When Jennifer was here last week, we had a very "San Francisco" day:
We started with a drive through Chinatown to look at all the buildings, color, and livelihood:
"Chinese Laundry"--heehee
After which we did a figurative 180 and stopped on Union St. in the Marina for a little shopping:
Ambiance--my favorite boutique--I behaved and only bought earrings
And then we took a trip down the crookedest street in the world . . .
Lombard St.
And hopped over to North Beach for a trip to City Lights Bookstore, lunch at Cafe Zoetrope (a Coppola restaurant), and drinks at the famous Beat-hangout, Vesuvio.
with Sofia champagne at Cafe Zoetrope
Jennifer in front of City Lights
behind the bar at Vesuvio,
where we made friends with the bartender & his drunken regular
With more visitors coming in on Tuesday (Micaela! Marianne! Jessie!), and Leeann hopefully coming back July 4th weekend, I'm wondering what you all love about San Francisco and any ideas you may have for impressing tourists. ;) I will obviously take my Texas/Oklahoma girls up to Napa for a day, and we'll hit all the requisites: Haight/Ashbury, Golden Gate Park, Baker Beach, the Mission, North Beach . . . but what are the best crowd-pleasers?
Happy Sunday!
25 comments:
I know what you mean. I've been working with FEMA people and they're from all over and they keep asking me for cool places to go. Being in rural Alabama, it's kind of hard to come up with things, but I have been able to tell them a few and it makes me feel so good to talk up my home. :)
You guys are going to have such a blast.
I so love your city! I really enjoyed Lombard St. and hanging in Haight Ashbury. I also had the best meal EVER at Nob Hill Grille! Hehe.
I love SF! And I swear, every time I go, I want to eat something new!
I used to shop at AMBIANCE ALL THE TIME. Love that store. Can't tell you how many dresses I bought there. Ahhhh, you lucky gal for living there!
I love love love your city! I wish I could visit there once a year. We went to City Lights once. I even bought a t-shirt.
Oh man! I want you to show me around the city!!! Maybe I'll crash your trip!
SF seems like a dream city! I would love to see it some day by bicycle!
PS. Milo is a delicious, delicious malted chocolate drink that you mix with milk (maybe a bit like Ovaltines, if you've had them). You really have to taste it to appreciate it. I'm addicted. I wish I could send you some and share the Milo love!
Yay for visitors and for living in such a diverse and vibrant city! Hope you fall in love all over again this week!
How much fun!
I was really impressed with DiMaggios. Fun pictures and memorabilia in there with a great atmosphere and good food. Also, if you have a friend who's a member of the Marina Yacht Club it's always a good one.
And.. I like the Balboa and have since my twenties. :)
Ah, I so love playing tourist in my own city; though I would love it even more if the city I was playing tourist in was San Francisco! :)
i think i need to come visit you (if you'll have me)...we can eat our way through sf. a tale of all claire and carrie could manage in one weekend :)
thoughts?
xo,
c
ps-your sauce is ordered!!
we always took people to see our favorite spots, not necessarily the touristy places. but you know, we would inevitably end up down at the wharf. we tried to steer everyone over to crissy field instead of pier 39, but our guests just had to get a chocolate sundays at ghirardelli. sheesh. :)
my favorite places to take guests were up in the tower at the de young {the tower part is free}, valencia street shops, haight street {piedmont boutique is always a pleaser}, miette in hayes valley {which is infinitely cuter than the ferry building one}, lands end at sunset {and the baths}, twin peaks, and if they were really adventurous, the seward street slides.
I have family in San Francisco and regularly dream of visiting. One day! Hope you and the Texans have a marvellous time! Can't wait to hear all about it.
You know, I've noticed a lack of drag shows in your wanderings. In the city by the bay, a good drag show really captures the spirit of SF: creative performance, DJ music, and men in dresses, all in one place! The stud in SF has a great show called SOMETHING on friday. You should tag along!
OH MY GOSH, I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M SEEING YOU TOMORROW!!!!! AHHHH it's really really really happening!!!!
you look GORGEOUS btw!!! i may have to truly get serious about attempting the Shred... You look AMAZING!
i can't wait to see all this with you girls!!! and Ambiance is special to me because one of the first things you ever gave me was a pretty headband from there. and now, now i'll get to see this place you love and i can't wait!
LOVE YOU!!!!! xoxo
gah i've never been to lombard street and i've been DYING to go! how is that even possible? what's wrong with me?! HELLO i've lived in the bay all my life!!! i was BORN in SF!!!
anyway i need to play tourist soon. looks like a blast!
Being a tourist in your own city is fantastic. It makes you appreciate the places in your town. And having people visit make it even more likely to go and find places. I will have to visit one day. Looks like a great place to be :)
San Fran is such a great city. My college roommate did a residency there, some of our friends worked for Corporate Gap there and a college friend is getting ready to move there. You would think i would have made it out there in the past 15 years, but nada. Oh well. Some time soon!
you live in such a beautiful city! i have been there a million times, but i still get lost and confused.
i love going to the deyoung and to sfmoma. and there is a great pizza place that i have fond memories of -- victor's pizza. YUM. and there is a great place to buy bread at the wharf, but i cannot think of the name of it. gah.
The photos look AMAZING! What a great day to spend in the city! When I get there, you'll have to show me all around one day!
I agree! Since living an hour from San Francisco, it's been a pleasure being the tour guide for my friends who come visit, and overtime I fall more and more in love with this city. I'm sad to say I'll be moving back to So Cal as SF is my dream city and it'll always hold a special place in my heart. :)
Great photos- I love SF's China Town.
for shopping friends i love brining them to bell jar, candy shop collective and all the vintage shops.
San Francisco is one of my favorite cities. I usually go for a weekend and it's just not enough time. There are so many restos and area of the city I have yet to see. Next time I am there, we definitely have to plan a meet up so we can further explore your city and talk about Jax Teller and Tim Riggins!
If someone were to come to Toronto, I wouldn't know where to take them. It's probably because I live in the 'burbs.
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