Friday Night & Saturday in San Francisco

After my delectable afternoon tea, I boarded another street car back to the financial district where I picked up my luggage and took a cab to my new abode, a darling boutique hotel with Country French decor.

Here is my room complete with a teddy bear. :)

I even got an upgrade to a room with a fireplace.  It was so cozy.  The fireplace really came in handy for San Francisco's chilly evenings.

Aren't the little details so charming?

Another really nice feature of this hotel was it had evening hors douvres. 

I enjoyed a little snack and then grabbed a cab to go to the opera!

Across the street from the opera house is either San Francisco's Civic Center or City Hall.  I can quite remember, but know it started with a "C". :) 

Isn't it beautiful? 

At San Francisco's War Memorial Opera House, I got to see Deborah Voigt in Pucinni's "Girl of the Golden West".  It was FABULOUS!!!

Saturday morning dawned bright and beautiful, the perfect day for a tour.  Dylan (dylanscitytours.com)was my tour guide and he did a fabulous job.  We got to see practically all of the city and Muir Woods and Sausalito.  What an adventure!  Here are some highlights:

One of the oldest churches in San Francisco.

Possibly one of my favorite pictures of the entire trip.  What a beautiful blue sky!

The city view from Twin Peaks.

The Grateful Dead house in Haight-Ashbury

Janis Joplin lived here once.

Jimi Hendrix's home

The street sign at the corner of Haight and Ashbury.

Anyone else humming the themesong to Full House?  I sure do everytime I see this picture.  Here is where they filmed the opening credits.  So fun!  You can see the famous Painted Ladies in the background.  Makes me nostalgic for those great shows on ABC's TGIF.  Those were the best!

Next stop is the neighborhood of Pacific Heights.

And you guessed it!  The house pictured above is none other than the home in Mrs. Doubtfire.

What beautiful homes.  I love the solarium or green house in the front of this one.

What a view!

And the flowers...

Gorgeous!

Next, after walking around Pacific Heights for a bit, we hopped back in the van and headed through the Presidio.  Then, we drove across the Golden Gate Bridge!!  What an experience!

After our journey across the bridge, we paused at a lookout to take some pictures.

I thought the surf at the edge of these rocks was so beautiful.

Now, onto Muir Woods.

Let me just pause for a moment to say that walking through Muir Woods was such a sacred moment for me.  There is just something about being completed enwrapped in nature that allows for a precious experience with our Creator. 

Following are quite a few "tree" pictures. 

I tried to capture the awe and wonder I was feeling, however impossible I knew that would be.

A green canopy

The path ahead

The majestic redwoods

One of my absolute favorites

A little reminder on the return path to be quiet when in nature. 

This reminder is something I need for my daily life. 

Perhaps one reason for the sacred nature of this time was the quiet. 

After an hour in Muir Woods, we loaded back onto the van and headed to Sausalito. 

It is such a charming town by the water.

I also enjoyed a delicious ice cream cone here.  Yummy!!

Dylan brought us back to the city and we ended our tour close to Union Square.

After the tour, I headed to Grace Cathedral.

Here is a park outside the cathedral.  Many people were out enjoying the beautiful day. 

I just love looking at churches.

Beautiful stained glass.

After a restful pause in Grace Cathedral, I headed back over towards Union Square.

The St. Francis to your left and Saks straight ahead.  I believe Tiffany and Co. is to the right as well. :)

More beautiful flowers!

Dylan, our tour guide, told us that San Francisco's original name was Yerba Buena. 

He said it was some type of mint.

More shops!!

I've read that the afternoon tea here is fabulous, too!  Maybe I can try it on my next trip. :)

A great department store

The Priscilla of Boston store.  I just loved seeing the wedding gowns in each window. :)

And, finally a photo of H&M for my dear friend, E!

I flew home on Sunday, July 4th, and got to celebrate Independence Day with my sweet friend L and her precious family.  They had a fabulous cookout and we got to watch fireworks.  So fun!! :) 

Well, if you are still reading, thank you so much!!  I thoroughly enjoyed my trip and look forward to my next adventure!