A Life, Lived

Our Last Day of Vacation

Our original plan was to stay in the house until the 15th. What that meant however, is that on the 15th we'd need to wake up rather early in Sonoma, pack, leave the house, drive to SFO, fill the cars with gas, drop off the cars, make our way to the terminal, check in, go through security, all in time for our 11:45 flight to TO. The mere thought of it was giving mom palpitations.

To make the transition a bit easier we modified the house rental and ended the week on Tuesday.

This meant a liesurely morning packing, tidying up the house, etc. We left at 10:30.

We drove to San Francisco where we hoped to have a picnic in the Golden Gate Park or at the beach.

The beach was deserted. It was windy and the surf was crashing ashore. No picnic here.

Nonetheless, we wandered around.

Then we drove to Golden Gate Park.

We stopped and looked at the windmills.

Then we drove around until we found a spot to have our picnic. I confess that this drive was longer than necessary, not because we wanted to look at the beauty of the park (although that would have been a perfectly good reason), rather because I was looking for a spot where I would NOT have to parallel park! LOL

Finally we found a secluded spot for our lunch.

Lunch was really just the leftovers from the house - fruit veggies and dip, snacks, and turkey sandwiches. It doesn't sound like much but it was a feast!

When we were back in our cars we headed down to our hotel by the airport. When it came time to book this hotel mom gave me a budget of $ 100 - 150 dollars. I tried to tell her that the going rate for a hotel by the airport was $300. Nonetheless, $ 100 - 150 dollars it was to be. We were able to get rooms at a cheap hotel called the Citigarden for $ 125 a night. This was clearly a popular spot with others not wanting to break their trip budget on hotels. I will also say that it was much better than I expected. The area was perfect for an early morning flight from SFO.All of that aside, we wouldn't stay there again.

Once we were settled in we had to drop Rose's car off at the airport. I also discovered that there was a Sees Chocolates outlet nearby . . . surely I needed more chocolates!

We completed those errands and then just relaxed.

It was a far easier transition than what we had planned originally and I was glad to end the trip this way.

Heading to Sonoma

After too brief a stay in San Francisco it was time to head up to Sonoma for a week. We had decided to rent two cars to make travel easier - two of us and our luggage in each. This meant that we'd be able to head out and do separate things while we were in Sonoma as well. This ended up being a comedy of errors (comedy after the fact).

As we were heading to the hotel from the airport on our first day I mentioned to Rose that she should take her GPS out so it could find the satellites. This is when she informed us that she didn't have a GPS. The one she was going to borrow wasn't available nor did she tell us so we could borrow one. She was sure she'd be fine with mom navigating.

Mom is 73. Mom doesn't know the roads. Mom doesn't think really quickly on her feet. Mom had no maps. No one had planned out the routes. A navagational shit show.

When we picked up the cars Rose turned down the offer of a GPS for $ 80. She was fine with mom navigating and her following us.

We found out later that Mom's map was in her suitcase in the trunk.

You can guess where this is going . . . . *smile*

The car rental spot was right around the corner form the hotel so we drove through an alley, loaded up, and headed out. The plan was to go to the Ferry Terminal Market to pick up some provisions for the trek north. Of course OUR GPS went berserk. Finally I went a roundabout way to the market during which we lost Rose. I might have driven illegally for awhile in a bus only area but we ended up where we needed to be. LOL

SIGH

We were unable to contact her because she didn't have a US data plan for her phone. She was able to receive texts so Paul started texting her. Paul's plan was charging $ 2 a text. We sent a lot of texts during our trek north. ACK

Finally we all arrived at the market. We wandered around gathering the things we wanted/needed (or is that the same thing) for our week in Sonoma.

When we left we decided to go over the Golden Gate Bridge and stop at the viewing area. I drove VERY slowly through the city and Rose was able to follow along behind me.

So far, so good.

The next meeting place was In-N-Out in Santa Rosa for lunch.

We lost Rose on the way. Paul sent more texts letting her know where we were, what cut off to take, etc.

Lunch was amazing!

After lunch we planned on going to Trader Joes and BevMo for important provisions. We lost Rose again.  She stopped for directions and was directed to the second Trader Joes in Santa Rosa - we were at the other. LOL What a mess. However, if this is the extent of it then the rest of the trip should be fine.

Our shopping was done. The car loaded. We headed off to find them. Once we did we drove VERY, VERY, VERY,  slowly to the rental house.

I am really enjoying the house. It's situated right on the river bank and we are surrounded by redwood forest and the sounds of wildlife (and an overly eager rooster).

The house is in great shape for a rental. It's bigger than we needed but provides lots of room to spread out which is amazing. The best thing is the deck overlooking the river - I know we'll be spending lots of time out there!

Our Last Day in SF

On our last day in SF Paul and I set out early - we had things that we wanted to see before we left! We skipped a big breakfast - when your pants are getting snug 3 days into vacation you need a break - instead we picked up a yoghurt at Starbucks.

We had planned on an early morning cable car ride but when we got to the turnaround there was a huge line up. Hmmmm. Other than crazy Canadians who the hell wants to ride a cable car at 7 AM?

We decided to take the street car to Fishermen Wharf instead. Getting off at Pier 39 we discovered that the only time to visit Pier 39 and not be underwhelmed by the touristy crap is to visit it before anything is open. Instead it was almost civilized. We went and said 'hey' to the famous sea lions.

A dense fog was in - at times even Alcatraz was obliterated from view.

It wasn't long before we came upon Boudin bakery - probably the most well-known makers of sourdough bread. The smells were so good that we almost reversed our 'light' breakfast plan! Happily we managed to find some inner strength - we skipped the cafe and wandered around the gift shop.

I got a kick out of their seasonal sourdough:

When we got to the cable car line we were still full of energy so we kept walking. The Municipal Pier was nearby so we headed there. Normally there would have been amazing views of the Golden Gate bridge but with the dense fog all that we saw was a wall of bluish/grey.

Yup, in the midst of that fog is the iconic bridge.

There was a tiny line for the cable car. After about 15 minutes we were on our way - with amazing seats. I got a kick out of this little one who stood with her dad and waved at us as the cable car went by.

We got off at Union Square, popped into the hotel to drop things off. We laughed when we discovered that mom and Rose were just heading out. Apparently their plan is to sleep the vacation away.

Our next stop was Chinatown for Dim Sum. A few years ago when I was in San Francisco for a conference someone recommended a Dim Sum restaurant to me. I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to go back with Paul. The service is quick, the food good, and the price reasonable.

Yes, we had a Dim Sum feast!

Because we were on the border of the Financial District we decided to continue our walk to the Transamerica Pyramid. As soon the Transamerica Pyramid was built in 1972, the skyscraper's unique silhouette made it an iconic San Francisco landmark. Before its completion however many people were opposed to the construction of the tower - how typical . . . it seems to be the way with all modern architecture.

While many recognize this iconic structure (likely seen in movies since it seems to be a classic target for aliens *smile* ) not many people know that tucked behind it is a redwood grove: an intimate, half-acre redwood grove nestled between the skyscrapers of San Francisco’s Financial District.

Transplanted from the Santa Cruz Mountains 60 miles to the south, magnificent redwoods dominate the park designed by Tom Galli. A fountain designed by Anthony Guzzardo — its pond complete with jumping frog sculptures, in a fond remembrance of Mark Twain, who for a time lived and wrote on this site — lends the sound of running water to those who seek peaceful moments here. Ferns, boulders and a winding walkway add to the tranquility.

Also featured in the park are a Glenna Goodacre bronze sculpture of children at play, a bronze plaque honoring two dogs that legend would have it were Emperor Norton’s canine sidekicks, and benches and tables for business people and visitors taking a respite.

We had time for a short nap before we met Rose in the hotel bar for some happy hour drinks.

I had made dinner reservations at one of my favourite restaurants in the city - A16. The restaurant, which specializes in the cuisine of Campania, was a hit from an earlier visit (so much so that Nancy bought me the cookbook for Christmas). The narrow restaurant is always packed. And the food is consistently stellar, especially the pizzas and pastas.

It was Monday night so we were in for a treat - A16 serves meatballs once a week - on Mondays. These meatballs were originally created as a Monday special by the chefs at A16 restaurant in San Francisco as a way to use up scraps leftover from butchering whole animals. They pay deference to the rustic cooking of southern Italy, but have taken on a life of their own. We ordered these to share.

Paul and I split a fall-like salad (kale, farro, pine nuts, fennel) and it might just have been one of the best salads we have ever eaten. Yes, a kale salad. Paul is determined to try and perfect it at home.

We all ordered pizza for our mains. I decided to try the pizza special - it was described as a pizza envelope stuffed with ricotta, tomatoes, olives, and proscuitto. AMAZING!

Mom's Day in SF

Our second day in San Francisco was planned by mom.  She didn't plan on eating for some reason so we had to build that in. :-)

Mom and Rose breakfasted in the hotel restaurant. Paul and I walked to the Taylor Street Coffee Shop which is famous for their 'millionaire's bacon'. It was impressive to watch the staff working so efficiently in the space available. Food was both ample and good. I tried the famous bacon - baked with brown sugar and chili pepper - it was as amazing as you'd expect!

After breakfast we headed out on the bus to Golden Gate Park. The first thing that mom had selected to do was tour the De Young museum. I am always struck how when visiting the de Young Museum, one may travel to an assortment of distinct lands without having to step foot on an airplane. Thousands of artifacts and international talent are on display that paints a picture of worldwide proportions.

After wandering the collection we walked to the Japanese Tea Garden - the oldest such garden in the United States, created for the 1894 California Midwinter International Exposition as part of the fair’s Japanese Village exhibit. The garden’s lush, harmonious landscaping pays homage to the traditional Japanese art of the garden. Paths wind through its five acres of carefully chosen and manicured plants, including Japanese maples, towering stands of bamboo, an ancient wisteria, and cherry trees that put on a spectacular flowering display in March and April. Among the garden’s other trees and shrubs are pines, cedars, azaleas, magnolias, camellias, and a superb collection of bonsai and other intricately shaped plants.

Our next stop was the Academy of Sciences, home to an aquarium, planetarium, and natural history museum, is a groundbreaking research and educational institution. Devoted to studying and sharing the diversity of life on the planet, the Academy’s mission is to explore, explain, and protect the natural world. Its stunning home in Golden Gate Park, designed by architect Renzo Piano, combines innovative “green” architecture with inventive exhibits, including the four-story Rainforests of the World dome, the world’s largest all-digital planetarium, the Philippine Coral Reef, Water Planet, a “living” roof garden of native plants, podcasts, live penguin cams, and more.

We had lunch in the cafe and then wandered the exhibits.

Having filled up on art and science we headed back to the hotel. This proved more of an adventure than we had expected as the busses were backed to the gills with music festival goers and people returning from a day at the beach. There was another bus route 2 blocks away so we headed there, waited for the next bus, and zipped downtown.

When we got back to the hotel we had time to rest before we headed to the Slanted Door for dinner. On each visit to San Francisco, I never miss a meal at The Slanted Door. This is great and creative food. Don't miss the Dungeness Crab with silver noodles if it's on the menu. Ditto the shaking beef.

The Slanted Door, where classic Vietnamese food gets a modern rethinking by owner and chef Charles Phan, was named the nation's most outstanding restaurant Tuesday by the Beard Foundation.

Mom and Rose had never eaten Vietnamese food before. We decided to order a variety dishes and share them family style.

(cardomom cotton candy for dessert - MMMMM)

After dinner we enjoyed the new lighting on the Oakland Bay bridge. The Bay Lights is a site-specific monumental light sculpture and art installation on the western span of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, designed to commemorate the 75th anniversary of its opening. The installation by light artist Leo Villareal includes 25,000 individual white LEDs along 1.8 miles (2.9 km) of the cables on the north side of the suspension span of the bridge between Yerba Buena Island and San Francisco. The installation is controlled via a computer and displays changing patterns that are not meant to repeat.

A Foodie Day in San Francisco

Our first full day in the city was meant as a foodie day.

In my word there is high food (i.e. fancy and odd stuff) and low food (i.e. classic comfort foods that would never be written up in a food mag although Saveur recently featured a recipe with Velveeta but this has gone in an rambling, uncharted direction . . .). OK. Fancy and non-fancy.

We started off in an old-style diner across the street from the hotel. We had eaten there once before when the line up at the fancy place we wished to go to was just too long. The guy behind the grills is an elderly Greek gentleman, the waitress and quiet slavic woman . . . quiet until she is trying to explain the orders to the old Greek guy. I was amused at the communication techniques. We got huge servings of delicious breakfast foods + coffee for $23.

After breakfast we hopped on the street car to the Ferry Market Terminal which was bustling with crowds making their weekly purchases.

We didn't buy a ton of stuff because we plan on coming back on Tuesday before we head up to Sonoma.

The art market was set up across the Embarcadero from the market - we did do some shopping THERE! LOL

When we got back to the hotel we unpacked our purchases, rested for a bit, and then got ready to head out for Act II of Foodie Day in SF.

We had booked a food walking tour of the Mission District - an area we wanted to explore more on this trip. We headed out early to explore some of the areas of the Mission which would not be on the tour.

First up was Mission Dolores AKA Mission de Francesco Asis was founded June 29, 1776. The settlement was named for St. Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscan Order, but was also commonly known as "Mission Dolores" owing to the presence of a nearby creek named Arroyo de los Dolores, or "Creek of Sorrows.Mission Dolores is the oldest intact building in the City of San Francisco and the only intact Mission Chapel in the chain of 21 established under the direction of Father Serra.

The Mission has been a steadfast witness to the span of San Francisco's history including the California Gold Rush and the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. The Mission Cemetery is the only cemetery that remains within the City limits. The Cemetery is the final resting place for numerous Ohlone, Miwok, and other First Californians as well as notable California pioneers.

The Cemetery and Gardens of Mission Dolores are located adjacent to the Old Mission. The beautiful gardens have been restored and planted with traditional native trees, shrubs, flowers, and plants from the 1791 period.  The garden also contains an Ohlone Indian ethno-botanic garden and examples of Native American plants and artifacts

The next stop was at the nearby Bi-rite Creamery - the famous ice cream spot that many list as one of the foodie places to go to in SF. In fact, their salted caramel ice cream is on the list of things to eat before you die. . . I guess the grim reaper can hunt me down now.

This was the salted caramel and a scoop of coffee with toffee bits. Paul had the roasted banana. Both were amazing. After out ice cream lunch we headed to Mission street to find the spot where we were to meet our food tour.

We had no problem finding the meeting spot but not long after we arrived I received a text saying that the tour was cancelled because of the planned protest there Saturday afternoon. SHOOT

Paul decided we should wander over to Alamo Square to look at the painted ladies. What a walk! It damn near killed me.

One of the most photographed locations in San Francisco, Alamo Square's famous "postcard row" at Hayes and Steiner Streets is indeed a visual treat. A tight, escalating formation of Victorian houses is back-dropped by downtown skyscrapers, providing a stunning contrast. The grassy square itself is an ideal midday break. One of 11 historic districts designated by the Department of City Planning, the area includes several bed and breakfast inns. Many Victorian homes of the Queen Anne era have a few unique features: multiple balconies, large porches and are usually two-and-a-half to three-and-a-half stories tall.

I recovered from the bloody hike by laying on the grass in the park and falling asleep.

We grabbed a bus back to the hotel (the 3-day transit pass was a great purchase!) and napped before heading out to dinner.

Last week our friend Eden was posting on facebook about a dinner out she enjoyed in the Mission district at a Cuban restaurant called Cana. Paul decided that he wanted to go there. I made reservations on open table. Once Eden knew we were going she told us about a deal on Living Social for a food/drink coupon - we paid $45 and got $100 to spend on food and drink.

We were seated right by the band.

We wanted to make sure we spent all of the coupon (like that would be a problem!).

I had a mixed berry mojito.

Followed by THREE appetizers - a chorizo/potato flatbread, beef empanadas, and slow-roasted pork ribs with guava sauce.

Hard to believe it but we ordered main courses after this! I had the slow-roasted pork with yucca mash, Paul the shredded flank steak on smoked carrot puree.

Once again you'd be wrong to think we were done!

There was pumpkin cheesecake on the menu.

How could we refuse?

We rolled along the streets to the BART station downtown back to the hotel.

We Made It!

It would appear that we have arrived in San Francisco in time for a record breaking heat wave - thank goodness we tossed in a bunch of shorts at the last minute! I think we have been in SF about 8 times now for one reason or another and never experienced heat like this. That being said - we are not complaining - it beats rain and fog.

The flight was smooth - the only incident being mom snoring rather loudly. . . Paul now calls her 'Darth Vader'.

When we landed in SF we made our way through the new terminal (well, new to us). Our luggage arrived. I called the car we had pre-booked and it wasn't long until a black Escalade was whisking us into the city.

Our home until Tuesday is the Hotel Adagio - a 1929 property that has been turned into a boutique hotel by Marriott. It is a happy blend of old and new.

Mom and Rose rested while we wandered about Union Square.

Funnily, in the middle of the heatwave Nordstrom was shooting a Christmas ad!

Dinner that night was at a restaurant we have been to a few times - Colibri Mexican Bistro - it was as good as we remembered.

I was in the mood for a margarita . . .

or two! :-)

I ordered the mixed sopes for my appetizer - there were three - a chicken, beef, and vegetarian version.

My main course was chicken mole.

We decided to split the churros for dessert. It came with four and a ginormous scoop of dulce de leches ice cream - perfect for sharing.

After dinner we were all exhausted so we headed back to the hotel to crash!

We're Off!

Today's the day that we head off to San Francisco and Sonoma with my mom and sister in tow.

One of the things that we did to help plan the trip was identify 'our perfect day' for all of us.The idea was that we each planned one day that was full of the things which we wanted to do.

Mom was a bit confused about the concept - she planned things that she thought the rest of us might want to do. Paul, Rose, and I didn't suffer for the 'caring about others first' disease. Once we clarified things for her the plan changed.

Mom's day is Sunday.

We will sart by hoping a bus to Golden Gate Park where she has selected the de Young . . .

and the Academy of Sciences for visits.

After filling up on art and science she wants to wander the Janapese Tea Gardens.

She forgot that we might need to eat so Paul and I made reservations at the Slanted Door for dinner.

We've eaten there a number of times and love their modern take on Vietnamese food.

My day is next Wednesday.

We start with a longish drive to the di Rosa Art Preserve.

I have booked us on a 2 hour tour of the galleries and the garden.

Leaving di Rosa we'll head to Gundlach Bundschu winery. It's one of the first California wineries that we visited and we enjoy it more and more each time we return.

Following a wine tasting there  we'll head to Sonoma for a picnic in the plaza. It's a great spot to hang out and snack on sandwiches bought from the nearby Sonoma Cheese Factory.

Finally we will head to Ravenswood - one of my favourite wineries - for our second tasting of the day unless another happens to pop into the schedule at some unplanned moment).

The next special day on the schedule was planned by Paul.

We start the day at historic Fort Ross . . .

Followed by a casual lunch and beach wandering in Jenner.

After lunch the plan is to drive aong the coast to Bodega Bay.Yes, THAT Bodega Bay - famous for the location of the Birds.

There we'll do some more beach wandering and hopefully avoid being pecked by killer sea gulls!

Paul has said that the will cook a Mexican dinner back at the house although I suspect that will morph into 'visit the famous Guernville Taco Truck' by the time we are done wandering.

Rose's special day is planned for our second last day in Sonoma. We start back in the city of Sonoma itself with lunch at the Girl and the Fig.

The best thing is that she has declared brunch to be HER treat!

After brunch we'll do some Olive oil tasting and wine tasting.

She wanted a late afternoon picnic but we overruled her. Instead we will make our Thanksgiving Dinner when we get back to the rental house.

This is just 4 of the 12 days. I think that our trip will be a BLAST!

Travel Tuesdays . . . Our Fall Vacation Spot

I just booked our hotel for our fall vacation. Guess where?

Yes, 5 nights in San Francisco (I bet that last pic tipped you off . . .) before we head to Sonoma for a week in the Russian River Valley.

2014 Travel Plans

Things are shaping up for this to be a banner year for trips.

A big part of this is because of that pesky 50th birthday coming up in July - I'm not actually traveling FOR my birthday but for it - in other words, I shall celebrate throughout the year.

The celebration starts later today when I fly to Amsterdam and Berlin for big trip # 1. This was an impromptu thing - a colleague and I were bored at the back of a large meeting in May. I was bemoaning the fact that Paul gets limited vacation at Target. Nancy suggested we go somewhere together. We have traveled together often and have a blast.

Within two hours we were going to Amsterdam.

My second big trip comes at the end of June. I'm bringing Paul along on this one - and also two good friends. Paul and I will be showing them some of our favourite parts of Italy.

The plan is to fly into Florence and hang out there for three nights.

We'll pick up our rental cars and drive to Montisi our base for the next week. It will be a great spot to show our friends the beautiful crete senesi area of Tuscany.

After a week they fly home to Toronto leaving Paul and I a week to explore on our own. Paulwanted to visit Verona so we'll hang out there for a few nights before ending up in Venice.

The final big trip will be in October. Paul and I will travel with my mom and sister to California. We are somewhat recreating a trip we did in 2005. We'll fly into San Francisco, hang there for a bit, and then head to Sonoma for a week of wine country frolicking!

I think by the time we're done I'll be exhausted . . . a perfect thing to have happen as a result of adventure, laughter, and good times. What a great 50th birthday present.

Travel Tuesdays

I'm still digging through those old photos I've discovered tucked away on CDs so while Sandi is relaxing on Malta I'm 'heading' to California . . . if only in photos.

We flew into San Francisco where we stayed for a quick visit prior to heading up to Sonoma where we rented a lovely house in the middle of the redwoods. We wandered about visiting wineries in Napa and Sonoma, did some shopping, hiking, went on an art studio tour, and enjoyed a cooking class at the famous Ramekins where we learned to make authentic Thai foods. After that FULL week we headed slowly back down the coast for a final day or two in San Francisco before heading back home to reality.

Be sure to pop on over to Sandi's blog to see what else is happening on Travel Tuesdays!