San Francisco: A Quick Overview of My Trip

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.