Caressa's Grand Prize Experience in San Francisco
Caressa A. and her husband of Holiday, Florida, recently won a trip to San Francisco for supporting Greenpeace's #SaveTheArctic campaign. There, they got to experience a performance of a lifetime by Portugal. The Man and had the opportunity to stand with the #Arctic30. Read on for the details of Caressa's experience.
OMG! Omgoodness! I just won a trip. I’m pretty sure I just won a trip. Wow, is this real!? These are all things that were going through my mind just days before I headed to San Francisco with my husband. I couldn't believe that this was happening. Tears kept welling up in my eyes. I never - let me repeat, NEVER - win anything. I scrambled to get everything in order and submitted. Fast forward a few days later. I was notified Monday afternoon, and Thursday bright and early, we were on a flight heading to San Francisco, CA!
The flight went well. We rushed off the airplane and felt the spirit of the city immediately. It was the calmest airport I think I have ever been. We hopped in a taxi and swooned all the way to the hotel. Wow, it reminded me of my hometown in Ohio where I lived until the end of my 6th grade year. Sadly, my home town is no longer so historic. Much of it has been torn down and rebuilt. I’m amazed that such an old city kept its history; and yet, it’s so modern at the same time. San Fran is a plethora of new and old to delight any visitor. It reminded my husband and me of his home country of Jordan. When most people think of Jordan, they think of the desert. They are often delighted to find out that nearly a third of the country is mountainous. And they love to build homes right on the mountains too. It’s so befitting for us.
When we reached the hotel, it was breathtaking. It was a fancy historical hotel with doormen, and one of those rotating doors, and a trolley of sorts to hold our luggage. We stepped inside our room, and it was lovely. Look at this feather topped bed with feather pillows. I slept in utter luxury that night.
Of course, there was no time to waste. We had a very limited amount of time, so we needed to get moving. We settled our things, called the kids, freshened up and hit the concierge right away. He helped us find a night tour, and we promptly went to Fisherman’s wharf to get a bite. We ate at the Hard Rock Café and then bought items for our kids.
After dinner and shopping, we still had a little time to hit the souvenir shop across the street. This is where we found that there is a tax on plastic! What a great idea. Now I know why there were not plastic bags in our hotel room except in the ice chest. I now love the city even more.
We headed to the double decker and went to the top. Hmm, San Fran is colder than I expected. It didn’t matter. We were going to bundle up and have a great time.
We were able to see all kinds of amazing architecture, a few familiar places from TV and movies, learn interesting facts about the city (Did you know Rice-a-Roni is not the San Francisco treat but the Chicago treat!?). We rode the top as well as the bottom of the Double Decker Bay Bridge. San Francisco was amazing at night. Just amazing. I could not believe we were there.
The next day, we woke up really early to the sound of room service. I knew we had to get a lot done in a short amount of time, and I just had to go all the way to Muir Woods National Park to see the Redwoods. We had fresh coffee, berries and oatmeal. It worked out well and we arranged our Tour Bus Tickets as fast as we could. The bus was comfortable and we enjoyed listening to the tour guide while viewing the scenery all the way to the park. We took the Golden Gate Bridge both ways. We saw the infamous Alcatraz, and the bay was beautiful. When we arrived, we only had 45 minutes to walk around, but it was definitely enough time to enjoy the park. I took video of a stream to remember the sounds as the water trickled by. Sometimes I saw the sunlight peering through the woods. It was beautiful.
When we left, the bus was so comfortable that I nearly fell asleep on the way back. But the views were so lovely, I just had to stay awake. Soon we arrived in Sausalito to see the yachts. It seems like it wouldn’t be so nice, a slew of boats; but it has a special feel to it. You can’t help but imagine getting on one and heading off into the water. We had a short break to look around and grab a snack. We chose a place called Fish & Chips. All of our food & condiments were in paper containers & bags with one plastic bag to hold it all which again, was taxed. I love this city. San Francisco is approximately 80% Eco Friendly with a goal of zero percent waste by 2020.
After our tour, it was time to start getting ready for The Grand Prize Experience! We headed to Pier 15 a little early wanting to try some of San Fran’s famous transportation. Our first mode was the famous Trolley!
The cable cars use no electricity or fuel, making them extremely eco-friendly. Our next mode of transportation was the street car on the F-line. The F-line runs on electricity. The streetcars are originals and bring you straight back to years gone by.
Next, we arrived at Pier 15. There was this interesting interactive sculpture by San Francisco Artist Peter Hudson called “Homouroboros” that moves based on input energy. The exhibit was scheduled to move just days after our departure.
It was time to see if we could go to the Rainbow Warrior a little early. Sure enough, Iris of greenpeace called promptly. I told her how nervous I was; she put me at ease and came to pick us up. She was great and extremely hospitable. We are so glad we met her.
Iris brought us to the helipad on the greenpeace Rainbow Warrior ship. It had never even crossed my mind they would have a helipad so I found that quite…well, cool. The helipad was being set up for guests who included, you guessed it. Us. How cool is that!? We were special guests, too. Not just the rockin’ band coming to play, but also us. It was feeling so unimaginable. The day had been unimaginable, and I can’t even put everything I was feeling into words, though many come to mind. Ecstatic, adrenaline, surreal, excited. I think I must have shot out a thousand smiles. I felt like a little kid in a candy store. We did various publicity shots around the ship, and even were interviewed by a Russian Journalist for a newscast in Russia. I was very nervous but got my bearings and answered some questions regarding the Arctic Circle & the Arctic 30. I made it clear that the work the Arctic 30 was doing was incredible, and that they need to be released right away. The Arctic 30 are not pirates or hooligans. They are heroes. They are out there doing what every one of us should be doing. They are standing up for what is right, they are standing up not just for our future but for future generations. They are also standing up for the earth and its other inhabitants. The devastation being caused by man is absolutely, without a doubt, cataclysmic.
After the mini-interview, we were brought on a tour of the ship where we met many people. We met Anna Wagner who is the Senior National Organizer for Greenpeace. Between Iris & Anna we were well taken care of. We also met several of the crew and The Urgency Network Co-Founders Donald Eley & Brandon Deroche. We met family members of Arctic 30 activist Dima Litvinov. They gave an impassioned and inspiring speech regarding Dima & the Arctic 30. We also received an amazing tour of the Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior. She was a pro, very interesting information told to us as if she were a longtime friend. Everyone was so inviting and friendly. We really felt that they were glad we were there. I was much more at ease by this point. At one point during the tour, the tour guide took us to the cockpit where the captain of the ship told us about what they did to make the ship so eco-friendly. This was the highlight of my tour on the ship. The ship runs about 70% without fuel. How amazing for such a huge vessel!
After the tour, it was time to head over to The Exploratorium. We got to explore the venue and enjoy the exhibits while the band had conducted a sound check. It was very cool to be around while they worked on the set.
In the beginning of the concert, we had one of the best spots in the house. As a fan, I was excited. Nice and close next to the pillars.
After the show we met lead singer John Gourley; what a wonderful opportunity. John and Zach Carothers (Bass Guitar & Backup Vocals) are both from Alaska & grew up together. This is just one reason why the cause is so very important to portugaltheman. I’m glad it is because they are a kick ass band with a kick ass sound and it was a kick ass show.
Honestly, I can’t tell you how much this trip has meant to my family. In the end, it inspired my husband and I to be more proactive. We realized that we have been slacking, not doing enough and that we need to step it up. It’s not just that we need to be an example to our peers, but we also need to be an example to those younger than us as well as, and especially to, our children who are the next generation. When we keep trying and we don’t give up, the Butterfly Effect can be instrumental in bringing about change. We need to counteract negativity with this positivity. I used to be very negative about the state of things, and we just can’t think that way. That is how you lose, and we have no choice but to win. I now see a bigger picture, and I’m hoping all of our actions influence change. I feel more positive than I have in a long time.
Do not forget the big picture, do not give up but work now, work harder than ever before & thank you to everyone who have inspired me - who have inspired us - to do more.
Written by Caressa A.
Edited by Jessica Lipman of The Urgency Network
Check us out on Facebook to see more photos of Caressa's San Francisco experience.