summer snippets

A random assortment of photos from this summer, the below represents what went on between our weekend excursions to Vancouver, Lake Shasta, Sonoma and more. From street festivals to baseball games to day trips to a birthday celebration in Vegas, it was a busy, and surprisingly sunny, summer in and around SF.



From top left: a high-flying seagull catching views at a Giants game; pre-gaming with 21st Amendment’s famous watermelon beer (only available in summer); the waterfront Bar Bocce in Sausalito; the annual North Beach Festival; horse races at Golden Gate Fields in Berkeley; a breakfast of beignets and café au lait at Brenda’s French Soul Food on Polk Street; Brenda’s wall of vintage mirrors; heading to Off the Grid, the weekly food truck event at Fort Mason; Off the Grid crowds; a windy day (perfect for kite flying) at Marina Green; another Giants game – this time with better seats; another day trip to Sausalito, this time to check out Salsalito, a colorful (and clever) Mexican joint where hot sauce is in high demand; a truly awesome sight – this brave man surveying the Sausalito waterfront on a jet pack!; my baby cousin celebrating her 21st birthday at the stroke of midnight; scenes of the Venetian, Palazzo pool and Bellagio conservatory + botanical garden (four shots); a third day trip to Sausalito (I love Sausalito, in case you couldn’t tell); an afternoon ‘field day’ picnic with friends in Golden Gate Park

dias ridge trail

The beautiful November weather in the San Francisco area has allowed for more outdoor activities than I would usually partake in this close to Thanksgiving. One of my favorites is hiking, and the trails are endless. After reading in Sunset magazine that the Dias Ridge trail was an editor's pick in Marin County, my friend Jen and I headed over the Golden Gate Bridge to  Muir Beach to pick up the trailhead. We hiked mostly uphill for three miles, enjoying fantastic views of the Pacific Ocean and the rolling hills to the east, although the views would have been even more fantastic if it had been sunny. Alas, you can't have everything. The biggest perk to this particular trail is the cozy Pelican Inn that awaits you across the street from the trailhead when you get back down. Hiking six miles definitely deserves a pint of beer.

escape to sausalito

One of my favorite things about living in San Francisco is the proximity to Sausalito. It's more than just a Pepperidge Farm cookie. It's also a beautiful, bay-side town just across the GG Bridge with a marina, amazing houses, a cute main street and gorgeous views in every direction. In the short time we've been here, I've already ventured there three times for lunch. On Jess and Ryan's last day in town, we joined the crowds and made the slow commute across the bridge for a walk in the sun and a delicious, albeit expensive (you have to pay for these views, you know), lunch.

Looking back toward the city

my next big purchase

There is a mega-yacht in the San Francisco Bay. Apparently, it is owned by some Russian bazillionaire who leaves by helicopter and changes the four pools from freshwater to saltwater with a push of a button. I haven't managed to snag an invitation yet, but I'm working on it. 

It seriously makes all the other boats look like plastic toys you play with in the bathtub.

what a view

After our strenuous day of unloading the Uhaul, we rewarded ourselves the next day with a drive up the Golden Gate Bridge to check out the towering redwoods and have lunch in Sausalito. The morning was foggy, as usual, but by the time we were ready to head back across the bridge, the view from the Marin Headlands back toward the city was stunning.