#162 A Tour on San Francisco’s Cable Cars

I’m including a whole bunch on non-Cable Car-y stuff in this entry.  Initially I was looking at a tour to Alcatraz, but I waited too long and tickets weren’t available for the day I was going to be in San Francisco proper.  

As I thought through it I decided a harbor cruise might be really what I was looking for and ended up booking something that covered a trip to Muir Woods, Sausalito, and Harbor Cruise.

I thought I was being so prepared because the tour started very near Union Square which is basically a stop on one of the Powell-line cable cars, and the tour ended at Pier 39 which is very near the beginning of both Powell-lines.  

So my plan was that I would park near the tour start and then ride a cable car back to about 2 blocks of the parking lot.  Seems fool-proof, right? 

Yeah it turns out that both Powell lines are under construction and were offering substitute buses instead of the cable cars.  So, I’m still crossing this off because I tried really hard to make it work, but San Francisco just wouldn’t cooperate.

Not a cable car

Muir Woods

Dedicated to John Muir – known as the father of  our national parks – who as a advocate for the preservation and conservation of America’s natural treasures.  Muir Woods is the first National Monument to be created solely from a single land donation (by William Kent – who insisted it be name for John Muir).  The literature talks about stepping back in time, but this place is very much a living, breathing part of the present, and a truly remarkable place to visit.

Sausalito – I couldn’t care less.  I’m not really a wander around and window shop kinda traveler, so basically I sat in a park on the waterfront and waited until everyone got back.

Harbor Cruise – awesome. I love boats.  If I were suddenly independently wealth I would for sure buy a boat.

#161 Chez Panisse

“Local farmers supply the kitchen, and if a farmer’s got a new kind of pomegranate or cheese, it will show up on tonight’s menu and inspire the entire meal…”

I booked lunch at the Chez Pannisse Café (upstairs, more casual) version of the dining room, and ordered the prix fixe menu for the day. 

Menu du Jour

Garden Lettuces: this tasted like weeds and dirt and was super salty. 

Rigatoni with rocket pesto, sun dried tomatoes, and ricotta salsa: yeah this was just ok, and I already know that rocket = arugula from my time in Barcelona, but it doesn’t taste any better in America.

Tangerine sherbet meringue with strawberries and candid kumquats: this was definitely the best course, but not because of the sherbet.  

It tasted exactly like the rainbow sherbet my grandparents always had when we’d visit them growing up.  

The meringue and strawberries were really good, and the candied kumquats were my very favorite thing from the whole meal.

Meier lemon juice spritzer:  this was overall the best part of the meal (candied kumquats aside).  It was super light and refreshing and wasn’t too sour or lemony.

Bread: Again, just meh.  This is really disappointing since I freaking love bread!

All told, this was fine, I wouldn’t go again and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone else.  Just go get a pizza.

#160 Yosemite

This is the 3rd National Park in a row that I was stressed out about the weather.  At Yosemite, however, I was so worried it would be snow that would be the problem.  I was so anxious that there would be a blizzard, that chains would be required, that there would be a million feet of snow....I worried so much that by the time I left I was crazy sick.  I had a neuralgic headache and a whole host of stomach issues.

It was pretty, though.


Distant waterfall