Travel Tuesdays: San Francisco Edition
So I've decided to start a Tuesday series and dedicate these posts to the places I've traveled and the places I hope to one day visit. I thoroughly enjoy experiencing new places, new people, and new cultures. I am fortunate enough to have amazing parents who have a passion for travel as well. My brother and I grew up taking family vacations every summer. Nothing can replace my memories from those adventures, and as I've grown older, I only appreciate those memories and experiences more and realize how lucky I am to have had the ability to do that.
First Up: San Francisco, CA - Summer 2009
San Francisco is amazing. We crammed so much into that 10 day trip, but everything was fabulous. Not only did we see the sights of San Francisco, we traveled to Napa Valley, and Monterey to visit the aquarium. Being the "wine-o" that I am (no, I have no shame in admitting that I am a 100% wine addict) Napa was probably my favorite part of that trip. I was born and raised on the east coast, so the west coast is definitely a different way of life. After hearing stories about the pace being slower, more relaxed attitudes/work ethic, and sunny days outweighing the rainy ones, I often find myself wondering if I was really meant to live on the west coast. Whenever I visit a new place, I find myself daydreaming about what my life would be like if I actually lived there - who would I meet? what kind of job would I have? what would my favorite local hot spots be? what would my house look like? When you've lived in the same place for 23 years, it can be fun to imagine the ways your life would be different if you had grown up somewhere else.
Top 5 Things I loved about San Fran/Napa:
1. The fresh seafood - I love it! We went here for dinner and had an authentic dining experience at Fisherman's Wharf.
2. The Golden Gate Bridge - what a beautiful landmark for a city to own. While we were there it was pretty foggy (which was typical for that time of year) but seeing it up close and personal was breathtaking. Below: Mom and Dad posing for a photo op
3. The sea lions at Pier 39 - how neat! They really are adorable (noisy, but so sweet). A little history lesson: they began taking over the dock in 1990 after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. They take over usually during the winter months and they migrate south in the summer (a small group usually stays behind)
4. Sourdough Bread - Yummm...who doesn't love warm, crusty, sourdough bread with their fresh seafood chowder? This picture is from the famous Boudin Bakery down at Fisherman's Wharf where people stand at the windows and watch the bakers create animal masterpieces and thousands of sourdough breadbowls a day. Sounds good right about now don't ya think?
5. Winery Tours in Napa Valley - This was such a fun outing while out that way in Cali. As you may know, San Francisco isn't the warmest of cities, since it's down in the valley, but when we toured Napa we were able to escape the chilly San Francisco weather and spend a day in the warm sun surrounded by beautiful scenery and delicious wines. My favorite part was stopping for lunch at a winery (on the way to another winery) where we picked up fresh sandwiches, cheese, baguettes, and wine for a picnic outside to sit and enjoy our surroundings. Below is a bro/sis pic from our picnic lunch that day.
Tourist Trap Bonus: For those of you who know me well, you know I have a slight addiction to anything sugary, fruity, and chewy...so with that being said, one exciting pit stop we took on the way to Napa Valley was here. Don't lie - you know you have a burning desire to find out how those babies are made. I left with bags of them to bring home, and I filled a bag solely of my favorite flavor - Buttered Popcorn, yep that's right, that is my favorite flavor.
And while we're on the topic of food - we waited at the famous Mitchell's ice cream shop for hours in line one night, no lie, hours (for my dad, the ice cream fanatic). They do have some pretty wacky flavors, but it was worth the wait (apparently it's always like that). I believe my dad's flavor of choice was avocado...hmm, no thanks.
I know there is so much of San Francisco left untouched, that I did not get to experience. I can't wait to go back one day.
First Up: San Francisco, CA - Summer 2009
San Francisco is amazing. We crammed so much into that 10 day trip, but everything was fabulous. Not only did we see the sights of San Francisco, we traveled to Napa Valley, and Monterey to visit the aquarium. Being the "wine-o" that I am (no, I have no shame in admitting that I am a 100% wine addict) Napa was probably my favorite part of that trip. I was born and raised on the east coast, so the west coast is definitely a different way of life. After hearing stories about the pace being slower, more relaxed attitudes/work ethic, and sunny days outweighing the rainy ones, I often find myself wondering if I was really meant to live on the west coast. Whenever I visit a new place, I find myself daydreaming about what my life would be like if I actually lived there - who would I meet? what kind of job would I have? what would my favorite local hot spots be? what would my house look like? When you've lived in the same place for 23 years, it can be fun to imagine the ways your life would be different if you had grown up somewhere else.
Top 5 Things I loved about San Fran/Napa:
1. The fresh seafood - I love it! We went here for dinner and had an authentic dining experience at Fisherman's Wharf.
2. The Golden Gate Bridge - what a beautiful landmark for a city to own. While we were there it was pretty foggy (which was typical for that time of year) but seeing it up close and personal was breathtaking. Below: Mom and Dad posing for a photo op
3. The sea lions at Pier 39 - how neat! They really are adorable (noisy, but so sweet). A little history lesson: they began taking over the dock in 1990 after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. They take over usually during the winter months and they migrate south in the summer (a small group usually stays behind)
5. Winery Tours in Napa Valley - This was such a fun outing while out that way in Cali. As you may know, San Francisco isn't the warmest of cities, since it's down in the valley, but when we toured Napa we were able to escape the chilly San Francisco weather and spend a day in the warm sun surrounded by beautiful scenery and delicious wines. My favorite part was stopping for lunch at a winery (on the way to another winery) where we picked up fresh sandwiches, cheese, baguettes, and wine for a picnic outside to sit and enjoy our surroundings. Below is a bro/sis pic from our picnic lunch that day.
Tourist Trap Bonus: For those of you who know me well, you know I have a slight addiction to anything sugary, fruity, and chewy...so with that being said, one exciting pit stop we took on the way to Napa Valley was here. Don't lie - you know you have a burning desire to find out how those babies are made. I left with bags of them to bring home, and I filled a bag solely of my favorite flavor - Buttered Popcorn, yep that's right, that is my favorite flavor.
And while we're on the topic of food - we waited at the famous Mitchell's ice cream shop for hours in line one night, no lie, hours (for my dad, the ice cream fanatic). They do have some pretty wacky flavors, but it was worth the wait (apparently it's always like that). I believe my dad's flavor of choice was avocado...hmm, no thanks.
I know there is so much of San Francisco left untouched, that I did not get to experience. I can't wait to go back one day.
posted by Brittany at
2:13 PM
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