Sf | SIMA

Hue’s post on the Chihuly exhibit at the de Young Museum in San Francisco motivated me to edit more photos from my visit. I’ve added 12 new ones to my Flickr set.

Red chili peppers at the Farmers Market

Yellow wall at Fred’s Coffee Shop in Sausalito

Green tree tops in Muir Woods

Blue sky on Market Street

Purple cinema lights at the Embarcadero Center

My parents and I stayed at Hotel Nikko our first three nights in SF because that’s where my dad’s business meetings were taking place. (No, we did not get tickets to see the American Idol has-beens perform in the Rrazz Room.) It was an interesting hotel in a good location in Union Square.

For our last night together, we moved to the Le Meridien in the financial district. We were upgraded to a luxury suite, which meant my parents had some privacy and I had a cot in the living area…

We had a fantastic view of the bay from our balcony — yet another opportunity to take some photos!

Day 3 – Thursday

My parents and I crossed the Golden Gate bridge and spent the day in Sausalito because my dad had some business to do there. While he was in meetings, my mom and I set off to explore the area and take some photos. Although it wasn’t her first time in Sausalito, it was her first time seeing it through the lens of her Nikon (photography is a new hobby of hers).

I have to say, today was the best day of my trip. Why?

Best Breakfast

The three of us ate breakfast together at Fred’s Coffee Shop. With just a few oversized wooden tables around the perimeter, it’s communal seating at Fred’s. We shared our table first with a quiet woman I believe was a monk and then with two stereotypical California surfer-types, who had a very intense conversation about politics. The atmosphere itself was terrific, but the food was even better. My dad and I both ordered French Toast with a side of chicken apple sausage. It was the most amazing French Toast I’ve ever eaten. It was FRIED and absolutely heavenly. Seriously, how could anything fried NOT be delicious?

Best Trees

After breakfast my mom and I drove up to Muir Woods. The nauseating ride up and around the hills was so worth it–I had never seen Redwoods before, and they were as awe-inspiring as I imagined they would be. We walked about a mile, stopping every couple of feet to try to capture the grandeur of the trees with our cameras and to ask each other about ISOs and F-stops. Two novices on a photo safari = hilarity.

Read more…

Now I’ll never have the chance to visit Church Street Apothecary in San Francisco! 

It seems there is a state law that says only licensed pharmacies can use the word “apothecary” in the name of their business. The California Pharmacy Board has targeted Church Street Apothecary, and because the store does not have the resources to fight a state agency and also re-brand itself, it’s closing its doors after four years.

The website is no longer active, but store is still open at 1767 Church Street, and almost everything is 30% off.

Has anybody ever taken photos inside of Church Street Apothecary? I’d love to see what it looks like.