Niki and Phil Take on San Francisco

The very first item on my list was "Visit San Francisco." My college friend Phil (pictured with me to the left) moved there a few years ago and I had always discussed visiting the city. I had never been to northern California and I always wanted to go, so I did.

I impulsively bought my tickets soon after making my list and decided to visit the first weekend in February, less than a month after making the decision. I didn't really have a lot of time to create a "to do" list for my impulsive visit so I left the itinerary in the hands of Phil, my tour guide for the weekend. I had one requirement: eat sushi and one request: visit Napa. Lucky for me, Phil fulfilled both of those and much more.

I arrived at 10 Friday night pacific time, after leaving my apartment at 7 that morning central time. Even though I was exhausted, I happily agreed to stop by a local bar in Phil's neighborhood for a couple of celebatory glasses of wine. It was a great way to unwind and be introduced to San Francisco.


We started Saturday by walking to the Farmer's Market for "breakfast." Phil defined breakfast as sampling the delicious cuisine at the market including goat cheese, olive oil, fresh fruit, olives and much more. Everything tasted amazing and I enjoyed trying new foods that I normally wouldn't try (like jalapeno jam and fresh goat cheese).


After "breakfast," we walked to Chinatown for dim sum. Dim sum is not a dish, but a serving method. Instead of ordering from a menu, servers come around with carts and trays offering different dishes like dumplings, spring rolls, duck and many other options. Phil served as my food guide, which I appreciated as the servers were kind of pushy and I didn't always know what they were offering or what else may be coming. I left with a full stomach and happy tastebuds ready to see San Francisco.


From there we went to the setting for "Full House," one of my childhood favorite TV shows. We took an accidental detour and may have crashed a funeral at a different park, but we eventually made it to the park seen in the show, where I saw the Tanner family home and DJ and Stephanie's high school.

Next on the list was seeing the Golden Gate Bridge and the Pacific Ocean. The view of both took my breath away, or maybe it was the hike through the national park, either way taking in the views, the fresh air and the wonderful sunshine made me forget all about any worries I had.

The visit to the ocean and the bridge ended the whirlwind first day of sightseeing. That night I experienced the San Francisco social scene and the Chinese New Year's parade. Expect to hear more about my amazing trip in future posts!