WorldCon 2011 -- San Francisco Days 1 and 2

It's hard to believe that I'm still in America. After doing so much international travel in the past six months, I find it hard to believe that, after riding a plane for a few hours, being dropped in a totally alien landscape, and driving for another few hours through at least three distinct geographic regions, I could not be in a foreign country. There's no way there's this much variety in a single country.

And yet there is. I'm here on the north-California coastal region and I feel like I'm halfway around the world, despite the lack of foreign accents and currency.



Honestly, tell me that going from this...

Ironically enough, the only picture in this post that I didn't take.
Also, the Missouri I know is much flatter.

...to this...

All you need to understand from this shot is that Reno is really dry.
Also, lots of mountains...

...through this...

...lots and lots of mountains.
The most exciting drive I've made on less than 6 hrs of sleep yet.

...and this...

That bridge jumps across a small tributary of the San Francisco bay.
What that means is that all the land you see between
the road and the mountain is really, really wet marshland.

...to finally reach this...

...about half an hour away from our hotel...

...and also going to see these the next day...

Yes, I know you've seen pictures of redwoods before.
COWER IN AWE ANYWAY!!!

...would not leave you feeling a little bit like a foreigner.

It certainly does for me.