Tim, Sue, Dave and Connie in Chinatown

Tim, Sue, Dave and Connie in Chinatown, originally uploaded by dvdbarrett.

Tim, Sue, Dave and Connie visit Chinatown in San Francisco, Saturday, Feb. 9, 2008

Balanced rocks in Sausalito

Balanced rocks in Sausalito, originally uploaded by dvdbarrett.

Saturday was a beautiful day in Sausalito. As Tim, Sue, Connie and Dave saw the sights they came across this fellow who was balancing rocks on the beach in Sausalito. People in the crowd who saw him do it assured us that they were just balanced and no epoxy or tricks were used.

Tim, Sue and Connie in Sausalito

Tim, Sue and Connie in Sausalito, originally uploaded by dvdbarrett.

Tim, Sue and Connie in Sausalito with the Bay Bridge and San Francisco in the background.

Bridgeway Street in Sausalito

Bridgeway Street in Sausalito, originally uploaded by dvdbarrett.

Looking down Bridgeway Street in Sausalito with San Francisco in the distance.

Irish Yoga

Irish Yoga, originally uploaded by dvdbarrett.

Tim, Sue, Connie and Dave all thought this T-Shirt was funny when they discovered it in a store in Sausalito

Tim and Sue Visit Connie and Dave's Hotel Room

Tim and Sue Visit Connie and Dave's Hotel Room, originally uploaded by dvdbarrett.

During Connie and Dave's trip to San Francisco Tim and Sue visit them in their hotel room

Chinatown, San Francisco, California

Chinatown, San Francisco, California, originally uploaded by dvdbarrett.

Dave and Connie visited Chinatown.

Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, CA

Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, CA, originally uploaded by dvdbarrett.

Connie and Dave visited Fisherman's Wharf in San Franciso on Feb. 8, 2008. It must not have been a good day for fishing -- the boats weren't out.

Connie in San Francisco, with the Balclutha and the Eureka

Connie in San Franciso, with the 1886 square-rigged ship Balclutha behind her, originally uploaded by dvdbarrett.

Connie in San Francisco, with the 1886 square-rigged ship Balclutha and the steam ferryboat Eureka behind her.

Tug Telco, National Maritime Museum, San Franciso

Tug Telco, National Maritime Museum, San Franciso, originally uploaded by dvdbarrett.

Dave and Connie visited the National Maritime Museum on the Hyde Street Wharf, next to Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco and saw this retired tug boat.

Update

Dec. 2, 2009 I just received the following email referencing this picture:

I came across your picture of Tug Telco on the web. I was one of the pilots from 1973 to 1978. Our primary function was to set anchors for the Pacific Telephone cable barge. We had approximately 186 miles of submarine cable throughout the bay. I spent 4 years in the Navy as, ironically, an airdale, but I knew port and starboard and could tie a squareknot. The captain of the barge was a man named Ralph Budke who pretty much ran it from 1946 to 1984. Ralph was a survivor of the USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor. He was a Chief Boatswain's Mate when he was discharged. His seamanship was exemplary and unquestionable. The tug was not very shipshape when I started driving it. A coworker named Mike Murphy spent about 6 months bringing the wood and brass into shape. It also had the privilege of being hauled out every 2 years to remove barnacles. It was powered by a 3208 Cat diesel and could go about 16 knots which would scare the hell out of you. We had splice points at each of the bridges and islands. When we cleaned it up we painted the stack with the blue and gold bell logo which would really confuse people, trying to figure out what a phone company was doing with a tug. When training, we would go to Angel Island or Tiberon and have lunch. Pretty good duty, huh? By 1984 fiber optics had replace all the undersea crossings and the need for a barge and tug was over. Pacific Telesis sold the barge to Pacific Salvage and the tug was donated to the Maritime Museum. Over the years I have spoken to the rangers about what the tug did and they asked me to be a docent. I live near Lake Tahoe and it would be hard for me to be there very often... Sorry for rambling on. Paul Tomasello

Connie and Dave Vist San Francisco, Connie on a Cable Car in San Francisco

Connie on a Cable Car in San Francisco, originally uploaded by dvdbarrett.

Connie and Dave were visiting San Francisco from Feb 7 - 11, 2008, a perk of Dave's job. Here Connie was riding a cable car.