A week in San Francisco - What a fabulous place!
Oct 28th, 2009 | 04:20 PM
#1
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 96
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A week in San Francisco - What a fabulous place!
Enormous thanks to Fodors and Trip Advisor contributors, without whose help we would not have accomplished so much and enjoyed ourselves so immensely. I write this primarily for other Aussies and travellers who may want some detail, as those were the trip reports I read voraciously! Photos soon. This is part one, of our 3 week trip to the USA, including New York, Washington DC and New Hampshire.
DAY 1
Monday 28 September 09 – left home at 11am and arrived at San Francisco on the same day and at 11am!
We were out of the airport in 45 minutes and a 10 min taxi drive in an old large Ford had us in the city. We had booked the Beresford Arms for its price and location to Union Square. Although it is an historic property, it is quite worn. We had a smallish room with old furnishings. The bathroom was passable. Other people however, had quite modern rooms. Unfortunately the carpet was quite smelly in our hallway and noticeable every time we went out or returned. Having said all that, we only required a room for sleeping as we planned to be out as much as possible. We drove through the Tenderloin district which is very close to this hotel and quite seedy and unsavoury looking.
Not wanting to waste any time, we headed straight to Union Square – a large concrete outdoor space surrounded by great shops – Macy’s, Tiffany’s, Saks Fifth Ave. and Victoria’s Secret. We continued down to the cable car turnaround, trying to get our bearings for future forays.
The turnaround itself is quite a piece of theatre. There are also buskers – singing, dancing and entertaining the queues. Found Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom’s in the Westfield Complex where we also had a sandwich – we actually have no idea which meal we should be up to. Fascinated by the curved escalators!
Found the Visitors Centre and booked a Wednesday trip to Yosemite National Park with a
6.20am pick up. Just kept walking around and zoomed in on the Skechers shop where I will return ($54US is too good to pass up – they are generally well over $100AUD)
SF has only 750,000+ people, so not much traffic downtown, but lots of noise, especially sirens.
We love all the Ford trucks in their many guises – fire department, medical, delivery, shuttles, even limousines – very big and fabulous looking. The external fire escapes are so ‘Pretty Woman’ to us. Staggered home at about 4pm, slept for ½ hour and then went downstairs to the free Wine and Cheese, which apparently is held each afternoon from 4.30 to 5.30pm. Met a couple of woman and had a really nice chat. Ventured forth again looking for something very light for dinner. Passed heaps of places and walked some new streets. Couldn’t resist Lori’s Diner- a 50’s place, the like of which we don’t see in Australia. Great music but a bit too tired to listen properly. A bowl of soup was all was wanted, and although we asked for bread, it came with crackers – must get used to this! Black and white check lino, red booths and swivel seats at the counter. Jeremy was a really nice host. In bed before 8pm. The weather was sunny in the afternoon, but the breeze was chilly in patches. We saw a couple of real hills we don’t think we want to tackle!
DAY 2
A lovely sunny day. Walked back to the Powell St turnaround and took the cable car to Hyde St. What great entertainment this is! You can actually hear the noise of the cables under the street. Walked around Fisherman’s Wharf, but it is really touristy and not appealing. Here though, we saw our first views of the Golden Gate Bridge.
After a while, we returned by cable car to Lombard St to get out and walk a little way down the twisty road. Got a little bit game here and hung off the outside of the cable car for a fabulous experience (which BTW we never tired of because it is so unique). There were stacks of tourists – it must be a nightmare living there.
We then caught a street car to the Ferry Building which we really liked. It is very clean and upmarket, with lots of specialty food shops. We tasted goat’s gouda at the Cowgirl Creamery and had lunch at the SF Fish Company. Because it was market day, there was lots of fresh produce for sale both inside and out. Had coffee at Peet’s with a view of the Oakland Bridge, which is equally spectacular.
There is some great architecture, both old and new and one of the reasons we like visiting other cities. Back to the hotel to check emails on the free internet. Attended the Wine and Cheese again, catching up with one of the ladies from the previous night. Chatting to new people is such an enjoyable part of any overseas trip.
Walked half a block to Fino for dinner – an Italian restaurant attached to the St Andrew’s Hotel. Had to return at 8pm for a free table, so went for another brief walk. Upstairs at Macy’s is The Cheesecake Factory, an incredibly busy, buzzy place which has good views over Union Square. Bought my shoes at Skechers (and more in NewYork!) and then proceeded to wear them everywhere from then on because they were so comfy. There are lots of Art galleries on Geary St for browsing.
At Fino, we had a fabulous waiter, not intrusive, but friendly and super professional. The food was beautiful. Home to set the alarm for 5.30am! Because of the tour the next day we had purchased an $11 all day pass for transport and felt it was excellent value, considering the cost of one trip on the cable cars is $5.
So far we have found SF to be laid back, cosmopolitan and friendly, although there are still lots of homeless/beggars on the streets.
DAY 3
We booked Yosemite through Extranomical Tours and left SF by 7am after pick ups. Our first break was at Oakdale. On the way we saw extensive wind farms and plenty of bare, sun baked, windswept hills. There were traffic jams entering SF. The freeways are rugged, bone shaking affairs! The weather became warmer as we went further inland. First shock for me – a very hilly and high drive in to the Sierra Nevada mountains – so I put my head down and tried to write my journal. At 3000 ft, on the outside of the road is not my idea of fun – especially in a bus! We passed some old gold mining camps and towns. Grovedale looked like a thriving concern.
Shortly after entering the park we spotted a black bear, then a mother deer and two fawns. After I minute at our first stop, all was forgiven (31 passengers, not 15 as in the brochure, a 4 hour drive and those heights!) It was a marvellous, panoramic view. Later we had a closer view between El Capitan and Bridalveil Falls. These are spectacular, massive, towering walls of granite. Rock falls contain boulders that are enormous. There were lots of climbers on El Capitan, but you wouldn’t know unless instructed to look for them with binoculars. That’s when the true size of the wall becomes obvious. Apparently it takes 2 days to scale and climbers camp on ledges and in crevices. Wow!
Lunch was in the Visitors Centre in the middle and there were opportunities for more gazing upwards at the rock formations. Following lunch we had a half hour drive to the Giant Sequoia walk. It was a one mile, easy walk down and a one mile, not so easy walk up! There were only three trees to see, one was a tunnel tree, one was standing and one was lying down. Not what you would call a ‘grove’.
A long drive home again, but with one of our highlights being a stop at Treasure Island for a view of the sun setting below the GG Bridge and all the city lights. Absolutely gorgeous!
DAY 4
Got up a bit late, we were so tired. Cheap and cheerful breakfast at Olympia because we were tiring of pastries and fruit (predominantly watermelon!), then on to Macy’s to buy sunglasses to replace ones lost yesterday. Down to the turnaround to purchase a MUNI card. Our original intention was to take the Powell-Mason line and look at the Grace Cathedral and surrounding area before lunch, but we were running a bit late for that so we promptly caught the F-line street car to the Castro. Checked out the GLBT museum because DH is a Harvey Milk fan and then shared a steak sandwich at Luna in the patio area. Perfect for this lovely warm day. Saw some fabulous looking buildings on our walk around, despite our thought that the area looked less than salubrious viewed from the tram. Lots of pet shops, clothing stores, interior furnishing places and cafes. We would have loved to go to the Castro Theatre on Saturday evening – but didn’t want to see Toy Story! Then we walked down Market St for a few stops and boarded the F-Line back to the Powell St turnaround.
There was a long wait for the cable car but once on we loved the steep hills. Had a coffee at Starbucks (more for the loo!) then reboarded to get off at California to look at Huntingdon Park and Grace Cathedral. The park is tiny but the cathedral was beautiful. The stark, grey columns allowed the exquisite, predominantly blue, stained-glass windows to feature. We arrived in time for Choral Evensong and listened to the glorious choir and organ. The sound filled the space all around us. An eerie, disembodied (or just unseen?) voice led the prayer, echoing around the cathedral. A peaceful moment interrupted by the clang of the cable cars outside.
Then, as had been suggested, we walked across the street to the Mark Hopkins Intercontinental Hotel and took the elevator to the Top of the Mark, where, if you turn right immediately, you have picture window views over the bay and city without having to dress for dinner or cocktails!
Grabbed the California line, hanging excitedly off the outside again, and headed down to Polk St thinking we might get oysters at the Swan Oyster Depot, but it was closed. So we had dinner at Ti Piacera, just two doors down – and they had lovely fresh oysters. By 8pm we were starting to tire – at home we wouldn’t be out for 3 meals and catching so much public transport! Two more cable car rides back to Union Square. WOW! What fun, what hills!
Little bit of walking around before heading home at 9pm – not desperately tired – just had enough experiences for the day. We’re not really night people.
More to come
DAY 1
Monday 28 September 09 – left home at 11am and arrived at San Francisco on the same day and at 11am!
We were out of the airport in 45 minutes and a 10 min taxi drive in an old large Ford had us in the city. We had booked the Beresford Arms for its price and location to Union Square. Although it is an historic property, it is quite worn. We had a smallish room with old furnishings. The bathroom was passable. Other people however, had quite modern rooms. Unfortunately the carpet was quite smelly in our hallway and noticeable every time we went out or returned. Having said all that, we only required a room for sleeping as we planned to be out as much as possible. We drove through the Tenderloin district which is very close to this hotel and quite seedy and unsavoury looking.
Not wanting to waste any time, we headed straight to Union Square – a large concrete outdoor space surrounded by great shops – Macy’s, Tiffany’s, Saks Fifth Ave. and Victoria’s Secret. We continued down to the cable car turnaround, trying to get our bearings for future forays.
The turnaround itself is quite a piece of theatre. There are also buskers – singing, dancing and entertaining the queues. Found Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom’s in the Westfield Complex where we also had a sandwich – we actually have no idea which meal we should be up to. Fascinated by the curved escalators!
Found the Visitors Centre and booked a Wednesday trip to Yosemite National Park with a
6.20am pick up. Just kept walking around and zoomed in on the Skechers shop where I will return ($54US is too good to pass up – they are generally well over $100AUD)
SF has only 750,000+ people, so not much traffic downtown, but lots of noise, especially sirens.
We love all the Ford trucks in their many guises – fire department, medical, delivery, shuttles, even limousines – very big and fabulous looking. The external fire escapes are so ‘Pretty Woman’ to us. Staggered home at about 4pm, slept for ½ hour and then went downstairs to the free Wine and Cheese, which apparently is held each afternoon from 4.30 to 5.30pm. Met a couple of woman and had a really nice chat. Ventured forth again looking for something very light for dinner. Passed heaps of places and walked some new streets. Couldn’t resist Lori’s Diner- a 50’s place, the like of which we don’t see in Australia. Great music but a bit too tired to listen properly. A bowl of soup was all was wanted, and although we asked for bread, it came with crackers – must get used to this! Black and white check lino, red booths and swivel seats at the counter. Jeremy was a really nice host. In bed before 8pm. The weather was sunny in the afternoon, but the breeze was chilly in patches. We saw a couple of real hills we don’t think we want to tackle!
DAY 2
A lovely sunny day. Walked back to the Powell St turnaround and took the cable car to Hyde St. What great entertainment this is! You can actually hear the noise of the cables under the street. Walked around Fisherman’s Wharf, but it is really touristy and not appealing. Here though, we saw our first views of the Golden Gate Bridge.
After a while, we returned by cable car to Lombard St to get out and walk a little way down the twisty road. Got a little bit game here and hung off the outside of the cable car for a fabulous experience (which BTW we never tired of because it is so unique). There were stacks of tourists – it must be a nightmare living there.
We then caught a street car to the Ferry Building which we really liked. It is very clean and upmarket, with lots of specialty food shops. We tasted goat’s gouda at the Cowgirl Creamery and had lunch at the SF Fish Company. Because it was market day, there was lots of fresh produce for sale both inside and out. Had coffee at Peet’s with a view of the Oakland Bridge, which is equally spectacular.
There is some great architecture, both old and new and one of the reasons we like visiting other cities. Back to the hotel to check emails on the free internet. Attended the Wine and Cheese again, catching up with one of the ladies from the previous night. Chatting to new people is such an enjoyable part of any overseas trip.
Walked half a block to Fino for dinner – an Italian restaurant attached to the St Andrew’s Hotel. Had to return at 8pm for a free table, so went for another brief walk. Upstairs at Macy’s is The Cheesecake Factory, an incredibly busy, buzzy place which has good views over Union Square. Bought my shoes at Skechers (and more in NewYork!) and then proceeded to wear them everywhere from then on because they were so comfy. There are lots of Art galleries on Geary St for browsing.
At Fino, we had a fabulous waiter, not intrusive, but friendly and super professional. The food was beautiful. Home to set the alarm for 5.30am! Because of the tour the next day we had purchased an $11 all day pass for transport and felt it was excellent value, considering the cost of one trip on the cable cars is $5.
So far we have found SF to be laid back, cosmopolitan and friendly, although there are still lots of homeless/beggars on the streets.
DAY 3
We booked Yosemite through Extranomical Tours and left SF by 7am after pick ups. Our first break was at Oakdale. On the way we saw extensive wind farms and plenty of bare, sun baked, windswept hills. There were traffic jams entering SF. The freeways are rugged, bone shaking affairs! The weather became warmer as we went further inland. First shock for me – a very hilly and high drive in to the Sierra Nevada mountains – so I put my head down and tried to write my journal. At 3000 ft, on the outside of the road is not my idea of fun – especially in a bus! We passed some old gold mining camps and towns. Grovedale looked like a thriving concern.
Shortly after entering the park we spotted a black bear, then a mother deer and two fawns. After I minute at our first stop, all was forgiven (31 passengers, not 15 as in the brochure, a 4 hour drive and those heights!) It was a marvellous, panoramic view. Later we had a closer view between El Capitan and Bridalveil Falls. These are spectacular, massive, towering walls of granite. Rock falls contain boulders that are enormous. There were lots of climbers on El Capitan, but you wouldn’t know unless instructed to look for them with binoculars. That’s when the true size of the wall becomes obvious. Apparently it takes 2 days to scale and climbers camp on ledges and in crevices. Wow!
Lunch was in the Visitors Centre in the middle and there were opportunities for more gazing upwards at the rock formations. Following lunch we had a half hour drive to the Giant Sequoia walk. It was a one mile, easy walk down and a one mile, not so easy walk up! There were only three trees to see, one was a tunnel tree, one was standing and one was lying down. Not what you would call a ‘grove’.
A long drive home again, but with one of our highlights being a stop at Treasure Island for a view of the sun setting below the GG Bridge and all the city lights. Absolutely gorgeous!
DAY 4
Got up a bit late, we were so tired. Cheap and cheerful breakfast at Olympia because we were tiring of pastries and fruit (predominantly watermelon!), then on to Macy’s to buy sunglasses to replace ones lost yesterday. Down to the turnaround to purchase a MUNI card. Our original intention was to take the Powell-Mason line and look at the Grace Cathedral and surrounding area before lunch, but we were running a bit late for that so we promptly caught the F-line street car to the Castro. Checked out the GLBT museum because DH is a Harvey Milk fan and then shared a steak sandwich at Luna in the patio area. Perfect for this lovely warm day. Saw some fabulous looking buildings on our walk around, despite our thought that the area looked less than salubrious viewed from the tram. Lots of pet shops, clothing stores, interior furnishing places and cafes. We would have loved to go to the Castro Theatre on Saturday evening – but didn’t want to see Toy Story! Then we walked down Market St for a few stops and boarded the F-Line back to the Powell St turnaround.
There was a long wait for the cable car but once on we loved the steep hills. Had a coffee at Starbucks (more for the loo!) then reboarded to get off at California to look at Huntingdon Park and Grace Cathedral. The park is tiny but the cathedral was beautiful. The stark, grey columns allowed the exquisite, predominantly blue, stained-glass windows to feature. We arrived in time for Choral Evensong and listened to the glorious choir and organ. The sound filled the space all around us. An eerie, disembodied (or just unseen?) voice led the prayer, echoing around the cathedral. A peaceful moment interrupted by the clang of the cable cars outside.
Then, as had been suggested, we walked across the street to the Mark Hopkins Intercontinental Hotel and took the elevator to the Top of the Mark, where, if you turn right immediately, you have picture window views over the bay and city without having to dress for dinner or cocktails!
Grabbed the California line, hanging excitedly off the outside again, and headed down to Polk St thinking we might get oysters at the Swan Oyster Depot, but it was closed. So we had dinner at Ti Piacera, just two doors down – and they had lovely fresh oysters. By 8pm we were starting to tire – at home we wouldn’t be out for 3 meals and catching so much public transport! Two more cable car rides back to Union Square. WOW! What fun, what hills!
Little bit of walking around before heading home at 9pm – not desperately tired – just had enough experiences for the day. We’re not really night people.
More to come
Oct 29th, 2009 | 04:00 PM
#5
Original Poster
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 96
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More of our SF time:
DAY 5
Beautiful sunny skies again. Heading off on another tour, to cover various areas we couldn’t quite figure out how to do using public transport. First was the ferry to Sausalito allowing excellent views back to the city. We had lunch at a close place but a good suggestion might be to buy it in the Ferry Building and eat it overlooking the water if time is limited. The main street is full of art/photo galleries, jewellery shops, souvenir places, ice cream shops and over-the-water restaurants.
We then crossed the Golden Gate Bridge with a stop at Fort Point for spectacular views and great photo ops. The next surprise was the incredibly beautiful Palace of Fine Arts at the Presidio, with its stunning façade. Not even knowing about this place made it all the more special. We thought it was wonderful and have some beautiful photos. Golden Gate Park was an all too brief stop, but the highlight was the view from the top of the tower at the de Young museum – all over SF, hills, the park the bridge and the bay.
We stopped just short of Alamo Square and walked down to the ‘Painted Ladies’. 7 in a row – all sisters! We had a tour of the corner house –the Shannen/Kavanaugh mansion and it was beautifully restored – especially the redwood ceiling in the kitchen, the fireplaces and the furniture. A loo stop followed at Grace Cathedral, but with nothing going on there it was such a totally different experience – and nowhere near as good as the first time. After more driving through different areas of SF, we got out and walked down to the bottom of Lombard St, which we hadn’t seen the other day. Finally the tour ended with a walk around a few of the Chinatown streets. All in all, it was a very successful and excellent tour, which catered for our needs exactly, although more time in the park was something we would have loved. And then there were bonuses like the Palace of Fine Arts and the tower at de Young. ‘San Francisco Comprehensive Shuttle Tours’ - $65. 5 hours of fabulous variety.
Back at the Ferry Building we had drinks outside just watching the world go by. I even saw an actor from one of the soaps! (should I say that aloud??) We stayed for dinner and later enjoyed a coffee while overlooking the Bay Bridge dressed in its string of pearls under the watch of a beautiful full moon. Caught the F line back and walked up to Union Square and then browsed in a few shops before finally heading home.
DAY 6
We heard someone say the late September, early October is the best time to visit SF and that certainly has been true in our case. We did our laundry very cheaply and conveniently across the road. Heard about the ‘Love Fest’ and parade, so we went down to the turnaround to watch on Market St. How to describe it? Thousands of people, very loud, thumping techno music from the floats, costumes and weird get up (including a few naked men!!), people cheering, arms waving and lots of dancing in the street. There was plenty of fluoro hair, love beads and ‘Ban the Bomb’ necklaces, skimpy skirts, hula hoops, fairy wings, Indians, cowboys and kissing! It was a bit like a hippie ‘love in’. But the main theme seemed to be “Because we can!” Such freedom of expression wouldn’t be allowed in Melbourne. We stayed for about an hour and a bit before going our separate ways for a short while. I love a good browse, but for some reason I always felt as though shopping I could do at home, here I should be experiencing new things. I spent some time on the steps at Union Square and watched people for a while. Then I decided I really should buy some underwear from Victoria’s Secret. As you do!
Later on we heard someone describe the finish of the parade as “one big frat party – people were ‘ripped’ and had their clothes off”.
Called in at the Visitor’s Centre again to see about a possible tour down the coast to Carmel and Monterey or Napa Valley tomorrow, but it was closed. Had coffee at Bar Norcini and watched the throngs go by. We have never seen so many people in city streets anywhere.(We later visited Times Square in NY!) Back to the free Wine and Cheese at the hotel, but it was so packed we couldn’t get near the computers to check about tours. Wandered out for a pizza for dinner.
There seems to be a nice, gentle, understanding, liberal feeling to SF. No angry horn beeping or yelling at wrong doers. This weekend we saw elements of a Chinese Longevity March, the Love Fest, the Bridge to Bridge run, a protest by families of political prisoners, a Breast Cancer walk and heard about the Strictly Bluegrass Festival and something in the Castro.
By phone we eventually booked a Napa Valley Tour as it was shorter.
One more day to come...
DAY 5
Beautiful sunny skies again. Heading off on another tour, to cover various areas we couldn’t quite figure out how to do using public transport. First was the ferry to Sausalito allowing excellent views back to the city. We had lunch at a close place but a good suggestion might be to buy it in the Ferry Building and eat it overlooking the water if time is limited. The main street is full of art/photo galleries, jewellery shops, souvenir places, ice cream shops and over-the-water restaurants.
We then crossed the Golden Gate Bridge with a stop at Fort Point for spectacular views and great photo ops. The next surprise was the incredibly beautiful Palace of Fine Arts at the Presidio, with its stunning façade. Not even knowing about this place made it all the more special. We thought it was wonderful and have some beautiful photos. Golden Gate Park was an all too brief stop, but the highlight was the view from the top of the tower at the de Young museum – all over SF, hills, the park the bridge and the bay.
We stopped just short of Alamo Square and walked down to the ‘Painted Ladies’. 7 in a row – all sisters! We had a tour of the corner house –the Shannen/Kavanaugh mansion and it was beautifully restored – especially the redwood ceiling in the kitchen, the fireplaces and the furniture. A loo stop followed at Grace Cathedral, but with nothing going on there it was such a totally different experience – and nowhere near as good as the first time. After more driving through different areas of SF, we got out and walked down to the bottom of Lombard St, which we hadn’t seen the other day. Finally the tour ended with a walk around a few of the Chinatown streets. All in all, it was a very successful and excellent tour, which catered for our needs exactly, although more time in the park was something we would have loved. And then there were bonuses like the Palace of Fine Arts and the tower at de Young. ‘San Francisco Comprehensive Shuttle Tours’ - $65. 5 hours of fabulous variety.
Back at the Ferry Building we had drinks outside just watching the world go by. I even saw an actor from one of the soaps! (should I say that aloud??) We stayed for dinner and later enjoyed a coffee while overlooking the Bay Bridge dressed in its string of pearls under the watch of a beautiful full moon. Caught the F line back and walked up to Union Square and then browsed in a few shops before finally heading home.
DAY 6
We heard someone say the late September, early October is the best time to visit SF and that certainly has been true in our case. We did our laundry very cheaply and conveniently across the road. Heard about the ‘Love Fest’ and parade, so we went down to the turnaround to watch on Market St. How to describe it? Thousands of people, very loud, thumping techno music from the floats, costumes and weird get up (including a few naked men!!), people cheering, arms waving and lots of dancing in the street. There was plenty of fluoro hair, love beads and ‘Ban the Bomb’ necklaces, skimpy skirts, hula hoops, fairy wings, Indians, cowboys and kissing! It was a bit like a hippie ‘love in’. But the main theme seemed to be “Because we can!” Such freedom of expression wouldn’t be allowed in Melbourne. We stayed for about an hour and a bit before going our separate ways for a short while. I love a good browse, but for some reason I always felt as though shopping I could do at home, here I should be experiencing new things. I spent some time on the steps at Union Square and watched people for a while. Then I decided I really should buy some underwear from Victoria’s Secret. As you do!
Later on we heard someone describe the finish of the parade as “one big frat party – people were ‘ripped’ and had their clothes off”.
Called in at the Visitor’s Centre again to see about a possible tour down the coast to Carmel and Monterey or Napa Valley tomorrow, but it was closed. Had coffee at Bar Norcini and watched the throngs go by. We have never seen so many people in city streets anywhere.(We later visited Times Square in NY!) Back to the free Wine and Cheese at the hotel, but it was so packed we couldn’t get near the computers to check about tours. Wandered out for a pizza for dinner.
There seems to be a nice, gentle, understanding, liberal feeling to SF. No angry horn beeping or yelling at wrong doers. This weekend we saw elements of a Chinese Longevity March, the Love Fest, the Bridge to Bridge run, a protest by families of political prisoners, a Breast Cancer walk and heard about the Strictly Bluegrass Festival and something in the Castro.
By phone we eventually booked a Napa Valley Tour as it was shorter.
One more day to come...
Oct 31st, 2009 | 01:38 AM
#7
Original Poster
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 96
Likes: 0
DAY 7
Down to the Ferry Building by taxi at 8 am. The tour leader (John) said that it was the first real feel of fall – a bit crisp. Because of the Bridge to Bridge run, we toured through the city and saw even more areas we hadn’t seen before. It was an excellent way to recap previous information as well as see things from a different direction. Another bonus was driving through Pacific Heights to see all the stunning mansions; we really love the architecture in SF, especially the Victorian style. We even saw Mrs Doubtfire’s house.
Another drive over the GG Bridge led to another wonderful view over the marina at Sausalito, after yet another scenic photo opportunity of the city skyline. John gave some good Californian wine information on the drive.
Passing through the vineyards we were struck with how flat the appeared on top- as though they had been shorn. We live very close to the Yarra Valley wineries at home and are used to the waving arms of the vines. V.Sattui was our first stop and a lovely place. The deli is mind boggling in size and variety for a winery – 200 cheeses, fresh baked breads, salads, crab cakes, chicken breasts, salamis, dips etc. You are each given a $10 voucher to put towards your lunch purchase. Tasting costs $5 for 5 classic wines or $10 for 6 premium wines. We paid the $10 between us (it was only 11am!). We had our picnic lunch in the glorious sunshine of the garden area after the wine tasting. All too soon (after 1 and a half hours) it was time to move to Domaine Chandon. We already felt an affinity with this place as there is one close to home.
It is a beautifully designed property, blending in with the landscape sympathetically. 3 tastes of sparkling wine cost $10 each. We continued nibbling our baguette and cheese on the bus on the way to Mario Andretti’s winery.
This was a little touch of Italy. A Tuscan inspired villa in ochre tones with cypress trees, baby redwoods and vines. When they change colour it must be a truly beautiful sight. Out tasting here ($10) was outside near the vines. Then we went to a new and small winery, The Black Stallion. Again, architecturally very interesting and a lovely outdoor eating area. This time the tasting fee was $5. In some places we were more than happy to share one tasting.
A lovely drive in the afternoon to Vallejo to catch the catamaran ferry back to SF while listening to John answer lots of questions and expound further on various wine related matters. Because it was offered as an option, we decided to get off the ferry at Fisherman’s Wharf and have one last trip up and down on the hills of the Hyde St cable car. Prior to that we watched the breadmaking demonstration at Boudin’s and had one of their clam chowders in the bread bowl. It had become quite chilly by now and we needed our windbreakers that we have been carrying around. SF is a ‘layering’ place.
The ride home was fantastic. We had a very lively grip man and I swear it felt like he let it all go down the steepest hills before grabbing the brake. Lots of squeals from passengers and tremendous fun!
Off at Union Square for a drink. We still find all the night shopping amazing – especially on a Sunday. Had a final visit to Lori’s diner again, nibbling half a sandwich at the bar. Brian had a cup of coffee which he pronounced shocking! Give me a café latte any time. Whereas dining out was once a big part of our lives, we are now more than happy to spend a day in a different city, get tired and just have something simple to eat.
Last walk home, a bit more pleasant out of the wind, to pick up our passports from reception and repack prior to the next exciting stage of our trip – New York.
San Francisco was a wonderful place to visit and we enjoyed it immensely – warm, friendly and vibrant – with lots of sirens!
Down to the Ferry Building by taxi at 8 am. The tour leader (John) said that it was the first real feel of fall – a bit crisp. Because of the Bridge to Bridge run, we toured through the city and saw even more areas we hadn’t seen before. It was an excellent way to recap previous information as well as see things from a different direction. Another bonus was driving through Pacific Heights to see all the stunning mansions; we really love the architecture in SF, especially the Victorian style. We even saw Mrs Doubtfire’s house.
Another drive over the GG Bridge led to another wonderful view over the marina at Sausalito, after yet another scenic photo opportunity of the city skyline. John gave some good Californian wine information on the drive.
Passing through the vineyards we were struck with how flat the appeared on top- as though they had been shorn. We live very close to the Yarra Valley wineries at home and are used to the waving arms of the vines. V.Sattui was our first stop and a lovely place. The deli is mind boggling in size and variety for a winery – 200 cheeses, fresh baked breads, salads, crab cakes, chicken breasts, salamis, dips etc. You are each given a $10 voucher to put towards your lunch purchase. Tasting costs $5 for 5 classic wines or $10 for 6 premium wines. We paid the $10 between us (it was only 11am!). We had our picnic lunch in the glorious sunshine of the garden area after the wine tasting. All too soon (after 1 and a half hours) it was time to move to Domaine Chandon. We already felt an affinity with this place as there is one close to home.
It is a beautifully designed property, blending in with the landscape sympathetically. 3 tastes of sparkling wine cost $10 each. We continued nibbling our baguette and cheese on the bus on the way to Mario Andretti’s winery.
This was a little touch of Italy. A Tuscan inspired villa in ochre tones with cypress trees, baby redwoods and vines. When they change colour it must be a truly beautiful sight. Out tasting here ($10) was outside near the vines. Then we went to a new and small winery, The Black Stallion. Again, architecturally very interesting and a lovely outdoor eating area. This time the tasting fee was $5. In some places we were more than happy to share one tasting.
A lovely drive in the afternoon to Vallejo to catch the catamaran ferry back to SF while listening to John answer lots of questions and expound further on various wine related matters. Because it was offered as an option, we decided to get off the ferry at Fisherman’s Wharf and have one last trip up and down on the hills of the Hyde St cable car. Prior to that we watched the breadmaking demonstration at Boudin’s and had one of their clam chowders in the bread bowl. It had become quite chilly by now and we needed our windbreakers that we have been carrying around. SF is a ‘layering’ place.
The ride home was fantastic. We had a very lively grip man and I swear it felt like he let it all go down the steepest hills before grabbing the brake. Lots of squeals from passengers and tremendous fun!
Off at Union Square for a drink. We still find all the night shopping amazing – especially on a Sunday. Had a final visit to Lori’s diner again, nibbling half a sandwich at the bar. Brian had a cup of coffee which he pronounced shocking! Give me a café latte any time. Whereas dining out was once a big part of our lives, we are now more than happy to spend a day in a different city, get tired and just have something simple to eat.
Last walk home, a bit more pleasant out of the wind, to pick up our passports from reception and repack prior to the next exciting stage of our trip – New York.
San Francisco was a wonderful place to visit and we enjoyed it immensely – warm, friendly and vibrant – with lots of sirens!
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Nov 19th, 2009 | 03:58 PM
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Just thought I would add some of our photos if anyone is interested...
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