USA Vacation 4: I Left My Heart in San Francisco

I definitely understand why Douglass Cross penned the lyrics to the song. I loved San Francisco, not just because we visited some really great friends there on our vacation, but also because I loved the blend of old and new, the rolling hills, the proximity to the ocean and the great gastronomic experiences. I can't believe the husband and I only spent two days there, because I could definitely have stayed a lot longer!

The famous Golden Gate Bridge was, well...not exactly visible as it is in every movie and postcard that seems to feature this attraction. And apparently, seeing it in fog like this is very typical---it's the clear days that are unusual! Or so I've been told.

Even here, by Crissy Field, all that could be seen of the bridge was the lower part of it.

But a photo opp with or without the bridge in the background will push through! Have camera, will have photo for the vacation album!

If you're out for a walk by Crissy Field, head over to the nearby Palace of Fine Arts and enjoy the beautiful structures by the pond. Great for photo shoots, too!

One of my favorite parts of our visit to SF was driving around, up and down the streets and enjoying the architecture and views of the sea.

Like this top view of what is probably the most photographed street in San Francisco, Lombard Street.

And here's the view from the bottom of the unusually steep and winding street. No speed trangressions here, I should hope!

And apparently, there is more than one way to drive down Lombard Street.

Another landmark to pass by is Ghirardelli Square near Fisherman's Wharf. This area used to house the headquarters of Ghirardelli Chocolate Company and still features a number of shops, a small green and different views of the sea. And quite a few boats of different types and ages.

I have no idea who the lady in the foreground is but otherwise, isn't it a nifty view of the hilly streets of the city?

One can't visit San Francisco and not pass by Fisherman's Wharf. If not for a meal of clam chowder served in a bowl of the famous sourdough bread....

....or for a photograph of Alcatraz and a very persistent sea gull.....

...or for a inner tour of this submarine in the wharf (obviously the husband's choice, not mine!)...

... then at least for a visit to Pier 39, the pier that the sea lions at some point just decided to invade and claim for a chill-out spot and which now draws crowds from all over who come to see these great creatures snoozing in the sun, lying on the same crowded floats, despite there being many other floats to choose from.

And, oh my God, the food! San Francisco is known as one of the best restaurant cities in America, which is golden nugget of information for a food fanatic like myself! 

Our hosts took us to dinner at this small restaurant on Mission Street called Salt House, which is located in a refurbished printing press warehouse from 1907 and which features Contemporary American fare. I wish I had remembered to take photos of the food for this post, but it was all so good that I was busy stuffing my face and photography had to take a back seat for once! If you are more than two people, I recommend ordering different things from the menu and sharing so that everyone gets a taste of everything. The food is served in small, gourmet portions and is definitely worth the visit. My favorites were the poutine (french fries smothered in gravy), poached egg and the S'more dessert cup. Oh, and making a reservation is a good idea, too.

Another place I enjoyed a good meal was at Town on Laurel Street in the San Carlos area where they definitely know how to do great brunch dishes. As an Eggs Benedict fan, I had to try the Benedict A Trois, which featured the classic Eggs Benedict as well as a steak and crab cake variety. Nom! 

The husband had his first try of Chicken and Waffles (which this restaurant apparently does well). Mmm, gravy....

Also a place worth visiting and making a table reservation for, especially for weekend brunch.

Ah, San Francisco, you stole my heart away in just two days! I shall see you again someday.

PS. For all you guys out there who love to shop, the Standford Shopping Center is a nice place to check out as well...!

USA Vacation 3: Tahoe-Bound On the Road Through Nevada

Fun times in Las Vegas can't go on forever if you're anything like me. At some point, you have to drag yourself away from the shopping, cocktails and casinos and exit the city (vowing silently you'll return to that outlet mall and this deluxe hotel).

The husband and I stuffed all the shopping bags into the rental car, entered "Tahoe" into the GPS and headed out of Sin City. We were headed towards San Francisco, passing through parts of Nevada and seeing Lake Tahoe on the way. So, we drove off under the blistering desert sun, yowling along to whatever was playing on the radio.

                              

For tall people who are more used to short rides in Copenhagen, driving for too many hours isn't too ideal, so pit stops will happen every so often.

Yup, you read it right! Not only did this place on the Interstate boast of a gas station and diner, it was Area 51-themed and all, being quite near the militiary air base known for all the alien conspiracy theories . Oh, and an Alien Brothel and Bar open for business, too! Something for everyone, I guess. :)

After the initial pit stop, we drove through miles of desert, admiring the changing landscape and marvelling at how big everything was. So we drove.

And drove. 

And drove.

At some point, when you've driven for hours, can't get a decent music station on the radio and haven't seen another car for miles, you realize that you're really deep in the country and hope to the heavens that the car doesn't break down!

And slowly, the landscape changed from less desert-y to more pine tree-ish.

You realize how much you rely on your smartphone and Google when all you have is the GPS of a car and are sort of winging it on the road trip, hoping you'll see signs to Lake Tahoe soon. At some point, near sunset, we drove through a forest which turned out to be Inyo National Forest, and ended up by Mono Mills lake, which is a large, saline lake in Mono County.

After nearly 7 hours on the road, I yelled "stop" when I spotted the first sign that said motel, because by that time, we were both exhausted and starving and just wanted to stop for the night. We found out that we were in Lee Vining, which is on the southwest shore of Mono Lake and the closest town to the east entrance to Yosemite National Park.

Guess who ditched the car and bolted across the street when she saw a sign for Bodie Mike's Bar-B-Q? Yeah, you guessed it. A girl needs her regular meals, of course. I did enjoy that Pulled Pork sandwich, every delicious bite of it! Fed and satisfied, we checked into the only room left at the Yosemite Gateway Motel, which was clean, air conditioned and had excellent wifi so we could let the world know we were still alive.

And this isn't a bad view to wake up to in the morning! The sun rising over Mono Lake was beautiful....and crossing over for breakfast at the only diner in the town was beautiful,too.

Here's a view of the front of the motel rooms facing the lake and the sunrise. 

And here are some still photographs the husband took on his pre-breakfast walk. 

Despite being slightly behind schedule, I was glad we stopped at Lee Vining when we did because we would have missed the beautiful views en route to Tahoe. Just ignore the dirty spots from the windshield.

Streams, tree and mountains made up the beautiful landscape.

Which made being stuck in a traffic jam (seriously, out in the country?!) bearable, having something interesting to photograph.

And then, we finally made it to Lake Tahoe. Oh. My. God. "Gorgeous" just can't begin to describe it. I totally fell in love with this place! The lake is huge, for one, and it was simply amazing to see the clear waters stretch for miles with the snow-capped mountains in the distance and having such fresh air to breathe.

We drove around Lake Tahoe, admiring the beautiful views of the lake and the quaint houses among the trees. Lunch called for a stop at Sunnyside Restaurant and Lodge on the west shore of the lake, which boasted of a big wooden deck where a bite to eat and lakeside view go hand in hand.

A shrimp and crab salad was an excellent light lunch....

...and our friendly waited surprised us with this dessert when he heard we were on our honeymoon!

After lunch in the sun, we had to continue on to San Francisco where friends were waiting for us, We decided to continue driving around the lake, after a recommendation from some co-lunch guests, towards Emerald Bay, a natural bay surrounded by Emerald Bay State Park. And just when I thought Lake Tahoe couldn't get any more fantastic! So worth the extra drive! 

Just check out how gorgeous it is:

A longer stay by Lake Tahoe is definitely recommended! I hope to go back some day and stay at one of the hotels by the lake and just enjoy the magnificent natural beauty of the area. if you have a chance to pass by, do try to check it out!

Check out the next installment of our USA trip in a few days, right after this month's "Happiness Is..." post, because San Francisco is up next!

USA Vacation 1: L.A. Chilling

Wow, you know the weather's been good in Copenhagen when you find me procrastinating on my blog posts! In between work, I've been enjoying the sun, BBQs and long walks. Oh, and I've also managed to create an Instagram account for my blog, so now you can follow me on the go there as well -- just search for becauselifesaparty.

But now on to the blog posts I've promised you about my trip to California and Nevada, a.k.a. Our Official Honeymoon! (A term which gets you a room upgrade, free wifi and free dessert. Just sayin'.) Ok, we got married in January, but technically we didn't really have a honeymoon, except for a few extra days at the luxury resort where the wedding was held.

My husband and I jetted off to Los Angeles, which was our base for the trip since we had family living there. I love any place that has a beach, palm trees and anything else which reminds me of growing up in the Philippines, so in many ways, I felt right at home.

Before exploring any place, you need a good, hearty breakfast. Like a big omelette and Strawberry Cheesecake pancakes with a round of Iced Coffee at the local IHOP near you. Let's just say I didn't feel the need for food again until many hours later, and though it was a fun experience, the calories in that one meal will warm my heart for a whole year!

What's a visit to California without some seasfood? We hit a Joe's Crab Shack on Long Beach and got a whole pot of delicious steamed crab and shrimp as well as the not-so-fashionable bibs to keep us neat and tidy. I can't say the same for the rest of the table, though. My crab utensil skills weren't the best. 

If you got time to take a detour to Anaheim, I can surely recommend a visit to the happiest place on earth -- Disneyland! After 32 years, I finally got to see Disneyland and it was fantastic! 

There's actually two parks across from each other. There's Disneyland, which has Sleeping Beauty's castle, Toon Town, Enchanted Tiki Room, Haunted Mansion, Mark Twain Riverboat and many other great attractions and rides. There are also a bunch of shows all over the park, so keep your eyes open for the schedules and get a good seat.. And be sure to catch Mickey's Soundsational Parade down Main Street with all the beloved Disney characters.

Then there's Disney California Adventure Park which has some newer rides and other themes, such as California Screamin' (literally!), Twillight Zone Tower of Terror, Paradise Pier, Soarin' Over California (must try!), Animation Academy and Mickey's Fun Wheel. Tip: you might not want to get on the swinging gondolas of Mickey's Fun Wheel right after getting off California Screamin' rollercoaster. Let's just I have a husband who regretted that decision.

I can recommend the Fast Pass system if you want to avoid standing in lines too long. And catching the night time shows before the parks close, Fantasmic! at Disneyland, along the waters of Frontierland and World of Color at Disney California Adventure Park across Paradise Pier. Both shows are one-of-a-kind and truly amazing for anybody that is young at heart. 

Disneyland is definitely awesome! Even after 13 hours!

Anybody who goes to L.A. has to swing by the Walk of Fame in Hollywood. Note the impersonators you can have your picture taken with for a small fee. You can even have two Jack Sparrows in the same photo!

Hollywood and Highland is the mall right by the Walk of Fame. In between sightseeing, you can hit a few shops, get some coffee or maybe grab lunch.

And on the other side of Hollywood and Highland, you can actually see the Hollywood sign in the hills, although slightly unclear because of the infamous June Gloom that seems to hit L.A. 

The TCL Chinese Theatre, formerly Grauman's, is also right by Hollywood and Highland. Great for a few photo opps or for comparing your shoe size to famous Hollywood stars who have literally made their mark in concrete in front of the theatre.

Just a short drive away is Santa Monica and the famous pier you see below. A tip is to park in the garage of the mall, Santa Monica Place, which also has some great shopping opportunities, and then walk down the two blocks to the beach and the pier. Grab a cup of coffee and a pastry on Third Street Promenade on your way back and soak in the pleasant atmosphere.

After all the shoping and sightseeing and traipsing around, you might need a day or two of just chilling and casual drives like we did. We explored the charming suburbs in Long Beach and discovered some beautiful residential streets.

Or drive up to Signal Hill and enjoy a panoramic view of L.A. while soaking up some sun.

Or visit the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden at California State University Long Beach for a bit of tranquility and marvel at the massive koi that you can actually touch in the ponds.

There's tons to see and experience in L.A. and everybody prefers different things on a vacation. Luckily, we know that we will be back so that we can catch anything we missed We did, after all, do massive sightseeing and drive over 3,000 kilometers and try many different things in two weeks, so we've saved some things for our next trip, like Universal Studios.
I definitely can't wait to visit the City of Angels again!