We stayed in the Financial District near Union Square, so it was super easy to hop on any of the public transportation systems--which we used the entire time we were there! These guys did not ride in a cab at any point on our trip--hello thrifty travelers! We were pretty much locals by the time we left (alright maybe not).
The first full day we were there we went to the Haight-Ashbury area--famous for the Free Love, Hippie, Flowers in your Hair, Jerry Garcia mentality of yesteryear. We went a little too early in the morning for many of the hippies to be out and about, however one hippie was up and was kind enough to offer us some pot--we graciously declined (10am is a little too early to be toking, if you ask me). While in The Haight, we did take in some of the sights:
Jerry Garcia's house
A rainbow
After ducking into a cafe to warm up with some coffee (and let the rain pass us by and leave us with a rainbow), we headed into the Golden Gate Park. Let me interrupt this post really quick to let you all know that Hubby and I hoofed it all around San Fran--we walked and walked and walked until our feet were about to drop! But we had a great time doing it!
Anyway, on to the park--I got some cool pics of the flora and fauna, and the of the buildings, too. What a great park to have in your city and be able to explore, run through, and enjoy on a regular basis!
Lots of cool trees
The Conservatory of Flowers--we were going to go in and enjoy the flowers--but it was closed!
So I snapped a pic through the window!
These were taken throughout the park.
After exploring the park, we caught the bus (we became quite expert with MUNI (San Francisco's public transportation system) over to Alamo Square.
Well--this picture is at the bus stop--love these row houses!
Here is Alamo Square
You might recognize this from the Full House opening sequence
Also known as "The Painted Ladies"
View from the Square
Golden Gate Bridge from the Square
After getting my fill of reliving so many childhood memories with Stephanie, DJ, Michelle, Joey, Danny, and Uncle Jesse, we hopped on the bus to explore Chinatown.
Love the lanterns and flags.
We are lunch--I had spicy tofu with ground pork and a Chinese beer--it was yummo!
Greg got his haircut in Chinatown--not bad for $8
(I told him he got taken, because the place next door was only charging $5)
Love the open markets.
Ginseng anyone?
Or perhaps a chicken in a window?
After out feet had stopped asking politely and started screaming profanity at us, we hopped a bus back to the hotel where we rested and relaxed until dinner!
Another wonderful part of San Francisco is the food! You can NOT eat a bad meal! If you are foodie, which I aspire to be, San Francisco does not disappoint!
Before dinner, I met up with a friend from college I hadn't seen in years! It was so great to Kate and catch up on everything that has happened--moves, marriage, kids, jobs!
I hope it isn't another decade before we see each other again!
Fettuccine with Prosciutto, Mushrooms, and Tomatoes
Linguine with Sausage and Peppers
YUMMO!
After we were sufficiently gorged and tired, we went back to the hotel to rest up for Day 2--Alcatraz!
We started the day on a streetcar, that we took from our hotel over to North Beach where we had breakfast at a local coffee shop.
Crazy streets
Right up the street from the coffee shop was the famous Lombard Street!
After filling our gullets, we made our way over to the Pier area and found our ferry over to Alcatraz!
We had an awesome time at Alcatraz--it is a beautiful (and creepy) place! We had a self-guided audio tour that took us all over the prison and then we explored the grounds around Alcatraz, too. The ferry over and back also provided some pretty amazing views of the city and surrounding areas!
Coit Tower
Alcatraz
Cityscape from the Ferry
Golden Gate Bridge
Alcatraz when you first get off the boat.
The Recreation Yard
Watch Tower
They had to stop using Alcatraz because it was so difficult to maintain--you can see how the harsh winds and sea air can cause major damage to buildings.
View of San Francisco from Alcatraz
The grounds around the prison were beautiful.
After the fun we had around Alcatraz, it was time for some touristy fun on the Pier.
Christmas time!!
We had to say hello to the Sea Lions--they were too busy napping to say "hi" back.
Greg was killing it at "Deal or No Deal"
(He gave his tickets to some kids, he didn't use them for a jumbo pencil--what a sweetie)
I enjoyed some skee ball
We bought some Bath Salt
After all of the Pier and Fisherman's Wharf fun, we made our way over to Ghirardelli Square!
Another Christmas Tree!
We split a Hot Fudge Sundae--it was divine.
Then it was time to take the bus back to hotel because my dogs were a barkin'!
Some brightly painted houses along the way.
One of the many buses we patronized.
We walked through Union Square on our way back to the hotel, where it was getting decorated for Christmas--complete with ice rink! We didn't don any skates, but we did watch some people whirl around!
For dinner we went to John's Grill, which is one of the city's oldest and most famous establishments. It served as a backdrop for Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon , which is a novel turned movie starring Humphrey Bogart--I had heard of The Maltese Falcon, though I didn't know any details about it--I might have to add it to my "To Read" list, now that I have been John's Grill!
~Lexie
Looks like you had a great time Lexie! Great photos. And BTW, I love your bright red coat!
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