Adventure is discomfort and annoyance recollected in the safety of reminiscence.

Ahhh, after three weeks, it is finally the last day to be in California. Since I didn't have my flight until after 9 o'clock, I still had more time to play/explore. The fog bank was quite thick and did not even let up until well into the afternoon. I spent the morning driving around some of the Golden Gate National Recreational Area on the other side of the bay (wanting to be able to drive over the Golden Gate Bridge once). The entire coastline near the bay was spotted with old World War II and even civil war artillery emplacements near Fort Point (that sits under the bridge today) to protect the harbor entrance for attacks that would never come. It was exciting to be able to explore the gun bunkers a bit. Someday I really want to be able to visit the beaches of Normandy where the Allies hit the ground on D-Day. I want to just see what it would have been like covering that ground under such fire. While there were no beaches here, the bunkers overlooking the cliffs would probably have similar views. I checked out many of the various unmarked trails and walked along many of the cliff ridge lines that dropped straight into the sea. Because of the fog, the only sounds were nearby birds and crashing waves. Even signs of modern warfare were visible with an old decommissioned NIKE missile defense battery stationed at nearby Fort Barry.

I had some more time to spend, so I decided to take a tour of the USS Pampanito, a WWII Fleet Submarine. I had been through s WWII era sub several times previously on my visit to Patriot's Point in Charleston SC, but wanted a chance to hear the different stories and see if I'd learn anything new. The sub has been restored and well taken care of by volunteers and even ex-crew members. The submarine force had the highest casualty rate among all the divisions of the armed forces. The taped audio tour had a lot of information and even had many members of the crew recount stories of their patrols. I wish I had more time to take a longer look around and even speak to some of the volunteers, but as may often be the case, time was in short supply. I headed out of the Wharf and parked in Chinatown so I could grab lunch and then headed off to the airport. After filling up the tank one final time, I had to spend about 45 minutes cleaning out the car and packing my gear for the ride home. I had to drain the fuel canister so that I could safely discard it as well as clear out all the water bottles, flyers, park maps, and all the other miscellaneous stuff that piled up over the three week period. Return the car was extremely easy and I was heading for the terminal less than 10 minutes after pulling up.

I am so thankful to have had such an amazing experience. Besides the astounding scenery, I met some great people along the way whose kindness and assistance help make this the best trip I have ever had. I cannot imagine going through life and not able to experience the things that make this world such a wondrous place. Too fee seem to take the time to just accept the awe of the natural world and never can understand what they are missing. One does not have to crave adventure to experience these kind of things, but it does add a bit to the overall experience I think. These are the kinds of memories that will last a lifetime. I refuse to tiptoe through life, only to arrive safely at death. I've always wanted my last words/thoughts to be "Wow, what a hell of a ride. I wonder what's next."