A Trip to San Fran!!!

I know I haven't written in a while, but it is partly due to the fact that I just returned from San Francisco. I really had a great time! My brother and sister-in-law used to live there and I visited several times. I would like to think of this blog as my walking you through the trip, as if you were with me or I'm giving you advice because you are thinking of visiting (cheesy, I know, but I really want to share my experiences in hopes that others with prosper because of them). It never hurts to know what to do (and what not to do- as would be my case quite frequently). This was by far my best trip to San Fran. My brother and his wife were with us, and that makes everything so much easier. They know the best places to go, eat, stay, and how to get everywhere. It really allows for a relaxing trip, considering we were always on the go. Instead of staying in a hotel this time, we rented an apartment for a few days. I would HIGHLY recommend renting an apartment to anyone thinking of going to San Fran and needing at least two hotel rooms each night. It was very authentic to the city and ended up costing us less than two hotels would have. The blue building was where our apartment was located.

The apartment was located on Ashbury Street and about five houses down from Haight Street. So we were literally just steps away from the famous Haight Ashbury corner from back during the hippie movement. Every time I ventured to that corner a certain scent that frequently is associated with hippies could be identified as well a strange character or two be seen.

If you could see that banner on the street corner, it was an advertisement for the Haight Ashbury Street Fair that we just so happened to be staying in time for, quite accidentally, I can assure you. It was actually an inconvenience to us since they blocked off our road for it the same day we had to make it to my brother's graduation and later move out of the apartment. We did have a little bit of free time between those two events and we walked down to the fair to check it out. The great part of the street fair was the fact that there were so many characters about that I didn't even notice the Marilyn Manson looking fellow that made it into our photo!

Everything was quite tame considering the characters and scents that were around. But the best thing I witnessed was a man wearing spandex pants with the four-letter-word that begins with an F written all over them (I never would've thought anyone would've been in the market for such pants, BTW). But he was bending over mooning one of the corner apartments! Then I looked up at the corner apartment he was aiming at and noticed the party going on. Now, this picture does not do it justice. I think there was a GOOD twenty people crammed into that bay window. They had another sign that I was sad I didn't capture to compliment those signs that said, "It's ok, we're gay!" I thought it was hilarious! Oh, and another quite hilarious sign was the one that said, "fabulous prizes!" Especially since their prizes were hospital masks, probably left over from the Swine Flu scare.

Our purpose for the trip, however, was not to see this street fair. It was actually due to the fact that my brother was graduating from Stanford with an Aerospace Engineering Master's degree! Impressive, I know. Every time I tell people that I feel like it's too many overwhelming things to say in one sentence. Like maybe I should brake it up and say one shocking point at a time, but that just makes it more dramatic, so I've found. And then to say that I teach 6th grade science puts it all in perspective. But I let go of the fact that I would never out-do my brother years ago. It would take a whole different blog to finish talking about him and all of his accomplishments (they aren't boring either, just long)! I am very proud of him no matter how many jokes I crack about him. I mean, really, anything he does wrong is followed by, "well it doesn't take a rocket scientist!" It never gets old...seriously. But here he is with his family, and yes, he did accomplish all this with a gorgeous wife and two precious kids!

A couple days before his graduation we spent pretty much the whole day on campus as he wrapped up loose ends before graduating. But we ended up with a little extra time so my brother and I went for a jog. Sounds easy enough, but consider this, I don't know the layout of the campus and running with my brother is not an option (he is also good at running). So he points down this road and says to me, just follow that road about halfway around campus (ummm...how do I know I'm halfway?) then follow the clock tower back to here. Well A) the clock-tower is not near here and B) WHAT??? I ask for clarification and he says, well you know where you are in comparison to the clock-tower right now, right? Yes, this is true. Until I find myself on one of the other three sides of the clock-tower which look EXACTLY the same as this one side. Then I'm hosed.

I did manage to find myself around the Stanford campus, luckily. And thanks to the adrenaline of not knowing for sure where I was going, I had one of the best runs I've had in a while! It also helped that I got to look at such views as below the whole time. After the run, we went to a little known locker room and showered. I thought it was kinda weird they had this random locker room with no locks on the doors or requirements to get in, but oh well. Then afterwards we met up with some of my brothers friends. He mentioned our runs and showers that day. One of the guys goes, "Oh, I just got an email a couple of weeks ago saying that someone got a flesh eating virus from showering there." Excellent, just what I hoped to get on this vacation to San Fran, a flesh eating virus. Should really round out the trip, you know? Luckily, no such flesh eating virus has made itself visible, but that's such a ridiculous thing, who knows much about that, more less, how long it takes to kick in?

So the other thing I suggest you do, if you should venture to San Francisco is go to the town of Tiburon. It is just one short fairy boat ride away. It actually picks you up in the Fisherman's Wharf area and makes a stop on Alcatraz on the way there! Or, if you are like us (and one fairy ride across is enough for a life time), you could just drive, because it does consist of a drive across the beautiful Golden Gate bridge! But there is a restaurant called Sam's and you get this view of the city if you sit on the deck to eat.

If you are wondering why Grey is leaning over, she is feeding the birds. We were the most popular amongst the birds, by the way. Which is not something I suggest. Especially if you enjoy eating your food rather than just watching it fly away.

After that, we made our way to The Buena Vista. Founders of the Irish Coffee. So they say. I would like to believe the Irish founded that coffee. Otherwise, shouldn't it be the Franciscan Coffee? I'm all about people founding things, but let's give it the proper title people.

We asked the bartender at The Buena Vista to take our picture and this is what we ended up with. Nice. You'd think he would've said something about the flower being in the way of my mom's face. Maybe he thought the most important thing to picture was the Irish Coffee's, in that case, right on!

The morning of my brother's graduation I decided to wake up early to go to the Japanese Tea Gardens. It is one of a few things I haven't done but have always wanted to do there. We had a jammed packed schedule for this trip, so it was the only time I could make it there. So I woke up at 5:45, which if you know me, that is quite the accomplishment (especially on vacation). I drove all by myself (I've never driven in San Fran, which makes it scary) to the gardens. Well, I first forgot the map, but figured it wasn't that far and I kinda thought I had looked at the map enough to know where it was. It was pretty much a straight shot...until you hit a literal road block. I wanted to freak out, but instead I just drove to the left like they wanted me to. It was the more logical plan. My next plan of action was to keep driving to the right as much as I could so to get back to the direction I wanted to go originally. It did get me there! I was shocked when I got a prime spot, only four away from the entrance, golden! Then I looked at the clock, it was 7 am, maybe a bit more understandable. I was so excited to finally see the Japanese Tea Gardens, I could hardly contain myself. Then I reached the front entrance. Which was closed. Until 9am. An hour after we were supposed to leave for my brothers graduation. So much for that, dreams crashed, hopes crushed. Maybe next time???

I did get my favorite picture of the trip out of that needless journey to the Japanese Tea Gardens. This was just a palm tree that was in the Golden Gate Park.

After all that fun, we made our way up to Napa. We have an aunt, uncle and two cousins (and their families) that live there. My Aunt Patty cooked dinner and we hung out at their beautiful home the first night.

The next day, the family watched the my brother's kids and we went to the wineries. I wouldn't post such a bad picture, but this is the only one that sort-of explains Artesa. This is a winery that was built into a mountain. They have amazing architecture and fountains all around, not to mention the fact that their wine is good and decently priced!

This is just one of the AMAZING views from this place!

A good tip for wine tasting: don't do the wine tasting. Especially if you are like me and REALLY couldn't tell the difference between a great bottle of wine and an okay bottle of wine. Instead, just buy a bottle and you will probably save money over buying all the individual wine tastings. Case in point, this place charges ten dollars per wine tasting, but you can buy a bottle for twenty. Four people, you do the math.

And then you will get to sit outside and enjoy each other's company, plus the amazing view this place (and really any place in Napa or Sonoma) has to offer!

Next was our favorite winery, Silver Oak. Well, our favorite until we drove up and saw that they had completely redone the outside and built onto the existing building. Not that building on is bad, but they upped the charge on the wine tasting (yes, sometimes wine tasting is still cheaper than buying the bottle). Each wine tasting is now $20 (used to be $10)! Of course they had all kinds of arguments as to why that was okay: you get two larger-than-normal pours, you get to keep the wine glass, and you get ten dollars off the bottle of wine you buy! And there's no getting around it because it's just not worth it once you buy the bottle. But in the panic of hearing the new prices, my brother and I did still buy a tasting. I was more disappointed after having it. Ten dollars was a good price considering it was a great wine. But twenty dollars was like, man, just think of all the different things I could've bought with that!!!

So after we went to the two wineries we know and love, we made the decision to pick a new winery. So as we drove down the street and passed the billions of wineries, I glanced out and saw this one and requested that we go there. Alpha Omega Winery, which I quickly pointed out to the people in the car, the beginning and the end. I knew this was going to be the last place, and what better a place than Alpha Omega? The wine experts (my brother and sister-in-law) deemed it a great winery, so I was happy! A bit tipsy from the wine, you get this photo.

And that is where I leave you, if you haven't left me already. I realize this was a rather long post. But I just couldn't figure out what to leave out and still do the whole trip justice. I hope you have gotten SOMETHING out of this post. Either the inspiration to visit San Fran, what to do the next time you do visit, or just a good laugh!