She loved the city & everything about it. She was amazed at the landscapes, the sounds, the people & the architecture. Especially the architecture. I think she took a picture of every single Victorian that she saw. We did the usual tourist things & it felt good to just let go for 4 days.
We walked, talked, gawked & ate. Boy, did we eat ... Seafood, Chinese, French, Italian & sushi (she loves sushi). She's an adventurous eater & will try anything (well, maybe not the alligator toes we saw in Chinatown). Actually she loved everything. I think her favorites were the lamb stew at Absinthe & escargot at North Beach. We both agreed that every single salad we had was just wonderful. Not a french fry was had the whole time.
I get teased in my family about my fresh/organic eating habits. As we were walking back to the hotel the 1st day, my niece pointed out an organic sign hanging over a restaurant. We ate breakfast there almost every day & it was wonderful! She tried my Eggs Benedict & ordered her own the next time we ate there. If you are ever in the Wharf area I highly recommend this place Beach Street Grill.
We went on a Hike in the Muir Woods. Our guide was great, he only takes small groups (up to 7) & goes very early in the morning well before any crowds. We hiked about 3 miles & it was absolutely gorgeous & very peaceful. http://www.muirwoodstour.com/
We shopped Union Square & wandered through Chinatown, saw the Sea Lions & strolled through the Ferry Plaza farmer's market (talk about Organic!). http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/farmers_market.php/farmers_market.php.
We also saw Les Miserables, had lunch in the Haight & took a Segway Tour of Golden Gate State Park http://www.electrictourcompany.com/?gclid=CLiP4rn-srECFc2a7QodAw8Agw.
Overall, I think we had about 2 hours of down time. Otherwise, we were on the go the whole time.
I enjoyed myself & so did she, which was the whole point. Everything was new & exciting to her. It was great to see her eyes light up & to hear her exclaim "Oh WOW" at everything. Then, "I've GOT to get a picture of that!". Very refreshing.
Although, I AM glad to be home, those hills were hell on my shins.
