If You’re Goin’ to San Francisco

Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair…..If you’re goin’ to San Francisco….

Does anyone remember that song?!  It’s such an oldie and it brings back memories of going to Korean Karaoke with my parents and their friends.  Whoa, that’s a bit of a strange memory isn’t it?  Kind of awkward thinking about it, if you ask me.

So my guess was correct!  If you read my last post regarding my trip with my girlfriends to who-knows-where, I was thinking that San Francisco might just be the destination.  And so it was!

Words can’t describe how excited I was to find out that we were SF-bound for the weekend, since I’ve been there 2 times already and both trips were so amazing!

AJ decided on behalf of us (thankfully) to take the more scenic route, which was only about 20 minutes longer than the dry and monotonous alternative.

Like I mentioned previously, I took a lot of snacks with me for the long ride.  There were some healthy alternatives like my cranberry orange bites along with lots of fruit, as well as indulgences that the girls have never tried before–like the Food Should Taste Good sweet potato chips!  Mmmm…

Susan, AJ, me, and Emily

As soon as we arrived at SF, we checked into The Golden Gate Bed and Breakfast.  Yes, a B&B!!!  I really don’t know how AJ knew [or sensed] all these things about me, but she literally planned out almost everything I’ve ever wanted to try/do.  I guess that’s what friends do best!   A bed and breakfast was certainly one of those secret wishes come true.

I would give The Golden Gate B&B 5 stars because of their reasonable prices, adorable ambiènce and super kind service!  They ended up giving us a huge discount, and one can tell that the owners of this place truly have the gift of hospitality.

And if that doesn’t convince you, then let me just say that they also have a cat and two super cute dogs roaming around.

Each morning they spread out a gorgeous table with freshly brewed coffee, tea, jams, muffins and freshly baked croissants.  Oh my were these good!  They offered us butter and almond croissants.  Obviously, almond was my favorite since I love ‘em so.

I realize that I look like I have only 1 leg

I’m really happy to report that although we didn’t have time for an actual workout session, we did manage to walk the whole time we were there.  On the first night, we headed out to Kokkari to eat some delicious and uber fancy Greek food.

We started out with wholesome appetizers.  I present thee this scrumptious asparagus dish, grilled with olive oil and sprinkled with feta cheese and dill.

Sourdough bread!

We ordered three entrées and shared them.  I finally got to try Moussaka, which is a ground lamb meat lasagna à la Greek, a pine nut ravioli dish, and a tender roasted chicken with the fancy lemon squeezer thingy majigger.

Everything was so delicious and I cannot wait to remake these or have them at Kentro the next time I visit. 

And the girls were so sweet, quite literally!  They ordered this strawberry pastry topped with vanilla ice cream, which was fortunately on the house.  It was so flaky and soft, too.

*Stomach grumbles*

A visitation to the winery was on the schedule as well.  AJ made reservations at the Scribe Winery in Sonoma.

Let’s just say that I’m definitely not a fan of alcohol, and I think that most of the time it tastes disgusting!  I seriously don’t mean to offend anyone, and to each his own.  However, even a few sips of the wine made my stomach and taste buds burn.  Haha!

Oh, and I think I got face rashes from the wine.  I don’t know what else it could be!   However, the girls already knew that I’m not fond of alcohol, so they didn’t have high hopes for me anyway.

*Crossing my fingers that my skin will return back to normal for the wedding*

One thing I did enjoy very much was the swing on the tree!  It’s another one of those childhood wishes that were granted.  The girls and I loved roaming around the hills and visited this really cool run-down house that was part of the winery itself.

While we were at Sonoma we hiked up a 3 mile long trail.  The course was far from difficult, for it was more of a leisure type hiking trail.  The view at the top was beautiful, and we even got to see some hawks flying just about 20 yards from us!

Right after the hike, we ate at a Nepalese restaurant that goes by the name of Taste of the Himalayas.

Yet another cuisine I’ve been dying to try! It’s so similar to Indian food, but I feel like in some aspects it’s a bit lighter than Indian fare, yet just as spicy depending on one’s own spiciness request.

Susan recorded a bunch of our shenanigans while we were on the trip, and perhaps I’ll share those videos when I get them from her (since this post is so long anyway). 

I’m so thankful for my friends’ love and care.  I’m sure you can tell that I was extremely blessed by their sacrifice, and that we had tons of fun in SF!

Aren’t they gorgeous?

Have a great day and God bless you in all your endeavors!

How was your weekend, what was the highlight of it?

What cuisine have you been dying to try?

Do you have any childhood wishes that you hope to come true, or have come true?

How were your bed and breakfast experiences?

Love,

Ellie <33

Tagged as: fresh pastries, girlfriends, God's blessings, Golden Gate Bed and Breakfast, Kokkari Greek restaurant, Nepalese cuisine, The Scribe Winery, trip to San Francisco