Flying through San Francisco

A quick trip to San Francisco- the City by the Bay … Although not technically my first trip to the city, since the first trip through I never stepped foot on San Francisco soil, I have to consider this my first trip there.

That first trip, about five or six years ago was a jaunt through the city following an intensive three-day training in San Ramon. I left San Ramon at noon Saturday after a four-hour test on the training I’d just received. I was exhausted and when I got to San Fran that afternoon the traffic … the people … the hills …. It was overwhelming and I left the city heaving a huge sigh of relief.

This trip was different. It didn’t have the stresses of the earlier trip. I didn’t begin the journey with sensory overload. The trip was just too short!

Lisa & I flew in for two shorts days last month. Our friends in the San Francisco Ghost Society held a great paranormal conference at the Queen Anne Hotel. We were able to fit in a few adventures while there, but not nearly all we wanted.

We need to go back …..

--I didn’t have the time to see my friend Barbara, who lives two hours north of the city. There just wasn’t enough time. I would have loved to have seen her and catch up. I haven’t seen Barbara since she and her husband moved from southern California four or five years ago. Her 5th book is due out shortly and I’m proud to see what she’s accomplished as an author. (Check out her web page at www.drsinor.com)
--We missed Tommy’s Haunted Haight Walking Tour (http://www.hauntedhaight.com)
--We missed Shonna and Jay’s Historical Walking Tour (http://www.victorianwalk.com)
--We didn’t get to Alcatraz
--We didn’t get to Pier 39 to see the sea lions
--We didn’t get to the Presidio

The conference, held by Tommy, Shonna, Tony, Sharon and Anne, was outstanding. The superb organization showed in all aspects. It was good to spend some time visiting with our San Francisco ghosthunter friends.

The speaker lineup at the conference was great, including the ghost society members mentioned above and some out of area speakers. I finally got to meet Janice Oberding. I’ve heard so many good things about her and found them all to be true. She is a sweetheart. I can’t wait to read one of her new books, Goldfield: its history and hauntings, which we purchased while there. Janice was excited about having had the opportunity to tour Alcatraz at night with the TAPS team. (http://www.hauntednevada.com)

The Queen Anne Hotel, where the conference was held, was wonderful. Four floors of Victorian architecture and décor filled this historic hotel. The staff is superior. They were a delight to meet and they did everything possible to make our stay pleasurable. I highly recommend this top-notch establishment to anyone visiting San Francisco. (www.queenanne.com)

While in San Francisco, we enjoyed a bit of geocaching. We dropped off a travel bug we found in Texas at a cache at Alta Plaza in Pacific Heights, near the hotel. The large park in the middle of a bustling city was an enjoyable stop before heading to the tourist destination of Ghirardelli Square at Fisherman’s Wharf. After purchasing far too much Ghirardelli chocolate, we enjoyed strolling through several of the merchants, including Lola of North Beach and One of a Kind. One of a Kind (www.oneofakindsf.com) features stunning woodwork artistry by Bruce Abbott and other wood artisans. I could have spent THOUSANDS of dollars in there! (IF I had it, which I didn’t, so I didn’t.) Lisa did buy me a beautiful small vase, handcrafted out of seven different woods which I adore. The artistry displayed in the store is amazing and I had to drag myself out of there.

Saturday morning, before the conference started, we spent a few hours walking the neighborhood around the hotel. I enjoyed it immensely! We walked down Fillmore Street, enjoying the shops and the architecture. Breakfast at Bittersweet, a local coffee shop, echoed the flavor of the eclectic neighborhood. I enjoyed a ginger-pear muffin and a chai hot chocolate. Both were delicious and I came home with a bag of their chai tea and their mocha mix so I can enjoy some of it here in Texas.

The walk back to the hotel brought us through Japantown, although most was still closed at that time. The history of this area is phenomenal. One narrow, long little lot held a city pocketpark, which was quite a surprise. For such a small lot, it held an amazing variety of foliage and flowers. Paths through the little park were perfect for dog-walkers and pedestrians alike.

Before we knew it, a rainy Sunday afternoon was upon us and it was time to come back home. Too much traveling to do in this life. Now just to get to working and saving up some pennies for more trips, LOTS and LOTS of pennies!