On the Waterfront - San Francisco Day 5

On Wednesday we woke up early enough to catch a cab over to Pier 33 for our boat reservation to Alcatraz. It was a cool, foggy, and gloomy morning, and Halloween to boot! A perfect day for a trip to a prison. The cruise over to the island of Alcatraz was nice, and only 15 minutes or so long. When we got off the boat, we were greeted by a park ranger (Alcatraz is a national park). We were directed to walk up to the cell block basement to pick up our headphones for the audio tour, which came with our ride to the island. The tour, which was narrated by actual guards and prisoners who had spent time there, provided a description of the day-to-day lives of the prisoners, as well as some notable escape attempts over the years. The tour lasted about 45 minutes, and led us through cell blocks, dining areas and control rooms. We only spent a couple of hours there, but we could see how someone interested in the subject could spend several hours exploring all of the dark corners.

We had decided that if we were able, we would take the tour of AT&T Park, the home of the San Francisco Giants baseball team. By the time we were off Alcatraz, we had plenty of time to cab over to the ballpark in time for the 12:30 tour. In fact, we had time for a quick lunch too. Basically out of convenience, we dropped by the Acme Chop House, which is built into the park, and were treated to one of the better meals we have had all trip. I had a Cuban sandwich with a side of the finest mac and cheese I have ever eaten, and Kerry had a Chicken BLT. Both sandwiches were grilled, and were delicious. Add in the 25% discount for purchasing tickets for the ballpark tour, and we did pretty well. At 12:30, we began our tour of the park. We were allowed to visit the press conference room, the visitors’ clubhouse, the dugout, the field, as well as several different seating areas, including the luxury boxes and the Oracle club level. We were very impressed with the stadium and the tour and recommend this stop for anyone visiting San Francisco.

From there, after a brief misadventure with the public transportation system, we made our way over to Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39. We were immediately drawn to the world-famous Pier 39 sea lions. They were hysterical climbing up and falling off their platforms… They also smelled of livestock, and I don’t mean in the complementary sense. After that we ducked our heads into a couple of shops, most notable the chocolate store, where Kerry and I shared a piece of cookie dough fudge. Having taken in the feel and flavor of the Wharf area, we hopped a cab back to our hotel to prepare for our dinner… the final dinner of our honeymoon at the CityScape Restaurant on the 46th floor of the Hilton around the corner from our hotel.

Dinner was nothing short of fabulous. We had checked out the view the night before, so that wasn’t a surprise. Our surprise was that the fog that had blanketed the city (and our view) as we entered the restaurant dissipated for the couple of hours that we were there. No earthquakes tonight, but we still had a very fun time. Kerry had the prime rib, which not as large as the prime rib earlier on our trip, but just as tasty. I went with the filet mignon and a crab cake. Kerry enjoyed the La Crema Pinot Noir again, while I again partook in the Freemark cabernet sauvignon. For dessert, we had a very nice piece of non-molten chocolate cake. Decorated with chocolate and berries, it was the perfect ending for the dinner, much in the way that the dinner was the perfect ending for our stay in lovely San Francisco. As we surveyed the city from our perch on the 46th floor we vowed to return soon.

That marks the end of our trip of a lifetime. We enjoyed every minute of it, and believe that as went the honeymoon will go our marriage. Full of fun and adventure and beautiful sights. Well planned out, but with the flexibility to respond to whatever lies around the corner. Some days better than others, but with the cumulative effect of a very special time.

Shaken not Stirred – San Francisco Day 4

On Tuesday, Kerry and I decided to so some exploring. We woke up, watched some of the Red Sox victory parade, and then began our exploration of Chinatown. We had decided that for the first time in San Francisco, we were going to travel by foot. Having been on bus/van tours the previous couple of days, we hadn’t had this opportunity before. We know it’s the best way to explore, and that proved itself to be true. We made our way from the hotel through Union Square, and through the Chinatown Gate. We followed Grant Street through the heart of Chinatown, poking our heads into a few of the stores along the way. Before we knew it we were out of Chinatown and into North Beach. We went right and decided to climb the Coit Tower, which provided nice 360-degree views of the city. The hills were steep, and the steps were many, but we persevered, and made it up to the monument. From the base of the monument there was an elevator to near the top, so the task wasn’t as hard as we thought it would be, but we still got a pretty good workout.

For lunch, we returned to Chinatown. We were going to try some dim sum, but decided to go a little more mainstream. We stopped at a place with a name I can’t remember.. But it was Cathay something or other. The potstickers were good. I had sesame chicken, and kerry had almond chicken. The meal was ok. We probably should have set our sights higher for our second to last lunch in the city.

We returned to the Union Square area for some shopping. The highlight of Kerry’s day came when we figured out there was a Vera Bradley store at the Westfield San Francisco Centre mall. We found the place on the third floor of the mall (a huge mall with lots of nice stores). We entered and were immediately surrounded a sea of soft, patterned goodness. I immediately made for the “man chairs” thoughtfully placed, while Kerry went at the shelves. I was amazed at her efficiency as she moved from shelf to shelf through the patterns and styles. After a few minutes she emerged with a bag that matched the pattern I gave her last Christmas. During our game of 20 questions with the staff (inquiring minds want to know), we learned that there are only three Vera stores in the country, in SF, Chicago, and yes.. the most recently opened store in Natick, Mass. These stores will stock all items in all patterns, and will compete with their current wholesalers. We walked around the mall some more, and explored the neighborhood some more before returning to our hotel to relax before dinner.

Dinner was at the Fior d’Italia, which is French for “flower of Italy.” (just kidding – it’s Italian). Anyway, this place was recommended and reserved by our concierge, so we hadn’t done our homework before having our dinner. Had we done our homework, we would have learned that 1.) This is America’s oldest Italian resteraunt 2.) The Italian restaurant shootout scene from the The Godfather was filmed here and 3.) this is Tommy Lasorda’s favorite restaurant in San Francisco (which is saying something). Kerry had the Tagliatelle alla Bolognese (pasta with meat sauce) I had the Costoletta di Vitello alla Parmigiana (aka veal parm). We enjoyed these dishes with a glass of chianti. For the first time, I experienced veal parm with the bone in, which was interesting. It didn’t in any way interfere with my enjoyment of the dish. I also had a pesto penne side, which didn’t fit the theme… but satisfied a craving. The service was great, as was the atmosphere. The food was satisfying, as Italian food should be. We truly enjoyed our dinner at the Fior d’Italia.

We decided that, since it was still early, we would cab over to the CityScape restaurant and bar on the 46th and top floor of the Hilton for a nightcap. The view from the top was amazing, and we almost immediately decided to revise our dinner plans for our last night in San Francisco. This was the most spectacular dining spot we have seen on this trip, so we will be returning. With all due respect to the Stinking Rose, the all-garlic restaurant we were going to experience tomorrow, the view was the deciding factor…. Plus concerns that our flightmates for our return flight home on Thursday would toss us out of the plane when we stepped on the plane reeking of garlic for six hours of malodorous bliss. Kerry had a La Crema pinot noir, and I had a cabernet.

Midway through our glass of wine, the restaurant shook a little.. and Kerry and I wondered what was going on., We thought it might have been the wind or an elevator or something… but certainly not an earthquake. Turns out it was an earthquake. I had noted the time as roughly eight pm. When we reached the hotel, the news was broadcasting a 5.3 earthquake had hit San Jose at 8:03. So Kerry and I experienced our first earthquake. Another day and another story to tell.

Wine Country - San Francisco Day 3

On Monday, we took a day long tour of some of the territories outside the city, most notably the Muir Woods and three wineries in Sonoma Valley. We had to wake early, as the van picked us up outside our hotel at 8:20 in the morning. We proceeded to pick up a few other tourgoers at their hotels, before heading out of the city. The first stop was in the Muir Woods, named after prominent conservationist John Muir. The forest here is truly special because it is home to the tallest trees in the world (see photo above for a little perspective), the coastal redwoods (not to be confused with the Great Sequoias, which are the largest) and because it is the last of its type in the bay area. The trails were well laid out, and the trees were stunning. There was a nice gift shop and café area, and Kerry and I shared a cinnamon roll for breakfast after communing with nature. The tour was nice because it let us use the time as we wanted to at a few of the stops, and this freedom allowed us to explore as much as we were comfortable with. After the Muir woods, we headed off for Sonoma Valley. The fog was so dense that we couldn’t see anything, but the guide told us what we could have been seeing. We would later be able to verify the details of his description on the return trip… but for the morning, nothing but fog.

Once we made it to Sonoma (roughly an hour from the city), we visited our first winery. It was called Cline Cellars, and the setting was beautiful. The winery was all decked out for the autumn season, and when we entered, they were ready to help our party with our tasting. We tasted several wines over the next 40 minutes or so, and they were all very good. Our favorites were their two whites, a table blend and a pinot grigio/chardonnay blend. Of the reds, we preferred their Heritage Zinfandel and their Los Carneros Syrah. Our hostess at the winery was very friendly, and let us sample whatever we wanted. We decided to purchase the above named wines to enjoy back home (realizing that our trip of a lifetime cannot last forever). We bought a case shipping box, and decided to fill it up over the course of the day with our favorites at each stop. The hostess, upon learning we are honeymooning, gave us a free half bottle of their Ancient Vines Zinfandel to enjoy later. Overall, this was a very nice visit and the winery was very welcoming to our party and customer-centric.

The second winery was the Valley of the Moon Winery. This winery was a much smaller operation. The wines were very good and the gift shop was nice, but there was less customer service then at Cline Cellars. The staff was less willing to discuss the wines, and seemed less enthused when it came to pouring the samples. Reserve tastings cost double what was charged at Cline, but the $2 charge was refunded if we purchased what we tried (and we did). All in all we were absolutely impressed with the wines. Our favorites were the Chardonnay and the Pinot Noir, as well as their Cuvee de la Luna blend.

After our second tasting we stopped for lunch at Sonoma Plaza, which also featured a cheese tasting at the Sonoma Cheese Factory. It wasn’t as much a tasting as a free-for-all in their front cheese section. I must admit that I had my share and then some. My favorites were the chipotle jack and the pesto jack, but everything I tried was excellent. I contemplated taking some home when one of the helpers there told me it would keep for three to five days unrefridgerated, but the thought of packing cheese with my socks kind of creeped me out. We had our lunch at a small pizza shop next door before returning to our tour.

The final winery we visited was the smallest and most intimate of the three, the Homewood Winery. This winery was unique because it is so small that they only sell their wine on premises, which accounts for only about 3000 cases a year. The founder of this virtual one-man operation, David Homewood, was on site, and made himself available for questions about the process. Our tasting was in an open structure with amazing views of the surrounding territory. I liked that the tasting was outdoors, and that we could see and smell the countryside that produces the wine. It seemed to enhance the experience. My favorite wine of what we sampled was the “Whizbanger” a blend named after David’s basketball team. From here, we set up having our day’s work shipped home. Hopefully, we’ll be able to share a few of these with those of you who are reading this blog.

After a long day, we began the journey back to the city. It is said that good wine makes good friends, and this was the case on our tour, as we all shared wine and bread on the way home. Our tourmates were an interesting mix of people from all over the US and UK. Because there were only nine of us, we were able to get to know one another a little bit, and the conversation improved throughout the day. We had a quick stop to view the Golden Gate Bridge (from a different vantagepoint then yesterday)When we arrived at the hotel, we said our goodbyes, and went upstairs for a little rest before dinner.

For dinner, we went to John’s Grill. Their claim to fame is that they have been immortalized in Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon. The food was OK. I had the chef’s special red snapper topped with shrimp, Dungeness crab and lemon cream with a pinot grigio. Kerry had a grilled chicken salad with a glass of sauvignon blanc. The interior of the restaurant was fun. It maintained a sense of its own history, and featured photos of hundreds of their famous visitors over the years. The food wasn’t exactly what we were looking for.. I think we were hoping more for standard pub fare, but it definitely filled us up.

Tuesday will be a free-form day, where we hope to explore Chinatown and Union Square. Wednesday we’re going to visit Alcatraz and the Wharf. Stay tuned for details.

Of Sweeps and Sweets - San Francsico Day 2

On Sunday we woke up early for a bus tour of the City of San Fransisco. We figured it would be a good idea to get to know some of the neighborhoods of the city early on, so we’d get a general feel for how we want to organize our next few days, and also to pick out some additional attractions we’d like to visit. The tour was a little long at three and a half hours, but we did enjoy. We saw Chinatown, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Bay Bridge, Nob Hill, lots of cable cars and famous houses (think Full House), and had a very nice, if a little hazy, view of the city from Twin Peaks. The highlight was our stop at the Golden Gate Bridge, and our back-and forth drives over it. We got some nice photos on this tour to share!

Not by coincidence the tour ended at 12:30, just in time for us to get settled into Knuckles Sports bar for the Partiots game. Despite the other patrons rooting for their much more run of the mill teams (think Tampa and San Diego), we were able to enjoy the Pats on one of their dozen TVs. The buffalo wings and potato skins were fair. We escaped just before the half to return to our hotel for a little rest before the evening.

Despite it only being three in the afternoon, we’d already had a long day. Kerry napped until the Sox game, and I flipped between post football game and pre baseball game shows. Our plan was to watch the first half of the game at the hotel, and cab over to our restaurant to watch the Red Sox win the World Series in their lounge, but the restaurant didn’t have a TV in their lounge! We told them we’d be back and scrambled along the Waterfront for the first TV we could find. That first place was the back of the Fishermen’s Grotto. Let me set the scene if I can. The place was 100% full of Red Sox fans, and that was because Kerry and I were the only ones there. Even the bartender has vacated the premises due to his need to serve another service bar at the restaurant. The important thing was that we had the game in front of us. We were able to modify our dinner reservation to accommodate the overly drawn out eighth and ninth innings… On a side note, how many commercials can FOX fit between innings?.. and witnessed the Red Sox triumph. Sometimes people say they can remember where they were when a big event happened. In this case, Kerry and I will always remember the Fishermen’s Grotto as being where we were when…

Finally, we had dinner at A. Sabella, one of the Wharf’s most distinguished seafood restaurants. It was quarter past nine by the time we got there, and we were the last diners in, to the best of our knowledge. The restaurant was very nice. The service was great. Kerry had the Filet Mignon, and I had the Pacific King Salmon. We enjoyed dinner with a 2003 Cloverdale Ranch Merlot, which was very tasty. The seafood was cooked perfectly and was very enjoyable, but the highlight was the dessert. We had the Chocolate Profiteroles, and if I may borrow from the menu, they were “filled with Tahitian vanilla bean, hazelnut, and dark chocolate ice cream, served on a pool of toasted almond flavored English cream.” Doesn’t that sound good? A very sweet ending to another fun day.

Welcome to San Francisco

Well, Saturday has come and gone, and it was less busy, but no less fun than the preceding few days. We woke up early in Monterey, and packed for our check-out. We brought or bags out to the car and then took some time to check out Monterey. We had a quick breakfast in a little café, muffin for Kerry, Danish for Mark, and then walked along the bay. We saw some sea lions barking on the piers, and took in a beautiful seascape. Not having as much time as we would have liked, we decided that next time, if we are lucky enough to get back out here again, we will definitely spend a little more time. I must say that our hotel, the Portola Plaza Hotel was quite nice. Among the nice touches were chocolate chip cookies for check-in and a rubber seal toy for bath time (not that either of us had bath time) But the toy was so cute, I just had to take it with me as a memento.

The drive from Monterey to San Francisco wasn’t bad. It wasn’t as beautiful as Friday’s, but we got to see some artichoke farms, and some less stunning, but nonetheless beautiful mountain/ocean vistas. We stopped at a Target along the way (which Kerry spotted at two miles away, some skill she’s got there) to stock up on a couple of essentials. Eventually after a couple hours of driving we passed by and waved to Oracle’s corporate headquarters, filled up on gas in San Mateo (home of Tom Brady), and found our way to the Hertz terminal at the airport, where we said goodbye to our rental vehicle. We took the tram to the terminals to catch a shuttle to our hotel.

Upon arriving at the hotel, we got a look at our room… home for the next five days. It is a very nice room on the sixth floor of the Parc 55 at Union Square. We have plenty of room, and a love seat with coffee table. We took a quick lunch at the Thai resteraunt built into the hotel, which was to our surprise very delicious and affordable too. We spoke with the concierge, and made a couple of reservations for later in the week. We have since developed our itinerary, and will be making more reservations on Sunday.

After watching the Red Sox game in our room, we headed out for a comedy show at the Punch Line Comedy Club. Of the three comedians, only the headliner was truly funny. His name is Eddie Brill, and he’s a New York based comedian who is also the comic talent coordinator for the David Letterman Show. He connected with us Bostonians in the audience as he is a graduate of Emerson College. His comedy was a blend of observation, commentary, and good old fashion soapboxing. He definitely had a perspective (some would say agenda), but I think that it was good that he had something to say. After a short cab ride home, we retired for the evening to prepare for a tour on Sunday, as well as some more Patriots and Sox action. Stay tumed...

To the Coast!

On Friday morning, we headed out from Bakersfield. We proceeded through field after of field of farms. Occasionally, there would be a sign of the farm we were passing, so we could deduce what was being grown there, but more often we were left wondering. To be honest, the farms were quite a drop off, scenery-wise from the desert mountains of the previous day. Kerry, unimpressed, admitted to me at one point that she guessed she’s “just not a country girl”. Things started looking up when we started to see vineyard signs as we approached San Luis Obispo.

Now our driving directions would have sent us up to Monterey inland, but good judgment stepped in. It was time for another side trip. We noticed signs for the Hearst Castle, and decided it was a must see, so took a 30 mile detour west to the coast. Upon reaching the visitors’ center at the castle, we purchased tickets for a tour. This included a 35-minute IMAX film about William Randolph Hearst and the construction of the castle. We then boarded a bus for the five-mile drive up to the castle. The walking tour took us through both pools, the grand living room and dining room, the gardens, and a guest house, concluding with the movie theater. The castle was absolutely beautiful. Everything inside, from the ceilings to the tapestries on the walls, was museum quality, and the tour guide explained that most of the items were purchased at auction between World War I and II. The tour guide also, throughout the tour, tried to paint a picture of what a party here was like. She would point to a chair and say “Imagine that Charlie Chaplin is over there playing tennis” or “Winston Churchill could have bee found in that guest house.” It was all stunning.. as Kerry so succinctly put it while sitting in Hearst’s private movie theater, “This guy knew how to live!”

From the castle we decided to take Route 1 north to Monterey. For those of you unfamiliar, that stretch of what has been designated the Cabrillo Highway literally clings to the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Kerry and I were treated to vista after vista of the most stunning driving we’ve ever seen. I, unfortunately had to give the thin winding roads most of my attention, so I couldn’t truly soak it all in, but Kerry took some great photos. Aside from a small-scale fuel crisis (gas is hard to come by on that road), I was surprised that the driving wasn’t as stressful as I has imagined. The speeds are generally much slower (20 to 40 miles per hour) than your typical road, and it doesn’t feel like you’re on the side of a mountain until you look up and there it is… We definitely made the right call coming up this way. Even though it took a few extra hours to see the castle and drive Route 1, we were treated to two of the wonders (one natural and one man-made) of California.

Coming into Monterrey, we also decided to enjoy the 17-Mile Drive of Pebble Beach. This is a very scenic drive that follows the coast to beautiful scene after beautiful scene. The cost was $9.00 for the drive, but it was worth every penny due to the pull-offs for some of the more stunning scenes. We got some fantastic photos on the way through, including a nice one of the Lone Cyprus, a California landmark, and the enduring symbol of Pebble Beach.

Finally, after a long day filled with fun and activity, we found our hotel in Monterey, the Portola Plaza Hotel. It is a nice hotel overlooking a plaza filled with shops. Upon parking our vehicle, I could hear the seals barking on the pier, but it was after dark, so we decided to explore the following day. Instead, we checked in and made our way to Peter B’s Brewpub, Monterey’s only brewpub. After such a full day, we were ready for a little refreshment, and that came in the form of a 25-ounce amber ale for me and a 20-ounce pilsner for Kerry. For dinner, I had the catch of the day, a blackened salmon, and Kerry had a hamburger. The food was good. The atmosphere was good. My only regret was that there weren’t any Boston sporting events on TV. Oh well, we’ll just have to settle for the Red Sox World Series Game 3 tonight in downtown San Francisco tonight!

On the Road

The first leg of our trip ended in the morning, as we waved good-bye to Las Vegas. Having gotten a taste of this fantastic town, we have vowed to come back sometime soon. There’s so much to do and see, yet at the same time it seems best to tackle the task in manageable chunks. Any more than a few days there, and I think it could have been tiresome. But our three-night stay was perfect.. We had a fantastic time, as you can tell from this blog! We checked out of the Bellagio at about 10, and took a cab to the Hertz terminal at the airport to pick up our rental vehicle. It’s a silver Jeep Liberty, and thus far has been up to the task of carting us across California.

The drive from Las Vegas to Bakersfield was mostly desert and mountains, but the views were awesome. Kerry served as photographer for this leg of the journey. We stopped for lunch at the last McDonalds in Nevada, and continued through the Mojave Desert. About an hour into California, we started seeing signs for Death Valley… and the town of Baker “the gateway to Death Valley” Not having realized we were so close to the lowest point in North America and the hottest place on Earth, we pulled off the highway to check it out. Once we got off the highway we saw a sign that read “Death Valley 113 Miles” we promptly cancelled our impromptu side trip and got back on the highway.

Shortly thereafter, we started seeing signs for Calico Ghost Town. Still eager for a side trip, we decided to trek the three miles off the highway to soak in this historic marvel. Actually, it wasn’t that great. Think Plimoth Plantation with a lot less history and a lot fewer people with funny accents telling us about it. There were some fun views from this mining town, which boasted roughly 2000 residents in its mining heyday, but only 8 now. Sadly, my lifelong goal of pushing my way into the saloon through swinging doors was somewhat diminished by the fact that the saloon was a snack bar. In any case, we appreciated the chance to stretch out our legs and see something you don’t see every day.

Just in time for the Red Sox game we made it to our hotel in Bakersfield, and based upon the recommendation of the hotel clerk, we took in the game at Woody’s a local sports bar. The place was fun, and we had some wings and Kerry had a salad and I a pulled pork sandwich. We only lasted there for three innings and watched the rest of the Game 2 victory from the comfort of our hotel room. It’s tough to go from the excitement of Vegas to the relative calm of Bakersfield, but we understand that not everywhere can have the excitement of Vegas. Tonight, after four more hours of driving, we’ll finally reach the Pacific Ocean. We’ll be staying at the Portola Plaza Hotel at Monterey Bay, and I hear the views are spectacular.

Travel note: Kerry saved us a bundle of money tonight by reviewing our San Francisco itinerary. She discovered that the San Francisco hotel rates seemed to have dropped since we originally booked. Our room at the downtown hotel we had booked dropped from $249/night to $139 after the weekend. I called the reservation desk and added Saturday night and requested the lower rate throughout. After making this call we had locked in an additional night (a Saturday too!) and the total fees that we will be paying actually dropped by $100. Go Kerry!