thursday the 18th i got to say hello to the golden gate bridge. however, it was going to be an adventure for sure because to get there i had to drive over an hour on 5 californian highways and i had to drive stick, of which i was a bit rusty. but nontheless i headed off, and i got to see some great scenery and i had a glimpse of the san quentin prison (for all you johnny cash fans, he really did play a concert there). i made it scathe free and there was a little spot to view the bridge from atop a a hill to the side of it. the thing really is huge. an architectural wonder for the 1800's. i then drove on to a lighthouse at the mouth of the bay and got to do a little hike among the old WWI and WWII artillery batteries that have been mostly dismantled by now. i was then able to make it home with relatively few driving errors and i took it easy for the rest of the afternon.