The City by the Bay, as Steve Perry, from Journey, sings (and now I must admit to my Journey addiction--the one that makes my kids' eyes roll way back in their heads...but more about that later )...it is a spectacular place, and one so close to my heart, (and yes, I leave my heart in San Francisco every time I'm there--thank you, Mr. Tony Bennett :)
Any chance I get to visit is another exciting adventure for me, as I always discover more to love about this place! From Telegraph Hill, to the Mission District, zig-zagging down crooked Lombard Street, and beyond, to Pier 39 and Ferry Building........Dining in China Town for dim sum, or Pier Market for fresh clam chowder......or maybe Boudin's, for the best Sourdough Bread in the world, or.., or,....so much to see and do, it's hard to pick. And then, there is Ghirardelli's!!! (remember, I AM a chocoholic, after all, so chocolate is always on my list :)
There are world class hotels all around, and, as I discovered on my last visit--quaint boutique hotels! This was new for me, but I must admit....I like this idea. We stayed at the Prohibition era built, (1928) and quite elegant, Sir Frances Drake hotel. You are greeted at the front entrance by a very dapper, Beefeater doorman, all decked out in his finest red uniform and black hat, (Hi Eddie!!) and then step inside, and up the grand staircase to the reception area, for a quick check in, with the very friendly staff. Kimpton Hotels has renovated this beauty, and added so much charm, that you feel almost as if you are staying at a bed and breakfast, instead of a large hotel....the French Provencal decor was a subtle nod to the old days, and even though our room was on the smaller size, it was quite cozy and comfortable....well, for me, anyway...my room mate, Kelsey, had a little issue with getting her 6'2" legs all tangled up in a tiny hole in her sheets, which made for much morning laughter between the two of us, as she tried to wrangle out of the bedding, but she ended up working things out with the staff to take care of her problem. And, YES, you heard me right....the girl is 6'2', and a beast on the dance floor of the Starlight Room on the 21st floor, as we all discovered one night! Go Kelsey!!!! The Kimpton people know how to do it right!!!! Their customer service policy is out of this world, and they strive to make every visit a memorable one. (Thank you for the champagne and strawberries, and the animal print robes, Kimpton!) I will most definitely return......but please make sure Kelsey's bedding is in better shape, next time) LOL!!!
For those outdoor folks, there is plenty to do....head down to the bay, and start your morning with the world famous Irish Coffee, at the Buena Vista Cafe, fly kites down along the bay, ride bikes across the Golden Gate Bridge--maybe even stop in Sausalito for lunch afterwards, charter a boat for a ride over to Alcatraz, or do a walking tour of the Golden Gate Park (make sure you stop at the delightful, Japanese Tea Garden!) And of course, if you're into sports, there are several professional teams in San Francisco for you to enjoy (Go 49'ers!!---we were there the night they beat the Saints in their playoff game--crazy, pandemonium broke out--partying in the streets until the wee hours of the morning!) It was quite entertaining ;)
The "Drake" is located in Union Square, close to lots of restaurants and shopping. While we never had dinner at the hotel, due to the fact that we were out and about in the evenings, we did have breakfast, one morning, in their Scala's Bistro, and it was quite excellent! We ventured out for breakfast the next two days, and discovered Sears Fine Food, which is famous for their plate of 18 little Swedish pancakes, with Lingonberry sauce, and Lori's Diner, a cute-retro-50's style place with the red leather barstools and chrome counters that you would expect. Now, I must say, I am a bit (??) quirky, (imagine that!), and whenever I try a new diner for breakfast, I judge them by how good their corned beef hash is! Crazy, I know, but I just expect corned beef hash in a diner--that's how it should be....and in this instance, Lori's beat Sears in my corned beef competition.....but the little Swedish pancakes at Sears were a good runner up option...so we will call it a tie, this time :)
The Powell Line Cable Car , (don't dare call them Trolleys or the locals will flog you) ran right outside our hotel, so we all hopped on, one afternoon, after a long day of walking the convention halls at The Fancy Food Show, and headed down to the Bay area, Pier 39 to be exact, in search of our favorite seafood place, Pier Market, for some of their awesome clam chowder. As always, it was excellent, and after dinner, we strolled around the pier, shopping for souvenirs, and looking out over the boats docked in the harbor, as the evening sun was setting, just beyond the Golden Gate Bridge......a delightful evening....
Another night, after the show, we headed over to Ghirardelli Square, for a private cocktail reception given by the wonderful Ghirardelli folks, for select clients (don't we feel special?).....let me tell you, these people know how to throw a party! Lots of food, cocktails, and to top it off....we were all encouraged to head over to the ice cream counter, where the servers made us anything we wanted! All of us chose the most gi-normous, Hot Fudge Sundaes you could ever imagine!!! Remember.....I am a chocoholic, and this IS chocolate heaven, after all! What's a girl to do??? right??? But did I stop there?? Oh no.......one of the counter attendees saw me gazing at the brownie case, and immediately loaded up a box with several of them, and handed those fudgey bricks of yumminess to me!!!.....again--chocolate----was I supposed to hurt his feelings, and turn them down??? Oh no.....that would never do!!! LOL!!!! Ghirardelli Square is open to the public, and if you get a chance to visit, please do....and try the Sundaes! (And Brownies!!) Trust me, they are worth all the calories...
While there is no way to cover all the exciting activities in San Francisco, I wanted to share a few of my favorites with you. Hopefully, this will stir enough interest to make you want to schedule a trip out there soon, and hey, if you need a guide, I'm always available :) You just have to promise to take me back to Ghirardelli's!!! ;)
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