I had wavered on spending a weekend in Philadelphia, but having not visited Philly since I was young, I figured there was enough to do to keep me occupied for three days. Of course, I planned the trip before the government shutdown closed the main attractions… c’est la vie.
The two highlights of the day: food and Hamilton. I got a good night’s sleep and started the day indulging in a “French toast flight” at Batter and Berries in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. I had been planning this breakfast for weeks, so it should come as no surprise that I didn’t even need to look at the menu. I ordered the “super flight”, which includes four of the regular French toast menu items (blueberry, strawberry, caramel, and lemon) along with this week’s special: Heath. I started by trying a couple of bites of each one and then decided to work my way up from my least favorite to my most favorite. I cleaned the plate.
First things first: it’s COLD in Chicago. Not just “Oh, there’s a little chill in the air” cold, but 18 degrees and blustery wind cold. At least that’s what it was when I was walking to my hotel a little after midnight. Oh, you want to know why I was out so late? Let me tell you the story! As I was getting to my gate at Logan last night, they were making an appeal for 5 volunteers to give up their seats on the 5:30 flight. In exchange for a guaranteed seat on the 8:15 flight. And a $700 travel voucher. Gosh, I’ll have to give this some thought. Just kidding! I immediately jumped into line and the rest is history. The flight was delayed but I eventually got to my hotel a little after midnight and…. wait a minute. I canceled that reservation and rebooked at a lower rate. What’s that? I canceled the wrong reservation and kept the more expensive rate?! Well that puts a little dent in the $700 I just earned. 😦
I spent the day among the redwoods and along the coast today. After a rejuvenating ten hours of sleep, I went for a non-sugary breakfast (I know, what’s wrong with me?!) at the hotel and then set out for Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve in Guerneville. I have been to Muir Woods before, and Armstrong Redwoods has the same beauty without the crowds. There are several trails you can take, but I settled for a loop walk on a couple of shorter trails. I am always amazed by the sheer size of the giant trees and the knowledge that those same trees have been in the same spot for centuries.
Off to wine country! In the interest of full disclosure, I should probably start off by saying that I’m not really much of a wine drinker. It’s not that I don’t enjoy wine occasionally (remember how much I enjoyed the prosecco in Italy?), but it’s not my drink of preference. That being said, wine country for me is more about the atmosphere, vineyards dotting the hillsides, and good food. I’ve been to Napa a couple of times before, so this time I decided to head to Sonoma Valley.
I spent most of the day today at Golden Gate Park. It is larger than Central Park in New York City, and is dotted with museums, gardens, and other attractions. Of course, that wasn’t my first stop of the day. I first feasted on deep fried French toast and “Millionaire’s Bacon” (thick-cut bacon caramelized with brown sugar and hot pepper flakes) at Sweet Maple. It felt like a must-try, but the French toast far outshined the bacon. It should probably be noted, though, that I’m not much of a bacon person in general. Then it was off to the Japanese Tea Garden at Golden Gate Park, followed by Stow Lake, Strawberry Hill, the Rose Garden, and the Conservatory of Flowers. My favorite by far was the rose garden, where hundreds of varieties of roses were all in beautiful bloom.
Despite being just a 30 minute ferry ride from San Francisco, I felt like I was transported back to Italy when I visited Sausalito today. I had been there before, but I think it was just a quick drive through that time. Today, I took the 10AM ferry after enjoying delicious lemon ricotta pancakes at Plow in the Potrero Hill neighborhood. Stepping off the ferry was like stepping into a different world. Gone were the crowds and noise, replaced with hillside homes reminiscent of the Mediterranean and quiet waterfront sidewalks.
Chinatown. School of Rock. Cable cars. Cider bar. Those things pretty much sum up my first full day in San Francisco. I made it until 7PM last night before crashing, and slept moderately well until 3 o’clock this morning. It is probably worth noting that the last “meal” I ate (a piece of sourdough bread with havarti) was at 3 o’clock yesterday afternoon. So not only was I wide awake, my stomach was in desperate need of food. Fortunately, I had saved my Biscoff cookies from the plane, so there I was at 4AM… munching on cookies in bed and watching the Bachelorette. Crazy, I know.
The Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, sourdough bread… what’s not to love about San Francisco? If you didn’t guess already, this is where I’ll be spending the next few days. I have been here twice before, but my last visit was in 2011. I was originally going to go to Iceland this week, but a combination of things kept that out of the running for this summer. Shortly after I decided to skip Iceland, I watched a movie that showed the San Francisco skyline and next thing I knew… the trip was booked!
Music and food. Two things that don’t require sunny skies and thus a recipe for a perfect overcast day in Charleston. There was actually a little sun first thing this morning before the clouds won out. I took advantage of the clear skies and went for a long walk before brunch. Speaking of brunch… Poogan’s Porch is a true southern experience, set in an 1880s Victorian home with porches overlooking Queen Street. While the porch was tempting, it was much too humid to dine al fresco today. I had a table on the first floor of the main house where I feasted on a homemade biscuit with honey butter, pulled pork eggs Benedict, and a mimosa. Another A+ meal!
Traveling with Laura 