Flashback: SF, CA

Our blog posts are far and few between with the demands of two young children. Knowing I need to write one up for Andrew's recent birthday, I logged in to Blogger to discover that this one was sitting in my drafts folder. Evidently, I loaded all the pictures and forgot to come back to write it up. So, let's get to it! Don't worry...a post about Andrew's birthday will come...someday. 

For my 34th birthday, Jeff surprised me with an airline ticket to visit one of my dearest friends from childhood, Meg, currently living in San Francisco. Meg left the West coast after high school graduation and I was fortunate to visit her twice while at Notre Dame. After college, she spent various periods of time in Tennessee, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia before heading West again. It's always nice to see her as she inspires me to dream big and do the things I say I want to do. So, days before the new year, I packed my little blue suitcase and gave hugs to all my boys for 4 days of girl time. 

You may have heard, but when at Portland International Airport (PDX), it's tradition to take a picture of oneself standing on this beloved, and now gone, carpet. Maybe I've settled into life in Portland/SW Washington because I love this carpet and it really does remind me of home now. 

This was my first trip to San Francisco and I had a great "local" guide to show me around the popular destinations, as well as a few "out of the way" neighborhoods that were worth the walk for the unique view points, architecture, and style. The sun shined on our entire adventure around town and my FitBit recorded us as going about 35,000 steps each day. As you'll see below, we covered a lot of ground, and no view was a bad one, making the many hill climbs well worth it. 

Lucky for me, Meg also appreciates amazing architecture which old churches always offer. 

The Haas-Lilienthal House tour was a great way to get inside these amazing homes, and learn a little about the families who built them. 

Since I was in town for New Year's, Meg had the bright idea to find something fun to do. I was thrilled when she said she bought tickets to see Trombone Shorty. How fun it was to walk into the venue and have a New Orleans second line band playing in the lobby, prior to taking the stage an hour later!

We didn't go to Alcatraz, but we spotted in from many viewpoints, including on the harbor tour. It's definitely on my list for the next trip to SF. 

Government building...City Hall? I can't remember

The Painted Ladies! AKA The "Full House" houses. Everywhere you look...Anyway, did you hear that the cast has started making an updated version of that childhood favorite? 

We literally stumbled upon this house in our walking travels.

I cannot imagine parking my car like this every day. 

Another beautiful church: Grace Cathedral (Episcopal)

Honestly, there are plenty more pictures to go along with these, but this is probably sufficient for now. I hope to return to SF before too long, with or without Jeff.