Trip Report, Part II (long)
Jun 8th, 2005, 11:27 AM
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Trip Report, Part II (long)
In San Francisco for Monday and Tuesday nights, stayed at the Chancellor Hotel. It was a great price, $140/night including valet parking, which we needed since we still had our rental car with us, and would need it for Wednesday. We liked the Chancellor very much: fresh fruit, cookies, coffee and tea 24/7, a pillow menu!, and helpful staff. Union Sq. was a very convenient location from which to walk everywhere, and take both cable car and BART.
We arrived mid afternoon, and went to Golden Gate Park. Luckily the sun came out for us (it had been a very cloudy morning) so we enjoyed walking around. Then walked over to Amoeba Records on Haight...an institution, apparently, and a great cd place!! And walked up Haight a bit, just to experience the neighborhood. My stepbrother and his partner then met us and took us to a Thai restaurant in the lower Haight...if someone wants me to get the name of it from him, I will, as it was good - just can't remember! They were then kind enough to drive us around a bit, so got to drive down Lombard St. at night, see views of the bridge, etc.
Next day walked from our hotel to Chinatown, and thank you so much to all the posters who suggested walking the block over to Stockton to walk thru, instead of staying on Grant...really made a difference! Stopped at a bakery where we just pointed to things that it looked like everyone else was buying (no-one was speaking English)...yum! And went in and out of a few alleyways as we made our way over to the Ferry Building on Emarcadero to check out the Farmers' Market. Many people don't seem to realize that it's there Tues. am's as well as Sat. -I am a farm market nut so I'd done my research on that one!
Enjoyed the farmer's market and then ambled to SBC Park, which my husband wanted to see although we were not seeing a game there. Then back to the Ferry Building to have lunch at the much recommended Slanted Door...I thought it was good but not worth the raves.
Then as the drizzle started we hopped on a trolley bus toward the FW area...took one look out the window and knew it was not for us, so skipped it completely except we did feel compelled to get off the bus to have a sundae at Ghiradelli Square
Then we walked to Cow Hollow/Union St. and enjoyed walking around a bit, before putting our tired bodies in a cab to get all of 15 minutes rest before heading back out to take BART to Oakland. Had to watch the Red Sox play the A's ...lucky for us, the Sox won that night despite losing the night before and the night after. We were astonished at how many other Red Sox fans there were, 3000 miles away from the heart of Red Sox nation! I even got a close up pic of Johnny Damon, not something I'm ever close enough to do at Fenway!
When we got back to Union Square at @ 11 pm, as we hadn't yet taken a cable car ride and there was no line, we decided to hop aboard just to ride it and come right back! Very fun, and for one part of the ride there was no-one on it but us! And a good thing we did that, as the next morning it was pouring out
We headed out to wine country in the rain. Drove up 29, stopping at Mondavi for a tour and also stopping at Sattui (where I must say, as one who never likes rose, loved their Gamay Rouge rose), then heading to our inn in Calistoga (Meadowlark - no, not the Meadowwood REsort, but a very nice place with gourmet breakfasts!).
The next day after the yummy breakfast we did the interesting tour at Schramsberg right in Calistoga. Then drove out Petrified Forest Rd. over to Rt. 12 in Sonoma, and went to the Benziger Winery (I like because of its commitment to biodynamic/organic methods), and Ravenswood. Enjoyed all!
Then headed up the Siverado Trail to get back to Calistoga via different route...how very, very beautiful. I somehow was surprised by it, I don't know why.
Had a great dinner at Bistro Jeanty in Yountsville.
We wished we had more time and could do all the other beautiful places recommended to us, esp. Russian River Valley area, Dry Creek, etc. but we already felt we were packing in more than we really had time for, more than we usually like to do on one trip.
When we left wine country Fri. to head back to the city, we did get to stop at Muir Woods, which we enjoyed, and got to go the places StuDudley recommended for taking our GG Bridge pictures! Such beautiful views...and also then accidentally drove out to a beach, not sure of the name, with huge (at least to us) surf, lovely to see.
Finally back to the city to meet my stepbrother and his partner again, to see BBB. This time stayed at the Royal Pacific, on the border of Chinatown/North Beach. (Excellent location and price, but we were very glad we'd been tipped off to ask for a back room...right on the street would have been too noisy. As it was it was perfectly clean and a great deal for the 7 hours we'd be there). So walked a couple blocks to have dinner in North Beach and see the show...fun!
Had to catch a plane back to Connecticut the next morning. We agreed that this was a fun, enjoyable trip with lots of spectacular views and interesting places, but was not a restful type of vacation. There are many, many places to go back to someday to spend more time, and many others to get to for a first time (Russian River Valley, Mendocino, etc.)
And yet, we'll probably head to other places first, so we'll have to hope for long lives.
Thanks again to all!
We arrived mid afternoon, and went to Golden Gate Park. Luckily the sun came out for us (it had been a very cloudy morning) so we enjoyed walking around. Then walked over to Amoeba Records on Haight...an institution, apparently, and a great cd place!! And walked up Haight a bit, just to experience the neighborhood. My stepbrother and his partner then met us and took us to a Thai restaurant in the lower Haight...if someone wants me to get the name of it from him, I will, as it was good - just can't remember! They were then kind enough to drive us around a bit, so got to drive down Lombard St. at night, see views of the bridge, etc.
Next day walked from our hotel to Chinatown, and thank you so much to all the posters who suggested walking the block over to Stockton to walk thru, instead of staying on Grant...really made a difference! Stopped at a bakery where we just pointed to things that it looked like everyone else was buying (no-one was speaking English)...yum! And went in and out of a few alleyways as we made our way over to the Ferry Building on Emarcadero to check out the Farmers' Market. Many people don't seem to realize that it's there Tues. am's as well as Sat. -I am a farm market nut so I'd done my research on that one!
Enjoyed the farmer's market and then ambled to SBC Park, which my husband wanted to see although we were not seeing a game there. Then back to the Ferry Building to have lunch at the much recommended Slanted Door...I thought it was good but not worth the raves.
Then as the drizzle started we hopped on a trolley bus toward the FW area...took one look out the window and knew it was not for us, so skipped it completely except we did feel compelled to get off the bus to have a sundae at Ghiradelli Square
Then we walked to Cow Hollow/Union St. and enjoyed walking around a bit, before putting our tired bodies in a cab to get all of 15 minutes rest before heading back out to take BART to Oakland. Had to watch the Red Sox play the A's ...lucky for us, the Sox won that night despite losing the night before and the night after. We were astonished at how many other Red Sox fans there were, 3000 miles away from the heart of Red Sox nation! I even got a close up pic of Johnny Damon, not something I'm ever close enough to do at Fenway!When we got back to Union Square at @ 11 pm, as we hadn't yet taken a cable car ride and there was no line, we decided to hop aboard just to ride it and come right back! Very fun, and for one part of the ride there was no-one on it but us! And a good thing we did that, as the next morning it was pouring out
We headed out to wine country in the rain. Drove up 29, stopping at Mondavi for a tour and also stopping at Sattui (where I must say, as one who never likes rose, loved their Gamay Rouge rose), then heading to our inn in Calistoga (Meadowlark - no, not the Meadowwood REsort, but a very nice place with gourmet breakfasts!).
The next day after the yummy breakfast we did the interesting tour at Schramsberg right in Calistoga. Then drove out Petrified Forest Rd. over to Rt. 12 in Sonoma, and went to the Benziger Winery (I like because of its commitment to biodynamic/organic methods), and Ravenswood. Enjoyed all!
Then headed up the Siverado Trail to get back to Calistoga via different route...how very, very beautiful. I somehow was surprised by it, I don't know why.
Had a great dinner at Bistro Jeanty in Yountsville.
We wished we had more time and could do all the other beautiful places recommended to us, esp. Russian River Valley area, Dry Creek, etc. but we already felt we were packing in more than we really had time for, more than we usually like to do on one trip.
When we left wine country Fri. to head back to the city, we did get to stop at Muir Woods, which we enjoyed, and got to go the places StuDudley recommended for taking our GG Bridge pictures! Such beautiful views...and also then accidentally drove out to a beach, not sure of the name, with huge (at least to us) surf, lovely to see.
Finally back to the city to meet my stepbrother and his partner again, to see BBB. This time stayed at the Royal Pacific, on the border of Chinatown/North Beach. (Excellent location and price, but we were very glad we'd been tipped off to ask for a back room...right on the street would have been too noisy. As it was it was perfectly clean and a great deal for the 7 hours we'd be there). So walked a couple blocks to have dinner in North Beach and see the show...fun!
Had to catch a plane back to Connecticut the next morning. We agreed that this was a fun, enjoyable trip with lots of spectacular views and interesting places, but was not a restful type of vacation. There are many, many places to go back to someday to spend more time, and many others to get to for a first time (Russian River Valley, Mendocino, etc.)
And yet, we'll probably head to other places first, so we'll have to hope for long lives.
Thanks again to all!
Jun 8th, 2005, 11:33 AM
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Thank you for posting this.
I am looking forward to visiting San Francisco with my husband after a very long time away. We are moving to the West Coast so I think we will be able to go visit quite often, I hope!
I will keep your report to make my own lists with
I am looking forward to visiting San Francisco with my husband after a very long time away. We are moving to the West Coast so I think we will be able to go visit quite often, I hope!
I will keep your report to make my own lists with
Jun 10th, 2005, 06:08 AM
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Thanks for replying, Scarlett...otherwise it would feel like it had been a complete waste of time to post the reports! Hope something in there ends up being of help to you, and have a great trip and also a good move.
Jun 10th, 2005, 08:39 AM
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I also thank you for your report--and I live very near SF! These reports are great resources for those who will be visiting your destinations, or who have family or friends coming to visit, and I greatly enjoy getting each reporter's personal views and recommendations. Never fear that your time or energy in making these reports has gone to waste.
Jun 10th, 2005, 04:15 PM
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laura, I agree, never feel like you wasted your time writing a trip report. They are helpful to so many people ~
I was just looking at the Kimpton Hotels in SF, since we like the Kimpton Hotel in Portland (5th Ave Suites) Such nice hotels!
I was just looking at the Kimpton Hotels in SF, since we like the Kimpton Hotel in Portland (5th Ave Suites) Such nice hotels!
