San Francisco/Monterey/Cambria Trip Report...
Aug 11th, 2007, 09:49 AM
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San Francisco/Monterey/Cambria Trip Report...
We just got back from a fabulous trip. We packed in SO many activities but really enjoyed ourselves.
Thurs. Aug 2nd
We flew out via Southwest from Birmingham. Had a great flight and ended up in Oakland about 30mins early. The Oakland airport is in a state of "construction" so things are a bit hairy there. We asked at the info desk about getting a shuttle to our hotel. The employee was only interested in telling us how to get there via BART and F line. We kept asking about a cab or shuttle...which she wouldn't discuss and told us the other route would be an adventure. We disagreed and eventually found a shuttle bus. It was the best $45 dollars we spent on the trip. We saw how busy the F Line was and knew it would have been a pain to get ourselves on there with our luggage.
We checked in to The Best Western Tuscan Inn at Fisherman's Wharf. We had a room facing the courtyard so it was very quite. The rooms aren't huge, but adequate. They are nicer than the average Best Western. It was in a nice location...close to North Beach, F Line, Cable Cars, and good restaurants...but not too close to the ticky tacky tourist stuff.
We made a whirl through Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39 and ate dinner at Boudin's. We got ourselves acquainted with the awesome weather (back home it was 100 degrees). We strolled down to Musee Mechanique. This is a really cool little museum. Good for an hour or so of fun. We spent some quarters there and had a good time playing around.
Friday Aug 3, 2007
We rode the cable cars up to the Cable Car Museum. We enjoyed poking around in this musueum for about an hour. Then intended to eat lunch in Chinatown. Somehow we ended up lost and got into the thick of "authentic chinatown". Not one other tourist was in that area. Lots of open air markets...but no restaurants that we felt adventurous enough to eat at. We ended up in the North Beach area and ate lunch at "The Stinking Rose". This was a really great and neat little place. We sat next to a window and got to watch the crowds walk by--the sunshine was beautiful pouring in the window--an afternoon I won't soon forget. The food was great...and I am sure we wreaked of garlic...but it was SO worth it! After lunch we hiked it up to Coit Tower. It was a nice walk up and I was glad that I had been working out the last month...otherwise the trip up would have been a problem. We enjoyed the views, but decided not to pay the $$ to ride the elevator up (and the line was quite long). We then took the stairs down and rode the F Line back around to the hotel for and afternoon nap. That afternoon we ate our afternoon snack at Ghirardelli ice cream parlor. I had the caramel sundae..yummy! Then we headed to the pier to catch the Night Alcatraz Tour. The tour was great. They had special sections opened that normally aren't (hospital, operating room, etc). Being there at night was quite eerie. At one point I noticed that there was only my husband, a park ranger, and I in the cell block. Very cool. They even treated us to a special presentation about how the cell doors operated and opened and closed them for us. The slamming of the doors is deafening. We got back to our hotel about 10:30 and ordered pizza from North Beach Pizza. The delivery was quick and the pizza good.
Thurs. Aug 2nd
We flew out via Southwest from Birmingham. Had a great flight and ended up in Oakland about 30mins early. The Oakland airport is in a state of "construction" so things are a bit hairy there. We asked at the info desk about getting a shuttle to our hotel. The employee was only interested in telling us how to get there via BART and F line. We kept asking about a cab or shuttle...which she wouldn't discuss and told us the other route would be an adventure. We disagreed and eventually found a shuttle bus. It was the best $45 dollars we spent on the trip. We saw how busy the F Line was and knew it would have been a pain to get ourselves on there with our luggage.
We checked in to The Best Western Tuscan Inn at Fisherman's Wharf. We had a room facing the courtyard so it was very quite. The rooms aren't huge, but adequate. They are nicer than the average Best Western. It was in a nice location...close to North Beach, F Line, Cable Cars, and good restaurants...but not too close to the ticky tacky tourist stuff.
We made a whirl through Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39 and ate dinner at Boudin's. We got ourselves acquainted with the awesome weather (back home it was 100 degrees). We strolled down to Musee Mechanique. This is a really cool little museum. Good for an hour or so of fun. We spent some quarters there and had a good time playing around.
Friday Aug 3, 2007
We rode the cable cars up to the Cable Car Museum. We enjoyed poking around in this musueum for about an hour. Then intended to eat lunch in Chinatown. Somehow we ended up lost and got into the thick of "authentic chinatown". Not one other tourist was in that area. Lots of open air markets...but no restaurants that we felt adventurous enough to eat at. We ended up in the North Beach area and ate lunch at "The Stinking Rose". This was a really great and neat little place. We sat next to a window and got to watch the crowds walk by--the sunshine was beautiful pouring in the window--an afternoon I won't soon forget. The food was great...and I am sure we wreaked of garlic...but it was SO worth it! After lunch we hiked it up to Coit Tower. It was a nice walk up and I was glad that I had been working out the last month...otherwise the trip up would have been a problem. We enjoyed the views, but decided not to pay the $$ to ride the elevator up (and the line was quite long). We then took the stairs down and rode the F Line back around to the hotel for and afternoon nap. That afternoon we ate our afternoon snack at Ghirardelli ice cream parlor. I had the caramel sundae..yummy! Then we headed to the pier to catch the Night Alcatraz Tour. The tour was great. They had special sections opened that normally aren't (hospital, operating room, etc). Being there at night was quite eerie. At one point I noticed that there was only my husband, a park ranger, and I in the cell block. Very cool. They even treated us to a special presentation about how the cell doors operated and opened and closed them for us. The slamming of the doors is deafening. We got back to our hotel about 10:30 and ordered pizza from North Beach Pizza. The delivery was quick and the pizza good.
Aug 11th, 2007, 10:00 AM
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Sat Aug 5
We caught the F Line down to the Ferry Building and checked out the farmers market. It was amazing how much stuff they had set up there. The flowers were beautiful. We ate breakfast pastries here and shopped around in the actual building. I enjoyed a lavender soda...very interesting...something you couldn't find back home. Next, we strolled over to the Levi museum. It is a small little exhibit. We enjoyed watching vintage Levi ads. Most of which were a little risque...and so I guess were never played in the conservative south. We then rode the F Line out to the Castro district. The streetcar wasn't very busy so we were able to sit and get good views out the window since the ride to Castro was quite far. We shopped around in the Castro District for a little while...but really didn't get what all the buzz was about. It seemed like a nice enough area..but I guess i expected something more spectacular. Not much happening when we were there. We rode the F Line back and ate lunch at Boudin's Bistro and enjoyed some good fish and chips. After lunch we figured out which bus to get on and ended up at the Golden Gate Bridge. I am very proud that we were able to figure out the bus system. This had been a source of anxiety for me before we left. Most of the bus/trolley drivers were helpful and friendly...but a few were a bit "crusty". We walked to the half way point of the GG bridge. It was so windy and foggy that day so we decided not to walk all the way across. I was kind of glad we didn't rent bikes to go across, because the extreme height of the bridge made me very anxious. We headed back to the hotel in late afternoon and called it a day. We were exhausted.
We caught the F Line down to the Ferry Building and checked out the farmers market. It was amazing how much stuff they had set up there. The flowers were beautiful. We ate breakfast pastries here and shopped around in the actual building. I enjoyed a lavender soda...very interesting...something you couldn't find back home. Next, we strolled over to the Levi museum. It is a small little exhibit. We enjoyed watching vintage Levi ads. Most of which were a little risque...and so I guess were never played in the conservative south. We then rode the F Line out to the Castro district. The streetcar wasn't very busy so we were able to sit and get good views out the window since the ride to Castro was quite far. We shopped around in the Castro District for a little while...but really didn't get what all the buzz was about. It seemed like a nice enough area..but I guess i expected something more spectacular. Not much happening when we were there. We rode the F Line back and ate lunch at Boudin's Bistro and enjoyed some good fish and chips. After lunch we figured out which bus to get on and ended up at the Golden Gate Bridge. I am very proud that we were able to figure out the bus system. This had been a source of anxiety for me before we left. Most of the bus/trolley drivers were helpful and friendly...but a few were a bit "crusty". We walked to the half way point of the GG bridge. It was so windy and foggy that day so we decided not to walk all the way across. I was kind of glad we didn't rent bikes to go across, because the extreme height of the bridge made me very anxious. We headed back to the hotel in late afternoon and called it a day. We were exhausted.
Aug 11th, 2007, 10:06 AM
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Sun Aug 5
We ate breakfast at The Blue Mermaid in the Argonaut Hotel. The food was pretty good...the service left a bit to be desired. After breakfast we rode the cable cars up to Lombard St. and walked down, and then back up Lombard. We then found the more "tourist" area of chinatown and strolled down to the gates. Then we did a little shopping in Union Square but found that most of the stores there were either out of our budget, or had the same stuff you could get back home. We didn't spend much time here. The Nike store was pretty impressive though. I had hoped the Levi store would offer something different from what you can get at Macy's. We took the F Line back to the hotel for a nap. We asked at the hotel desk for a suggested italian restaurant. She recommended Fior d'Italia. We made 5pm reservations. When we got to the North Beach restaurant, we were the first ones there... and obviously hadn't needed reservations. We got great service and the food was AWESOME! I had Panna Cotta for desert, and I won't soon forget that. It might be the best desert I have every had at a restaurant. After dinner we strolled back to the Musee Mechanique and played some games. After this, we turned in for the night...exhausted.
We ate breakfast at The Blue Mermaid in the Argonaut Hotel. The food was pretty good...the service left a bit to be desired. After breakfast we rode the cable cars up to Lombard St. and walked down, and then back up Lombard. We then found the more "tourist" area of chinatown and strolled down to the gates. Then we did a little shopping in Union Square but found that most of the stores there were either out of our budget, or had the same stuff you could get back home. We didn't spend much time here. The Nike store was pretty impressive though. I had hoped the Levi store would offer something different from what you can get at Macy's. We took the F Line back to the hotel for a nap. We asked at the hotel desk for a suggested italian restaurant. She recommended Fior d'Italia. We made 5pm reservations. When we got to the North Beach restaurant, we were the first ones there... and obviously hadn't needed reservations. We got great service and the food was AWESOME! I had Panna Cotta for desert, and I won't soon forget that. It might be the best desert I have every had at a restaurant. After dinner we strolled back to the Musee Mechanique and played some games. After this, we turned in for the night...exhausted.
Aug 11th, 2007, 10:11 AM
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Mon Aug 6
We picked up our rental car from Dollar Rental in the Sheraton. It was less than a block away from the hotel, and so convenient. They upgraded us from a Kia to a PT convertable cruiser. Yipee. We hit the road via Hwy 1 headed to Monterey. We enjoyed the scenery and it didn't take too long to get to Monterey. We checked into the Best Western Victoria Inn. It was in a nice location and the rooms were pretty nice. We then headed out to the aquarium. We enjoyed seeing the otter exhibit. After the aquarium we ate a late lunch at BullWhackers. They had very good fish and chips here. We then rented a "surrey" (a two person bike with a canopy) to ride along the sea front. It looked like it would be easy...but it was very difficult. We rode down to Fisherman's Wharf and then back. Then we went on foot down the shore to Pacific Grove. What a beautiful town...there are several homes there that I would gladly own. The ocean was beautiful and the weather was perfect.
We picked up our rental car from Dollar Rental in the Sheraton. It was less than a block away from the hotel, and so convenient. They upgraded us from a Kia to a PT convertable cruiser. Yipee. We hit the road via Hwy 1 headed to Monterey. We enjoyed the scenery and it didn't take too long to get to Monterey. We checked into the Best Western Victoria Inn. It was in a nice location and the rooms were pretty nice. We then headed out to the aquarium. We enjoyed seeing the otter exhibit. After the aquarium we ate a late lunch at BullWhackers. They had very good fish and chips here. We then rented a "surrey" (a two person bike with a canopy) to ride along the sea front. It looked like it would be easy...but it was very difficult. We rode down to Fisherman's Wharf and then back. Then we went on foot down the shore to Pacific Grove. What a beautiful town...there are several homes there that I would gladly own. The ocean was beautiful and the weather was perfect.
Aug 11th, 2007, 10:17 AM
#5
Dear bebalm:
Sounds like your trip was off to a good start. Last Sun & Mon must have been pretty cold in SF. I live inland, in the Delta and the fog was almost to Sacramento last Monday!! 100 on Sat & 70 on Sunday!!
Waiting for more of your report.
MY
Sounds like your trip was off to a good start. Last Sun & Mon must have been pretty cold in SF. I live inland, in the Delta and the fog was almost to Sacramento last Monday!! 100 on Sat & 70 on Sunday!!
Waiting for more of your report.
MY
Aug 11th, 2007, 10:18 AM
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Tues Aug 7
We hit the road to Cambria and decided to take Hwy 101. I know that most people ramble about the beautiful views on Hwy 1, but I tend to like the dramtic countryside on 101. The veggie fields were so beautiful in their green symmetry. The huge valleys and mountians made the drive impressive. We put the top down for part of the drive, and ended up with a little bit of sunburn...but it was fun. When we arrived in Cambria we ate lunch at Linn's Fruit Bin. I had a good chicken pot pie. After lunch we walked around on main street. Then we headed to the beach. We looked for sea glass...but found nothing. We then checked into The Blue Dolphin Inn. This place is even nicer than it was 12 years ago. The bed was comfortable, the room was spotless and breakfast the next morning (including fresh waffles) was great. I would stay here again in a heartbeat. After check in we headed to Hearst Castle. We ended up on the 4:50 tour. This place never ceases to amaze. It was my husband's first visit and he really enjoyed it. We enjoyed dinner at Wild Ginger Cafe on main st. It certainly puts a different twist on typical asian cuisine. I had the best Tom Kha Kai soup that I have EVER had.
We hit the road to Cambria and decided to take Hwy 101. I know that most people ramble about the beautiful views on Hwy 1, but I tend to like the dramtic countryside on 101. The veggie fields were so beautiful in their green symmetry. The huge valleys and mountians made the drive impressive. We put the top down for part of the drive, and ended up with a little bit of sunburn...but it was fun. When we arrived in Cambria we ate lunch at Linn's Fruit Bin. I had a good chicken pot pie. After lunch we walked around on main street. Then we headed to the beach. We looked for sea glass...but found nothing. We then checked into The Blue Dolphin Inn. This place is even nicer than it was 12 years ago. The bed was comfortable, the room was spotless and breakfast the next morning (including fresh waffles) was great. I would stay here again in a heartbeat. After check in we headed to Hearst Castle. We ended up on the 4:50 tour. This place never ceases to amaze. It was my husband's first visit and he really enjoyed it. We enjoyed dinner at Wild Ginger Cafe on main st. It certainly puts a different twist on typical asian cuisine. I had the best Tom Kha Kai soup that I have EVER had.
Aug 11th, 2007, 10:22 AM
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Wed Aug 8
We woke early and headed back on Hwy 101 north. We stopped in Salinas at the John Steinbeck museum. The exhibits were very interactive, which always interests my husband. I learned a lot about Steinbeck and about agriculture in the Salinas valley. Then we headed to San Francisco. We encountered quite a bit of traffic the closer we got to the city, but had no realy problems. Driving in the city of SF is a bit hectic, but we made it in one piece. After we checked back into The Tuscan Inn we headed back to Ghirardelli for some take home treats for family/friends. We strolled back through north beach and ate dinner at North Beach Pizza. We made one last stroll through fisheman's Wharf and called it a night.
We had a great trip. Throroughly enjoyed ourselves. Can't wait to go back again some day.
If you are interested in seeing any of our vacation photos, you can check them out here...
www.flickr.com/photos/bebalm
We woke early and headed back on Hwy 101 north. We stopped in Salinas at the John Steinbeck museum. The exhibits were very interactive, which always interests my husband. I learned a lot about Steinbeck and about agriculture in the Salinas valley. Then we headed to San Francisco. We encountered quite a bit of traffic the closer we got to the city, but had no realy problems. Driving in the city of SF is a bit hectic, but we made it in one piece. After we checked back into The Tuscan Inn we headed back to Ghirardelli for some take home treats for family/friends. We strolled back through north beach and ate dinner at North Beach Pizza. We made one last stroll through fisheman's Wharf and called it a night.
We had a great trip. Throroughly enjoyed ourselves. Can't wait to go back again some day.
If you are interested in seeing any of our vacation photos, you can check them out here...
www.flickr.com/photos/bebalm
Aug 11th, 2007, 04:43 PM
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Thanks for writing the trip report. Sounds like you had a good trip and covered alot of ground. I also remember how we felt when we figured out the transit system. It really didn't take long, but we were really proud of ourselves too. Ghirardelli hot fudge sundaes were fantastic!
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