I am aware that this blog is straight slacking when it comes to posts about my home state of California. Which is odd. Because I spend nearly a month in California each year. Normally, in between adventures abroad and within my own country. And I grew up here, so subconsciously my brain is filled with a plethora of information pertaining to the golden state.
But let’s be real, the lens I view California through is always going to remain skewed. Even when intentionally playing tourist in my own backyard, I find myself forgetting to unpack my camera in order to capture the sights around me. I’ve lost count of the amount of times I have driven across the Golden Gate Bridge, I used to work in the wine industry, camping in the redwoods was an annual trip growing up, and living 45 minutes from the coast constitutes for easy access on any given afternoon. California has always been second nature to me.
Regardless, I recently took advantage of the fact I had an east coast visitor in my midst. We went wine tasting, explored the coast, and spent an afternoon in the flamboyant city of San Francisco.
We stayed in ‘The Mission’, San Francisco’s oldest district. Our AirBnb {generously offered to us free of charge by a friend of my father’s} housed over 30+ hanging flamingos, a life-size mannequin, nearly 200 clocks, severed doll heads on the mantle, and an exterior of vibrant purples. Our brunch spot referenced ‘Baby Jesus’ multiple times and showcased bedazzled skateboards as artwork. And the bar we opted for was referred to as our Uber driver as ‘That place with all the hanging chandeliers and shit?’. It also featured paintings of naked women and 60’s decor. Typical San Francisco.
New York’s mantra has always been, ‘anything goes’, but San Francisco takes this to a new level. Unlike New York though, you won’t find a two piece suit unless you are walking through the financial district, and everyone is friendly. Everyone.
I made sure to check off a few quintessential San Francisco spots when playing tour guide. We my made our way up to Coit Tower which offers stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Bridge, and most of the bay. Afterwards we walked down for a drink at Pier 39, while simultaneously admiring the playful sea lions. Finally, we parked up at Alamo Square to take some pictures of the infamous ‘Painted Ladies’. Dinner was enjoyed at El Techo, one of San Francisco’s only rooftop restaurants, and you know how the rest of our night went.
I plan to return to quirky San Francisco next week. My intention is to capture some of my favorite haunts within the city, in order to share an ultimate travel guide to the city before leaving for South Korea {t-minus three weeks in case anyone was counting… gahhh}.
California will always remain a sanctuary for me. Maybe that’s why it isn’t splattered across the ‘pages’ of my blog. In order for something to remain a sanctuary, it must remain sacred {however you choose to define it}.
