San Francisco Vacation Final Day

I promised you tales that show off moments of amusing denseness but you will have to wait until the end for those stories.

I want to start with one of the adventures of the day: a visit to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Admission was not cheap at $18 but I am so happy we went. The visit reminded me that even if you aren't crazy about an exhibit or the art is not to your taste, it's expanding your senses and appreciation. Here are a few of my observations:

Sculptures by Yves Klein

Rothko

• SFMOMA has a beautiful building. My favorite location was the very top floor where the coffee shop is located. Who knew that a hallway could be so lovely?
• Then there was the art! I was very excited to see my first Rothko painting in person. Oh my goodness! I've read about the luminosity of Rothko's colors but could not imagine what the writers meant. The colors glowed. This was one gallery Z. and I came back to a few times to just sit and experience the painting.
• We discovered Yves Klein blue. Neither one of us has stopped talking about this blue. Z. and I ascended to the next floor entering a new gallery. The first thing we spotted in this room was a sculpture a shade of blue I had never seen before. This blue was so saturated and vibrant that I got the same feeling I had eating my first meal at Pambice in Portland.
• My favorite exhibit was the "Selected Histories: 20th-Century Art from the SFMOMA Collection. SFMOMA has works from some of my favorite artists in their collection so I was curious what would be on display. I saw paintings from some of my favorite artists like Matisse, Frieda Kahlo, and Georgia O'Keefe. O'Keefe is my favorite painter. I love her flowers because she takes something that seems so ordinary and makes it extraordinary by giving us an enlarged close-up, giving it an abstract feeling. I wonder if it's anything like a butterfly sees as it approaches a flower. I also love her landscapes, especially her paintings of hills. The simple forms combined with the color and blending are transcendent.

We enjoyed banh mi for lunch at the same nondescript restaurant we visited multiple times during our last visit. These sandwiches are amazing! The earthiness of the pork is balanced by the tangy pickled vegetables, spicy peppers, and bright cilantro. And...it's cheap.

Z.'s grandma likes to send postcards while she is traveling so I thought it would be fun to send her a postcard from our trip. I purchased a postcard at the museum gift shop of one of the paintings we saw. The gift shop did not sell stamps so they directed me to a post office nearby. The post office was located in the Macy's. A post office in Macy's! This sounded like a neat adventure. Z. knew exactly where the department store was located so that was no problem. We begin wandering around not seeing any signs about a post office. I decided to ask an employee, we happened to be near the makeup and perfume counter at the time.

I told the lady I had a very silly question, "I had heard there was a post office here. Where may I find it?"

"Oh, no problem! It's downstairs."

"Right. Uh, but how do you get downstairs." Being in an enormous building and talking to a stranger in a strange city must have evaporated 100 points off my IQ.

 Smiling much more graciously than I would have answered, "There's stairs right behind you."

Blushing, I explained how much more complicated I thought getting to the lower level would be since I hadn't done that yet and hadn't seen the stairs. We had a nice chat on how I wasn't from around there.

I think I made her day by how embarrassed I was at my dumb question.

I've been in department stores many times. They do allow people from Wyoming to shop sometimes but I was still overwhelmed by the size of the store and trying to find the post office. Z. and I wandered the whole level, completing the loop a few times. We found the corner where the post office was supposed to be located but still couldn't see anything. I finally stopped to ask an idle cashier where the post office was. She had never actually been there so she offered to walk us over there.

Ta-dah! Z. and I had walked passed the post office multiple times already. Behind colorful pitchers and piles of plates, demure letters were posted on the wall quietly announcing the presence of the post office. But it looked like a plain old wall. How do you get to the post office? There was small pathway to the side that led into the small room that was the post office. I purchased my stamp and mailed my post card. After about 20 minutes, Z. was free to leave the Macy's.

We made our way back to the Ferry Building to enjoy one last special meal: Boccalone. No description I can come up with will do this charcuterie justice. How can I describe the incredible quality of a little piece of pork that I can see through? The joy of licking your lips and feeling a layer of Boccalone porky fat still glistening? TRY IT!

San Francisco Vacation Day 3

In-N-Out animal fries: The most over the top food

Of course we needed to start the day with a great cup of coffee. Z. and I each went with an americano from the Blue Bottle in the Ferry Building. While waiting for our coffee, we discovered the Acme Bread Company. And by "discover", I mean we had walked past Acme upteem times between this visit and our first San Francisco adventure and that morning finally decided to actually see how much the bread cost. What a find for cheap travelers! Their product is amazing and inexpensive (and not just be big city standards). Z. and I enjoyed two rolls each, spending less than 4 bucks total on breakfast. The bread was so delicious and cheap, we even made a point to pick up rolls to eat on the plane the next day. I'm not even going to attempt to describe the experience of eating this bread. I trust you to understand what I mean when I say that if you appreciate high-quality, crusty, artisanal  bread, you will love the bread from Acme.

Blue Bottle americano and rolls from Acme Bread

Cheap Travel Tip #387: Interested in visiting some museums but the admission price has you feeling down? Don't forget the National Park Service! Some National Park locations do not have fees, one such location being the S.F. Maritime National Historical Park. While there is an admission charge to the historic vessels, the visitor center at Jefferson and Hyde is free. Those of the Justin Bieber - demographic may find the lack of glitz and glamor boring but us old folks enjoyed wandering through the exhibits. I am from the dirt and sage encrusted hills of the mainland, so I appreciated the opportunity to see basic sea-faring items like rope and a propeller up close. They were enormous!

I can't imagine there were people who wore these!

We stayed down by the water for a little longer to enjoy one more lunch at the In-N-Out. Z. explored the secret menu further with a grilled cheese animal style with extra spread, while I had animal fries for the first time. Let me tell any of you uninitiated a little bit about In-N-Out's animal fries. First of all, this was THE MOST over the top food I have ever eaten. Why, yes, to answer your question, I am a very sheltered foodie. The animal fries start out innocently enough with an order of their fries, thin and golden. These are then topped with cheese, grilled onions, and spread. It's messy, salty, and requires a fork...


The highlight of our second day in the big city was seeing the San Francisco Opera's production of Nixon in China. Adams' music was amazing! I still cannot get over how well that orchestra can play or how impressive the singing was. One of my favorite parts of going to the S.F. opera is just being in the War Memorial Opera House. The building is grand and old-fashioned in a good way. Go to the bottom floor and you won't even have to close your eyes to imagine men in tales and women rustling in silk enjoying their dinner before the opera. Or, if you want to feel like a damsel in a castle, stop by a window in the stairwell.

I still have one more day of adventuring and great food to share with you. I am saving my tales of embarrassment for next time. Let's just say that putting my foot in my mouth led me to discovering how nice the folks were down in San Francisco.

San Francisco Vacation Days 1 and 2

Day 1

A few weeks ago Z. took me on an awesome vacation to San Francisco to see the San Francisco Symphony and the San Francisco Opera! I wanted to share our adventures with you and perhaps a few cheap traveling tips.

Z. and I are lucky enough (or not because we have to drive out of town either way) to have two airports to choose from when flying: the Eugene Airport or Portland International Airport. When planning a trip we look at ticket prices, taking into consideration driving costs and parking. We love flying out of Eugene because it's a great airport and only 45 minutes away but this time, flying out of Portland was the way to go.

We were taking a morning flight, so we decided to make an adventure out of it and stay the night in a hotel near the airport, using hotel points, of course.

This was not the first day of vacation for Z; he had his car serviced and went to work for a couple of hours. Even though he had my fantastic company, I don't think he felt on vacation. By lunchtime we were on the highway and eventually we made our way to Ikea, a stop we reserve just for trips to keep the experience special. We weren't there to shop, we were there for lunch but I did make Z. wander around. Z. was sensible and enjoyed Ikea's veggie wrap. I, of course, went for their Swedish meatballs. I got the combo which was a plate of 15 meatballs and mashed potatoes with a salad and soda for $5.99. Not a bad deal. And tasty!

Those of you who have experienced a meal at Ikea will know exactly what I love. I was disturbed by the cafeteria format - get in line, grab a tray, pick out your cold food, have your meatballs and mashed potatoes served to your from some hotel pans - but now, I appreciate the experience. It's so different than anything else in my day-to day life.

We spent the afternoon window shopping. Z. was a trooper, going into two pet stores just so I could gawk at fish. I have a slight obsessination (obsession + fascination = obsessination) with tropical, freshwater fish. Then, we watched a movie we had checked out from the hotel and then hit the sack, gearing up for a very early wake-up. It was a delightful, low-key day spent with my sweetheart.

Day 2: The Big City

The Airport

Checking-in and going through security can be easy and painless...if you are prepared. Z. is a consummate traveler and this is his domain but I will share the things we do to help make a pleasant journey.

• First, we check into our flight online as soon as we are able. 
• For short trips like this vacation, we each bring a backpack, no checked luggage.
• Z. has a particular spot he likes to park in once at the airport to make for the shortest bus rides going to and from the terminal.
• Even though we were already checked-in, we like a paper copy of the boarding passes from the airline. We use the check-in kiosks. They really are straight-forward and easy to use. 
• Since we didn't have checked luggage we headed straight to security. 
• I have two pieces of advice for travelers that will make everyone's day more pleasant:
1. DO NOT BRING ANYTHING YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO.
2. Put wallets, keys, cell phones, everything, from your pocket into your backpack or purse then you do not have to worry about making the machine beep, this is especially important with the new scanners.
• This means nothing is loose or in one of the airport containers and everything fits neatly in a bin or on the conveyor belt. Z. only brings a laptop if he's on a work trip or it is a particularly long trip so we are through pretty quickly. Putting my shoes back on is the step that takes the longest.
• Don't get sucked into buying food at the airport; bring some snacks with you. The one exception I allow myself is a bagel from Starbucks. And, you can bring an empty water bottle through and either refill it at a drinking fountain or ask a barista to fill it up for you.

Well, our flight was delayed by a couple of hours. We went for short walks, watched planes, and read. Sometimes a delayed flight can have a silver lining. Z. got to finally see, in person, the Lufthansa Airbus A380 (aka the Whale Jet) upon our arrival to SFO. He's a big airplane fanatic and this was a highlight of the trip for him! If we had been on time we would have been in downtown San Francisco before the Whale Jet berthed at the International Terminal.



Once at SFO

Here's a tip that I thought everyone knew but multiple parties at SFO within my hearing did not:

• Figure out how you will be leaving the airport before your trip.
• And if you plan on using public transportation, figure out what kind of ticket you will need for your trip and locations you can purchase your tickets at.

There are so many little things you can do that do not cost any money but can significantly improve your trip.

We knew we wanted a transit pass. This is the second time we have gone with a 3-day transit pass for $21 and I think it is fantastic. The pass lets you ride the muni, streetcars, and cable cars as much as would like. One round-trip on the famous cable cars costs $12!  Here is a link to the transit website showing the passes, prices, and there is a link that shows locations of where you can purchase a pass. I am digressing; I will discuss the advantages of SF transportation for travelers in a later post.

We knew that (and on our previous trips did) you could buy a transit pass from the information desk in baggage claim at the airport. Turns out, we could now also pay using a card (before it was cash only) and get our Bart ticket. One stop shopping! The Bart is the train that will get you from the airport to the city. Do not be afraid of the Bart! It may be dingy and run-down looking but it gets you where you need to get.

Getting the Bart ticket at the information desk was a great idea. Even though we had to wait on the clueless people ahead of us, we did not have wait in line at a kiosk at the Bart station.

San Francisco

We had finally made it to the city! We knew exactly what we wanted to do: take the Bart to the Embarcadero and catch a streetcar to In-N-Out Burger. Before this trip, I had never tried In-N-Out Burger and was definitely looking forward to the chance. Z. had been raving about this place since his very first visit to an In-N-Out a few weeks earlier. He had done a little research and discovered their "secret" menu. The menu that is posted has Double-Double, cheeseburger, hamburger, french fries, shakes, and beverages on it. Very simple. The website lists a few different variations on the basic cheeseburger that you can enjoy but there are many more possibilities. This article provided plenty of entertainment and inspiration.

Z. knew exactly what he wanted: a grilled cheese animal-style, fries and a chocolate shake. Animal-style means your sandwich has pickle, extra spread, and chopped grilled onions added. It was my turn to decide. I wanted a cheeseburger animal-style, fries well-done, spread on the side, and a chocolate shake. I was nervous that I would mess up my order then the cashier would laugh at me for trying to be slick. I did just fine, ordering a hamburger instead of a cheeseburger. Not bad for my first time. The food was great! That was definitely one of the better burgers I have had. I couldn't complain about the price either. I spent a little over 6 bucks for a huge lunch. Just wait until you see what I had on my second visit to In-N-Out!

We had a little bit of time before we needed to check-in the hotel so we wandered down towards the water. San Francisco may be a bustling, major city but you can find moments of quiet and repose. I don't want to give away our secret little gem but do look in on historical sits or parks. They are generally free and you never know what you might discover.

After taking a break at the hotel with a steaming americano, we headed towards Davies Symphony Hall to listen to the San Francisco Symphony perform Bartok's "Blue Beard's Castle". Before I begin gushing about the amazing orchestra, let me take a step onto my soap box. Everyone, even if you don't like classical music, should see a major symphony orchestra live, at least once. The sounds coming through speakers may sound moving and beautiful but the sound a high-caliber orchestra can produce is not like anything you can imagine. Z. has described the experience to like, "The sound is bigger than themselves [the performers]". I find it inspiring to be sitting in front of a large group of people who are experts at what they do working together towards a common goal  in unity.

After that mind blowing experience, we trotted back - well, my short legs trotted while Z. walked briskly - to the hotel, found a vending machine with overpriced root beer and called it a night.

I have two more days of food and adventure to share with you!

San Francisco Vacation

I strongly believe traveling is one of the best things a person can do for themselves. Traveling always changes me in ways that I cannot quite explain. I think the most powerful force is seeing that there is a whole world bustling along outside of my quiet little universe. I get into a routine of work, play, and cooking, preoccupied with worries and reaching my goals that I tune out the world. Visiting someplace else, particularly a major city, is a nice reminder that I am not at the center of the universe.

There is no substitute for experiencing a place firsthand. A city is more than just some famous landmarks and buildings. The air, smells, grime, sounds, and changes in light are just a few of the variables that create an experience.

And, we cannot forget the food. Trying new foods is one of my favorite parts of traveling. Neither Z. nor myself had ever been to San Francisco. We had two places we really wanted to try: Blue Bottle Coffee and 21st Amendment Brewery. Our Market of Choice carries a few varieties of beer brewed by 21st Amendment Brewery and we have thoroughly enjoyed those so we were looking forward to trying the beer closer to its source. Their IPA is one of the best IPAs I have ever had. Unfortunately for us, the brewery is located in the vicinity of AT&T Park. There were sporting events both days we were available to visit the brewery so we did not go in the brewery but we did walk past it and peer in!

Blue Bottle Coffee came highly recommended to us by a friend who lives just outside San Francisco. We were not disappointed! Blue Bottle served one of the best Americanos I have ever had (the Americano from the Wandering Goat of Eugene is still my favorite). The coffee was a rich shade of mahagony with a layer of crema floating on top. The taste was dark and incredibly smooth. We always visited the Blue Bottle in the Mint Plaza. I fell in love with this location. You walk into a space that is elegant and simple, very understated. The whole place was geared to one thing: serving a great cup of coffee. The enormous windows let in lots of soft light while the vintage-looking crown molding lining the ceiling provided additional architectural interest. The color scheme of soft gray and white contrasted nicely with the dark wooden floors, creating a sophisticated atmosphere. I saw no syrups, pumps, or drinks with silly names that I would be too embarrassed to order.

Around the corner from this particular Blue Bottle Coffee was a Vietnamese sandwich shop. I am not even sure if this place had a name. We ate there twice. Z. and I both thoroughly enjoyed the bánh mì. We discovered this place shortly after arriving in the city. We emerged from the underground subway near our hotel and immediately began roaming the streets looking for a place to eat. The sandwich shop was the first place we found that fit the two criteria we had for all our meals: 1) It sounds good and 2) we cannot get it at home.

 
If you have never enjoyed bánh mì here is what I think makes a bánh mì special:

• For me, bánh mì exemplifies Vietnamese cuisine with its focus on fresh ingredients that have contrasting textures and flavors.
• The bread. Each sandwich is made from its own individual loaf that is the Vietnamese take on the French bagette. The crust is rather chewy while the interior is light and soft.
• The meat. Pork seems to be the predominant and most prevalent topping. My favorite combination is cold cuts, such as steamed pork with pâté. The earthy, minerally quality of the the pâté complements the sweet steamed pork. Z. had what looked like grilled, uncured bacon. He loved it! The other options available were vegetarian, grilled pork, and grilled chicken.
• Pickled vegetables, usually pickled carrot and daikon radish. These provide great crunch and acidity. Sometimes, as in the case of the veggies on our San Francisco sandwiches, they were also a tiny bit sweet. What a delicious combination of crunchy, sour, and sweet!
• Mayonnaise. As far as I know, there is always mayonnaise or butter on the bread. Spreading mayonnaise on a sandwich that already has pork pâté may seem odd but it works. The mayonnaise with the pâté topped with the pork provides a delightful unctuousness that is cut by the pickled vegetables and bright cilantro.
• Garnished with chili pepper and sprigs of cilantro. I love chiles and the varieties of peppers that have always been on my sandwiches. They are flavorful and spicy without being overwhelming. 

We also ate at an Indian restaurant called Bindi. Pleasant and a great choice but the main dishes were nothing spectacular. We had chana masala (Z.'s version is way better) and paneer tikka masala. This is the second time I have had tikka masala in the last few months. The combination of spices, yogurt, and tomato is wonderful. I am looking forward to learning how to make my own tikka masala. If you do go to Bindi, I highly recommend the garlic cilantro naan.

We also partook of some delicious charcuterie from Boccalone located in the Ferry Building in the Embarcadero neighborhood. We were reeled in by words, "Tasty Salted Pig Parts" on the sign. We enjoyed a platter of mortadella, pancetta, and capocollo which was served with some thin, crispy bread sticks and cured olives. Delicious!

San Francisco surprised me in a few unexpected ways that I would like to share.

• I knew the San Francisco Symphony and Opera would be amazing but finally hearing them in person was life changing. The strings had a tough, focused string sound that was unbelievable and inspiring. 
• Architecture. The buildings were amazing. There were the big, imposing skyscrapers that grace any big city. I loved the older buildings with their interesting architectural details and variety in colors. The opera house, symphony hall, one of the theaters, and city hall were all clustered near other creating an imposing and grand scene.
• Doughnuts. I could not believe how many doughnut shops there were or how many restaurants served doughnuts, including the sandwich shop where we ate bánh mì. 
• Chicken shops in Chinatown. As we strolled through Chinatown I saw several shops that only sold raw chicken or chicken parts. I had no idea that chicken was so prized.
• Polite panhandlers. 
• The cable car was awesome! This is a great way to get a view of the city. The first time I saw on the bench that looks out of the cable car while Z. stood on the outside platform. I really enjoyed the trip but Z. was on cloud 9. The next time, I also rode on the platform. If you ride the cable car, ride on the outside, it is a totally different experience!