March 28th I finally made it to the west coast. After getting out of work and realizing as the sun hit my face that it was to pretty a day to follow the same old boring routine of work, home, sleep. I decided to hop on MUNI for a change and ride the N line all the way to the end and see if the “Ocean Beach“  stop at the end of the line was apply named. To my glee it is, I found my self staring at the Pacific coast in its full glory and it was starring back.

Once I regained my senses, remembering its not nice to stair, I stopped in at Java Beach Cafe the little cafe on the corner were the train had dropped me off and bought a sandwich and had an impromptu picnic on the beach. And it was amazing! I’ve been to the beach before I grew up on the coast of the Atlantic, but this was like going to the beach for the first time all over again. There were your basic beach things like sand, water, sun, seagulls, but there was mountain range meeting the coast line on either side of me.

Were I grew up the mountains and the beach were in complete opposite directions. The sand was black and a finer grain than the sand back home. It didn’t smell as fishy as the beaches back home. I sat there enjoying my sandwich and read for a little while. I was out there till the sun started to set. I shared my experience with my best friend back home over the phone. Chattering on like a little child at every wonders minute detail. He was probably board out of his mind. lol

I went back April 4th on a cold, wet, windy day and still enjoyed it. The wind was blowing the dryer sand across the compacted wet beach. It looked like a brown Vail being pulled across the surface. I went for a walk and was pulled along with the sand and the surf. I got a few pictures and saw some more seagulls up close and got a Sand Dollar as a souvenir. After being chilled to the bone and soaked I made it back to Java Beach cafe for a while to warm up and dry off. The rain was more like a deceptive sprinkle. I thought oh its nothing but after being out in it for 30 minutes or so realized I was soaked threw and numb from the wind.

I hope to make going to the beach a regular thing.

While riding the BART last week into work I noticed an add on a paper someone near by was reading. It was advertising the annual Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco’s Japan town district.  I decided right then and there that I wanted to go so I jotted down the days and times. They hold it every year two weekends in a row. I thought this was awesome because if I missed one weekend I could make it up on the next. So I hit the up the site the second I got a chance to see what this was all about.

I’m transferring to a new store this week so I wasn’t sure of my schedule for this week so I went last weekend. Thankfully since it turns out I don’t get this weekend off. I got off work later than I thought but I made it to the festival just in time for the end. The Cherry Trees were blossoming and the experience was awesome!

I walked around Japan town and looked at all the venders and stores. They had a few stages set up and the last few acts were playing. I saw some Japanese Lolitas up close and found a shop that promotes Visual kei bands, which from what I can tell is Japanese Glam Rock.

I spent some time in my favorite book store ever! I go here every time I’m in Japan town. Kinokuniya Bookstore has one of the best design book collection I’ve seen. I can and have spent hours looking threw it. I can’t wait to make real money so I can take some of the volumes home with me.

I have a tradition forming. Go to Japan town and hit up Kinokuniya Bookstore then go to Sophie’s Crepes after for a nutella , mandarin orange, red bean ice cream crepe.

I had dinner at a restaurant that will remain nameless. The food was bad and the service was bad. I will not go there again nor give them credit on the internet. So I will move past this mare on my experience and say that all in all it was a good day and I LOVE  SF Japan town. I’ll have to get a t-shirt.

I think one of these days I’m going to have to actually go to Japan for the Cherry Blossom Festival there.