I meant to write this upon my return from San Francisco, but as you can imagine with a September 20th departure, my time was running out fast with lots of things left to do. So here is what I consider the highlight of my San Francisco Father-Daughter Bonding extraveganza!
Moment Number 1:
Our Custom’s officer as we departed my hometown explaining his hatred of the photos in the US Custom’s area. He said he understood why Napoleon took off the nose of the Sphinx after staring at it for six months. He stated that he refused to go to South Dakota just because it held Mount Rushmore, one of the photos he was forced to stare at the most. He said that if he ever had a chance, he would take of ol’ Abe Lincoln’s nose. Not exactly what you expect to hear Day 1 from a “patriotic” citizen of the United States of America.
Moment Number 2:
My first trip to the SOMA Whole Foods, a whole 5 blocks from our hotel. Only those foodies, veggies, and similar can fully appreciate the sheer amazement I had walking through that store. The quantity and quality of vegan friendly product and relatively inexpensive organic produce pretty much made me curse that I do not have a whole foods where I live. And I wish that I could have shared that moment with my friend Amanda.
Similarly, walking into Rainbow Grocery was sheer eco-geek nirvana and a vegan revelation.
Moment Number 3:
Not so much a moment, as a find. Dad and I went to the Jazz Bistro three out of six nights and was located one block from our hotel. The Jazz Bistro, as you can imagine, featured nightly jazz as well as decent food. The best night we went, happened to be the first night as well. Where the performers included a four-man band including a bassist, a drummer, a Japanese pianist, and the absolutely adorable trumpet player. He had a black fedora, blues brothers shades, a salt n’ pepper beard, and the sort of footwear that only those 65+ years old can pull off. But to me, he was the bee’s knee’s. They played songs such as Only Fools Rush In, I Can’t Stop Lovin’ You, Ring of Fire, and Whiter Shades of Pale--all with a jazz beat. It was fantastic.
Moment Number 4:
My Dad getting asked in Haight Street whether he wanted to buy or sell marijuana. He didn’t. But that didn’t stop me from finding this absolutely stereotypical for the neighborhood and also completely moronic on the potential “dealer”. My Dad looked more like he left a golf course and the pair of us was the least likely to say yes!
Moment Number 5:
Running into my kickboxing friend, Safi on the streets of San Francisco with his fiance. Something about meeting someone you know in a “foreign” city just makes me incredibly happy.
Moment Number 6:
Guacamole and tacos accompanied by homemade ginger ale at Gracias Madre. This restaurant made Mexican classics vegan. Needless to say I was in heaven eating here. And the caesar’s salad was incredible too...if you ever get the chance to eat there.
Moment Number 7:
Finding Painted Bird, a vintage store with pizazz. Even though San Francisco is known to vintage seekers as a vintage mecca of sorts, I was incredibly disappointed by the stores I went to on Haight Street. Most of them had an incredible amount of vintage, but somehow nothing seemed special, nothing seemed to stand out amid the sheer amount of vintage. But when I found Painted Bird and it’s boutique vintage feel, as well as vintage combat boots in my size, I fell in love with San Fran’s vintage then and there.
Moment Number 8:
The adorable Asian man who spent his Saturday mornings cheering on those crazy individuals training for the Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon. Every time a runner went past, you could hear him shout “YAY!”. So when I walked by, I cheered him on. He replied in kind.
Moment Number 9:
Dad and I took three different tours on the trip and each in their own way was utterly fantastic. I enjoyed smelling the foggy, crisp air in Muir Woods. I loved the sea lions lounging in the sun in Monterey. I fondly remember our mad dash in Carmel to see the beach and make it back to our bus in time. And I loved our bicycle ride through Yosemite National Park, in particular running into the same cyclists over and over. In particular the man wearing a Farm Aid shirt who told me I “had to go” if I could.
Moment Number 10:
Having a traveler “a-ha” moment, when I realized that I really do feel like I can undertake my trip to Central America. Walking alone through Mission Street, through the large population of homeless in San Francisco, and everything else made me realize that I really am ready to take this trip. Although I know it won’t be easy and it’ll be filled with moments of terrible lows, it will also include euphoric highs. All I can hope is that the highs outweigh the lows.
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