Went to Radioworld to get a new cord.
The great guys there tested the old cord and cradle and it worked fine.
One even tried it in the van and this time it worked! I had tried it yesterday with no success.
Not in rental car, nor a pickup in Gilroy, nor my Caravan on return, but now it's fine.
I have no idea why. It may be an intermittent problem in the cord or cable, or a software issue in the unit that does not allow it to turn on.
If the latter, what caused the fix?
Nearing SF, I turned on the GPS and it helped us get to the St. Francis hotel. Parked under Union Square.
After checking in, went off to do the tourist stuff.
We took the cable car to near Ghiardelli Square. A first for both of us. We hung off the side until seats were available. When cable cars pass each other, you must squeeze close to your car! A treat for sure.
Hot Chocolate at the Square, because it was chilly. More than a little windy too.
Off to Fishermen's Wharf. We looked at all the menus there and at Pier 39. Chose the oldest establishment for dinner. Dianne had chowder and fish and chips. Neither was up to her standards. I had blackened Red Snapper, which was only good.
Back to the hotel for a good sleep.
Walked around Sak's and other places today, checked out, and are at the airport as I write this. Flight is still 3 hours away, so I am catching up on the blog.
All in all, a good vacation, new places and new experiences for Dianne, and some new for me too. A lot of changes since my once regular visits around 1975-1980.
The Aquarium was a treat. There was quite a focus on gellyfish, which were beautiful. Sea Otters and lots of other sea creatures made for a nice visit. Don't miss it.
Next door, the Cannery area was a bit too touristy and garish.
The commercial Fisherman's Wharf was a nothing, and the tourist wharf was more of the Cannery. Nice views of the bay from either. Pictures to come.
17 Mile Drive, the bit I saw of it was very scenic. Must do it on the bike someday. Hilly and pretty.
But, the roads did not suit Dianne, so back to Carmel and US 1 to Monterrey. That meant we did not pass Pebble Beach.
It also meant there was no way we were going down the coast to Big Sur.
I rented a car at SFO, mounted the GPS, and drove off to Carmel. No voice directions. Meant no auto power to GPS. I turned it off, knowing when the battery ran out, there was no way to recharge it. I suspect it is the cable, but it could be the cradle.
At Gilroy, garlic capital of the world, I'm told, we checked the cable's fuse, courtesy of Auto Source, which was ok.
Also verified power to the car's outlet courtesy of Radio Shack nearby.
On to Carmel. Our room was an hour away from being ready, so drove to an REI and a Best Buy, neither of which had a Garmin cable that old, or any but newest units. Sigh.
So, all around Carmel and Monterey, had to use maps only, which was a pain.
A paradise for smokers. Not so much for us non-smokers. In Casinos especially. Some eating ares.
Drinking from beer bottles seems to be allowed on the Strip.
Lots of high end shops - Rolex, Dior, Chanel, Brioni, the list is endless.
Coffee for two will run $5. No Tim Horton's visible.
Lots of lineups at discount tickets places. Best to have tickets booked before you go, because all the good stuff is sold out.
We spent $0.00 gambling - is this a world record?
Off to Carmel.
We saw the show last night, and she still is a great entertainer.
The sound system at Caesar's Palace must be directly connected to Hoover dam. The bass was felt strongly. The drummer wore those eyeglasses with a light at each temple - were they ever attention grabbers. Two violinist one one bass ladies in addition to the other musicians made for good music.
Shania mingled with the adoring audience and even invited a few on stage for an around the campfire singalong. Very at home. The setting for that was clearly Northern Ontario. She mentioned Canada a few times. Based on the response, Dianne and I were not the only Canadians there, not by a long shot.
Light show and videos were impressive.
All in all, very enjoyable.
Last day here today, early morning flight tomorrow to SF, then driving to Carmel.
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