6/26/15 Back to Berkeley

We went back to Berkeley to have lunch with our new friend Ann and the principal civil engineer for Seismic Systems and Engineering Consultants, Stuart Werner.

He taught us about earthquake engineering.  We became more familiar with the hazards of earthquakes and how different design structures are impacted by earthquakes.  As Janie put it, "He filled in a lot of gaps and provided necessary connections between what we had learned earlier in the trip."

 We also learned about earthquake preparedness.  Ann showed us her earthquake kit that included water, food, extra clothes, and supplies.  For more information on how to build your own disaster relief kit go to this link.

The best place for a disaster kit is outside the home - where you can easily access it after the event.

All supplies are in air and water tight containers.

Hand crank emergency radio.

Food should be replaced every 6 months or as the items are getting close to expiration. The trick is to include food you like, so you can then eat it before it expires and have no waste.

Don't forget camping supplies like tarps, sleeping bags, and a tent. The blue container has potable water. 

Extra water for the neighborhood.  

6/25/15 San Jose Tech Museum of Innovation

We had quite an adventure riding a train down to San Jose and spending all day at the Tech Museum of Innovation.

Computer Animation.

Learning about pixels. 

Making sounds with coded blocks.

We are pixilated using image capture technologies.

DNA model made of books.

Wheelchair Races in the adaptive technologies exhibit.

3D Printing 

Allison taught us a lot about 3D printing!

Thank You Fund for Teachers!

6/24/15 Chinatown & City Hall

We took a walking tour of Chinatown in the morning.

Waverly Place

We learned a lot about Tongs and Family Associations (including old fashioned Triads).  

Later in the day, we took a tour of City Hall and was amazed at the beauty of the place!

City Hall Celebrating Pride Week.

Dome selfie.

Panoramic of dome.

We also learned about the seismic retrofit the building went through.  So now it should be more safe and durable during an earthquake.

6/23/15 Golden Gate Bridge and Palace of Fine Arts

 Today we visited the Golden Gate Bridge on foot.  We walked the 1. 7 mile bridge from San Francisco to Marin County and back (although we probably only walked 3 miles total, since we didn't go beyond the farthest tower and down the abutment into Marin).   

Panoramic shot from the first tower.

Janie loves the Art Deco!

                            Look at all those cables!                    Huge diameter of the main cables!                

View of Marin County.

We learned about the seismic retrofit of the bridge.  The steel beams were tested in the Berkeley Lab we visited on day two - how cool!

Original beams did not fare well during seismic simulations.

Cool geometry.

 When we saw the isolation system we actually understand how it worked, thanks to PEER.

We spent some time in the visitor's center playing I mean learning.  Well, it was really both!

Then, after dinner, we headed to the Palace of Fine Arts. WOW!

We even got a free show.  It was like some Druid ritual meets Berkeley hippies. According to YouTube it is officially called a "Fire Jam" and these folks perform monthly.  Were they students?  Were they a theater company?  I have no idea, but what an interesting and completely accidental way to experience the Palace!  I wish my pictures of the phoenix finale was more clear... you just had to be here.  Or, better yet check out this link on youtube.  Our show did not have music or maybe they add the music to the video later or maybe it was a practice night before the big event...  We will never know.

6/22/15 Point Reyes National Seashore

Today we rented this cute little Mini Cooper from Zipcar.com to drive up US 1 to Point Reyes Seashore.  The drive was right out of every movie I have seen about the California Coast - winding, steep, and incredible views.  It was comforting in a way to be out of public transportation for a day and have complete control of where and when we would arrive at our destination.  We completely recommend Zipcar.com if anyone else is traveling without their own car and need a day trip!

We stopped at the most beautiful spot called Muir Beach Overlook.  The fog was pouring down the mountain toward the ocean, wind whipping around us, and waves crashing on the rocks below.  WOW!    I might have seen the back of a whale surface for a second, but it was so fast I don't trust myself.

We went on a Ranger Guided Earthquake hike at Point Reyes Natl. Seashore.  We stood on the San Andreas fault exactly where the 1906 earthquake split the ground.  It is now commemorated by blue posts.

The fence represents a 16 foot shift that happened in this very spot.

The Ranger, Sarah King, was kind enough to chat with us about her career and gave a brief video interview for our students.

On the drive home, we stopped at Stinson Beach (the only sandy beach we have seen so far) for a walk.  It is so weird to be on a chilly beach in June!  The tsunami evacuation signs are horrifying and a little funny at the same time.

We closed the day with a drive down Lombard (the world's crookedest street) - good thing we were in a mini cooper!

Lastly we had to say good-bye to "Mickey" and use public transport for the rest of our trip.