Home Sweet Home.

After five days away I returned yesterday. I picked up the little man from my parents and we came home. T and M will be back on Friday. J returns on Saturday (he started a conference yesterday)

J and I had a great time on our holiday.

San Francisco is a very fun and exciting city. (BUSY all the time!) Great shopping, great food, great weather.We really had wonderful weather (90's and sunny) the entire time we were there. We couldn't have asked for anything better.

I feel refreshed, well rested and more connected.

Glad to be home.

J and I arrived in San Francisco Saturday. Because I LOVE public transportation we took the BART to Union Square.We stayed at the Herbert Hotel on Powell Street. I booked this hotel back in January when I booked our airfare but a few weeks ago started having second thoughts after reading some s0-so reviews. I got some suggestions from friends who'd visited SF in the past but decided I'd take a chance and stick with the Herbert.

So glad that we did. It was right in the heart of Union Square.

While the rooms are really nothing to write home about, they are all furnished from Ikea and would never compare to the Ritz Carlton Amelia Island, it was a nice place to stay and we had a good time.

Most of Saturday we just explored Union Square, I dragged J into various shops and stores out and about. We had a bite to eat at the popular Lori's Diner.

Sunday after a quick breakfast at Betty Boop's Diner, we bought three day passes for MUNI so we could take Cable Cars, Busses or Subways wherever we needed to go. (I really do love stuff like that, I love 'figuring' out where we need to go. I have no idea what we would have done with a rental car...UGH!) This is a definite must if you are visiting for more than a day or two and want to have transportation options!!!We enjoyed our first Cable Car ride to Fisherman's Wharf where we walked along the dock and saw some of the boats. We then decided we would try to go see the Golden Gate bridge. While we were planning on taking the bus we started walking and didn't stop until we got there. We later found out that this was seven miles.Did I mention I was wearing flip flops?

While my feet weren't sore from walking they were sore from sun on the tops of my feets. I have permanent flip flop tanlines now.

We definitely deserved a treat after that. So we took a bus back to Fishermans Wharf and headed to the infamous Ghiradelli and had some great ice cream. My favorite ice cream place is Sebastian Joe's in Minneapolis but Ghiradelli is a very close second. YUM!We took the cable car back to the hotel and got dressed up for dinner at Annabelle's Bar and Bistro in Union Square. It was a very cute and swanky place. Beware the cosmos though, they have leaves in them.

Monday we had breakfast at Sear's Fine Food's. We actually beat the line and only had about a five minute wait. When we left the line was going out the door. They are 'world famous for their little pancakes.'

We got on the cable car and stopped to see Lombard Street. The 'crookedest' street in the world.

We then headed back to the other side of Fishermans Wharf and decided to take a charter cruise out around Alcatraz and the Golden Gate. It was two fisherman who do little tours of the bay on the side. It was perfect weather to be out on the water plus very fun so we did it. We had to have a quick lunch at In N Out.
After our day in the sun we headed back to Union Square and got dressed up for dinner. We stopped at the Gold Dust Lounge, which is the 'last' dive in SF. (It may have been a gay bar, we're not quite sure. Regardless they've got great margaritas.)

Later we ate dinner at the Compass Grill inside the Sheraton at Fisherman's Wharf. The food was great, the atmosphere not so much. They are 'remodeling'.

We walked near the bay for a little bit before heading in for the night.

Tuesday morning we got up and did a little shopping and then headed out to the Westin in Millbrae, CA. J is staying in Millbrae until Saturday for a work conference.

It was nice to relax in the outside pool (which was FREEZING) and the indoor pool.

We had a nice dinner at the Elephant Bar (which J would like to open up in MN, don't hold your breath.) It was a really fun restaurant and worth the hour wait. (It's right on the bay.) Great atmosphere and really good food!

It was such a nice trip and I really liked seeing more of California. I'd only been to LA in the past and J had never been. It was relaxing and enjoyable and so nice to just be J and I. Thanks J for the fun trip. See you in a few days!