What does San Francisco evoke in you? - A Moveable Feast Travel

No matter how many times I’ve visited. Each time feels like the first time. My pulse quickens and my heart skips a beat or two. Is it the skyline? The Mission District? Those exquisite Victorian Townhomes? The thought of pizza at Tony’s in North Beach? The iconic Golden Gate Bridge?

No matter what it evokes in you, it still brings out the best – in each of us. I always find something new, something exciting or something inspiring around every corner. Oh, and did I mention pizza? (Of course I did).

We arrived at noon after a 3 hour drive from Paso Robles. We checked into The Fairmont, where as it turns out President Obama had spent the past few nights. Unfortunately, the reservations system was down. And not just for a minute. For the entire day. The lobby was teaming with guests whose reservations could not be verified or confirmed, who were fed up with waiting on line and whose collective temperatures were rising to a boil. We were told we could drop our bags and would be contacted via phone when our room was confirmed. We headed out…gladly.

We enjoyed the clear skies and near-perfect temperatures as we walked to North Beach from Nob Hill. Tony’s Pizza was our first stop.

We elected the ‘walk-up’ window for a slice instead of the sit-down line for a full pie, because we had a Valentine’s date for a late afternoon cruise around San Francisco Bay. Did I mention pizza? Oh, yeah. I did. Tony’s is fabulous. The best. Walk-up, sit-down, or upside-down. It wins the San Francisco pizza wars hands-down.

After a quick slice of heaven, we headed down to Pier 39 for a very kitchy wine cruise on the Neptune.

This could have gone terribly wrong, as it initially seemed to be geared toward vacationers from a small town somewhere in the Midwest, but it actually turned out to be campy, quirky and a complete delight!

We were welcomed aboard by Captain Kevin and his wife. His wife described the wines we were going to taste and also showcased the Valentine’s Day booty for the guests: roses, chocolates, strawberries and Sweetheart candies. Captain Kevin enthusiastically narrated our 90 minute cruise from Fisherman’s Wharf to the Golden Gate Bridge, where we stopped for the obligatory photo op.

Because it was Valentine’s Day, Captain Kevin made his staff available to take couples’ photos. We gladly obliged.

From there, we cruised to Alcatraz, now a National Park. As we drifted past, it became abundantly clear what an isolated and dangerous place that had to be in its day. Its present state of decay, was an eerie reminder of its storied and violent past.

After rounding Alcatraz, we circled under the Bay Bridge, passed by the Port of San Francisco and headed back into port. We were welcomed back by a platform of hundreds of Elephant Seals making their presence known with their signature howl.

We disembarked and headed straight for the Ferry Building for dinner. It is home to both unique shops and award-winning restaurants and is situated right on the bay. A perfect location to end the day and enjoy a Valentine’s dinner at Hog Island Oyster. We couldn’t help ourselves: we ordered 2 dozen oysters and a whole chilled crab.

Fantastic! After stuffing ourselves silly, we headed out for a cab back to the hotel, but were briefly diverted by a city-wide pillow fight!! What?? Such an unexpected event.

I guess that’s the was San Franciscans show love! Happy Valentine’s Day to all.