I had a fabulous time in San Francisco. It was 20 years ago to the month that I visited there. It was for a high school journalism competition/conference and I remember loving the city then. Our four days this time were a whirlwind. We got into town and went to Berkely to tour the Scharffen Berger chocolate factory and eat an amazing lunch and did a little tourist walking around downtown. Since I was operating on about seven hours of sleep for the last two days this was more than enough for me that day. Friday was a trip to Haight-Ashbury, Golden Gate Park for a ride on an antique carousel and a walk through the flower conservatory, lunch at Magnolia's, shopping for unusual artisan chocolates (I bought three that involved bacon!), one of the most amazing dinners of my life at Frescati and a fabulous performance by three visiting ballet companies at the Opera House. Saturday was cable cars, Fisherman's Wharf, the aquarium where we got to touch a leopard shark, tour of the three ships at the Maritime National Historic Park and another amazing meal at a little hole in the wall in Chinatown called Chef Jia's. Sunday Kevin had a class and I needed to study so I holed up in the hotel room reading about equity securities until the afternoon. Then we took a tour of Alcatraz and had yet another fabulous meal at some gourmet Mexican place whose name eludes me now. I came back never wanting to eat again.
The city is much as I remember it but I have definitely changed since 1988. Good thing. Who wants to be like they were at sixteen? I have a significantly lower tolerance for large crowds, the homeless, the crazy, and the grime of the city then I did back in the day. I was happy to get back home to my relatively small little city where there is a little more breathing room. San Fran is a great place to visit, can't wait to go back but there is truly no place like home.
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