As soon as I heard about Ai Weiwei’s @Large exhibit opening, I booked two ferry tickets to Alcatraz for my first trip out to the legendary island. We glided across the Bay’s deceptively still waters on a boat full of tourists. As the city fell into the distance, but never out of sight, we arrived on the island.
A few weeks ago, we pushed our way through San Francisco’s rush hour traffic for a weekend getaway in the Central Coast. Our friend Paul found us a charming nautical-themed house on a hill overlooking Morro Bay. We started each morning slowly, sipping coffee on our sunny deck. Without ever feeling rushed, we managed to make all the perfect pitstops around the coast.
Consumed over the weekend: Smoked fish tacos, in-n-out (of course), vegan “taco” salad, tri-tip sandwiches with beer-battered onion rings, and more!
My friend Teresa flew in from Mexico City for a week-long vacation in the Bay Area. She’s a teacher and a writer with a love of books and travel. The last time we saw each other must have been at my farewell party in Condesa. It was wonderful to reunite and chat about everything–the good old days of pre-blog internet, the reasons behind why we settle/move, and the adventures yet to come.
I really love hosting out-of-town visitors, especially because it’s a perfect excuse to explore new neighborhoods. Teresa arrived just in time to catch the first weekend of the 2014 Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco. After a huge brunch, we walked by the Golden Gate Bridge, and headed into catch Japantown’s festivities.
Teresa snapped the above photo of me by the Golden Gate Bridge. Below are the adorable recuerdos she brought for me from Mexico City: a huizache-dyed scarf, Ricardo Liniers’s charmingly illustrated children’s book, and a handmade wallet.
Teresa basking in a plate of fried chicken & waffles (of course, smothered in hot sauce and syrup)!
Some places we visited, captured on Instagram (Top to Bottom):
1. Crown & Crumpet Tea Stop Cafe [x] 1746 Post Street, SF
2. Tan Tan Coffee Shop 1825 Post St, SF
3. New People Mini Mall [x] 1746 Post St, SF
4. Kinokuniya Book Store 1581 Webster St, SF
5. Boudin Sourdough Bakery & Cafe [x] 619 Market Street, SF
6. Enssaro [x] 366 Grand Ave, Oakland
7. City Lights Bookstore [x] 261 Columbus Ave, SF
“Not all those who wander are lost.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien