  I blogged for so long yesterday then lost it all in an attempt to add some HTML links. Thanks, Sweetie. So I am not even going to attempt to recapture yesterday's brilliance. It would take too long. And I won't even try to link you to those sites which highlighted my trip. I will just say that I left my heart, and a good deal of money, in San Francisco.
I walked most places and even took a couple of buses and trains and BART. The public transit in San Francisco is so convenient. If I am ever lucky enough to live in The City, sans children, I know I will not need a car. The money was mostly spent on touristy souvenirs for the children and a good pair of walking shoes for me. I made the trip with only 1 pair of shoes, some low heeled sandals. These were not intended for walking at least not to the extent that I walked.
I arrived at SFO about 8:40am and by 11am I had checked into The Palace Hotel and taken a bus to the Golden Gate Bridge. I then walked north and south across the bridge and continued down to the yacht harbor across the street from the Exploratorium. I found that I was 3 miles away from my desired destination so I kept hoofin' it until I came to a hill.
A hill? In San Francisco? Preposterous! I caught a bus to Masonic and Geary fromw whence I continued to walk west on Geary until I reached Star of the Sea Church. My cousin who works there was not in but the kind church ladies gave me his number and we hooked up at his place, just a short 1.5 miles away through Golden Gate Park. Then we proceeded to walk to Haight & Ashbury for some shopping, picture taking and dinner at a local Irish pub. After dinner we headed back to lock up the church, stopping along the way at Ireland's 32 for a pint and a game of pool.
After lock-up we walked a little longer and had some ice cream at a little candy shop. Then Cousin K put me on a bus to my hotel so I wouldn't be wandering around The City at night relying on drag queens for my directions. It was a full day of exercise and sight-seeing and I was beat. If there is night-life in the financial district I missed it all in favor of a good night's sleep. The next day I awoke bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and hurried out the door after a quick shower.
I checked out of the hotel about 9:30, got a croissant at Boudin's Cafe on Market and rode the F Train to Fisherman's Wharf. I walked in search of walking shoes. First up to Ghirardelli Square where I had to buy some chocolate or be denied re-entry into Portland. After about an hour of walking I found some good walking shoes and I was on my way. I went to another Irish pub (the place is crawling with 'em), Fiddler's Green on Columbus near beach. There I had some lunch and a pint. I even tried vinegar on my french fries. I wanted to fit in.
It was good and I highly recommend it. I asked where I'd find a place to shoot some pool and I was directed across the street to Jack's Bar at The Cannery. There I downed a couple more pints while shooting pool. I was a very worthy opponent for myself and after kicking my own butt for an hour and a half I headed back down to Fisherman's Wharf where I bought a few loaves of Boudin's Sourdough.
Then it was back onto the F Train, then BART to the airport. The trip was too short and I was welcomed back to a messy home in chaos and children who needed to be fed and prepared for bed. I wanted to be back in The City. Then on Monday Nathan told me he wishes I could go away again. Odd since he had to be held upside down until he stopped crying when I was gone. But once Dad came home and all routines were tossed out the window he was saying, "Mom who?". He thought that Dad could come home every Friday morning and I could go away for a couple of days. I don't think I, or my house, could handle too much of that. But I would love to take another trip like this last one, only a little longer next time. I was born for San Francisco. 
