San Francisco, November 2009

Alaska Airlines had an awesome special- $49 each way to San Francisco so we decided to take as quick trip. Just 2 nights, but still a chance to get away. We booked the Wharf. We flew down on Thurs afternoon the 12th arriving about 2pm. They were able to give us our room so we got that taken care of then headed down to the wharf. The weather was really nice, didn’t even need a jacket. We walked down to Pier 39 and looked around at the shops and watched all the seals on the docks.We were told they would be closing off the area in a couple of months so there would not be anymore seals in the future. It’s fun to watch so I’m sure there will be some people that will miss it, us included.
Later we took a walk back to Fisherman’s Wharf. They have a new museum which is an old fashioned penny arcade. It had all kinds of old, mechanical machines that are still in working order. It was fun to take some quarters and play them. There was one that was hilarious with a lady that was laughing hysterically- it got everyone around laughing too. Around 5pm we met up with one of Doug's business clients at Hooter's. We had a bite to eat with him and talked business for awhile, then we left to walk around. As we were walking we were given tickets to a free comedy club right at the pier so we went to it. It was a place for stand-ups to practice and get a start. Some were funny, but nothing spectacular. I guess you can’t expect much for free. After the show we walked back to the hotel and sat in the lounge for awhile. We had been given a gift certificate for drinks and appetizers so we each ordered a drink and got plate of different things to try. We enjoyed relaxing, and unwinding. On Friday we rode the cable car up to Union Square, and from there we took a bus to Golden Gate Park. Once we got there we walked over to the California Academy of Sciences, which was new since the last time we were here. It had wonderful exhibits and we were there a couple hours checking it out. There is a planetarium, aquarium, natural museum of history and a 3D theatre. After we got back we walked down to the waterfront again and ate dinner at Nicks and had dinner. We’ve been there before and it was good, and we enjoyed it again this time. Afterward we went to Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum. It had been years since I’d been there so it was fun to see all the things they have added or changed. There are a lot of not-so-believable things, but it’s still fun to see what people come up with. In the morning we had time for a quick breakfast, then checked out and headed to the airport. Another quick trip – but definitely fun and a chance to get away from hustle and bustle, and rainy Seattle.

For more pictures, click below.

San Francisco, October 2007

This year Doug’s annual conference is in San Francisco. We flew down on Wednesday October 3rd. We stayed at the Radisson close to the wharf. Once Doug checked in for his conference we headed out to take a walk. We walked down to the wharf and it happened that there was an airshow going on. There were a lot of people. The weather was warm. We walked down to Pier 39 where there are lots of shops and restaurants. There is a place where you can look down and see all of the sea lions on the floating docks. Later we walked back to Fisherman’s Wharf to eat dinner at Nicks. On Thursday while Doug was at his conference I took a city tour on the Hop On / Hop Off double-decker bus. I saw several areas of the city including Ghirardelli Square, Chinatown, Little Italy , Union Square, the Wharf, and Golden Gate Park. I got off at the park and visited the De Young Museum which has a sculpture exhibit outside as well as the inside exhibits. That evening we walked over to North Beach and ate at the Stinking Rose . It is a fun restaurant with a lot of character. Hope you like garlic! On Friday while Doug was at his conference during the day I went up to Union Square to check out the shops. I spent time at the hotel and down at the fisherman’s wharf. That evening we went out with several people from the conference to a great Italian restaurant Fior d’Italia with a rich history in Little Italy. After dinner we took a tour of the city and stopped at Golden Gate Bridge. On Saturday we headed home. It was a quick trip but it was a good time and great to take a break from work.

To see more pictures, click below

San Francisco, Sonoma , Napa with my sisters - May 2003

So, it was about time that I got together with my sisters and spend some quality time. Even though Carol lives close in proximity, we are both busy with our jobs, families, etc and don’t get together as often as we like. And Ruth is in Minneapolis, and though we saw each other quite a few times a few years ago when Mom was sick, we haven’t had time do get some real, sister to sister time together. In 1994 we had gone to Puerto Vallarta, and in 1996 we had gone to Reno, but we needed this time together and we wanted to pick somewhere to go and relax. Carol first mentioned San Francisco and as we talked Ruth mentioned Sonoma/Napa. Amy had gotten married in Napa Valley in 2000 and Ruth had really enjoyed the area. It sounded good to me, although I am not a wine drinker, just the beauty of the area, and a chance to be with my sisters was something to look forward to. We arrived in San Francisco and got our car and headed toward Sonoma. It was a beautiful drive and we enjoyed stopping at Sausalito and exploring the shops for awhile. Once we arrived in Sonoma we headed toward our hotel, the Lodge at Sonoma Resort and Spa . The Lodge is beautiful with several different rooms available. We had reserved a cottage for the 3 of us, however once we checked in they indicated there was a mistake and our cottage was not available. After much negotiating, and apologizing on their part, we accepted a room with 2 queen beds, ordered a cot, and they reduced the price of the room and gave us a bottle of wine. One of the days we spent at the Spa. We each had a treatment which included the day use of the facility, so we enjoyed resting by the pools, having drinks and just enjoying each other’s company. On another day we hired a guide and did a walking tour of the Sonoma area. He met us at the City Park and took us to City Hall and all around the area giving us the history as we walked. I have done this before in other cities, and it is fun and informative. Most of the time it is with a group of people, but this time it was just the 3 of us with our guide. When we were done with the tour we went to lunch in downtown Sonoma, and went to a cheese factory that he had pointed out on our walk. The 3rd day we spent visiting the wineries. Although I don’t drink wine I enjoyed each and every one! They all have something unique to offer and it was fun to learn about their processes, and to visit their gift shops, talk to the proprietors and other tourists. As we headed back to San Francisco we got caught in the rush hour traffic, on the busy freeway, with lanes merging in from all directions. Carol was driving and suddenly the traffic came to a dead stop. To avoid hitting the car in front, and also seeing the car behind bearing down on us, Carol swerved briefly into the other lane and side swiped a truck, scraping our passenger side and tearing off the mirror of our rental car. We were all pretty shook up, as we pulled over. The truck driver also pulled over, but was antsy to go. His truck didn’t have damage, but we felt we needed to call the highway patrol. After waiting for over an hour for them to respond we decided to just head to the rental agency in San Francisco and turn it in. We were spending one more night, this time in San Francisco so we didn’t need the car anyway. We turned it in, gave them all the information and took a cab to our hotel, the St. Francis Westin. For our last day of our adventure we explored the City of San Francisco. We had been there before, but it was fun to go again, and take in some new things. We went to the shopping district, checked out the Neiman Marcus and some of the other big stores. We made our way to Union Square then down to the Wharf and Pier 39. We went over to Chinatown and to the North Beach area and checked out some of the shops in the area. San Francisco is a beautiful city, and of course I will be back again someday. The following morning Ruth met up with her hubby Earl who had flown in to meet us. They got a car so they drove Carol and me to the airport, and they headed back to San Francisco to spend a few more days, then on to see their kids in Colorado, before heading home. Another fun trip- except the minor fender bender. And don’t believe it when the rental company tries to talk you into the extra insurance. My own insurance paid all but the $500 deductable, and my Visa picked up that cost as a benefit for premium members. So all and all, we had a wonderful time and will look forward to more sister trips to come.

To see more pictures from this trip, click below