Travel Diaries: San Francisco [Part I]

The BF channeling his not-so-inner model on Fisherman's Wharf

Hello everyone! Today's post is the second of several San Francisco-related posts that I will writing within the next week. 

After arriving in San Francisco at a disappointingly late hour (10:30ish pm), we took a taxi from the airport into the city and got dropped off at the Hotel Whitcomb on Market street. Other than being historic, that particular hotel was not my favourite place ever; our room was right beside the ice vending machine room so we were treated to loud crashing sounds on our first night. Strangely enough, the next few nights were undisturbed by such chaos. Perhaps we were just better adjusted? We were also unprepared for the heat. Since the time was so late, we were unable to buy anything more than a meal from the Burger King across the street from our hotel. The thirst and need for water hit us when we both woke up at around 3:30am. Not the most auspicious start to our trip; however, the next day would prove to be amazing!!! (Three exclamations absolutely needed there.)

The next morning, we got up bright and early (my bf got up a little too early at 7am) in order to get a head start on the day. I wore a light cardigan that I soon discovered was an unnecessary burden that I would have to carry for the rest of the day; it would soon get to be in the low thirties throughout the day. We then met up with my bf's best friend who had moved from Vancouver to San Fran a year and a half ago. After leaving the hotel, he  first took us on the scenic walking route from our hotel to his neighbourhood in Hayes Valley, one very cool and trendy place full of expensive boutiques and fancy restaurants. 

Bromantic in front of Civic Centre

We were then taken to one of the favourite breakfast spots of our very knowledgeable host: La Boulange. This chain cafe has now collaborated with Starbucks; however, that didn't stop it from having extremely delicious coffee and pastries. According to our guide, San Francisco is well-known for having excellent coffee, a fact that would soon be proven true throughout the trip (my bf and I are extreme coffee-lovers). 

A fruit danish, macarons, and amazing coffee.

My bf would take about an hour to finish these two treats... Slow eating, much?

(More photos after the jump.)

After breakfast, we took a stroll around the neighbourhood. However, since San Francisco is such a chill place, many of the boutiques that we were looking at would not open until around 11 to 12! So we walked uphill to Alamo Square instead to amuse ourselves by taking a few scenic shots of the city in the background. 

Finally, the sneaker boutique that my two companions were hungrily eyeing opened. My bf's jaw would drop (not for the first time that day) at the amazing selection of sneakers available in both this shop and this city. I was impressed when our guide told us that he had bought a pair of Missoni chevron-striped sneakers- now there was something I could appreciate!

Chillin' in a square in Hayes Valley

Check out this cool clothing boutique located in what looks like several cargo containers.

This chocolate shop was one of the disappointments of the trip. After stopping by to sample some of the amazing treats offered within, we agreed that we would come back later in the day to buy several packs of the good stuff. However, the store opens late and closes early so we were never able to do so!

Yes, that's chocolate!

Blue Bottom Coffee: one of the best coffee spots according to our host.

After taking the Muni train to Embacadero, we walked over to the Ferry Building and took a gander at the picturesque Bay Bridge. 

More photos on the Fisherman's Wharf

After a long walk in which we ate lunch, did more sightseeing, shopped and scooped up several awesome deals, we decided to take a rest by eating some dessert at The Cheesecake Factory located on the rooftop of Macy's. This stop not only afforded us an amazing view of Union Square but also provided a welcome respite from a long day of walking in the hot sun. 

Dutch Apple Caramel, Godiva, and White Chocolate Macadamia Nut.

My apologies if the rest of the pictures in this post seem a little grainy or overexposed; I only used my iphone for these particular spots, most likely because I was too busy shopping or walking to take out the bigger Canon camera.

Across from the SF Jazz Centre: portraits of famous jazz musicians

The SF Jazz Centre

Daiso lives in San Fran, folks!

The dome in Westfield Mall

Uniqlo's rainbow staircases

My stash for the day: (from R to L) Uniqlo chiffon maxi skirt, Madewell lace blouse, H&M straw hat, Michael Kors bag from the latest collection, Zara heels  

After we had taken a short rest after shopping, our host picked us up in his amazing ride: a brand new BMW 335 convertible. Our driver has a "need for speed" so we had a few stomach-dropping, but fun, spurts of acceleration while on our way to the Marina area. 

After we had taken a few pictures near the Golden Gate Bridge at sunset (pictures to be put up later this week), we settled for a great dinner at The Naked Fish, a sushi restaurant in the Marina area. 

Salmon and Hamachi sashimi

Giants roll: full of deliciousness like scallop, salmon, salmon roe, etc.

After dinner, we drove back to Hayes Valley and had decaf coffee (which actually tasted decent!) to end the very long and satisfying day.

One last shot of the sunset while driving top down. 

Stayed tuned for an outfit post tomorrow!