I Think I'm In Love

In only a few days, I must say I have really grown fond of San Francisco. The air is fresh, the people are really nice, and it's beautiful.

I got an early start this morning, hopped on the cable car (I sure got a lot of use out of my three day pass) and got off at Lombard Street. On the way I met a guy who was visiting for a convention (Yes, gym equipment conventions do exist). I actually thought he was with his wife and daughter but realized he wasn't when I offered to take a picture of the three of them. I walked down Lombard Street and headed to Telegraph Hill and Coit Tower. If you like documentaries and parrots, I highly recommend The Parrots of Telegraph Hill. I reached Coit Tower, took a deep breathe and enjoyed the view, then proceeded to walk back exploring Little Italy and Chinatown on the way. There are so many cool neighborhoods, I am especially fascinated with the ornate doorways and signs in this city. Very cool. I stopped for an early lunch at Nanking, a place that is always packed thanks to Rachel Ray and the good food. I was quite pleased with my meal and would recommend it. I walked the streets of Chinatown with two specific stops in mind, the Golden Gate Bakery and the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory. The good news is that I found both, although I walked by the alley where the fortune cookie place was a few times before finding it. Mark told me what to expect. It was dirty looking, hot, really hot, and dark. The man reached into a bin and handed me some unshaped cookies to try. Pretty good. I snapped a few photos which came out blurry. The workers were there inserting fortunes and folding cookies. I'm glad I saw it because I will now appreciate fortune cookies more when I go out for Chinese food.

After a rest at the hotel I headed back down to the Fisherman's wharf. I thought I was going to walk to the Exploratorium from there but decided not to and instead took the 2 1/2 mile walk from the Wharf to my hotel. It was a great walk and a great way to see the city. Later on, believe it or not, I went back to the Wharf to try to catch a sunset but just missed it. I did meet a really nice woman and her friend who was visiting. Her friend mentioned the nobby trees but she didn't know whether they bloom or not. She was really nice and pointed out some places that I should check out. People here are super friendly. And they are laid back and not in a rush to get everywhere. It's great.

It's hard to believe tonight is my last night in the city. I am definitely coming back.