Summer Trip to California and Hawaii

Monday, July 19, 2021

Summer Trip to California and Hawaii

After flying almost all day from Fort Myers via Chicago to San Francisco and a minor adventure with the Clipper Card, we boarded the BART for a train ride to meet Joanne's sister at the Lafayette station near her home in Pleasant Hills, CA.

Clipper - A little research showed that riding the BART trains required a Clipper Card for payment. It seemed to me that one could download the Clipper App to one's smart phone and register a credit card to use the phone for contactless passage through the turnstiles. Just open the app and walk right through. However... It didn't work and the attendant at the SFO station said it's a new system and he didn't know anything about it!

What to do? We bought our Clipper Cards from the machine at the station in a hurry. Easy! Credit card required! We boarded the north bound yellow line just minutes before its departure for a pleasant ride to the Lafayette station. Off the train, I failed to spot the escalators, so we manhandled our bags (one big extra bag with snorkeling gear) down the stairs and out to Claire's waiting car. All's well that ends well!

Since we would be taking BART back to San Francisco for some sightseeing and Chinese food, I decided to register my Clipper card with my phone to add some money to the card. NOT! I found that the funds would not be available for 24 hours! So I now have a Clipper Card in Florida with five dollars credit for BART in California. Live and Learn.

Claire's beautiful backyard in Pleasant Hills is all flowers and native plants, sans grass for a tax credit. I was up for coffee and the sunrise every day. Check out pictures below.

Sunrise from Claire's Backyard

One afternoon I borrowed Claire's bike to ride a few miles along the tree and flower lined Contra Costa Canal Trail that runs right behind Claire's house.