Monday, April 14, 2014

Two nights in San Francisco

The Cartwright Hotel, San Francisco link

San Francisco was the first stop on our three city American holiday and surprisingly the one everyone seemed most envious of when we discussed our plans - for us it was a welcome stop for two nights after a long 10 hour flight.

Our base for the two nights was The Cartwright Hotel with rooms which were small but clean and more than sufficient for a short stay. The lobby areas were pleasant with complimentary coffee, newspapers and printers for boarding passes and the like. The hotel staff were excellent providing swift check in, location maps and booking taxi's when requested.



After leaving our cases in the room we went for a walk to nearby Chinatown which was as you would expect; multiple shops and restaurants so we moved on to my favourite American restaurant Cheesecake Factory for a well deserved glass of wine and some dinner. Jetlag took hold so we headed back to our room and collapsed into bed ready for a day on the tourist trail to follow.



The next morning it was a bright and early start for our trip to Alcatraz which as you would expect deserves it's own post so stay turned for that later in the week. Once we had escaped Alcatraz we headed down to Fisherman's Wharf, enjoyed the brass band, sampled The Boudin Bakery's famous sourdough bowls filled with an amazing chilli (I know you're thinking it's scandalous to not try the Clam Chowder but I don't eat seafood) and made friends with the sealions.


Boudin Bakery, San Francisco link


Our dinner for the night had been booked at Harris Steakhouse after trawling numerous reviews on Tripadvisor and trying to find somewhere with good food and background music. Whilst enjoyable and very grown up we did have to send our steaks back as they were overcooked (the photo below is pre-return) which was a shame after a good start with martini's and french onion soup.

Harris Steakhouse, San Francisco link

Final mention goes to Lori's Diner, the quintessential 50's style American diner that is a must for me on any trip. Luckily Lori's Diner was a few doors from our hotel and we had 20% discount vouchers which enabled us to enjoy breakfast there both mornings for only a few dollars.

Lori's Diner, San Francisco link


French toast with a side of bacon

Denver omelette with hash browns and toast

So the question is, did I leave my heart in San Francisco? Sadly not. It was a great stopover on our trip, I thought Alcatraz was amazing and appreciate we didn't completely embrace the tourist activities but I didn't get the usual enthusiasm I have for other Cities on my travels, but am I pleased I went, most definitely.



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24 comments:

  1. The chilli looks amazing!! I can't wait to be in San Francisco! Looking forward to hearing more about your trip.
    Lots of love,
    Angie
    SilverSpoon London

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    1. It really was and I had to restrain myself from eating every last bite so there was room for my dinner later x

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  2. So much fun to see photos from your holiday, hope you're having a fab time :o) Xx

    Makeup by Candlelight

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  3. Beautiful pictures!! I've never been in San Francisco, but i'd love to!

    XOXO!

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    Replies
    1. It's a popular destination and glad it's one I can say I've visited x

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  4. Did you have time to shop in Union Square? I should have recommended a glass of champagne at the bar in the Rotunda Restaurant in Neiman Marcus - it's an amazing spot.

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    1. I managed a quick shop in Sephora but I knew I'd have a the opportunity to shop at whim in hawaii so I restrained myself

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  5. California is gorgeous but you need a lot of time. Hawaii will be fabulous for you and your honey enjoy xoox Grace

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  6. Looks and sounds fab, Victoria - hope Hawaii is just as amazing. x

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  7. Lovely pictures! I've always wanted to visit San Fran, it looks like a beautiful city :)
    BeyondBlush

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  8. Oh wow what amazing photos, the food all looks delicious. I hope you're having the best time! The photo of you in the red sunglasses is gorgeous xx

    Gemma // Miss Makeup Magpie

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  9. All that yummy food!! I love the diner :) xx

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    1. They might be cheesy and cliched but I do love a diner! x

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  10. I love the look of that diner!

    I've been to San Francisco. Although we liked it we didn't LOVE it like everyone else does although Alcatraz was so flippin' awesome. I have a weird fascination with prisons anyway but that just took the biscuit.

    Continue to have fun!

    Caroline x
    www.cocktailsandcaroline.com

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    Replies
    1. Glad it's not just me who wasn't overly enamoured with San Fran. I'm just about to start writing my post on Alcatraz - we even met one of the prisoners!! x

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  11. I went to San Francisco quite a few years ago now and absolutely loved it, but for me it is one of those places, I am really pleased I went, but I don't think I would visit again (although I would love to see the Seal Lions again!). The pictures are amazing and loved Alcatraz too, did you do the tour with the headphones?

    Paula at Beauty Lover xx

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    Replies
    1. I couldn't believe how many sealions there were! And yep we did the Alcatraz tour with the headphones, you can read about that in another post.

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Thank you for visiting Florence and Mary I love reading everyone's comments and you'll always see a reply from me so don't forget to check back.

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