San Francisco Day One: Welcome to the City by the Bay!

by CajunKate

So Day 1 officially started off an airplane to DFW.  I lucked out, and there was no one seated next to me, but on the next flight to SF, a lady plopped down beside me and promptly stuck her hand out and introduced herself.  She was Terry from Georgia.  She was divorced and had one son who was just going off to college.  She was a nurse who was going with a friend to meet her brother and his partner for an eight day vacation in SF.  How do I know all this?  Because she told me.  Did I ask?  Surely you jest!  Have I not made it abundantly clear that I suffer from my very own self-proclaimed disease- RSS (Retard in Social Situations)?  Heck no, I did not actively engage her in conversation! She was a natural “talker.”  Thankfully, I was able to slam the headphones to my MP3 player onto my head and that deterred her…somewhat.  I had also brought along a Glamour and an IN Touch to pass the time, not being able to foresee sitting next to Chatty Cathy and all.  As soon as I closed the cover to the IN Touch, she reached over and snatched it from my grasp, crying out, “My turn!”  It was kind of weird, but she had also had two Bloody Marys by that point so, you know, I’m all too familiar with liquid douchbaginess, having engaged in it myself a time or two.  Alcohol mixed with her naturally exuberant personality made her that much more bold, I guess.  Also, she told me that she loved my ring, so I told her what I tell anyone who says that to me.  I keep it real and totally admit that it’s a fake.  Toward the end of the flight, she told me no less than four times that I should never admit to anyone ever again that my ring was a fake and that I should get my husband to buy me real diamonds.  So, you can see where I wasn’t all that sad to say goodbye to Terry from Georgia.

 

I saw these on the flight.  Anyone know what they are?  They were in the desert, Flippant answer from both Seth and Alex? "Crop circles."  Uh, noooooo.  It was in the DESERT. 

 Wheeee!  The closest I've ever been to the Sierra Nevada Mountains!

Seth had a slight snafu with the public transit system and ended up being a bit late meeting me at the airport, but it was fine.  We took the BART back into the city and stopped off at his new apartment (so cute!) then headed off to the Haight to take in the hippie culture.  Our first stop was Pipe Dreams, a local head shop and one of SF's oldest; it’s been open for over 27 years.  It was hilarious to watch about three people in a row come in and buy one hitter pipes.  Apparently, quite a few people are still in love with Mary Jane in SF.    

 

And I didn't even toke up!

We walked down Haight and stopped off at the intersection with Ashbury so I could take a picture.  I have no idea why I wanted to do that.  As I was taking it, I kept saying to Seth that this had to be the most unoriginal picture of my life.   

 

Most cliche pic ever! 

By that time I was starving, so we stopped off at a little place that Seth really likes called Asqew Grill.  I had the Thai beef tenderloin skewers with coconut cilantro jasmine rice and OH MY GOD!  Yummy, yummy, yummy in my tummy!  I also had a great beer there, but I don’t remember what it was.  Anyway, I licked that plate clean.  It was awesome.

 

Okay, I know it doesn't look all that good, but trust me.  Serious deliciousness, my peeps! 

After that, it was off to the legendary Amoeba Music to peruse their GINORMOUS selection of music.  I can’t even describe how huge and wide ranging it is.  If you want it, they’ve got it.  Tapes, albums, CDs of every, and I mean EVERY, genre imaginable.  They also have an incredible DVD selection.  I won’t even go into the people watching aspect of it all.

 

The world famous Amoeba Music store 

After Amoeba, we strolled through GoldenGate Park and went by the deYoung Museum.  (We had plans to come back and tour it later in the week, but we ran out of time. And that’s fine.  It totally gives me a reason to go back, which is what I said to Seth about anything that  I thought I might like to see and didn’t get to- “I’ll see it next time!”  I have already formulated a full itinerary for my next *fingers crossed* trip.)

 

Me posed in the perfect tree at GGP 

  

The Windmill in GGP

 The deYoung Museum's tower- is that cool lookin' or what?  

 

Dale Chihuly sculpture outside of the deYoung.  Have you seen his stuff? AH-MAZING!  Great reason to go back to SF for me since I missed the inside exhibit. 

Following the tour through GGP, we took the bus down to Ocean Beach.  One thing I had said to Seth over and over since I first booked my flight was that I HAD to see the Pacific Ocean, that I had never seen it before, and I HAD to see it.  I guess he got the point because we ended up at Ocean Beach.  The moment we stepped into view of the beach front, my mouth dropped open.  Gorgeous, beautiful, breathtaking!  Sigh.  Like heaven. Notice the big goofy grin on my face in all of the pictures.

 

 

  

  

 

By the time we were done at the beach, the sun was just beginning to set, and Seth asked what I’d like to do for supper.  I admitted that I was wiped out and suggested we just pick up some bread, cheese, etc. for a light supper at his place.  We stopped off at a Safeway which was smack dab in the middle of this neighborhood, and I kept thinking how cool it must be to just walk to the grocery store from your house in the cool evening air.  No car, no intensive sweating.  Someone had even tied up a dog outside while they went in to grab stuff.  That sure seems like the life.

Oh, have I not mentioned that I wore a SWEATSHIRT on my BODY the ENTIRE day because it was COLD and it is AUGUST and I was able to wear LONG SLEEVED apparel OUTSIDE in the hours between 12:00 AM AND 11:59 PM?  Have I mentioned heavenly?  I mentioned that right?

Back at Seth’s place we watched some tube and snacked and caught up.  It was a perfect end to my first day in the city. 

Coming soon- Day 2!