My Favorite Big City

I had to travel to my favorite big city, San Franscisco, last week for a work related conference.  While most of my time there was spent in meetings, I did have a few opportunities to get out and do some sightseeing.
I rode the famous cable car from Union Square through Chinatown to Fisherman's Wharf...

Walked up Lombard Street (one of America's crookedest streets) and ate chocolate at Ghirardelli...

Took in some great views of the Bay Bridge, Golden Gate Bridge, and Alcatraz...

Did a lot of people watching...

Ate great sourdough bread...

And even got to have dinner with a longtime, childhood friend, Abbie, and her husband, Brian.  I've had the opportunity to visit San Francisco on several occasions...there is so much to see and do that one can never tire of seeing this city!

View from my hotel room.

Little Bavaria

Eric and I went with some friends on Saturday to Frankenmuth, Michigan, a completely German town about an hour north of where we live.  Frankenmuth is a small town that is appropriately considered Michigan's Little Bavaria.  All buildings in the downtown area have German inspired architecture and all employees of the various shops and restaurants where Bavarian-style clothing.  You can sample German beer, cheese, fudge, sausage; visit the world's largest Christmas store (it's the length of one and a half football fields); and eat a famous chicken dinner.  We had a great time even though we were there for only a few hours and didn't get to see it all...Eric and I definintely are planning a return trip.



Uma with all her beer samples.





Uma - Cap - Eric





Brooke & Uma



Family Fun in NC

Eric and I had a great time visiting his family in North Carolina for Christmas and New Years.  We crammed a lot into the week we were there.

I got to have lunch with my good friend, Karen.

My sister-in-law (Rachel), my brother-in-law's girlfriend (Amanda), and I went to West Point on the Eno, a historic park in Durham, to take pictures.  Amanda studied photography and I enjoy taking pictures, so we all had a great time.  It's a beautiful park and Eric's brother, Brian, proposed to Rachel here over 12 years ago.  While we were there, Rachel was able to find the bench where Brian carved "I ♥ RLA" after he proposed...you could still see the carving!  Here are a few pictures I took during our photography excursion.

 

 



Rachel - Amanada - Brooke - Abbie

While the girls were off taking pictures, the boys went to fly RC airplanes.  Brian has been building and flying RC airplanes as a hobby for many years.  Mark got into RC airplanes a few years ago and Eric has always had an interest, but not enough time...he's thinking about getting into now that he has the time.

Brian with one of his many planes.



Mark - Eric - Brian

 

Anna - Brian - Mark - Eric

Towards the end of our visit, we were able to go to Wilson, NC to visit some of his extended family.  We had lunch with PopPop and Grandma Mathews and were also able to visit his Grandma Taylor and Aunt Alice.

PopPop - Eric - Grandma Mathews