Before I forget, let me mention just a few reasons why I fell in love with California.
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| Muir Woods. Think they'd let me have a tree house here? |
Just outside of San Francisco is a green oasis, filled with giant trees, so tall that they make you feel like Doc, Sleepy, Grumpy or Happy. Happiness is what I felt when I entered into this beautiful forest. Quiet. That's all I heard. The air was so clean, unpolluted. The colors of nature were all around me - shades of green, brown, gray, and the blue of the sky peeking through the treetops. Birds were chirping. The wind was whispering. I wanted to reach in my bag for a book and snuggle into the safe arms of the trees that made me feel like a munchkin...
Muir Woods - the giant redwood forest located 12 miles from foggy San Fran. The land was donated in 1908 to the federal government by William and Elizabeth Kent and became a National Monument. In fact, the Antiquities Act of 1906 was used for the first time to preserve a living species, the Coast Redwood tree.
A trip to Cali wouldn't be complete without a stop in Sonoma and Napa Valley. We hopped off at Gloria Ferrar Vineyards, Cline Cellars and Madonna Estate to wet our whistle. I had never been to a wine tasting before, but I learned to swirl, sniff, and taste like a champ. More specifically, I learned how to volatilize the aromatic esters. Yeah, that's right. Volatilize. Big, fancy wine word.
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| Wine cellar at Madonna Estate in Napa Valley. Barrels of fun. |
If the wine gave my head a spin, the countryside took my breath away. I didn't want to leave. Can you blame me?
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| Gloria Ferrar Vineyards in Sonoma. A whole lot of gorgeous. |
Our last full day in San Francisco was a Saturday, and Saturday in San Francisco means the farmers have come to town. I'd have to say that the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market down by the pier really made me fall head over heels, if I wasn't already starry-eyed.
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| Fresh pickings at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market |
Everything was fresh! Organic! Homegrown! The market stands for everything I stand for, everything I'm all about. We bought homemade boysenberry jam, the boysenberries coming from the seller's own garden. I sampled as many California almonds as I could before finally settling on dark chocolate almond brittle and hickory smoked almonds. We added fresh cherry juice to our organic stash, along with another bag of almond brittle, and a couple more jars of jam. At that moment, I was cursing the fact that I had to hop on a plane the next day and travel thousands of miles. More than anything, I wished I was a local filling my reusable (and recycled) mesh bag full of fresh fruits and veggies. By the way, if you ever find yourself at the Farmers Market in San Fran, make sure you're hungry. You'll leave with a happy, healthy belly thanks to the food vendors set up along the bay.
Since we're on the subject of tasty food, I can't leave out Mama. I'm talking about Mama's, a local, family-run eatery on Washington Square. Insider tip: Get there 30-45 minutes before they open for breakfast. The line starts at the door and runs the length of the building by the time they open. They have the best breakfast in the land. The banana pancakes and freshly squeezed OJ come highly recommended. Make sure you have cash or a debit card on hand, no credit cards accepted.
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| At Mama's - best breakfast I've ever had. |
After breakfast, take a walk up to Coit Tower, you're just a few steps away.
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| View from Coit Tower - Alcatraz in the distance. |
