Enjoy the City In a Few Hours

Work trips, professional conferences, and organization events may take you to a city away from home. It’s easy to take the cab from the airport straight to the hotel, eat in the hotel restaurant, and follow the busy agenda that brought you there, never to emerge onto the city streets until time to get back in the cab for the return trip to the airport. Resist.

 

Take comfy walking shoes & be ready to explore!

Over the past few months, I’ve had a few agenda-driven trips, for a quick weekend or a few days, but only a few hours to experience the city.  But I can't stay inside and never wonder around the city. Let me share some excuses to get out of the hotel.

Explore the city.  Especially, if it’s a new-to-you city. In Milwaukee, I arrived hours before my meetings were supposed to start, on a beautiful, sunny day.  There was just enough time for the fifteen-minute walk to the RiverWalk (who knew there was a river?) to get lunch. Along the way, when the sidewalk ran out and we were looking at a drop into the river, we learned that the streets that bridge the Milwaukee River are a series of drawbridges – that rise straight up, not angled, to let the boats pass.

In Austin, I went boot shopping at night and in between the conference ending and my return to the airport for my late flight home, I walked over to the state Capital building for my own self-guided tour.  In San Francisco, I combined sightseeing with my workout and ran over the Golden Gate Bridge.

Eat outside of the hotel.  I like to try the local restaurants, rather than a chain. I live in the DC area, I could eat at almost any chain restaurant I want to at home.  In Austin, of course, I ate at places featuring, what else - Mexican and Southwest.  I tried Adolfo’s, an Italian place in Springfield, MA and had this delicious pasta with seafood and basil and a French martini.  It’s a small restaurant, lit primarily by candles. I had a perfect seat by the bar, next to the window – I could people watch inside and out and was close to the bartender.  In Milwaukee, I ate - where else - on the Riverwalk!  I had a delicious veggie burger and drinks at WaterBuffalo.

 

Do something a little different.  For a recent trip, I planned to get a cab for the short ride from the airport to the hotel. Then it hit me – for the $100 round-trip cab fare, I could rent a car for the two days I’d be in town. So from the car rental lot, I picked out a car I’ve never driven before – a red VW Bug! It was fun departure driving this little car that would fit in the back seat of the huge truck I drive at home.  Continuing in the “new car” theme - in Charlotte, I had a great time at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

VW Bug - My little teeny ride for a weekend!

Expand your hobby. I crochet and am starting to knit. In addition to regular trips to my local yarn shop, yarn is my travel souvenir. In fact, when other people travel, I ask them to bring me back yarn.  But isn’t all yarn the same, my husband always asks. (Or used to, he doesn’t even bother anymore.)  Well, you just never know ‘til you check, do you?  I have shawls and scarves and sweaters made from yarn purchased in Atlanta, San Francisco, and Madrid.  If you have a particular hobby, does the supplies or the hobby itself work as a travel souvenir? And if you don’t have a hobby, make one up perfect for traveling like collecting spoons or coffee cups, visiting state capitals, eating at hometown ice cream shops or drinking local beers.

Yarn shopping in Mystic, CT & Berlin, MD

Take a break from the group. This is a tip for the introverts out there. Sometimes traveling and hanging with the group is exhausting, right? All those people, all that chatter, all the group decision making.  When you’ve had enough, bow out. Make an excuse or tell the truth, whatever you think will get you out with the least questions.  Go outside for a walk or get a drink at the bar down the street.  It may seem awkward for the moment, but at least you’ll be refreshed when you return.

How do you squeeze in fun during a business trip?

Join the conversation on Facebook: Just Piddlin' with Frances

Yarn in San Francisco

A trip isn't complete without a yarn shop visit.  This one was just a few blocks from my hotel - that could’ve been dangerous.  Luckily (for my budget), I found it when had a time limit, based on my conference schedule, but what a great little find.

Roxanne and her husband have owned ArtFibers for over 18 years, with their shop in Union Square.  All their yarn is natural fibers – from cotton and linen to alpaca, wool, and even yak – that they design and dye themselves in an off-site garage-turned-workshop.

A wide assortment of yarn

The layout is different than any other yarn shop I've visited.  For each yarn, Roxanne has swatches that show off the colors and textures.  What a concept!  How many times have I considered, or even bought, a yarn because it was pretty in the skein, but it didn't work up the way I thought? Or, on the other hand, didn't get a yarn because I couldn't imagine how it would look once stitched?  She also has a selection of needles so that customers can sit with any yarn in the shop and stitch a swatch of their own, a pretty neat idea.

Sample swatches of 100% linen fiber

The yarn at ArtFiber is also not in pre-measured skeins - everything is wound on cones or in loose loops and Roxanne measures, winds, and cuts as much as you need.  This could come in handy when buying for a particular project or pattern and know the needed yardage – no leftover yards to add to the ever growing stash.  And if you aren’t sure?  She has a little chart on each yarn that estimates the amount needed for a few basic items like a scarf or sweater, and can help you estimate anything not listed.  

Ready to measure and cut as needed

Of course, however, I had no project in mind so I just took a guess at how many yards I wanted - needed.

What'd I get?

Lingo, Tsuki, and Sylph - my yarn selections

I'm just starting to get into knitting, so I picked a few that would make nice scarves, something simple while I learn the difference between knitting and purling.  These are all smooth, lightweight yarns, so I can probably make them look fancy just by putting them on larger needles.

Lingo – 100% Linen - orange and rusty red variegated (600 yards) - skirt

Tsuki - silk & mohair blend - the hot pink for a light, airy scarf (straight or infinity?) or a cowl (300 yards)

Sylph – Silk, mohair, and wool blend; Tsuki – silk and mohair blend - the two gold/rust colored ones - a striped scarf, alternating the two (300 yards total)

The skirt - my inspiration for my last purchase

I've also been wanting a crocheted or knitted skirt for the summer (even though we're coming to the end of the season).  I've tried to convince my mother to make one for me - she's much better skilled at either needlecraft than I am, even without patterns.  Roxanne happened to have a knitted skirt on the mannequin welcoming visitors to the shop.  She convinced me that I could do it, and I convinced myself of the same, with crocheted stitches as a back-up.  She offered the pattern, and explained how the basic design of the skirt is not based on increasing the number of stitches per row, but switching to a large needle.  I have done a crocheted tunic like this, I think I can maybe handle a knitted version.

Roxanne, the Owner

Roxanne was very welcoming and encouraging.  We'll see how my skirt goes - if I get the skills together to get it done, that is.  But I'm sure the scarves will be keeping me warm by the fall.

ArtFiber is located at 266 Sutter Street, 3^rd Floor, San Francisco, CA  www.artfibers.com

I Left My Waistline in San Francisco

My luggage is not the only thing that has come home 5 lbs heavier.  In between our conference business sessions, my sorors, Sharon and Sybil, and I were doing our best to eat on every corner of the bay city.  San Francisco is a good city if you like seafood, sweets, and diverse menus.  Here's a few of the plates that filled our bellies.

Bibimbap is a Korean dish -rice with a selection of vegetables, topped with a dollop of red pepper paste.  One can also have it with meat mixed in, if desired.  Very simple, but one of my favorite dishes.  This was not at a fancy restaurant - it was in the mall food court!  With kimchi and tofu and bulgogi.  The only reason I didn't eat here everyday was because I wanted to get to other places during my stay.

Seafood - fried squid and clams, clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl, squid salad.  Talk about not being able to move!  We were so full after eating this selection from an outdoor food stand along Pier 39.  For less than $20, we got much more food than makes any sense.

Making sourdough bread at Boudin Bakery

Sour dough bread was first developed in San Francisco by the Boudin family of bakers.  They've taken the goodness of this bread to another level by pulling out the middle, filling it with delicious chowder, and then popping the top of the bread back on.  I'm not sure what's the best part - the bread, the chowder, or the bread once it's been soaked with chowder.

Japanese Mochi

Mochi.  "Red bean paste filling" may not sound too appetizing to the average American, but I was too excited to find a Japanese dessert shop that sells such a variety of rice cakes.  I only bought 2 because of their short shelf-life.

Fish and shrimp tacos with margaritas and tequila cocktails.  I had mine with Siete Leguas tequila - nice and smooth.

As you can see, we had a delicious time in San Francisco.  But I've heard that there were a few places and dishes we missed - including SushiRitos (think sushi the size of burritos), so we'll have to return eventually.

Golden Run

Ever have someone suggest an idea and you say "yeah, sure, sounds great". And then, when it's time to do the thing, you think, "what the heck did I agree to? Really, I thought this was a good idea?"

Yeah. That's how I ended up here -

That's me - ready to run on the Golden Gate bridge. Another sorority sister suggested it on a FB group page - what do they say about group thinking, peer pressure, and all that? "While we're in San Francisco, wouldn't it be great...". That's how I ended up taxiing over to the bridge with Cheryl from Philadelphia, Anitra from Richmond, and Toya from Houston, after our conference closed for the day, changing from our pink & green dresses to our pink & green running wear and meeting up with about 30 other sorors, ready to make our way over the water.

Cylia, the mastermind behind the plan

Pink & Green runners & walkers from around the country

And when I saw the iconic red posts from the Wharf earlier, I thought "wow. That's high. And it's over water." When we arrived, I marveled, "yeah, that thing is high. And it's over water. And it's cold." The distance wasn't a problem - 1.7 mile across, 3.4 miles in total - because, as I realized, if I get across, I've got to come back. At the foot of the bridge, there's a display explaining how the bridge was built and the engineering behind it's design. The trivia nerd part of me wanted to read it all. But the scared of falling into the water part of me didn't want to know how it could go wrong.

It's a great view up there, if you pause long enough to look back at the city and across the water to Alcatraz. But I didn't stop for long, my view was in constant motion - did I mention it was high and over water? And cold and windy. And I was praying that I didn't get blown over the railing, which was a little bit lower than I expected a bridge railing to be.

As far as things on my bucket list, "run over the Golden Gate Bridge" has never been on there. But like when I sift thru the sand collected in my kids' beach bucket, this is a pretty, surprising little seashell to hold on to.

The other end of the bridge.

Lunchtime at Fisherman's Wharf

We had an exciting opening for our 65th Conference - complete with a cable car and Chinese dragon from our host city. For our lunch, we continued to enjoy the local treats on our own.

The famed cable cars run from downtown to the Wharf - we jumped on a few blocks from the convention center for the open air ride up and down the hills of the city.

Walking along the streets the last couple days, I've heard on odd motor-running sound; one of the drivers explained to us that this is the cable that runs under the street that pulls the cars along (you can see the thick cables if you carefully look into the space in the track). Apparently, back in the 1870's, the San Franciscans got tired of losing their horses to exhaustion and runaway horse carts on those hills. Instead, they came up with this cable system, and today, the cars are still operated by hand-pulled and foot-pushed brakes. The downside of this system, as we also found out - when there's a problem with this cable - the cars don't go. It was a little like riding a slow roller coaster, made a little more exciting by hanging off the side and hoping you don't get side-swiped by passing traffic.

At Fisherman's Wharf, we enjoyed a delicious bowl of cioppino, the San Francisco born seafood soup. This is one of my favorite soups, it's so much work to cook, but so delicious! It's a seafood stock with tomato puree, filled with fish, shellfish (Dungeness crab, shrimp, mussels, clams), and squid - yum! Served with garlic sourdough bread - whew! We were pretty full.

Well, 'til we saw the Ghirardelli factory. Sea salted caramel hot chocolate, anyone?

A pause for chocolate

During the wine tour, we made a stop at Sonoma Plaza. Its one of those squares, the kind you would expect in an old mission town - some history, some quaint shops and restaurants. Here, while looking for lunch, I stopped for a sign that read "Free Chocolate Tasting" - how could I pass that up? At Wine Country Chocolates, I had a delicious orange ganache (the filling in one of their truffles) and chocolates, then picked up a bag of macadamia brittle for the hubby, along with a box of hand-made chocolates, including Cappuccino Tiramisu and Hazelnut.

Sonoma Wine Tour

Grapevines in wine country - Jacuzzi Vineyard

Today I headed out on a tour of wine country. I don't usually do the organized tour thing, but I'm on too tight a schedule to figure out how to get up the valley on my own. This one was conveniently organized by Alpha Girl, a paraphernalia company.

We drove about an hour outside of San Francisco, crossing the famous Golden Gate Bridge (which is red?) with a view of Alcatraz. Loved the movie (it's the older Sean Connery, how could you not?) but I don't see how anyone could think they were getting out of that place - it's out in the middle of the water!

Our first stop was the Jacuzzi Family Vineyard - yes, "Jacuzzi" as in the jet spray water spas. This family has made relaxing and enjoying yourself into a fortune. Talk about having a career you can enjoy. They've had the winery since 1997, though this vineyard location has been built only a few years. Passing through the shop area, you walk out onto a beautiful stone patio and then into a courtyard that overlooks the vineyard and the valleys and hills all around. There was a wine bar set up with bartenders, or wine pourers, waiting for us.

Patio at Jacuzzi Vineyard

Now - here's my disclaimer. I'm not any kind of wine expert, but I do like wine. I tend to prefer whites, the sweeter the better. But at a wine tasting, I like to try a variety - who knows, maybe I'll find something new. I filled my glass with a couple reds and a few whites.

Sharese & Jamilla from Ohio tasting wine

The reds: Barbera, with berries and a "vanilla cocoa powder finish" (you know it was the chocolate that got me), their best selling red wine; and the Late Harvest Aleatico, a dessert wine. I also tried this in a chocolate shot - it's just as it sounds, a shot "glass" made from milk chocolate, filled with this wine - delicious! Adding to my list - figure out how to make chocolate shot glasses.

A chocolate shot - as in drinking wine from a chocolate "glass"

The whites: Tocai Friulano, a dry wine with a "vigorous citrus finish", surprisingly wasn't as dry as I expected, it was nice; the Moscato, which was mildly sweet; and the Giuseppina, a Chardonnay, which I usually don't really care for, but this one was good, this one has been aged in oak, with "vanilla, apple, and pear flavors". It was just enough sweet.

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Can't go wrong with dessert

After an early morning swim meet and a cross-country flight, I was ready for a good meal. The hotel concierge recommended a few spots, gave me directions to catch the cable car to Fisherman's Wharf and to walk to Chinatown. I picked famed Chinatown. At the risk of upsetting some folks - or maybe some will enlighten me as to what I missed - I mainly found discount shops filled with Chinese imports - silk (or silk-ish) Chinese-style dresses, slippers, paper parasols and fans, jade cat figurines.

I went 0 for 2 trying to find a good bite to eat. First, the bean-filled pancake from the bakery was more glutinous than I preferred and not enough bean- filling; at least it was only a 75 cent investment. Then the tofu seafood clay pot soup at the dim sum restaurant wasn't served in a clay-pot, was too thick, not flavorful, had too much tofu (and I like tofu), and like 2 shrimp. So much for a good Chinese meal.

I ended up back at the restaurant connected to my hotel - the upscale, seafood restaurant, the Farralon - and took a seat at the bar. When all else fails - a drink and dessert. Perfect!

I had a glass of Araku, a coffee liqueur from Venezuela. This was new to me - its similar to Kahlua, but it's rum based and a little thicker, but very smooth. This accompanied my chocolate sampler - a mini s'more, peanut butter chocolate bites, a sesame covered truffle, and chocolate drizzles caramel corn. I might be putting in a standing order for the week.

Flyover coast to coast

I'm on the other coast!  In San Francisco for my sorority's national conference.  Aside from all the pink & green, I'm excited to be here because this is my first trip to my namesake city.  I'm looking forward to the fresh seafood, hilly streets, and cable cars.

I had the window seat - like a little kid, I like the window seat.  I'm always amazed by the changing landscape as you fly around the country, even around the world.  I've not really traveled too much in the mid-west states, but I'm awed to look at them from 32,000 feet overhead.  It would be neat to have a way to identify the states as you did the flyover, like  if the lines on the map really existed, then all those elementary school lessons learning the 50 Nifty states would really come in handy.

On the flight I realized something, an obvious fact but one that really just hit me as my family dropped me off at the airport - I'm traveling all by myself! I can't think the last time I was totally by myself. I mean, I've gone places with just my Mr., without the kids, and I've gone places without the family, but with friends. It's been a while since I've been out on my very own. I know, this isn't a big deal for some folks, but for me -I barely go the bathroom without someone waiting for me on the other side of the door! I'm kinda looking forward to the by myself-ness of the trip. I'll be meeting another Soror when she arrives tomorrow, and of course everyone else I'll run into,but I'll be living by myself for a few days. How does the saying go, "absence makes the heart grow fonder"?

I took a few photos from way up in the clouds.  Let me know if you know what state they are.

(My formatting may be a bit crazy for the week, working from the iPad, some editing is limited, but enjoy anyway!)