recently, my dear friend pam and i set out for an adventure to san francisco. our goal was minimal effort with maximum fun! so to kick off the holiday season last year - the week before thanksgiving, we decided on a day trip to union square via the larkspur ferry. we promised ourselves - window shopping only!
pam's a southern girl like me - living in california. since living here, she hasn't been to san francisco via the ferry. she loves adventure, good food and appreciates the beauty in everything, so i was really looking forward to sharing this experience with her. one of my favorite past times is showing friends and family all the good things the bay area has to offer. taking the ferry is such a liberating experience. the parking is free at the larkspur station on the weekends, you save on bridge toll, not to mention saving on gas and you won't have to deal with hectic traffic once you arrive. many transportation options are available. hale a cab, take public trans-po (muni) or simply walk to most places from the ferry building. each saturday the ferry building hosts a farmer's market. lots of locally grown produce. with many yummy samples. the market gets better every year.
the views are unsurpassed. like this one of coit tower.
i will never tire of seeing the majestic ferry tower and the san francisco sign, letting me know that i have arrived.
our first stop - hotel vitale on the embarcadero. just to the left as you exit off the ferry across the embarcadero. this photo shows the view of the ferry builiding and saturday farmer's market from the hotel's rooftop deck - stunning...
i've been to the hotel's hot spot, "the americano bar." a great place to hang out for happy hour on a friday night, but i only remember hearing vaguely about the spa and was anxious to check it out. often times, even when i don't plan to stay at a hotel, i like to visit and take a quick gander - see if there are any views, pools or spas... never know when i may need to recommend a great place to stay. i don't think we were prepared for the spa's ambience with rooftop decks and sprawling views of the city.
at the hotel vitale spa, we found much more than expected. a secluded rooftop outdoor hot bath with space for a couples experience. suddenly, it felt as if we were in hawaii, yet we were in the mecca of San Francisco. this photo says it all. calgon take me away!
our next stop - grab a bite to eat. one of my favorite areas, a secret spot known only to some - a little alleyway called belden place nestled in between the financial district and union square. cafe bastille has been there for what seems like forever. the alley is rocking on bastille day in july. their brunch is delicious. the eggs benedict is divine, and on saturdays they have bottomless mimosas!! can't beat that! if you blink your eyes quickly and click your heals just once you'll feel as if you're in europe at an outdoor cafe.
since doing my best to stay gluten free - when ordering my benedict, i opted out of the english muffin and asked for spinach instead. this dish turned out to be a great gluten free option.
we had the best time window shopping. last but not least before heading back to catch the ferry at the end of the day, we stopped off at cafe de la presse. a quaint french bistro on the front doorstep of chinatown on grant street. they have a fabulous cafe latte and decadent profiteroles dessert topped with caramel hazelnuts!! as it turns out we had a french themed day. we didn't plan it that way - we threw caution to the wind and had a great time.
our view of the bay bridge beckoning us home.
true to san francisco ferry travel we saw many of the same folks on our way back to larkspur. a trip to remember! thank you pam! looking forward to our next adventure!
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