I just made a reservation for Rich, Gavin, and me to spend tomorrow night at a hotel in Palo Alto.
I can’t help but smile when I think about it. Tomorrow night I’ll be back in California, back in the shadow of Stanford, back in that beautiful beautiful place. I am so excited that the fact that I will technically be working Monday through Thursday at the AIAA conference doesn’t phase me. I’m pumped, I’m gleeful, I’m just plain giddy at the thought of being back in the Bay Area for a week.
We’ll stay in Palo Alto tomorrow night, and have dinner at one of the great restaurants. On Sunday morning, I can go for a run up Page Mill Road, and around campus. I’m about to jump for joy at the mere thought of it.
Just before lunchtime, we pick up Kara at the airport and then check into the awesome conference hotel in San Francisco, on the Embarcadero next to the water. We’ll spend the afternoon playing tourist, and I can visit the bridge! Monday through Thursday will be spent at the conference (our day-long entry risk session is Wednesday, my presentation on the Mars neural net is Thursday morning), with nights free to go to an A’s game, and wander the city.
Thursday night we’re staying in Berkeley at Gavin’s grandmother’s house, which overlooks the bay and the city and beyond. Then we’ll spend two nights in Yosemite and be stunned by the beauty. Since I’ve done Half Dome and it’s a more intense hike than we want to do this time, I’m hoping to hike to Glacier Point or Yosemite Falls. Gavin and Rich shouldn’t be too hard to convince.
We’ll be back late late late on the 21st (or, more accurately, early early early on the 22nd). Extensive photos to follow then, if not before. With my new laptop and the rumored wireless internet available at the hotel, I may be able to update on the go!
I’m so excited I can barely stand it!!!
If you come across a park ranger named Marea Ortiz at Yosemite, tell her hi for me. She’s an old school mate.