4/8/09 - San Francisco, CA (Scott)

We are big fans of Glen Ellen and the rest of Sonoma Valley. Everything here is just so lush and green. We love nature! I guess it helps that we came here in early Spring just near the end of their rainy season.

I've decided that what I like most is that it seems to be the exact opposite of the neatly manicured lawns of Orange County. Everything is gnarled, twisted, and covered in moss. If I were a writer, I'd want to live in place like Glen Ellen -- in fact I was reading in our guide book that Jack London (author of Call of the Wild and White Fang among others) lived here.

We ate breakfast in our cottage this morning. We sat in our little breakfast nook next to a crackling fire munching on delicious blueberry muffins and fresh fruit. Right outside the window was a gurgling brook lined with some of those gnarled trees I was talking about. A storm had passed during the night and everything looked particularly fresh and vibrant. It was a beautiful morning.

By 10am, we had Hamish all loaded up and were back on the road. Since we were headed to San Francisco, Ashlee was back behind the wheel -- she is much better with urban driving than I am. It took us an hour to get into the city.

We entered the city along the 101 which brought us over the Golden Gate Bridge. It was a really neat experience. Those cables that run between the towers are huge! Poor Ashlee had to deal without a navigator because I was too busy frantically snapping pictures.

Once we crossed the bridge and paid the $6 toll, we were dumped right onto Lombard Street. Welcome to San Francisco! I took one look at the steep hill before us, and knowing that it would just be the first of many, I said a quick prayer for Hamish the Hyundai. I also suggested to Ashlee that she switch the overdrive off. With the help of the Lady (our nickname for our GPS unit) Ashlee navigated us through the city like a pro.

After a quick detour to drive town the crooked portion of Lombard Street (so cool!) we made it safely to our hotel -- Ashlee found a great deal on a nice place in Union Square. We lucked out and got to check in early. We stashed our stuff in our room and hit the streets.

After a quick tea & coffee break (Ashlee was getting a little grumpy -- maybe it's because she had to worry about the drive while I was too busy oogling the city), our first stop was China Town. Ashlee has told me time and again how much she loves China Town -- I finally discovered why: it's nothing but shops, shops, and more shops interspersed with restaurants and tea houses. She was in heaven. I was a good sport for the most part. At one shop I was admiring some jade figurines in a large display case when I got a little surprise. The front of the case had a whole range of buddhas and animal figurines and towards the back were some smaller pieces that I got a little closer to see. When I pushed my face up against the glass, I realized that they were little figures engaged in some very explicit kama sutra positions. They were anatomically correct enough to make me blush -- especially when the lady behind the counter gave me a wink. Just kidding about the wink...

We grabbed lunch in China Town at a Let's Go! recommended restaurant called the House of Nanking -- it was delicious. After lunch, I somehow convinced Ashlee to join me on a trip to the top of Coit Tower -- she only griped a mild amount. It took several hills, a dozen flights of stairs, a bottle of water, $10, and an elevator ride. The views from the top of the tower were impressive -- pretty much a 360 degree view of the entire city. It helped that it was a beautiful day.

After descending Coit Tower we headed to North Beach. We explored City Lights Book Store (I purchased Three Cups of Tea, a book recommended by Janet Rushton), grabbed some gelato, and then set off for Fisheman's Wharf -- where we found the tourist hordes.

We saw the cable cars, bought a 3-day MUNI pass to use the bus system, and went to Pier 39 so I could see the sea lions. They didn't disappoint. Next we walked around some of the shops, took a spin on the Venetian carrousel (I grabbed the dragon and was the envy of all the other little boys), and then walked over to Ghiardelli Square, where we were disappointed to discover that instead of a chocolate factory, there is just a chocolate shop. Lame-o.

Since we just had gelato, we weren't in the mood for chocolate. Instead we took afternoon tea at a little place called the Crown & Crumpet Tea Salon. The inside was a bit frilly for me, so I asked Ashlee if she was ok to sit on the patio. We had an impressive view of bay. Ashlee teased me relentlessly for stopping every 3 minutes to take a picture of Alcatraz. I'm really looking forward to going there tomorrow!

After tea, we jumped on a bus and headed to Little Italy for dinner. We ate at a restaurant called the Steps of Rome -- it was recommended to me two years ago by the Barnes & Noble employee who helped me find the Let's Go! San Francisco book. The food was delicious. I had homemade gnocche with pancetta and peas in a vodka sauce and Ashlee went for spinach and ricotta ravioli.

After dinner we walked back to our hotel and called it a day.

PS - Ashlee is happy because she found a television channel playing "John & Kate Plus Eight."