San Francisco - California - 2016

San Francisco was always on my list of places to see though I didn't quite know when I'd get there. It was an eventually spot; eventually I'd get to the West Coast, eventually I'd see San Diego and Yosemite and the Golden Gate Bridge.  

I grew up listening to my parents tell stories about San Diego and the early years of their marriage. So I have a soft spot for a place I've never seen. It was where my dad was first stationed after he joined the Navy and my mom followed, head over heels, leaving behind family and friends to build something worth having. My dad talked about San Francisco too. A great liberty port, a place to have the most fun, to see the most interesting things. 

Last year Darrell and I spent a week there and this year Robyn and I are going out to photograph a wedding. I'm excited to be there, I know the wedding will be gorgeous. And I'm lucky enough to add a few days on so Darrell and I can mark a few more places off our travel list. 

I loved the city because it's so different from my own. We drove up to Muir Woods and then farther up the coast to the glass beach near Fort Bragg. But the majority of our time was spent wandering around. The Japanese Tea Garden was incredibly beautiful and we went to the de Young and I got to see a Dali for the first time in person. We toured Alcatraz at night (if you're on the fence about doing a day tour or the night, go for the night. When we were there they opened up the hospital wing which isn't open for day tours) we shopped in China Town for paper lanterns, and ate mini donuts on Pier 39, arguably my favorite thing. It's one of the first places I intend to visit again.

San Francisco has joined other places in my heart. There are spots I'll remember, where my legs felt like jello from walking up steep hills all day, places where we kissed under a full moon, where we shared coffee and poured over maps searching for our next must see. I'm looking forward to discovering new things, to being out of my day to day, to holding hands and letting the Pacific wash over my feet.