San Fransisco

 A warning: bazillion photos ahead!

It's amazing how many things we packed into a single weekend. I know we didn't even scrape the surface in what San Fransisco has to offer, but what we saw was incredible!

It was also incredible to spend some alone time with my amazing husband. It had been a while since we'd gone away, and it was just what we needed. 

 We flew in on Friday and after riding the tram, we found an amazing sandwich place in the middle of the Mission District (Ike's Sandwiches). We felt like tourists with all our luggage, but it was worth it. So yummy!

(yes, it was delicious)

We were excited to catch one of these on our way to the hotel.

 We walked through Union Square . . .

and found our hotel right in the middle of the city. Here's a view from the window.

Once settled. We made our way to Little Italy and our first destination - Coit Tower.

I fell in love with the architecture.

(loved how there was a garden on the roof of this one - it made me appreciate my big back yard!)

We made it just in time for the last tour up to the top . . . 

and got an amazing view of the city. You can see Alcatraz behind Benj.

It was the perfect time to see the bay - right at sunset.

Look closely to find Lombard Street.

Amazing 360 degree views!

Afterwards we went to a delicious Italian restaurant called Panta Rei.

Took a sneaky picture of the chef (we called him Mario)

Benj's dish, which he claimed was one of the best meals of his life. :)

Dessert at the candy store (we got some amazing fudge)

Our hotel was right by Chinatown. We loved traveling through it and getting a glimpse into this amazing culture.

 We went through Chinatown to get to the Pier, where we had breakfast before our tour to Alcatraz.

Isn't he cute?

Our view while eating.

We had so much fun taking a tour to Alcatraz. This was the ferry we took across the bay.

Leaving the dock.

 In the distance.

The Oakland Bridge

Golden Gate Bridge. It was such a pleasant day!

On the island - looking back at the city.

We learned a lot from this tour guide. This tunnel was made before Alcatraz was a prison and was actually a fort.

There was an amazing art exhibit by Ai Weiwei.

On the floor was over 175 portraits of people imprisoned or exiled because of their beliefs. It was all made out of legos!

Taking an audio tour through the cellhouse.

I could eat this meal every day and never get sick of it.

On Saturday afternoon we did another memorable and super fun activity - a guided Segway tour!

It was so much fun! We made a pit stop in Little Italy. This is Saint Peter and Paul's Church. 

We had enough time to stop for a little gelato. So yummy.

 We also toured up to Coit Tower, around Fisherman's Wharf and ended at Aquatic Park. Love that golden hour.

Yes, I'm a nerd.

Took this photo to show the kids.

Probably one of the closest points to Alcatraz, which is about 3/4 of a mile away.

We ended the night off right.

Sunday morning we took a historic ride to get breakfast.

One thing is for sure - hold on tight!

 

We headed down to the pier one more time. We had to glance at the sea lions.

 I loved seeing one of my favorite flowers in January!

Thought of the kids while taking this picture.

It's a mer-horse!

Although we missed the kids, we didn't want to leave! Such a fun weekend with my sweetheart.