Sisters in San Francisco (cont.)

Lombard Street

Day 5

On our last full day in the city, we'd planned to hike Land's End for amazing views. Unfortunately, the weather had other plans. That day dawned chilly, windy, and cloudy. Pivoting, we figured we'd start the day by hitting some tourist attractions in the hopes that the sky would clear for an afternoon hike.

Our first stop was Lombard Street, the crookedest street in America. We watched a couple of truck drivers gingerly make their way down it, and we also enjoyed the city view at the top. Then, we headed for San Francisco's painted ladies, down near Alamo Park. We admired the intricate detail work on these beautiful Victorian-style houses while humming the Full House theme song. We also walked around Alamo Park a bit, as there are interesting houses to see on every side.

Laura, Grace, and the painted ladies!

After that, we walked to Golden Gate Park. (There were parts of this walk that were a bit sketchy. That, combined with the poor weather, made me wish we'd taken a cab for this portion of our jaunt.) Once there, and needing to warm up, the park's Conservatory of Flowers beckoned to us. What a great stop! We ducked into this historic landmark, which is the oldest wood-and-glass conservatory in North America. We were transported into a world filled with orchids, cycads, aquatics, and other fantastic plants. We particularly loved the butterfly room, where the delicate creatures fluttered all around us. (One even lighted on Laura's shoe!) This was a great place to slow down, take a load off, and warm up.

Butterfly at the Conservatory

After our visit to the conservatory, the weather was still poor. We sadly decided to bag our Land's End hike and take refuge in the deYoung Museum, which is also located in Golden Gate Park. Once inside, we first visited the cafe for some filling and very reasonably-priced lunch. Then, we lost ourselves in a world of American and contemporary art. They had some very interesting Dalis, and a Modigliani or two. They also had a large gallery where they paired paintings with descriptive poems written by students. Love that exhibit. We also enjoyed their African and Oceanic collections. Though the museum is sizable, it's easily covered in a day or a long afternoon, and there's plenty to keep you occupied! We spent the rest of the afternoon here, then caught a cab back to the hotel.

Dali at the deYoung

We had a special treat planned for dinner. One of my high school friends lives in the area, and she'd agreed to meet up with us! We started out at Barbacco Eno Trattoria for drinks and snacks, then made our way to Wayfare Tavern, where I chose the amazing fried chicken with whipped potatoes and a sparkling glass of brut rose. Lawdhavemercy! The food was delicious, but the company was even better! We chatted and laughed and gabbed and whooped and vented and just had the best time!! I was so glad to reconnect with her!!

After dinner, we blissfully sank into bed.

Day 6

We had plane tickets for early afternoon, so we didn't do much on our last day in town. We found a shipping shop where we mailed our wine back home. We also had a fantastic breakfast at a little spot called Homage, which uses the product of several local farms to offer a small but excellent menu. Then, it was pack-airport-plane-home!

What an amazing city San Francisco is! I can't wait to go back! And I can't wait to go on vacation with my sisters again!!