Lose your heart there, so that you can return again and again to reclaim it!

Yes, a girl like me, with a job like mine, needs a few days away on a fairly frequent basis...I have been working a lot of overtime, and continue to, so I am rewarding myself with a very few days in San Francisco soon.

I cannot take vacation until November, so I shall work three nights, get off and grab a plane, fly to San Fransisco, hopefully arrive there awake, and then return three days later....Sounds like a plan to me...Got THE best deal of Expedia! Never used anything like that before...(always makes one a bit nervous, you know...)

I will stay at the famed Hotel St. Francis, the one that was almost destroyed in the 1906 Great Earthquake that caused the Great Fire which practically destroyed the city.

"Guests in the major hotels, such as the Palace Hotel which was constructed on sand dunes, reported violent shaking of the interior of the building. In the Hotel St. Francis, the tallest fully-occupied building in San Francisco, guests reported rolling, falling down stairs, and being thrown from wall-to-wall by the 1906 shock. As these people left the hotels, some wandered into the wrecked "South-of-Market" area, where the most damage to buildings and the most deaths occurred."

It's been a long time since that event...It is now owned by the Westin hotel chain, but still retains it's opulent lobby, staircase, and other relics....There is also a brand new Tower with contemporary rooms, that in some ways actually look nicer than the original ones in the Main bldg, but I have chosen a classic room in the Main bldg, because anywhere there is a chandelier in a room and an "Oak Bar" in the lobby, has my name on it! http://westinstfrancis.com/

My memories of San Francisco are wonderful, as I have been there several times, but not in about 5 years. I have done Alcatraz (at night! woooooo), Sausalito several times, the Exploratorium, the Haight, Chinatown, the Piers, Ghiradelli Square, and on and on...The food there is legendary, and you almost can't go wrong anywhere, but since time is of the essence on this excursion, I have chosen to spend my first day at the Modern Museum, my favorite Modern Art museum, and the art galleries and cute shops around Union Square. The next day will be reserved for The Pier, where I can walk along to the sounds and sites of the otters and seagulls, while I hear the splashing of the waves, and admire those on their beautiful sailboats...One extremely interesting site, if you are up early on the Wharf, is the "club" of swimmers, young and old, that dive into those extremely cold waters for marathon swimming every single morning...Most people would collapse in water of that temperature, but these folks have had a lot of practice! I cannot forget to stop by the infamous City Lights Bookstore where one can

still feel Jack Kerouac's presence. http://citylightsbookstore.com/

Of course I had to plan at least my two dinners, because without a reservation in San Francisco, you can forget it....

I chose to go new places, which is hard, since I have my favorites, but one MUST EXPAND their culinary knowledge/taste, so I chose the infamous "Boulevard" http://www.boulevard.com/ and the Slanted Door, http://www.theslanteddoor.com/ ....

I may try to sneak a very early lunch in at my favorite place, and just grab a bowl of bouillabaisse at http://www.tadichgrill.com/ , the oldest restaurant in San Francisco with "crusty" waiters that just add to the whole experience, in my opinion.....

Speaking of "crusty" is there ANYTHING better than the Sourdough Bread in San Francisco? Not on this earth, there's not.

Of course, I will write a review of my excursion when I return...In the meantime, I must work, work, and work.....