I'm back in California for a couple of days. I flew to San Francisco today and will be an exhibitor at a conference tomorrow and then fly back on Sunday. My trip was totally uneventful - no delays or anything like that. I flew into San Francisco International instead of Oakland this time. Flying into the SF Airport was interesting as you fly lower and lower and lower over the Bay because the airport sits right on the edge. So, it literally looks like you are going to land in the Bay and then all of a sudden there is land underneath you. I arrived mid-morning, picked up my rental car, and drove to an outdoor mall that is near my hotel (I stayed at this same hotel last time) for lunch. My hotel is a Hilton Garden Inn and I love the location, and the hotel is really nice, but there are not many options for eating nearby unless you pay to park at the outdoor mall. I wanted to grab some lunch and then walk around for a few minutes after sitting on a plane all morning so I had no problem paying it, but it is nice to stay near restaurants that are easy to get to.
After I wandered in a couple of stores I headed to my hotel and sat in the lobby and worked all afternoon. My room wasn't ready when I got there and they told me that they could get me in a different room, but it wouldn't be as nice as the one that I had reserved so I decided to wait. And the room is nice, but nothing out of the ordinary for a HGI, but the view is spectacular. The hotel sits on the bay and you can see San Francisco in the distance. While I won't be here long, it is nice to get a great view for the short time.
I gave a presentation this evening at Berkeley that went really well and then I returned for some quiet relaxation and some tv. My day is full tomorrow. I'm planning on arriving at Berkeley early so I can walk around a little bit. Both times I have previously been on campus I haven't had much time to walk around and so I figured I would do it tomorrow. Then the fair is during the middle of the day and I haven't decided what to do after.
