a san francisco treat

Nate and I just got back from 4 days in San Francisco. We stayed at the Fairmont on Nob Hill. While he was in meetings, I tootled around town on foot and on cable car.
Grace Cathedral:


Scenes from Ghiradelli Square:


Boudin Creations:

Sammy the Sea Lion:

Pier 39:


Coit Tower and the Transamerica Building:

Saints Peter and Paul Church:

Cable car on Nob Hill:

Our digs:


China Town:

Ferry Building:



A highlight was eating in the kitch Tonga Room. We laughed our way through our meal (which was surprisingly good!) and boogied down to the floating band. The "rain storm" they had every 25 minutes or so was "refreshing!"

I didn't leave my heart in San Francisco, but I love it nonetheless!

Sidenotes:
1. Tony Bennett first sang "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" in the Venetian Room at the Fairmont.
2. It is a toss-up between lobster bisque and clam chowder on the waterfront. I really don't think you can go wrong with either one.
3. When you go out of town, one of your children will get sick and your mom will take care of them handily.
4. Yes, they do serve tea and coffee in Royal Dalton china in the Laurel Court, but you don't necessarily have to tip over the cream onto the floor to be sure. In the event you do think the creamer is empty, but it isn't, a kind server will come by and clean up the ridiculous mess you made and polish off your shoes and manage not to make you feel like the idiot you truly are (or at least were for that particular moment in time).
5. You will still laugh over the above mentioned event for days to come.
6. When butter fish is the fresh catch of the day, you should be sure to eat it.
7. When in the Tonga Room, you should have a Pina Coloada - even if it is a "Mocktail" and not a "Cocktail." Your waiter won't bat an eye when your date orders a "Fruity Loopy," either.
8. When there is an organized protest against BART police, the said police will not only come out in full riot gear but they will also shut down the cable car system for several hours. This provides a wonderful opportunity to appreciate how steep those hills really are.
9. Ghiradelli is all well and very good, but the finest baking dutch process cocoa I've ever come across is from Dean and DeLuca.
10. You may find yourself in a cab because the line to get onto a cable car is over an hour long and you are smart and realize cab fare is 2 bucks more than the cable car ticket price. In this cab you will be reminded of Steve McQueen and "Bullet," but you will get back to your hotel in record time.