On being a tourist

I really do love to travel. I enjoy exploring, seeing new sights, smelling new smells, and enjoying the company of strange people.

Last night it was a local dive bar in downtown San Fransisco. This particular bar is geared toward a very small crowd. The music was provided by a local punk band, which I'm sure was very good, but not exactly my cup of tea. I didn't go for the music, I went to meet some people who I have only talked to online. All involved drank their share of beer, and told their share of tall tales. Long after my bed time I finally left and made the drive back to my hotel.

Today I had to stay in and be professional during the day. After what can probably be considered the most boring day-long meeting in history I took a drive down the coast. After I had decided that I was lost enough for one day I plugged my hotel into the GPS and started to make my way. One of the features I love about my GPS is that I can tell it to avoid highways, which usually takes me to some interesting places, and tonight was no exception. I followed some of the smallest roads I could find through the mountains, into the woods, before I could realize exactly where I was I found myself parked in front of the biggest tree (Redwood) I had ever seen.

More twisty back roads and almost an hour later I was parked ready to retire for the night. My room is more than comfortable, and it could easily pass as a very nice apartment in many cities. I usually try to stay in nicer hotels, sometimes I am successful, sometimes not. This time I was.