As I mentioned a few weeks ago, J and I are going to
But! We'll only be gone a few days, and he'll be spoiled beyond all reason taken care of by his grandparents while we're gone, so it should all be okay. I mean, just because the last time we left, he developed a double ear infection and a fever of 105.8, that doesn't mean it'll happen again, right? RIGHT??
Oh, great. Now I'm breaking out in sexy, sexy hives just thinking about it. Fabulous. Time to refocus! Back to the topic at hand:
I have this tendency to romanticize places I’ve never been before. Well, not so much “romanticize” as “envision as a conglomeration of every pop culture reference ever associated with that place.”
- Robin Williams in drag.
- Rice-a-Roni. Lots of it.
- Hippies, possibly nude, definitely wearing flowers, singing “Age of Aquarius” whilst frolicking in
- “Wake Up,
- My new secret crush, Eli Stone.
- Ann Hathaway evolving from ugly duckling to swan before my very eyes. (I’m not the only one who saw The Princess Diaries! I KNOW I’M NOT!)
- Holly and Moose. (…okay, that might actually be happening. Wheeee!)
I guess what I’m trying to ask is twofold:
A) Am I the only one who does this? (And yes, I know that I’m doing nothing to quash existing stereotypes of
B) Assuming my insane fantasy of
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29 comments:
Dude. I have no answers to your questions. I have only been to the SF airport, on route to Napa.
But you are going to hang with Moose?
Squee!!
I TOTALLY do this. The first (and OK, only) time I went to Russia I was convinced a hundred dancing Russian men in Ushankas were going to appear right after I left the airport and start joyously singing "Have you heard? There's a rumor in St. Petersburg!"
Clearly, my life would be so much more exciting if it were an animated movie starring the vocal stylings of John Cusack and Meg Ryan.
Have fun! I can't wait to hear how you eat Rice-a-roni and dance the night away with half-naked hippies singing "Age of Aquarius, because, um, that would be sort of awesome.
The Exploratorium is great fun, even for adults. If you are a music fan, Amoeba music is just amazing. The DeYoung museum and Golden Gate park, of course, especially if it is sunny.
The tour of the submarine down by the maritime museum is a real history lesson and gave me all kinds of appreciation for the people who fought in WWII. Well worth the trip.
Yay, SF! ok im a lurker...ive been reading your blog for a few weeks :) I found you on 30tiny moments. I live close to SF...go to pier 39 (www.pier39.com), there is an aquarium there some shops and funny people tryin to earn a buck by preforming on the street, try and go to Alcatraz (its so neat) but u might need to book in advance cuz its usually full. If you go to Haight & Ashbury you will def see hippies! though i dont think they will be nude LOL...there is also a great zoo too and a huge park and a beach where people fly amazingly big and creative kites, and there is tons more but i would be writing a story in ur comments...Have fun, it really is a neat place!
I TOTALLY saw The Princess Diaries.
Oh, you're visiting one of my favorite cities IN THE WORLD. So fun!
My suggestions:
Rent a car and drive north on the 1. Stop at Stinson beach for a picnic (if weather is nice, OBVIOUSLY).
2. Don't leave without eating at the Cliff House. It's on the west side, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. We ate at the Bistro, and had a 180 degree view of the ocean. The food is good, too. :)
3. If you go to Haight-Ashbury, there's a great tapas restaurant that has pretty decent sangria. The fruit alone will knock you over. (Oh, wait. That sangria suggestion might not apply to you.) It'll most likely be crowded, but it's got a lively vibe and the food is DELICIOUS. It's called Cha Cha Cha. (There's a couple others around the city, but I don't know if the environment is the same at the others.) Be sure to order the warm spinach salad. You'll be licking the bowl, it's that good.
4. Fisherman's Wharf is kind of like a carnival, and crowded with tourists. If you decide to go, I'd do it on the first day you're in the city so you can get it over with. Everything will be uphill from there. (Clam chowder in a bread bowl is a fave of mine.)
5. I think one of my most favorite parts of SF is just its walkability. Dallas isn't like that at all, so it's kind of a novelty to me. I loved just exploring the city on foot - somehow it just made everything seem more like a "discovery" than driving, parking and walking in to the destination. I'm not sure why.
OMG. I love The Princess Diaries! It's one of my 'guilty pleasures' movies. My husband totally makes fun of me for it.
Shopping in Union Square is always a sure bet. I agree that a drive on Hwy 1 is amazing and shouldn't be missed. You will definitely be singing Phantom Planet out the car window.
I do that also. Sometimes the place is EXACTLY like my imagination, sometimes better. (Well, except the singing part.)And sometimes it doesn't match up at all. And that's just sad. You will love SF. Have a great time!
If you do come across "Eli Stone," send him my love or at the very least tell him, I'd never leave him like his crazy ex did.
I have seen both Princess Diaries AND Princess Diaries 2. But the second one was not very good.
ANYWAY. Go across the Golden Gate bridge and have brunch at one of the many cute little restaurants on the other side. I love the Alkatraz tour; if you do want to take the tour, order tickets in advance. Ghiradelli Square is not that exciting. You have to go see Lombard Street, just because there is no other street like it. I think Grace Cathedral is gorgeous. And I would recommend going to Chinatown and trying out a restaurant where all the other patrons are Chinese; skip the touristy restaurants.
Delurking to say hello from Seattle!
And also, I SO do this, too. Take for instance NYC. It seems that everything I know about NYC, I learned from watching Seinfeld. I even wrote about it here.
Have fun in SF! As a native Californian, I can say that SF is one of my fave cities. There's just so much to see, so much to do. it can be overwhelming at times. But then, you're from NYC - nothing is as overwhelming as being in that city!
I have the OC theme on my iPod. Have no fear, you are not alone.
And my husband asked for (and received) The Princess Diaries for Christmas one year. So yeah, we've seen it.
I also have romantic notions about places I'm going. I did the same thing with SF. I've been a few times and can't think of a single thing to suggest you do there. Mostly just walk around the city and enjoy the people watching. (SF is exactly like Seattle...only dirtier.)
Looking forward to a full report when you return.
Ahem. Are you listening? GHIRARDELLI SQUARE. There is a) Chocolate and b) Ice cream and c) Tasting of said chocolate and probably ice cream and d) A handy store in which you can stock up on chocolate and e) A restaurant in which you can "taste" large quantities of ice cream.
I don't care if it is a touristy tourist spot.
Also, you might be able to see the seals sunning themselves out on the rocks from Fisherman's Wharf, which, if I am recalling correctly, is not that far from Ghirardelli Square.
i will be super jealous if you get to see the Tanners. just saying. :)
I think, perhaps, my purpose today is to make you feel better, because: (a) I freakin' love The Princess Diaires. And The Princess Diaries 2; and (b) You most definitely are not the only person to romanticize a locale....because I have an unhealthy/possibly unrealistic of St. Louis as the best place ever. Seriously. I sort of want to move to St. Louis, and yet I have never been there. I almost had my bachelorette party there! Hi, I am crazy!
Anyway, have fun!!! And - if you need a place to dine, we went to Farallon when we went there and it was fantastico. As was this random Italian place where I got wasted and ordered the rabbit but asked the waitress to refer to it as "the chicken" so I wouldn't think of Peter Cottontail, and periodically during the meal, Rob would look at me and say, "hippity hop". Good times.
you might encounter the odd hippie in purple drawstring pants selling windchimes. I sincerely hope you don't. the new art museum, by fancy euro-architects herzog and de meuron is a must. says my husband. apparently amazing donuts to be had in that sanfran market. me i would head straight to japantown to get some miniature plastic food for my collection of miniature plastic food. but if that doesn't float your boat, let us know what treats you DO find! have fun.
The first time my sister and I went to SF we decided to hang off the cable cars and yell out for Bailey (this was in 1994. Remember "Party of Five?"). I second the recs for a drive up the Pacific Coast Highway and dining at Farallon.
Have a great time!
I've only been to SF a couple of times, and one of those times I was delirious with mono (I'm so fun on vacation!), but as I recall, there really WERE hippie types all over the Haight. SF seems awash in people who still think it's 1969.
Oooh, one place I had great fun visiting was City Lights Bookstore, where all the Beat types used to hang out. I mean, beyond the history it's sort of just a book store, but I am geeky enough to find that to be awesome.
The Cliff House is really, really lovely and I think the food was good (again, delirious).
Crossing the GG Bridge and poking around the little towns over there, like Sausalito, was really fun.
There's a Vietnamese place called the Blue Door (or maybe it's the Slanted Door? Am helpful!) that's supposed to be fabulous.
That is the extent of my knowledge of SF.
definitely make the drive down highway 1. so scenic. also check out golden gate park if the weather is beautiful, especially the japanese tea garden.
the slanted door and range are two of the best restaurants in the city.
and maybe you'll see me walking by you on the street...haha.
You are so not the only one who does that. It always amazes me to see Real People! Who live in City X! OMG! I know, I'm dumb.
I love SF! (Except for that one time I went to Fisherman's Wharf when I was morning sick. The sound of hundreds of Sea Lions sounded like a chorus of belching and I wanted to hurl.)
Ok, and I also had my shoes barfed on by a drunken biker on Haight Ashbury, but other than THAT I LOVE it.
I loved eating at "The Stinking Rose" but I would only recommend it if you REALLY like garlic.
I do tend to romanticize places, but often they meet or exceed my expectations.
I loved San Francisco! Gorgeous and so cool. Definitely do Lombard Street - way cool and a little freaky to drive down. Take a little walking tour of the beautiful victorians. When we were there, they were filming an episode of Nash Bridges.
And if you see Anne Hathaway growing up and turning into a princess, let her know I love her movies, too!
Dude. How long will you be here? Because I can give you more lists than you'll know what to do with. Shall I email them to you?
I definitely hope you see Jesse and the Rippers. Surely they're playing somewhere.
Also, not only did I see The Princess Diaries; I saw the sequel, too. I've also seen both High School Musical movies. No, I have no preteens in my house. Don't judge me.
Oddly enough, when we went to New York in October, I looked for YOU on the subway! And after seeing Toopweets picture standing at your office window, I have to say maybe I was closer to seeing you than I had thought! We were staying at the Marriott in the financial district. Am I right?
In the city, make sure you get to the top of Twin Peaks -- the overview of the city is a sight you'll never forget.
Outside the city, rent a car and head north to wine country -- avoid Napa and proceed directly to the Russian River Valley in Sonoma instead: fantastic wines, far fewer crowds, great food (try Healdsburg for lunch)... just a fantastic experience.
Man, I need to get back out there.
I know I'm a little late to this post, but in the hopes that you check your email/comments in between swooning over the most gorgeous city by the bay, please check out:
Citizen Cake
www.citizencake.com
399 Grove St
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 861-2228
Oh! I almost forgot this fabulous chocolate shop:
Recchiuti Chocolate
www.recchiuti.com
Address:
One Ferry Building, Shop #30
San Francisco, CA 94111
Store Hours: Mon-Tues 10am-6pm, Wed-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 8am-6pm, Sun 10am-5pm
Phone: 415-834-9494
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