If you're going to San Francisco

After a well deserved sleep in I got up and packed (again….I am already over it) and went to check out. MGM Grand offer express checkout, which meant I just had to drop my door swipe cards into a box, nice and easy. I hopped onto my airport shuttle, happy to leave the heat behind, and headed back to Las Vegas airport. Like every airport I have been through so far, it was very busy. I guess being summer holidays for the US I suspect it’ll be like this up until the 4^th July holiday. I was flying United Airlines this time and found out you can only check in one bag for free and it can’t weigh more than 23kgs. So at this point I am feeling very thankful for my carry on luggage purchase yesterday.

I checked in and got to the security check point only to be told by the homeland security dudes that according to my e-ticket I am to go through a secondary security check. Oh crap. I was told to follow someone into another line adjacent to the one I was in. The only difference with this line was that it appeared not to be moving at much rate at all. I’m told by the group in front that getting in and out of Vegas airport is quite tough. The reason for my secondary check? I’m Australian, or should I say, not American. Much like the English couple behind me who I overhead saying they were going to write to the US government and say that it’s discrimination. I had a chuckle at that. I had noticed the security guys doing the check and watched them put on gloves. At this point I was slightly concerned I may be taken into a room and asked to strip!

I FINALLY got to the front of the line and was asked to go through this dome that would shoot out puffs of air all over me to check for explosives. Once that was over I was to watch both my carry on bags being opened up and thoroughly looked through. Every individual electronic item was checked (I had about 6) and anything that wasn’t clothing. I was pretty over it by this point. The highlight for me was when they checked my carry on bag and opened it up for all the surrounding people to check out my underwear that sat on top. Niice.

I got onto my flight and I have to say United Airlines was much nicer than Amercian. I somehow nabbed the premium economy seats, so I actually had leg room. I drank my complimentary water and settled in for the flight.

I landed in San Francisco I short time later, ready to enjoy the first relaxing part of my trip. Baggage Claim took forever, like 30 minutes, probably because San Fran airport is pretty huge. I got my luggage and got a airport shuttle, they are very easy to get in the states, there’s no need to pre-book. As we traveled towards the hotel I got a little scared as the area did not look very exciting. Luckily as we started to get closer to the city, things started to look up. My hotel was in Union Square which is smack bang in the middle of the city, or at least right in the middle of the shopping area. Not a good thing for me. ;) It is also about 5 metres from the cable car line so I knew I wouldn’t have too many troubles getting around.

By the time I checked in and settled it was about 5pm. I was rang up by the hotel front desk 10 minutes after I’d unpacked and settled, to be told that I would have to move rooms early the next morning as my room is a showroom for the hotel grand opening party the next night. Well as you can imagine I was pretty pissed off a bout having to re-pack again. But I did, and it got to 6pm and I really needed to get some food.

As I have done with most places I have been, I went out and started to wander. Mainly to get my bearings and see what’s around.

I was only 20 metres from my hotel when I discovered a Borders book store. It was 3 floors of book heaven. Obviously I went in and before I knew it I had been In there for about an hour. It was awesome, every book imaginable. All the books are a lot cheaper than they are in Australia too. Well I controlled myself and only walked away with one book, a book by David Sedaris. This guy is huge in the US, so I want to find out why.

By this point I had seen many of San Fran’s famous cable cars go by. They are pretty cool, and I’m looking forward to going for a ride on one whilst I am here. I head to Lou’s Diner for dinner. It’s just right underneath my hotel so it was nice and convenient. It’s themed as a 50’s diner and luckily it sells what I am after – meat and veg. I felt at this point in my trip I should probably munch on some veggies. I eat my veg which includes a potato the size of my head and head back to the hotel for zzz’s.

What i learnt about San Francisco today:

• Vegas is a bitch to fly out of!
• It's cool. A funky city with a much more homey feel than Las Vegas. Shocking, i know.
• Union Square is the best to find a bed.

A picture of one of the famous San Francisco Cable Cars that run in select areas of San Francisco. This cable car runs Powell St which my hotel is right next too. This is about 6.30pm at night and as you can see, it's pretty packed on the car.

A pic taken a stones throw away from my hotel that looks down to central Union Square. A shopping mecca!