OUR SAN FRANCISCO TREAT!!!

We had a great time! I LOVE San Francisco - I love Northern California! I'm so glad we drove instead of fly, which was our original plan. We got to see and do a lot more at our leisure, which is always nice.


We stayed at The Drake, which was just remodeled this year! It was perfectly located in downtown SF. We were able to leave our car and pretty much walk everywhere. We were right in the middle of the action and I loved it! Of course we did the trolly car and buses. While on the trolly we met some people from Illinois, which always excites me. They were from Chicago, but knew the small town where I grew up in. It was fun talking with that couple for a while.

We did a ferry cruise out on the bay and here's Darren with the Golden Gate Bridge behind him. I was actually glad it was kind of cloudy/overcast with the top of the bridge covered - that's what I think SF is, so it felt like we were truly there in their true state! Notice the tourist sweatshirt!! I got one in a different color that matches!! We are such dorks!

We went to Ghirardelli Square and had the 'famous' Ghirardelli hot fudge sundae. It was a really cute area and certainly didn't lack for chocolate - obviously. I love little 'soda pop shops' like this one. I really wanted to sit at a round table and even though I lingered and stared down people who were finished, they didn't leave so we had to sit at a square table. I know that sounds silly, but I wanted to sit in the middle of the ice cream shop at a round table - I was wanting the full experience!! Again - dorky tourist!!

Here is Darren on the 18th hole at Pebble Beach. We had dinner at the restaurant that sits high and overlooks it. The sun was starting to go down, so we got to see the sunset there, very cool. Darren loves golf, so this was a high for him. Plus we had to make the obligatory tourist purchase, a Pebble Beach shirt and some golf supplies!!

This is along the 17 mile drive - a beautiful drive for sure. I went even further out on the rocks - I really wanted to go out almost into the water to see if I could cross over to the large rocks actually out in the water, but I couldn't find a good way to get there. I could have sat there all day and just watched the water. It really does calm me to just sit and look and listen. I want to buy a house along this 17 mile stretch. It's perfect - beach on one side and a wooded area on the other - can't get any better than that!! I'm thinking if we could sell our house for about 12 million, then we could do it!! Know anybody who wants to a buy a house on Hackett for 12 million?! :-)

We went to the Monterey Aquarium. That was very nice. We actually enjoyed learning about the history of the building more than the fishies! We now know everything there is to know about sardines!! We can catch them, prepare them, and can them for you! This is an otter - they are currently having a focus on otters and I love otters. My first high school play was the fall of my freshmon year, I played Portly Otter in The Wind and the Willows - so otters have a special little place in my heart! Plus they are so darn cute and playful!

Here are are along the 1/101. We took the coast route up on Sunday and it was amazing. We got to see the sunset as we were making our way up! So beautiful - how can people not believe in a glorious God who can create such beauty??

I love this picture as it shows the water with the clouds hovering and the sun above the clouds - minutes before it went down. It's worth the drive up just to see a sunset.