more to come...

I'm gonna write some more about our SF trip... we had some more delicious fun at Ghirardelli Square, saw Jimi Hendrix's house on Haight/Ashbury, and other neat stuff worth telling. Consider the first two posts as appetizers. Just ran out of energy for now... more to come.

Revised 7-6-13

So when we got off the ferry from Alcatraz at Pier 33, we proceeded up to Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf. I won't elaborate as it is a tourist trap like any other. We had lunch there at Boudin Bakery, famous local chain not at all unlike Panera Bread but much fresher. I enjoyed a lovely turkey sandwich as AA munched on salad, and Eliz had the tomato soup in a bread bowl. From Fisherman's Wharf, it is a short stroll up to Ghirardelli Square: best place for dessert in San Francisco.

This original chocolate manufactory is now relegated to gift and ice cream shop status as current production requires a much larger factory and corporate HQ in San Leandro. Nevertheless, a few of the old machines are set up and running to impress tourists like me and add a bit of a Willy Wonka motif to the room. The building itself is a stunning old brick structure with wrought iron and neatly manicured lawn overlooking the Bay. On a clear day I'm sure one can see Alcatraz, the Presidio, and Golden Gate Bridge quite nicely.  I digress from the main topic: chocolate. We had some intensely rich ice cream and drinking chocolate.

Ghirardelli's description of my sundae:
Two scoops of chocolate ice cream, freshly homemade dark chocolate hot fudge, dark decadent chips, whipped cream and an Intense Dark Twilight Delight® 72% chocolate.
and drink:

Decadent Drinking Chocolate with Biscotti Made with melted Chocolate Chips and packed with intense chocolate flavor in every rich, velvety sip.

The drink ordered by AA was so rich we tried cutting it with half & half creamers. It ended up being more than we could handle in one sitting, so a to-go cup was needed. I thoroughly enjoyed this part of our trip and as evidenced by the lines out the door when we left, I encourage you to go early and soon!

Next on my list was The Haight. This neighborhood marked by the intersection of Haight & Ashbury was ground zero for 1960s Hippies, especially the 1967 "Summer of Love" that coincided with America's war in Vietnam. Notably, there were no long-haired, tie dyed, Birkenstock wearing folks smoking dope when I arrived. It felt more reminiscent of Atlanta's Little Five Points or the off campus Dead Head shops in Tuscaloosa and Auburn. Historically Jerry Garcia's Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, and Janis Joplin all lived nearby. That is more than I care to know about it and we didn't stay for more than half an hour. So there it is; check The Haight off your list.