Our next day in San Francisco began with a brief walk to the cable car turnaround. We had tried to ride a cable car the morning before but the line gets long fast if you don’t arrive as soon as the cars begin running.
We arrived early and waited 10 or 15 minutes before jumping on a car. It’s worth hopping on at one of the turnarounds as you can see the attendants manually turn the cars around using a revolving platform and a big stick. I assume this is the original “technology” from the Cable Cars earliest days.
We rode the cable car to the end of the line, back to Fisherman’s Wharf and decided to grab some clam chowder for an early lunch before our tour of Alcatraz.
I had read good reviews about the Boudin Bakery and their fresh sourdough bread bowls. Besides clam chowder, they serve a variety of sandwiches and baked goods, including bread baked into a variety of adorable animals.
After lunch we walked down to the dock and caught the ferry to Alcatraz. The tours are popular and sell out quickly so if you want to go, make sure you book in advance! Robert was most looking forward to this part of our trip and his excitement was palpable as we approached the island.
As we disembarked, a tour guide greeted the new arrivals and explained how they operated. Once you arrive on Alcatraz, tours are self guided and you could see as much or as little as you liked, staying as long as you wanted as long as you caught the final ferry home.
TGIF! Between new recipes and my trip to Charleston it’s been a while since my last California recap. In case you need a refresher, check out the first leg of San Francisco HERE.
I last left you at Fisherman’s Wharf on our way to China Town for lunch. I couldn’t wait to check it out and see how similar it was to actually being in China after my trip there a few years back. Dear Robert didn’t quite know what to expect but was open to some new dining experiences. Have I mentioned he scores quite low on the adventurous eating scale? Burgers and fries every day if he had his way.
As we entered China Town I immediately felt like I was back in Shanghai! Almost everyone was speaking mandarin and the open air shops were haphazardly, jam packed with traditional foods and goods, just like I remembered.
Also worth noting, check out the laundry hanging out to dry. I remember from my trip to China that the people there did not like to use clothes dryers as they believe they are bad for your health…looks like this tradition has carried over here as well!
We enjoyed browsing as we walked the busy streets in search of the Great Eastern Restaurant. I had read several reviews about how great their dim sum was and thought it sounded like the perfect lunch spot. We were seated rather quickly despite the fact that they were busy, and I was happy to see the menu came with pictures. The restaurant looked a little dated but the servers in their cute green jackets were prompt, if not the most helpful. Dim Sum is small plates that are either ordered from a menu or chosen from a rolling cart pushed around the restaurant. I choose a variety of dishes that I thought Robert would enjoy and the food came out fast! We had stuffed mushrooms, steamed dumplings and fried crab balls with the claw still sticking out.
We also ordered some soft shrimp dumplings that had a unique (re totally weird) presentation. They came out in a big pile on the plate and our waitress proceeded to cut them up with a pair of kitchen shears before she handed them over. Robert and I both shot each other the “Let’s hope those are clean” look before tucking in….when in Rome!
The food was tasty and we both agreed the steamed pork buns were our favorite. I was proud of my somewhat picky husband for trying everything with an open mind.
After lunch we headed up the street to the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory. It was tucked away down an alley and surprisingly tiny for being such a well known spot.
Welcome back! I know you have all been waiting on the edge of your seats for my Candlefish recap. No? Well if you haven’t been then you SHOULD have been because it was so. much. fun!
I knew CandleFish was my kind of place the second we entered the shop. It was open, bright and full of clean smells and good vibes. All of the Chandlers (that is the official name for a candle maker…just like a tailor, cobbler, etc.) were very friendly and our teacher, Kat, was so personable and knowledgeable which made the class interesting and entertaining!
We were seated at our work spaces and offered complimentary water or coffee (or you can BYOB! They provide the glassware FYI) and Kat told us all about how Candlefish came to be, the art of scenting candles and how those scents are created and explained the process for creating our own candles. Fun fact, pretty much every single smell in every type of product is synthetic and lots are created in Switzerland. We all introduced ourselves and had to share what scent we thought we would be if we were a candle. My favorite answer was a guy who picked “steak and french fries” Robert would love that candle if it ever comes to fruition. I chose fresh herbs because A. I love to cook and B. I love clean, fresh scents when it comes to candles. Too fruity and too floral-y are not my favorites. We learned that there are lots of different scent profiles that different smells fit into; beachy, aquatic, floral, citrus, epicurean (think almond, vanilla, food scents), green/earthy, woody, the list goes on. Most of what I was drawn to fell into the epicurean or green/earthy category, go figure!
Kat then showed us the wax melters (I’m sure there is a more technical name than that but I can’t remember) and explained the history and differences between different types of waxes. Candles were initially made of leftover lard, and the Chandlers would go from house to house making candles for families. Beeswax candles then became popular but were expensive and only used by churches and the upper class. These days soy candles are all the rage, and were the type that we would be making during the class.
Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend! My typical MO on a Monday is to share a breakfast recipe, but alas, for the first time in recent memory I did absolutely NO cooking this weekend…none! Instead of (joyfully) slaving away at the stove, I enjoyed the most fabulous girl’s weekend in Charleston, SC with my best friend Anna! You may recognize her as my wonderful traveling companion from all of my China posts.
I met Anna in college when she became my “little sister” in my sorority and we have been best friends ever since! She lives in Charleston, about two hours away from me and we try to meet in the middle for lunch or dinner every few months to catch up. Each time we meet for a meal we talk non-stop and never seem to have enough time to catch up as much as we’d like, so we decided a weekend reunion was a must. Charleston is a fabulous city, and one that I have had the good fortune to live in for short periods both post college and post graduate school. It is rich in history, full of fun things to do from museums and horse drawn carriage rides to pirate tours and designer shopping, a total foodie destination, and last but not least it is absolutely one of the most beautiful places in the south. There is literally something for everyone, so if you are traveling to South Carolina for the first time, Charleston is a must see destination!
I arrived at Anna’s around 7:30 on Friday and we caught up over a glass of wine as we got ready for dinner. Anna lives close to East Bay Street, which is one of the two main destination streets in downtown Charleston (at least in my mind), the other being King Street. King Street houses the majority of the shopping downtown while East Bay is home to many different restaurants and bars. We decided to try Minero for dinner, a new Mexican restaurant opened by Sean Brock. Sean Brock is a very well known, James Beard award winning southern chef who has appeared on Top Chef several times and has several restaurants in Charleston. I had a feeling the food would be delicious and we were not disappointed.
We started with guacamole and margaritas and each ordered several different tacos. I tried the grouper and the green chorizo, both of which were delicious. I was actually inspired to come home and attempt a homemade green chorizo recipe which I am planning to try later this week, wish me luck!
After dinner we called it an early night in anticipation of a big day on Saturday. Saturday morning we woke up early and headed our for a brisk walk around The Battery. The Battery is a seawall around the Charleston Harbor that is lined by breathtaking antebellum homes. I say homes but they are really more like mansions and each is stunning, unique and VERY expensive. Since it’s safe to say I’ll never be able to live in one of these homes, it’s nice to be able to enjoy them as the backdrop to a morning run.
Image courtesy of Trip Advisor since I only took a picture of the water…
The day quickly heated up and we walked back to Anna’s to cool off and enjoy a light breakfast before heading over to King Street for a little retail therapy. King Street has everything from Louis Vuitton to Forever 21 so there is lots to see at every price range. Anna and I both made a few purchases before deciding it was time for lunch. King St. has LOTS of restaurants, Burgers, BBQ, Pizza, Lebanese, Greek, Mexican, Asian, ALL THE FOOD! It’s a foodies dream and an indecisive girls nightmare. Luckily Anna suggested Vietnamese early on in her extensive list of everything available and I remembered how much I LOVED my banh mi in Atlanta a few months ago. We ended up at CO, a Vietnamese restaurant I remember seeing when I lived in Charleston but had never tried. We were seated immediately and decided to split a few things so we could both try a lot.
*Side Note* Is it just me or is one of the best things about girlfriends the fact that they love to share? My mom and I do this too when out to eat but Robert HATES to share. Is this a man thing? Or just a mental thing? Like maybe he doesn’t feel like he’s getting enough to eat if we split things instead of having an entire full meal to himself? He doesn’t mind sharing dessert or appetizers but anytime I’ve suggested splitting a salad or entrees I get shot down immediately and he tells me I should just order both/all of it. Maybe I’ll wear him down eventually.
We ordered the edamame dumplings, pork belly buns and a Korean short rib banh mi. It was all tasty but we both liked the banh mi the best. The lunch prices at CO were surprisingly inexpensive for a sit down restaurant, we both left full but not stuffed and only paid about 10 dollars each! I’ll have to remember to add “cheaper” to my list of reasons to convince Robert to start sharing
After a disappointing In-N-Out experience and a late night arrival in Carmel, w e woke up bright and early the next morning to a lovely (and complimentary!) continental breakfast delivered to our room.
Since we had missed much of the beauty of Big Sur in the dark the night before, we decided to backtrack before driving back to Pebble Beach. Of course we couldn’t leave Carmel without exploring a little, so we finished our croissants and left the Carmel Lodge on foot to check out the town.
What a quaint, whimsical little place Carmel is, just like it’s name, Carmel By The Sea. Of all of our California destinations, Carmel is the one I would most like to return to. It’s quiet, the people are friendly and it is so beautiful! Between the gorgeous shoreline, the tree lined streets and the magical looking shops and homes, it’s absolutely one of the most picturesque places I’ve ever been.
Each little shop had unique architecture and a beautiful doorway, each unlike the next. It reminded me of the trip to Italy I took with my sister two years ago and all the different doors we saw in Rome. One thing I dislike about living in Hilton Head is that many neighborhoods have such strict codes that all of the houses look exactly the same. I know some people prefer this aesthetic but I find it so much more enjoyable to walk down the streets and see different colors and designs everywhere you look.
It was too early for any shops to be open, which was fine by me since we didn’t really have time to shop, but Carmel is the sort of place you could easily spend a whole day wandering from store to store and browsing the day away. We walked down to the ocean and took in the views for a bit, making guesses about how close we were to the golf course before jumping in the car and heading back towards Big Sur.
The drive back through Big Sur was breathtaking and we stopped for lots of photo ops of the beautiful cliffs and scenery along the way.
There are several areas along Highway 1 where you can pull over and hike down to the beaches which we made sure to take full advantage of. In December it was too cold for swimming but just right for exploring and photographing.
Atastytrip 