California Dreamin’

I'm off on a little adventure to California.  We started by staying along the Embarcadero, so we could get the full experience of the Bay Bridge Lights at night.  We love staying at Kimpton hotels and the Harbor Court did not disappoint (can you say Anchor Steam beer during *wine* hour).   

We had supper at Epic Roasthouse which was delicious and continued our fabulous view.  I loved my Tuna Tartare with Mango Salsa … and some scrumptious Pate.

Yesterday, the weather was amazing, so I took an all day walking tour of San Francisco with The Real San Francisco Tour Company.  It was lots of walking (including some crazy stairs and hills), but it was a fabulous way to get to see lots of neighborhoods in a compact period of time … and I got some great photos.  

We started with a cable card ride and a walk through China Town … it was fun to see them making fortune cookies by hand.

 

Next we headed to the Italian neighborhood of San Franciso where there was some amazing street art.

I really loved these phrases on the sidewalk that looked like they were written on some kind of tape.

We also stopped at the Artist & Craftsman Supply Store … but only stayed long enough to check out the concreted tunnels in the basement.  She did however give me her card & told me they ship.

We visited the San Francisco Art Institute where there was a gorgeous mural by Diego Rivera on display.

And a fantastic view from the SFAI rooftop including this shot I took of two sailboats training for the America's Cup.  As I was editing my photos, I realized the boat on the right is the Artemis … the one that experienced a fatal capsize later in the day.

We also enjoyed some amazing ice cream from Smitten, where the machines freeze the delictible treat using liquid nitrogen for some of the smoothest ice cream I've ever experienced. 

We also saw lots of gorgeous spring blooms … these roses were blooming in a public park.

We experienced many amazing views frin a variety of vantage points including this one from the top of Lombard Street.

Or this one from Dolores Park.

The public art was my favorite part of the tour … like this stunning mural at the San Francisco Women's Center.

Seeing an original Banksy made my day.

The Balmy Alley Murals were also amazing.

Such a great mix of styles and colors.

We also enjoyed seeing the various neighborhoods like the fun store front windows in the Castro.

All-in-all a great way to spend the day if you just want to get an overall feel of the various neighborhoods in San Francisco.