February 3 and 4, 2017 San Francisco

Our ship from half way up Telegraph Hill

Levi Plaza and Coit Tower

Transamerica Building

Wheel House

February 3 and 4, 2017, Friday & Saturday, San Francisco, California
We pulled into Pier 35 about 08:00 in the morning. I sent out a couple of text messages to the girls. Lisa was going to be busy all day with Aaron and Emmy, and Carl was off at a Safety Conference for work. She did not come over to see us. Valerie could come, which was good since she had two bags of our stuff that was too heavy to take on the plane to New York. We went off the ship and she met us just as we were leaving the pier entrance.
Valerie drove us to the North Beach area of San Francisco where we had lunch at one of the wonderful restaurants in the district.  After lunch, we found a Bank of America to make a withdrawal of cash. I found that I had spent most of my US dollar bills on tips to drivers and guides of our various tours. The next stop was to a drug store to stock up on stuff we would not see for the next three months. Val dropped us off at the ship at about two in the afternoon. Later that afternoon, we left the ship to walk around the neighborhood and along the embarcadero. Found a small grocery store near Levi Square and stocked up on some more supplies. Never can have too many supplies unless you have to fly in the supplies. Walked back to the ship to the ship in a light rain.
The end of the day included a performance by The Beverly Belles, a Los Angeles group singing three-part harmony inspired by The Andrews Sisters.
Saturday in San Francisco for another day. Sandra and I set off for Union Square on foot. It is good to walk around without walking in circles. Deck three, the boat deck can get a bit boring. We were in the center of San Francisco in about three quarter of an hour. First stop was at Marshalls, the second stop was at Macy’s department store. Sandra spend a great deal of time looking in the women’s section. I spent a great deal of time on the free Macy’s internet. After Sandra finished shopping, we went to the basement and had lunch at the Boudin Bakery and Café. Half way through a bread bowl soup disk, I felt one of my front tooth caps move a bit. More to follow.
After Macy’s we started back to the ship. Got as far as a Target store were we stocked up on some more supplies. While walking back to the ship, we passed a plaque on the side of Green Street. The plaque honored Philo T. Farnsworth and the lab he worked out of on Green Street. He was the inventor of the modern electronic television.
When we got back to the pier, Sandra was tired so I sent her onto the ship along to take a nap and I headed to pier 45. Pier 45 is the berth of the S.S. Jeremiah O’Brien, a World War II Liberty ship that has been restored to working condition by an all volunteer organization. In 1994, she was to Normandy, France to take part in the 50th anniversary of the D-Day Landing. She was the only American vessel present at Normandy in 1944 to return fifty years later. I walked around the ship checking out the triple expansion steam engine, the wheel house and the radio room. Met “Sparks” the radio operator. The original radio is still operational and can be used to send a Morse Code message. Sparks can still maintain communications with a station at Point Reyes, twenty miles north of San Francisco. This is also were my front tooth cap fell off. Luckily, I caught it before it was lost. More to follow. 
Walked back to the ship in time for dinner. The Queen Elizabeth sailed out under the Golden Gate Bridge at 19:00 hours, right in the middle of dinner. Another Sail Away Party missed.