San Francisco is one of my favorite cities. Living in the suburbs of Southern California halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego, I don't get into big cities as much as I would like. I try to get to LA as much as possible as there is so much to see and do there and I really do love it. I get to San Diego even less. But San Francisco? There is something about that city. If I could afford it, I would move there. I fall in love with it again every time I visit. My best friend lives in San Jose which is less than 60 miles from downtown San Francisco. We made plans for her to come up to the city and spend the day with me while I was there. We had talked about so many things I wanted to do, but in the end, we took a nice, leisurely day and it was fantastic!
Sausalito
I have always wanted to visit Sausalito. I had heard about its small town charm and was told I would love it. I have a dream of living in a "Gilmore Girls" quirky small town on the ocean. It combines so many of my favorite things: the ocean, the city, and small town vibes. So, Saturday morning we jumped in the car and drove over the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge into Sausalito. (Heading out of the city they don't charge for the bridge, but be prepared to pay roughly $6 to get back.)
Once we found parking and paid for two hours at the pay station, we took a leisurely stroll along the water, talking and catching up. The marina is beautiful and the strong, salty smell of the ocean coming in with the breeze was exactly what I needed. We walked along the docks for a while and then turned back into the town so we could do a little shopping. We found great items in some unique little boutiques (including a Christmas Shop that we both wanted to spend all of our money in) and a wonderful chocolate shop called Pick Me Up Chocolate. They were incredibly nice and the chocolate was so pretty and super yummy. They have some wonderful and interesting flavors. My favorite was probably the salted caramel. The perfect amount of salt and the perfect amount of melt in your mouth caramel with dark chocolate. The are handmade artisan chocolates that would impress even the most critical chocolate lovers like myself. If you stop in Sausalito, they are a must to visit! It made me seriously think my passion in life is to own a chocolate shop.
China Town
After driving around Haight/Ashbury and Golden Gate Park, we decided to head back towards the hotel, get lunch, and to walk around China Town. We had a yummy lunch at Asian Box inside Macy's Union Square (they have a completely Gluten Free menu) and then went walking up to China Town.
I just recently read the book China Dolls by Lisa See that takes place in China Town in San Francisco back in the 1940's. I was so anxious to go back and see the area in a new light. I have been there once or twice in the last 20 years, but now knowing some of the history (even if it was a fictional story) of the city and China Town itself, I was more excited than ever to walk around there.
We walked straight through the main entrance, Dragon's Gate, up one side of the main street, and then back down the other side. A lot of the original structures are there and you can tell which signs used to be marquis of theaters and clubs. Mentally I was transported back to chapters and descriptions in the book and I could almost picture what it could have looked like 70 years ago, with dancers falling out of the side theater doors late at night or early in the morning after hours of performing and drinking, escorted by men that were customers of the club.
The lanterns and décor hanging over the street were great opportunities for artsy pictures. With the ornate designs and the beautiful red and gold colors, it felt so luxurious and cultural that I sort of forgot that I was in the middle of San Francisco. I think that my favorite structure we came across was the old Chinese Telephone Exchange building. It's in the shape of a pagoda and still keeps the integrity of the town intact. It is featured in the book and I was so happy to hear that the building was still there. It has been a number of businesses over the years but is currently a functioning bank. It's in surprisingly good shape with bright red, green, and gold making it stand out from the other plain storefronts on the street. It's clear that they maintain the building well.
After popping in too many gift shops on our route, we decided to keep on walking down to what I like to call "fancy pants" area (aka Union Square).
Union Square
There isn't much to say about Union Square. It's exactly what a big city shopping area should be. Loud, fun, and tons of different stores to play around in. The good thing about downtown and Union Square is they mix it up with the high-end stores like Caroline Herrera, Hermes, and Christian Louboutin with more affordable mainstream stores like Old Navy, Macy's, and The Levi's Store. The oddest thing for me, being a suburb dweller, was seeing stores like CVS and Trader Joe's on the bottom floor of a high rise building. I loved every minute of it but found it so weird to not see a huge parking lot in front of them. That area of the city is all about walking or taking the Trolley.
**One thing I have never done while in San Francisco is to take a Trolley ride. It will happen. It's now on my bucket list.**
Once we had walked as much as our 40-year-old bodies could walk, we headed back to the hotel. She had to get on the road to head home and I desperately needed to take a hot bath and read.
The next day I got up to head home and decided to make a side trip to a place I had always wanted to see. The James Dean Memorial.
Cholame, California - James Dean
I grew up with a fascination of James Dean. My old apartment was covered in prints on the wall of him and Marilyn Monroe. Coffee table books and different nick knacks surrounded me. Sadly, they are all currently in storage. This James Dean lover wasn't about to miss another chance to see exactly where it happened; where the tragedy of a beautiful and tortured soul met his untimely death.
Driving from the 5 down the 41 in central California is long and to be honest, quite boring. When you come to the 41/46 junction there is a spot on the side of the road with a license plate commemorating the actor, and flowers, wreaths, etc. If you keep driving, you come upon the Jack Ranch Café. It comes up quick. You can pull over and get out and take pictures with the actual memorial that was built and placed there. It was all very quick and surreal to me. I got back in the car and headed back to the 5 on the 46. I passed by the roadside spot where the accident actually occurred. I wish it was a more convenient place to stop and get out of the car, as I would have loved to just stand there for a minute, maybe take a picture or two.
I kept driving down the 46 and eventually you come upon what is known as James Dean's last stop before the crash. (Blackwells Corner) It's a general store and now Texaco station that has two large wooden tributes to the actor: a full-length picture of him pointing to the station and one of his shoulders and head. I almost missed it, but fate stepped in and turned the street light red at the last minute and I sat there on the corner looking at the gas station wondering what he might have been thinking that day. He had no idea that in a matter of minutes, his life would end. The moment was even more surreal than standing in front of the memorial. A spot he never even made it to.
All in all, it was a great weekend. I got some down time to recharge, time to hang out and chat with my best friend, some driving time to think and reflect, and saw some historical spots that made me thankful.
Recently I broke down and bought the Too Faced Sweet Peach Eye Shadow Palette. I had been going back and forth on whether to purchase it or not as it is quite pricey ($49) and has had a slew of mixed reviews. I went looking for a smaller palette with similar colors and despite being spring, I just couldn't find any with peach and pinks that I wanted. So, knowing I had a coupon, I went ahead and bit the bullet. Luckily, for me, Ulta almost always has some deal where you get a gift with purchase and just my luck it was a travel size of the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara that is my absolutely favorite!
I have tried this palette a couple of times now. Here are my thoughts:
1. It has absolutely beautiful colors.
2. It does NOT work well without an eyeshadow primer.
3. If you do not use a shadow primer, the color instantly fades and you are left with practically nothing in a few hours, especially if you use the lighter shades.
4. I use the NYX white eyeshadow base. With this primer the colors of this palette pop in a gorgeous way. They blend really well with this primer and I am finally getting a chance to explore accents with the darker colors in the palette.
5. There seem to be a lot of shimmers, but really there aren't. There are a couple shadows that are extremely glittery, but the other non-matte colors are just a tad bit of shimmer; almost still matte.
6. IT SMELLS LIKE PEACHES!
The bottom line is if you are looking for colors that are in this palette, use a good eyeshadow primer, and can afford the price tag, I highly suggest it. If you don't think you will use all of the colors, don't bother. I am definitely enjoying this palette, but the range of colors was exactly what I was looking for. It smells heavenly and looks gorgeous on. Just use a primer!!
In January I decided to take a trip to San Francisco just to get away for a few days. Luckily, one of my best friends lives in San Jose, only a short car ride away. My original planned date was President's weekend in February when California ended up getting torrential downpours, hurricane winds, and flooding all over the state. That was when I changed my plans and decided to stay close to home and did a night at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach which was beyond phenomenal. So, two weekends ago I finally got to make my long awaited trip to San Francisco a reality. I booked a room at the Grand Hyatt Union Square in downtown San Francisco and made the long trek up there.
Los Angeles traffic always being what it is (Sig-alerts and all kinds of crazy things happening), it took me longer than anticipated to get into San Francisco. When I got into downtown, it was a madhouse. I didn't know it at the time, but the whole city had been without power from 9:00 am to just a little bit before I got there. The traffic was crazy. If you have ever driven in San Francisco before, you know that one way streets are their signature layout. With GPS in the car, it's usually an easy thing to navigate. With the power having just returned, everyone was panicky and lights were flashing red all over the city. I finally got to the front of the hotel and there is NO turnout for valet. It's a lane on the street in front of the hotel. That's it. You miss it (like I did) and you get taken around another block or so of one way streets to get back to the front of the hotel; the only entrance. When I finally made it up there I thought to myself, "With the extravagant valet fees they charge ($67 a night), there should be a better system." That being said, the valet attendants were right on top of it: no waiting; they grab your bags immediately, give you your ticket, and you are on your way. They are seasoned veterans and know just how to get you up to the curb and get your car out of the way quickly.
Getting to check in was quite the whirlwind, but I was able to stop and take a breath while standing in the quick line. Check in was also fast. Their front desk area is set up more like an Apple store with many sleek and streamlined tables for each individual instead of one long check in counter, but they were quick and efficient, even offering me a bottle of water. I was off to my room in no time.
Finding my room was easy; opening the door was not. (They have a keyless entry that works great but the door handle is a little hard to push down). The room was very modern and really nice. There was a huge flat screen TV, nice sitting area, a vanity table outside the bathroom, and a really fancy looking, modern bathroom sink that was more of a elongated deep plate than a bowl. My favorite part: an automatic shade that can be operated from both sides of the bed and the front door. However, I paid an extra $30 a night for a city view. When I think of city view, I think a view of the actual city, not of the building next door. I was disappointed and called up to the front desk to talk to them about it. This is something I NEVER do. But when you are paying $60 plus taxes for something you aren't really getting, you make an effort. They offered to move me to a higher floor, but it would be facing the same building. I ended up taking a credit for $30 for at least one of the nights. My suggestion for anyone wanting a city view is to skip the "city view" and spring for the Union Square view.
Having recently stayed in the Hyatt in Huntington Beach and realizing they had wonderful options for room dining on a gluten free diet, I was severely disappointed that this Hyatt didn't have the same. No gluten free options at all, except one dish on the kids menu. Since I got there later than planned, I walked around Union Square for a bit and then just ordered in room to rest up for the next day. Sadly, I ended up paying $40 (salad, drink, delivery, tip, etc.) for a Cobb salad that had just lettuce, a chicken breast, avocado, and egg. It was the only meal I ate from the hotel. Luckily I always come prepared and I had instant GF oatmeal with me. I called down to the front desk and had them send up some water and a tea kettle. Breakfast handled.
The only other complaint I have about the hotel was the noise. The windows are not insulated the way an expensive city hotel should be. I was next to the ocean during a horrible storm in Huntington and could barely hear what was going on out there. This hotel allowed you to hear pretty much everything going on down on the street (and I was 17 floors up). The toilets were also so loud that every time my neighbor flushed, it was a jolt to my senses, actually waking me up from a dead sleep the first night.
Overall, it was a great hotel. The staff was absolutely amazing. They were quick, thoughtful, and so nice. Everything you asked for you got. I was most impressed with the valet service. If you are looking for something in the heart of the city that is really nice and accommodates your every need, I highly suggest it. Just bring ear plugs.
