The Peacock's Feather

More of what I did on my Summer vacation . . . (part 2)

Ready for part two?  Sorry, I meant to post this ages ago but got busy all of a sudden.  Just a few more photos, I promise.  It's nice to have them to bring back fond memories of my time in San Francisco.  This is the Bay side of the city.  It was pretty brisk there--around 55-60F (12.7-15.5C) while I was there, which is about ten degrees cooler than normal according to the weather forecast.  Most days were pretty sunny, but a couple were foggy and overcast (some days clearing in the afternoon and some days not).  The view is from Fisherman's Wharf looking out at the Bay Bridge.  I could never tire of a view like this!

Outside the city, however, it was sunny and warm--around 80F (26.6C).  We spent a day in Napa Valley visiting four different wineries.  This is the V. Sattui Winery.  It is very beautiful in the valley, but again my photos don't do the view justice.  V. Sattui, by the way, had the most delicious deli! 

There were acres and acres of grapes growing all over the valley.  It was interesting learning about how wine is made and the differences between the varieties.  The drive up was beautiful and felt very European at times!

Muir Woods was really amazing.  It was another highlight of my time in California.  I have always wanted to see the Redwoods, and while there are even larger and older trees than these, I found Muir to be pretty spectacular. 

We didn't have a car, so we went on a small tour with a Sierra guide, Tom Martell.  He only takes six people into the park at a time.  We arrived early, just as the park was opening and well in advance of the crowds.  We went on a hike through part of the park, off the beaten track by the way, that lasted nearly three hours.  It was a great experience.  We saw very few tourists as we were walking through the forest.  It was only at the end when we got back on the main trails that the crowds began to materialize.  It was a really great experience--such peacefulness there. 

And then back to the hustle and bustle of the city.  I loved Chinatown, which is such a unique and busy place.  We ate dim sum, which was a new experience for me (and a tasty one, too).  Have you had it before?  Waitresses push around these carts of bite-sized portions of traditional Chinese food.  You point to the things you want to try.  I'm not entirely sure what I ate, but one of my favorites was red bean paste sesame balls.   

Of course we had to check out the famous Painted Ladies.  They sit right across from a lovely little park.  Imagine living in one of those! 

We did a little window shopping in the downtown area around Union Square, where they seemed to have every store imaginable (including Ghirardelli--had to bring back chocolates for my coworkers...and maybe save back a square or two of chocolate for myself).

You already saw my bookish finds from City Lights Books.  It sits in a really cool area called North Beach, where we spent lots of time walking and eating (great restaurants there).

Our last night was spent at Alcatraz, where there is yet another stunning view of the San Francisco skyline.  It's an interesting place to visit, but I wouldn't want to be left on the Island alone at night!  The birds that live there (do you see the little guy sitting on the wall?) are all protected as this is a bird sanctuary--they greeted us loudly as we disembarked from the ferry.

All in all this was a great vacation.  I saw and did lots.  Ate lots of great meals, and visited some very cool places (and I didn't even get around to telling you about the museums!).  I can't wait to go back.  For my next trip, however, I'm thinking of traveling to the east coast for something a little different.  Now it's back to saving.

I do have some updates to share on my needlework projects--photos to follow this week!

What I did on my summer vacation . . . (Part 1)

I think I mentioned that I was going to San Francisco?  I Loved it there!  I took loads of photos, but I promise I am not going to bombard you with holiday shots.  I'll try and choose a few highlights.  San Francisco is such a picturesque place that I could take endless photos and would never tire of it.  I only wish I had taken more pictures of the neighborhood where we stayed (I guess that means I really must go back, right?).  We rented a studio apartment in the Castro neighborhood (really it was right in between Castro and Mission Districts).  It was a lovely place, so I have to share what it looked like inside.  There was also a kitchen and small bath as well as a private hallway. 

After we dropped off our luggage and settled in a bit we headed for Ocean Beach--the Pacific side of San Francisco to visit the beautiful coast.  It was sunny but a little on the brisk side.  Isn't it gorgeous?  And I know my photo doesn't even do it justice. 

It's so pretty let me share another shot of it.  We ate at the Cliff House restaurant, which is perched on the hillside.  Look at the misty hillside in the distance--it was breathtaking.  The Cliff House sits above the former Sutro Baths.  They are just ruins now--you can see just a little edge on the lower right corner.  By the time we finished eating it was a little too cool to make the trek down to the ruins, but they were interesting to look at from above.  As cool as it was, there were people out surfing (in wet suits of course).  That's dedication.  I am pleased to say that we had no trouble getting around the city using the excellent Muni.  As someone who walks a lot and doesn't own a car, San Francisco is a dream city for me!  

The Japanese Tea Garden in the Golden Gate Park was really pretty.  Lots of tourists there, but if you could find a nice quiet corner, quite peaceful as well.  It's amazing to think of such a quiet green space in the heart of such a big and bustling city.

And it's a city with lots and lots of hills.  I'm told that the steepest hills have steps (but I climbed a few hills that didn't have steps that my calves assured me were pretty vertical!). 

I'm not joking about those hills.  We climbed up to the Coit Tower, down the hill and up to the other side to get to Lombard Street. 

Every step was worth it, though, to get a view like this!  There were some really amazing views out over the city.  That's the Bay Bridge in the far distance.

Just to give you a little perspective.  Remember how I mentioned Coit Tower?  There it is in the distance.  We walked from there to here (just around the corner from Lombard Street--the twisty street) in one afternoon. 

It's a good thing we did all that walking, as we also did a lot of eating!  Do you see those two big, hungry bites out of that pizza.  It had mushrooms and ricotta cheese--yum.  Everything we ate in San Francisco was delicious!

And the desserts weren't bad either!  This is Miette Patisserie in the Ferry Building on Fisherman's wharf.  I can assure you the macarons are quite tasty. 

A few more photos to follow in the next day or so, and then I think I might have a few updates to share with my needlework as well!