Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Walking Through Redwoods...

A visit from my best friend this weekend refreshed my spirit and erased all the grey of January.
I am always grateful for guests, and I feel  so proud showing off San Francisco and the special places I’ve only just started to discover out here.
After a late pizza dinner and a quick stop at a friend’s birthday drinks,
we woke on Saturday to clear blue skies and California sunshine.
We headed out to Mt. Talampais and hiked our hearts out. 
Our 8 mile loop took us through forests of moss covered redwoods and sent us skipping over bubbling woodland creeks.
It took us up and over footbridges and under old arched trees.
It was so quiet.
We emerged from the emerald city into the sunlight and up a dirt road that smelled of sage and felt like the desert.
And there we were...
perched over the glittering Pacific.  
It was absolutely magical.
The return trip brought us above the tree line and face to face with stoically straight redwood trunks.  Afterwards, we met a friend and her dog on the lawn of the Pelican Inn (an adorable English Cottage at the foot of Muir Beach) for a well-deserved cocktail at dusk.
After our active, outdoor Saturday,
Sunday was devoted to pure gluttony.
We ate and drank our way through the city, starting with brunch at Bar Tartine and then sampled honey lavender and salted caramel ice cream at Bi-Rite Creamery.
Keeping in the spirit of true tourism,
we acted on the recommendation from a woman at the foot of Dolores Park,
and climbed up to the top of the hill to take in sweeping views of the city.  
We met up with more friends to cheer on the J-E-T-S and then scampered off to an early dinner at Nopa.  
We lingered over every dish, putting our trust in our server and sipped signature cocktails we wouldn’t ordinarily order. 
The conversation matched the cuisine.
That’s the great thing about best friends.
They listen to your worries and give encouragement,  gently nudging you from feeling blue.
They share in your excitement over a new relationship, and cheer on your upcoming adventures.
It was a special weekend, and although we don’t share the same home base, it was a good reminder that true friends and family are never far away.

2 comments:

  1. that is so sweet....
    What signature cocktails did you get?
    Does Bi Rite ship????

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  2. they had sherry in them- which is the seasonal component there- pretty tasty, but I'd just as much stick to wine and water!

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