San Francisco

I have decided that I should start catching up on our past visits we have had together before I forget too much of what happened! As I've mentioned before, I want to use this blog to chronicle the adventures we have in life so we can always remember them. It is a good reminder for me to appreciate our time together. So, on to the trip...

Why San Francisco? On Tim's blog, one of the first thing I remember reading was his to-do list. I remember I wanted to do something similar on my old blog and his was perfect inspiration. Two of them stood out to me #20 - Visit Alcatraz Prison and #83 - See The Golden Gate Bridge. In March I had taken a 24 hour trip on my own to San Francisco so I was a little familiar with it and it is a short plane ride away from Seattle. Tim's birthday was during his first trip to the US so I thought it would be a perfect way to celebrate by crossing a few things off his to-do list!

After a quick flight down in the morning, we checked in at our place in Union Square. We got free breakfast from the hotel because Tim is so charming (and they were about to clean it up when we got there), put our stuff down, and headed out to catch a bus. We toured through Haight-Ashbury, Golden Gate Park, and ended up on the Marin County side of the Golden Gate Bridge. It was a beautiful, clear day so we decided to walk across the bridge. After many photo ops and the 1.7 miles we successfully made it across!!

We got back on the bus and got off near the Ferry Building. After a stroll through the ferry building and a walk that seem like it lasted forever we made it to Pier 39 to take a look at the sea lions and Alcatraz from afar. After a little side trip to Ghirardelli Square for some ice cream sundaes, we headed back to the hotel for happy hour followed by a wonderful and romantic dinner at a little Italian restaurant. 

The next morning, we got up bright and early to be on the first boat to Alcatraz! If you ever go to Alcatraz get up and go on the first boat..there weren't as many people there so some of the places we wandered there was no one around. Once we went in the actual prison bit, it was really interesting to see what it was like. I've never been in a prison before (thankfully) and I learned a lot about it. I even enjoyed it so much that I watched Escape from Alcatraz when I got home! I was glad to help Tim cross it off his bucket list..and save him from buying everything in the store. I mean, does anyone really need a metal Alcatraz meal tray?

After Alcatraz we road a famous cable car up to Lombard Street and back down to Union Square. 

Before we headed home, we caught another free happy hour at our hotel, this time complete with a magician! I love magic and am still trying to figure out the tricks he did that day. He was basically our own private magician for 30 minutes and we both absolutely loved it. Perfect way to end the trip.

Other than a short road trip in the Seattle area, it was the first trip that Tim and I took together and one I will never forget. Hope you had an amazing 31st birthday, Tim..and don't forget to cross #20 and #83 off of your to-do list!

P.S. Tim, I did not forget about the blonde German/Spanish family that we kept seeing, but I have yet to come up with a way that it makes sense in writing. For now it will just have to be an inside joke...