Saturday, August 7, 2010

Adventures in San Francisco

Hi Everyone! Its been awhile since I last posted, been pretty busy over here. But I've got a ton of pictures from the past few trips. These are some of the pictures from San Francisco. We had a great time there seeing everything there is to see in just two days!

Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park

USS Pampanito Submarine

Awesome little sailing demonstration at the Exploratorium Museum

Little Sail boat in San Francisco Bay

Fisherman's Wharf

San Francisco houses

The Golden Gate Bridge

Another shot of the Golden Gate Bridge

Cable Car

Riding on the Cable Car

Went kitty shopping at the shelter across the road when we got back to Camarillo Airport

Lots of cute kittens, but I didn't end up getting one, yet :)

San Francisco roads

My next boat! :) The Balclutha Launched 1886

"No one who has not been there can imagine the strain on the captain in trying to get around Cape Horn... This passage in the Balclutha was about my hardest time..."
Captain Alfred Durkee, Master 1894-1899

86 comments:

  1. Hop aboard and take her for a spin!

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  2. Hi abby,
    Great pics!!! Looks like it was a fun trip!! Thanks for sharing

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  3. SF is great isn't it? aww, that kitty is adorable..Glad u had fun..

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  4. Hi Abby, you brought some really neat pictures for all of us to look at. I've never been to San Francisco. Thank you for sharing so much beauty! Great pictures.

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  5. Dear Captain Abby:

    Hello again! Its been weeks since I posted a comment on your blog site. Rest assured that we are very much interested in what's going on in your present life Skipper!

    I am happy to note that you posted again after your last post on Laura. And that you are spending quality time going around USA without the dangers and pressures of sailing on the open seas. That's the entitlement of youth, but I know you are most in your element when you are out at sea.

    Keep growing and smiling young Lady!

    Wishing you the best.

    Jacky O
    August 8, 2010
    PHILIPPINES

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  6. Looks like you had a great time! I love the Balclutha - I was lucky enough at one point to attend a small concert on board - sea shanties, that kind of thing.

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  7. Abby: What great pictures of San Francisco and you! Glad to see you are vacationing on land!!! The exploritory museum is so much fun! Looks like you visited all the sites. Enjoy your summer. Keep the blog and pictures coming. We are interested in what your doing.Grandad & Grandma, West Los Angeles,CA

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  8. Hi Abby,

    What a nice surprise to hear from you again.

    I loved your pictures, especially the one of you on the Cable Car. Looks like you had a wonderful time in San Francisco.

    Clare, Spokane, Wash. USA

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  9. Isn't the Golden Gate Bridge beautiful? I photographed it, too, when I was there. You got to see more sights than I did, though. I want to go back!

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  10. Well...I suppose you and Captain Durkee have quite a lot in common!
    Great pictures, Abby! Thanks for sharing them! I'm glad you're doing well.
    Blessings to you from Florida!

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  11. Hey Abby!

    Great pictures! Thanks! I do not know wish one I like best. The Balclutha (your next boat huh? May I be the 1st mate?), or the cute little kitty, or of course ... you!:-)

    God bless you and your whole family!!! Cheers!

    Ol' Salty

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  12. The one with you and the kitty is just too cute..

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  13. Looks like a great time..you are making us want to take a trip up there. Hope it was fun. Great pictures
    Benny & Lily

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  14. Thanks for the pics Abby, it is good to see what the rest of the world looks like from the average persons viewpoint.
    I have just finished reading Jessica's book and it is a great read, couldn't put it down once I started.
    Bill (Brisbane).

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  15. Hi Abby
    Great to hear from you again
    Wonderful Pics, would love to see more.
    Kindest Regards
    Daddy Longlegs
    Victoria Australia

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  16. Hello Abby- I must say you are quite an awsome photographer! I can't get over that road in San Francisco.Here in Miami,the only hills you can find are in parking garages.
    By the way I am also a cat lover and have 6 cats. Kittens are a lot of fun to watch and play with and they give back so much love. Even when they are fully grown they purr when you hold them and love to be pet. When you adopt your kitty send us a photo. Also, the U.S. postal service has a cat diary to record your kitty's information,pics,and memories of all the exciting stages of your kitties life. Being a great photographer as you are it would be so much fun for you.
    Were you able to go inside the boat? It must be awsome to see it with the sails up.
    I am glad to see that you are enjoying your vacation. Once again thankyou for the pictures. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
    Hugs and kisses to you and your family.
    Virginia

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  17. Wow, that's quite a boat! It was in SF? I guess I missed it when I was there last week. It'd take quite a bit to go solo with that...:D Looks like it's foggy as usual by the Golden Gate Bridge though, haha. And the Exploratorium is such a cool museum! I love it there. Glad you're still traveling around and having fun!

    -Howard W. California.

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  18. You have to get two kittens. Easiest way to raise them. They play ALOT.

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  19. Hey Abby, Great pictures from one of my favorite cities! Hope you got to the Ghiradelli chocolate factory!

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  20. Thanks Abby
    ♥ Love ♥
    Richard (QLD) Aus

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  21. Hi Abigail,

    Now THAT'S A BOAT! The Balclutha at 256 feet was a typical British Cape Horner. Her maiden voyage was around Cape Horn to San Francisco. She rounded the Horn no less than 17 times carrying coal and manufactured goods from Britain, nitrates from Chile, rice from Rangoon and wool from New Zealand. Solidly built and seaworthy this steel hulled ship represented the last of centuries of deep sea trade under sail. I can't wait to see her at Marina Del Rey...ha ha.

    I just love the photo of you in front of the cable car. Excellent photography Abby of the city scapes...I hope to return there one day.

    No kitten at Cape Town...nor at the shelter..yet. Have you checked with your dog about this idea? That was a cute one!

    Thanks for sharing your trips Abs. Love to the family. I hope little Paul is doing well...has
    he been sailing yet?
    john, Bay of Quinte on Lake Ontario, Canada

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  22. I'd crew with you on the ship, Abby. Would be fun.

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  23. Bonjour Abby,

    Awesome pictures! ( The ones with you in them are OK I guess :-)

    'Zen' captions.

    Good choice of quote.


    Thanks Abby, take care!

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  24. Don't stress out too much over not having a specific goal Abby....everyday life IS a goal! Enjoy your time and pay attention to the small stuff that matters - I am still learning how to do this and I'm 38 with 2 small kids! You have done more already than most people have done in a lifetime..be a teenager but live your life with the knowledge and drive you have been blessed with!

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  25. Abby,

    Thanks for the great pictures. You look well and it appears thet you're adjusting to being back on dry land just fine. How is driving going and when are you re-starting school??

    Nick, Waterbury CT

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  26. Hi, Abby! Thank you for continuing to post to your blog. I am a homeschool mom of two young girls and we tracked your journey in our classroom. I followed you daily and would share your whereabouts and whatnot with the girls. I know that your family was criticized for letting you live your dream and I don't know if I could let my daughters do what you did, but I truly admire your maturity and tenacity and want to thank you for being such an inspiration to all of us. It was a wonderful reminder that we should all live out our dreams and go against the grain sometimes...whether we're 16 or 42 :-). It warmed my heart when I found out that you are homeschooled and I sincerely wish you all the best. Good luck to you and we'll still be here on your next endeavor.

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  27. Dear Abby, I'm going to blog again. I was thinking about your pictures, you did a great job.
    Abby, don't be upset at yourself regarding your attempt at going solo around the world in a sail boat and not making it all the way. Sometimes a humbling situation may seem unbearable at the time, but something good will come from all of this.
    Look at the weather that has pounded Pakistan; how often does this type of weather happen? It has been decades since they have experienced such harsh weather.
    This was the very same ocean you were in that is wrecking havoc for other parts of the world. That Indian Ocean, South Ocean, is just miserable to deal with this year.
    Let this experience go from your mind. It may take another twenty years for your time to come back around at attempting to sail around the world again. God knows what is best for us. When one door closes, another one will open. Be patient. If you love something, set it free, if it comes back to you, it's yours; if it doen't return back to you, it wasn't meant for you.

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  28. Great to see what you've been up to. Glad to see you're keeping busy. Great photos. Interesting history blurb of The Balclutha.

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  29. You must have taken the picture of the USS Pampanito from the bow of the Jeremiah O'Brien. Did you know the engine room was where the engine room scenes from the Titanic were filmed?

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  30. Great to see your smiling face back,keep up the great Pix and Blog. Still following you. Regards Ian McGregor, Kihikihi N.Z.

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  31. Such beautiful pictures of my hometown, Abby! I'm glad you enjoyed your visit here. I hope you come back soon and often! ps, when you get your kitty, they love fish flakes as a treat, it's so much fun! All the best, Elaine in SF

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  32. Hi Abby,
    Great to read your news and thank you for sharing the very goood and interesting photo's.
    Never been to San Fran. Maybe it happens some day. A beautiful City. I'm sure you'll agree with Captain Durkee. Enjoy life Abby.
    Regards,
    Ingrid, Tyreso Sweden

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  33. Hi Captain Sunderland; It's been a while since I last wrote to you. I want to thank you for all the blogs during your trip. Judging from the latest pictures, you are getting on with your life. Good for you. God bless you and your parents. Your Admirer, Alfred
    Vancouver, Canada

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  34. Nide pictures.
    In your "Good luck, Laura" you mentioned a ton of pictures from the party for the team and from your trip to see a boat down in San Diego. Will we see them as well?
    Hope the book progresses well!
    Besides the play in the Experimentarium will you be able to do some sailing soon?

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  35. outstading pictures Abby.

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  36. Abby:
    GO GIRL GO!!!!!!!!!

    Thank you for the update and the photos, you look like you are enjoying life. Continue to be Abby and grow stronger.

    I just finished "True Spirit", the story of Jessica Watson's trip. BTW, it is available at http://www.pagesandpages.com.au/product_info.php?products_id=45077 , Pages and Pages has a nice clean web based order system and the service was the best (I has no connection with them or any other aspect of the book). Anyway, she mentions that she and her family waited with anxiety while you were being found, a great deal of concern was expressed.

    I was also taken by two aspects of her story that are the same as yours. The first was that the family, especially her Dad, did not fully support the dream until they were convinced that the young lady was up to the task. The family then became the biggest supporter and also worried over every little detail of the trip. The second aspect of note is the negative attacks on her and her family, just as people attached you and your family. I guess that there is just something about the nature of some little people that they can only feel important when they are attacking people and things and events about which they have no knowledge whatsoever. I am glad that you and Jessica, and, now, Laura have the courage of your convictions and a supportive family so that you can sally forth, despite the little people, and show all of us that excellence knows no age. Concurrently, you show all of us that you can dream and then do.

    Again, thank you for the update and the photos. Please say hello to all your family, especially Paul. And, as always,

    GO GIRL GO!!!!!!!!!!!

    John R Willis

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  37. nice pictures! glad you're having a great time.

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  38. What wonderful pictures of one of my favorite cities in the world. You look terrific in them too!

    I just realized we have both been in SF at the same time this trip as I've been here for 3 weeks . . . am about to get back out on the road again in a week.

    Anyway . . . I am so very glad you're continuing to blog about your life and adventures!

    Be well . . .

    ~ Cynthia (in Pacifica, California for one more week)

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  39. Hi my good sailing friend I have a great love for the Sailing Ships as you do my love for Sailing Is and always will be first on my mind my favorite ship Is the Cutty Sark I've built a few models of that ship you our a wonder to behold every where I've traveld I have always ended up at the Seaports dreaming that I to would love to own my own but I have to win the lotto Oh by the way my son Ivan his birthday Is october 25th he will be 20 well Abby your still the Eighth wonder of the world and If God see's it for me to win the lotto i'll be coming to your father to help me buy my 42 foot Sailing Yacht

    Yours always
    William K. Hass
    mystic_seas92805@yahoo.com

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  40. Hi Abby, it's so good to hear from you again. I love the pics, you have good photograqhic skills! I love the pics and to see ynu enjoy yourself. Thanks 4 updating your blog and sharing your life with us, all of us, your followers love to hear from you! Keep us updated. You still our best skipper of the high seas. [Andre - South Africa ]

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  41. Thanks for the Photos and updates

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  42. Abby, So glad you are getting out and having a good summer. Pictures are great. Nancy Mattson

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  43. I live about an hour's drive from the Mackinac Bridge connecting St. Ignace and Mackinaw City, MI! Between it and the Golden Gate, one bridge has a longer main span (between the towers), and the other is longer when the approaches are included! I forgot which had what though! The bridge is 5 mi, long!

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  44. California has a lot to offer. Beautiful pictures.

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  45. Abby....

    Try to make trips all over the USA. You got lots of fans and friends..... make sure fame doesn't change you though!

    Keep it simple... don't ever forget that!!!

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  46. thank you for thinking on us, It is allways a pleasure to see your smile! Enjoy the summer the sea, and your friends and family! Don't buy kittens before Paul gets bigger. They may cause allergy, have bacteria, etc, like any living beings. You have enough siblings, to cuddle with, I belive :) Catch the sun, get some more tann, it is good to collect D-vitamins through your skin, for winter. And take us to another sailing day, when the wind is calling for a ride :)

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  47. Wonderful blog.
    Hi. I came across your blog through another blog I follow and have signed up as a follower. When you’re free, please do visit me and let me know what you think of my blog and leave a comment. If you like, do follow as well. I am always open to great new people and interesting websites. Look forward to hearing from you.

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  48. Please put a follow wedget on your blog so I don't have to keep you in my long list of "Favorites."

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  49. Abby,

    Thanks for giving us another update and posting some nice pictures. I am glad to see you are still keeping busy and having fun. That sail boat demo looks like fun, I don't know how many times I've calculated those angles and vectors in math class. I'm sure you know them pretty well too as it looks like the "boat" is going strait.

    Kyle

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  50. Great pic's Abby it makes me want to go visit my Grandparents up in Northern California. And it is good to see that you are still blogging and still having a good spirit.
    -Douglas, Honolulu,Hi

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  51. Dear Abby,

    I am the 3 am mom that checked your post every night while you were out at sea. Just wanted you to know that I am still one of your greatest supporters. What an amazing journey you had and what amazing journeys lie ahead.

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  52. Hi Abby, Well its good to see that you are out and about and then you come up to N.Calif. to check out the beautiful city Of S.F., well guess what Abby you were only about 1 hr south of where I live and it would have been nice if you would have come up here to my part of California, Sonoma County because its as if not more so than S.F. BEAUTIFUL. Well anyway the pix were a treat and as some others have said if you need more people for a crew I'm Volenteering for a job on your boat Capt. Abigail Sunderland. Peace and Aloha.

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  53. Hi Abby:



    You probably didn’t see much of the sun during your stay in SF.

    As a resident across the Bay overlooking the GG Bridge, I can say that the weather forecast hasn’t changed a bit for this immediate area this whole summer long: fogs in the morning, partial clearing by midday, then clouds moving in in the afternoon. Most days, however, it takes longer for the fogs to burn or the clouds move in earlier, resulting the day without any clearing at all. Don’t remember when was the last time that the temperature rose above 70 degrees or we had a full day of sunshine. (Sunday’s high/low 58/52: SF Chronicle Page C4).

    I hope you had packed enough warm clothing with you for your stay in SF.


    Thank you for all the pictures. Looking forward to see more of them.



    Steve Nikfar; El Cerrito, CA

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  54. cat + boat + Abby = perfection

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  55. Nice pics Abby but anyone can go to SF, take pics.How about serializing your sailing trip, week by week, in great detail ?

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  56. Abby~ Thanks for those very nice pics of San Francisco! You are (also) a very good photographer! Loved the photo with the fog of the Golden Gate and also the one of your next boat(!) I think you will definitely need a crew. Can I volunteer??!
    More power to you!
    hugs~~
    lg
    :)

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  57. Hey there Abby!
    Awesome Pictures!, thanks for giving us a update, looks like you are having tons of fun! I love San Franscio!!..One of my favorite places. Have you found a new furry firend yet? Good luck on your quest to find a furry companion. I've had my cat over 20 years and she thinks she is a person in a fur coat..ha! ha! Keep living life to the fullest and having the time of your life! And don;t forget to keep us updated...

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  58. Hi Abby
    Great photos of fog city!
    I did the tour of the USS Pampanito, wow! 120 men, 40 bunks and each man had a shoebox for a wardrobe. Alcatraz didn't get a mention?
    Glad to hear from you and best wishes

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  59. Great pictures Abby. Um, I thought you said you went to the beach. :(

    Anyway, the 7D is a fine camera and hey, again, what a great round of pictures.

    Can hardly wait for your next post and narrative and pictures and comments.

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  60. Hi Abby,
    I was just in San Francisco, my husband and I went on our vacation spending it in San Francisco and Tahoe, we had a great time. I love San Francisco, I love to shop there, it looks like we saw the same places, I just wish the weather had been warmer but when we got to Tahoe it was really nice weather. Glad to see that you are doing great. Gail/Ventura

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  61. Hey Abby - Thanks for posting the nice photos. I lived in San Fran as a kid and miss it very much. Glad you enjoyed it!

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  62. Hey Abby - it was great following your progress in Wild Eyes, but now that's over your blog is full of just touristy stuff and pictures of kittens etc. C'mon, tell us you haven't stopped dreaming and sailing. Presumably you've got plenty of chances to sail in various boats (dinghies or cats or keelboats or yachts) - so why aren't you out there? Or have you had enough of sailing for now? Seems very sad.

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  63. you have a lot of very nice pictures,would you ever consider doing a adventure travel book of your own becouse i think your really very good at it .

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  64. 08-11-10 @ 02:54
    Hi Abby,
    Thanks for the great pictures, a very nice assortment. I loved the one of your ‘new boat’ if I wasn’t so dang old I’d offer to crew for you…lol…
    I really miss tracking you and Jessica, that was quite an experience and a lot of fun for me. And I’m sure you know that Laura has set sail and is heading for Portugal right now, so I will have to track her and pray that she has a successful voyage. Take good care of yourself and enjoy your travels. Send more of those beautiful pictures when you get a chance, thank you.
    Loads of love and hugs, and remember God is always with you.
    Your faithful friend, fan and follower.
    Michael (75) from Kingwood

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  65. Life goes on, Vronny-- we don't usually go from one intense experience to the next with out time to regroup. Stay cool Abby-- life is FULL of challenges-- and a life with Christ is one wild ride all by itself!

    Am following Laura, but gotta admit that I don't like the idea of her being in the Atlantic in hurricane season. Anyway, she knows what she's doing better than I would!

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  66. Wonderful San Francisco!! Thanks for the pictures, Abby. It's hard to say which is my favourite, you are an excellent photographer:) But perhaps my favourite are "Cable Car" and "The Balclutha Launched 1886" :)

    Bye Bye,
    Matteo

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  67. First time here:
    Some good pics here , and some informative too.

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  68. Hey how'd you like my neck of the woods? Glad to hear from you Abby, keep posting. I can't wait for your next adventure...

    Dave~

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  69. Chris The Dutch PirateAugust 12, 2010 at 1:49 PM

    Beautiful Frisco and the Bay...i was there in '99. Hmm, its been too long already.
    I remember my feet hurting walking up and down those steep hills.
    Magical city, and for an European like me easy to understand, its an European-like city.
    Along with fantastic San Diego, my fave cities in the US.
    Thank you for the pics, you have been everywhere, from the Presidio to the harbour, great job.

    Bless you Abby, learn, love, live, thats the way.

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  70. I hope it didn’t take you all day to upload all these great pictures with that much resolution. I can count the leaves on the Japanese maple in that serene tea garden. I looked hard though, was there a price tag on the Balclutha? Your birthday is coming. :)

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  71. Hey Abby,
    Very nice pics. Thanks for sharing.

    I bet you could solo on the Balclutha with one arm tied behind your back, eh? :)

    I followed your route using Google Earth and learned about the places you sailed by - like what the southern tip of Africa is. I love geography and maps and had a blast keeping up with you.

    Best Wishes,
    Larry

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  72. Hi Abby,
    Glad to see you are still having a great time. Love the photos.
    Joy
    Ballarat
    Australia

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  73. Hi Abby!

    Great photos! You must have loved the sailing demonstration! My grandmother actually lives in Marin County, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, so I've been across it many times going from the San Francisco Airport to Marin County.

    Looks like you're still enjoying yourself, so that's good.

    Michael
    New Jersey

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  74. The Japanese Tea Gardens are beautiful. Nice pics. And hurry up and get that cat. If you don't, it is just that much less poop to clean up, and who wants that?

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  75. 08-15-10 @ 08:37
    Hi Abby,
    I was just browsing through the San Francisco pictures and thought I’d say hello…..“HELLO”, and how are you doing? I hope your having a good time in your travels…Yes???
    Letter writing is getting scarce, Jessica has landed, you have landed and now Laura has shut down her ‘Guestbook’ since some idiots have been writing a lot of trash to her. She still gets mail from her countrymen but I guess she blocked out Foreign country’s. I tried a number of times but they just wouldn’t go thru. At least I can read her news and keep up with her that way.
    Jessica will be in New York from Sept. 5th to the 10th for a book signing, and I’m going to try to get there. I haven’t got all the details yet but I’m going to try.
    Well Abby, take good care of yourself and enjoy your travels.
    Loads of love and hugs, and remember God is always with you.
    Your faithful friend, fan and follower.
    Michael (75) from Kingwood

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  76. Chris The Dutch PirateAugust 15, 2010 at 2:49 PM

    @Craigellachie

    Laura Dekker will wait in Gran Canary, before she'll make the big crossing for, i thought it was Barbados.
    She will wait there til the end of hurricane-season.
    The time she will use for her schoolbooks. Smart girl.
    Just FYI
    greets,Chris

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  77. Hey Abby, have you heard anything about Wild Eyes? Anybody seen her?

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  78. Believe in your dreams ... Anything is possible.
    My dream is to see the sails fill with wind and propel the craft across the water. But, I too have begun to think that dreams are meant to be no more than dreams and that in reality dreams don't come true. Because, I want "you" at the helm! Just in case I do something stupid like Leonardo DiCaprio in the movie Titanic; hanging off the bow and shouting "I'm the king of the world!" Except, I'd probably fall in from all the excitement of being under sail! :-) Is that what it feels like Abby? Exhilaration! Thanks 2U: I dream again, I wish again, I live again! LandLocked, 3rd definition m-w.com
    (33.2º,-117.2º)

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  79. Cats are the best people! I hope you find one you can love :)

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  80. You have a lot of heart for someone that's 16. I think you and your parents are great people and also aren't afraid to dream. The ocean awaits you when you are ready to return, you have some great sailing experience now. Also a great thanks to the French and Australian authorities for an amazing rescue.

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  81. The theme of your blog is very beautiful and the article is written very well, I will continue to focus on your article.

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  82. Nice blog and nice images too. I hope you enjoyed lot in San Francisco. That's Good.

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