Before long we had driven the length of Van Ness Ave, the major route through the city, and emerged on the other side with the airport in our sights. We refueled with our first drive-thru coffee then followed the plethora of green signs to the airport. We arrived with plenty of time to spare and instantly set about finding Will's flight on the arrivals board. At that point we realised that all we had was an arrival time, and with the only matching arrival being an Air France flight from Paris, and a sinking feeling in our stomachs, we started to wonder if we'd come on the right day. Unable to contact our new companion, we had no choice but to stalk the arrivals gates in the hope of finding him. Eventually Tom spotted a bedraggled and confused looking Will, who it transpired had actually come via Paris.
Will had his first taste of an unusual west coast heat wave as we stepped out of the air-conditioned airport into the furnace-like heat of the San Francisco afternoon. We quickly ran through the Spot Health-and-safety Introductory Talk (S.H.I.T) for our new passenger, made sure the black-out sheet (which separates the cockpit from the stow-away compartment) was firmly in place, and hit the road. Now carrying 3 travelers, we would have to get through the next two weeks without the Police spotting the illegal 3rd man, so keeping a low profile was key. On our way out of the airport multi-storey, the pick-up in front suddenly hit reverse and slammed straight into us. Not a good start.
Spot brushed off the damage and powered out of the airport towards downtown SF. Tentatively peering out from behind the sheet, Will experienced the full "I'm inside the TV" effect that by now had worn off for us.
The west coast gave Mike an opportunity to visit a hand-picked selection of the finest talents in his industry: concept art. The first studio on the list was in the area, so Mike disappeared to do some networking, leaving Tom and Will in a nearby coffee shop to catch up.
Will's mouth was still agape as his attention darted frantically about, grabbed by the passing procession of American cars and people. Seeing the country through fresh eyes like this was a great experience, making us realise how much of our surroundings we had come to accept as normal day to day life.
Another logistical problem we would have to overcome was sleeping arrangements. With two of us it had been easy to pitch up and kip down in the back of the van, but even Spot's cavernous interior couldn't accommodate another guest. We briefly considered the possibility of rigging up a bunk bed arrangement for Tom using the in-van shelving unit, but after six weeks of American diet, they could no longer support his weight. After a planning session over iced teas, we had come up with a solution: Will needed a tent.
When Mike returned, we launched a city-wide search for a cheap tent, eventually finding a $30 option. Our gameplan was to find a campsite just outside of the city and use it as a base for sorties into town. During our research session we'd identified a few options before getting distracted by basketball fixtures. Tom reviewed the hastily scribbled addresses and picked one at random. By this time night was approaching fast and we raced back north to catch the Golden Gate at sunset. We were minutes too late, but the view over the bay to Alcatraz and beyond was impressive nonetheless.
We entered the rainbow tunnel (not a euphemism) heading north out of the city and we were soon edging up a steep forested road. After a few gut-churning switchbacks, and hundreds of feet in altitude, a breathtaking view presented itself - an illuminated San Francisco stretched out to the horizon like a blanket of diamonds draped over the black hills. Just as we were capturing the scene, a chorus of eerie howling erupted from the distant woods. We still don't know what it was, but we decided to head for the safety of the van and press on in search for our campsite.
Several pitch black and deer infested roads later, there was still no sign of the camp site, and with time running out, we decided to head back up the coast on highway 1 reasoning that we'd seen loads of camping there on the way down. With a limit of 10pm, when camp sites shut their doors, we headed back up the coastal road. It was an exhilarating blast along the dipping highway, but as it approached 10 and with a jet-lagged Will fast asleep in the back we made the executive call to cut our losses and find a motel. So at the end of Will's first day in the States, we found ourselves huddled around a Travelodge TV watching a terrible 90's sci fi film, sipping some token PBR's. Hardly what our marketing team had in mind.
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