One Week, Two trips…and a Lighthouse Discovery

I’ve been signed up for “alert” emails from various airlines and travel websites for quite some time…and every once in awhile there’s an amazing deal I just can’t pass up! (okay…maybe that happens a lot?) One was a few months ago on Southwest Airlines to San Francisco for $58 RT ! The only catch is that you have to fly on Tuesday or Wednesday…no problem. I booked the flights, took two days off of work and headed up for a quick getaway.

I used to live in SF and have been more times than I can count, but each time I go I try to explore an area a little more in depth…you know when you live somewhere you don’t tend to go to the touristy/popular places! It’s just fun to have a quick change of scenery to re-energize…no matter where it is!

So, I headed up there a couple of weeks ago and decided I’d stay near Golden Gate Park and spend my time there and in the Marina district. I arrived just in time for lunch and had to go to my favorite, BurmaSuperstar…that I’ve mentioned every time I’ve posted about SF. Getting there from my hotel looked like a beautiful walk through the Presidio and it was only 2.1 miles. What I didn’t quite realize was the steep incline of the hills involved from the bottom of the Presidio up to Clement St….but I did it. The walk through the Presidio was gorgeous and the smell was heavenly through the rustling trees.

Spent the afternoon just wandering and then walked over to a place I’ve been meaning to try, Bar Crenn…since seeing the Chef/owner Dominique Crenn on Chef’s Table (I’d highly recommend this series on Netflix) . It is a sister restaurant/bar to Atelier Crenn, which was the one featured on Chef’s Table….and which is $335 for her multi course tasting menu…yikes! She also has the more affordable, but still expensive, Petite Crenn, $95 for her tasting menu….hence the reason I chose Bar Crenn.

The ambiance and decor at Bar Crenn was just what you’d expect from a little French hideaway. It was cozily dark, with gorgeous chandeliers and comfy seating areas, as well as the bar. I usually just like to get a glass of wine and something to nibble on because, first of all, it’s expensive, but also because I’m there to enjoy the experience and let the warmth of the place envelope me in a warm hug. That’s how I felt about Bar Crenn. One of my favorite French foods is pâté, so I opted for the pâté en croûte, and it didn’t disappoint. My mouth is watering just writing about it. After a quick bite, I walked over to browse the adorable shops on Chestnut and decided to see the movie I Feel Pretty, with Amy Schumer at the Marina Theater….hilarious, with a great message at the same time. Your confidence, the way you look and feel, is all in your mind and up to you to portray to the world!

Wednesday was wandering through the park, enjoying the botanical garden, blooming trees, a windmill, lunch looking out at the ocean, reading on a bench…and just enjoying all the beauty Golden Gate Park has to offer.

I planned on going to the California Academy of Sciences, but didn’t do my diligent homework and when I got there was shocked to find out it’s $35.95 to get in! Okay, granted, it’s three museums (planetarium/aquarium/natural history), but I just wanted to go to the Steinhart Aquarium and see the underwater coral dive and the penguin feeding. Even the MET in NY is only $25.00. It seems to me they’d make more money by separating them into three different admissions…but what do I know?!

It was a gorgeous day, so instead of the aquarium, I decided to take the bus down to the Marina Green, where my dad’s memorial bench is located. I sat on the bench and read my book with a gorgeous view of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate bridge. I then meandered back to the very cool Presidio Social Club , an old military barracks erected in 1903 converted to a restaurant, for a glass of wine before heading to the airport. The end of a fun 36 hour getaway!

You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!