Sun. & Mon. in San Fran

As fun as Saturday was, I think Sunday might have come close to topping it. At the very least, it was a draw.

Photo

Marissa and Jeff came up to the Hotel Drisco for breakfast. There is French brie, smoked salmon, and all the fixings added to the breakfast buffet on weekends! After breakfast, Marissa and I went to her neighborhood nail salon, just 2 blocks down the hill from her house, to get a mani/pedi. Once our fingers and toes were as gorgeous as could be, we did what any glamour girls would do…

… we climbed onto a motorcycle! It’s called a GoCar, but it is technically a motorcycle. And it is the most fun, ever! We only nearly crashed it into a ditch once and then nearly killed ourselves one other time. Other than those two tiny moments … so much fun!

Oh, and I might as well tell you this part now before Marissa adds it in the comments – I was at the throttle both of those “life flashing before your eyes” moments! (I would say “at the wheel” but there is no wheel, just handlebars with a throttle.)

No foot peddles for stop and or go either, just the handlebars with the brakes. Oh, and the GoCar does not go in reverse. Do you need to back up? One of you gets out and pushes it backward. We each had to do that once. I pushed it back to get out of a parking space and Marissa pushed it back away from the previously mentioned ditch. I also managed to run over my own foot with the front tire while pushing it backward – luckily GoCars have sought their frames from somewhere like this fiberglass manufacturing company and therefore are quite light and not toe-crushing.

We picked up our GoCar in Fisherman’s Wharf and drove toward the Golden Gate Bridge, along Crissy Field, and then along the Pacific Ocean and through the Presidio.

Under the bridge, we stopped at Fort Point. Neither of us had been there before. It is so cool!

Fort Point was constructed just before the outbreak of the Civil War.

Military officials declared its position at the Golden Gate as the “key to the whole Pacific Coast.”

Fort Point never saw action, its massive brick walls look to be impenetrable.

Original plans for the Golden Gate Bridge in the 1930’s called for the fort’s removal. Chief Engineer Joseph Strauss redesigned the bridge, adding an arch over the fort, saving it from demolition.

Be sure to visit Fort Point the next time you’re in the city. I promise that you’ll be as glad as we are that Mr. Strauss saved the fort.

On the way back to the Wharf, you drive by the boutique shopping districts of Chestnut and Union Streets. Be prepared, tourists will snap your photo as you drive by and kids will wave. The GoCars are a sight!

We also went down Lombard Street which is famous for having a steep, one-block section that consists of eight tight hairpin turns. Although not difficult to maneuver, expect your hands to get sore from holding the brakes tightly all the way down!

I saw that Barcelona has GoCars too. Peggy, her sister-in-law Lorraine, and I will be going there in March. Hoping I can talk them into it!

Marissa and I were on our own for dinner that night because Jeff was at a friend’s house watching the 49ers vs Seahawks game -once again, sorry 49ers fans!

We went to the most awesome and fun restaurant called foreigncinema.

There is inside seating and outside seating, be sure to request outside so you can watch the movie of the night while you dine.

The movie on Sunday night was Moonrise Kingdom, a quirky movie with Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand, and Tilda Swinton.

I’d seen it before, but Marissa hadn’t. Not that it mattered, you don’t actually watch the movie while you eat, it’s more ambiance than actually movie-going.

There are old drive-in movie theater speakers on the walls behind the tables. You can adjust the volume yourself, to hear some of the audio, or not. It made me feel very old when Marissa didn’t even know what they were and claimed to have never seen them before.

That’s our waiter, photo-bombing Marissa! As an added bonus, the food is terrific! Marissa had a delicious Mahi-mahi with steamed couscous, chickpeas, currants, braised greens, and pistachio pesto. I was a little jealous when I tasted it.

Although my Orecchiette with Brussels sprouts, squash, and wild mushrooms was outstanding too. I’ve recreated it at home already and will post the recipe tomorrow.

On Monday, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we laid pretty low. Just ran a bunch of errands and spent the afternoon in the Ferry Building.

We shopped a little and then spent the rest of our time leisurely eating cheese and bread while …

…sipping wine.

That evening, we took a Sidecar out to the Cliff House.

It’s a beautiful place and we had a wonderful dinner, but it was melancholy since it was my last night there and I didn’t want to leave my girl in the morning.

So, there you have it. My most recent trip to San Francisco. Thanks for letting me share it with you.

Back to recipe blogging tomorrow.