastrophe of a day.  

Miles traveled - 6,230

# States/Provinces - 14


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