San Francisco/Napa, March 2009

March 7-9, 2009 in San Francisco:

• United Nations Plaza and the Pioneer Monument in the Civic Center neighborhood (both have interesting stories — check links for more)
• The Sea Lions at Pier 39 (we were there at the wrong time of year last June)
• A ride on the cable car (we wondered if actual commuters ever use it; the answer is no)
• Fort Point and Crissy Field in the Presidio
• The beautiful bright lights of Broadway in North Beach
• Justin Herman Plaza and something that looked suspiciously like the Idiotarod along the Embarcadero
• A Walk Down Mission Street, the San Francisco Federal Building (check out the George W. Bush plaque), Yerba Buena Gardens, Westfield San Francisco Centre (running an errand) and Good Hotel in SoMa
• The view from Twin Peaks
• Eating at Koi Palace in Daly City, El Farolito Taqueria in the Mission and Brenda’s French Soul Food in the Tenderloin, as well as drinking at Bourbon & Branch in the Tenderloin
• We drove down Lombard Street and across the Golden Gate Bridge

March 9-15, 2009 in Napa:

• Yountville Park, Washington Street, Villagio Inn & Spa, Veterans Memorial Park, Van de Leur Park, Pioneer Cemetery, Jacobsen Orchards and Bardessono (don’t miss the toilet there) in Yountville
• Robert Mondavi Winery!
• We drank wine at Vincent Arroyo Winery in Calistoga; Patz & Hall in Napa; Cakebread Cellars and Elizabeth Spencer Wines in Rutherford; Corison Winery, Duckhorn Vineyards and Provenance Vineyards in St. Helena; and Viader in Deer Park (we made return visits to Schramsberg Vineyards in Calistoga; Robert Sinskey Vineyards in Napa; Joseph Phelps Vineyards in St. Helena; and the Miner Family Vineyards in Oakville)
• We ate at Miguel’s Restaurant in Calistoga, Ubuntu in Napa, the Wine Spectator Restaurant at CIA-Greystone, and Bouchon Bakery & a return trip to Ad Hoc in Yountville; we did not go to The French Laundry; after all that wine we ended up drinking beer at Henry’s Cocktail Lounge in Napa and Pancha’s in Yountville (we basically had a constant .04 BAC the entire time, enough to exhaust ourselves but not enough to go bananas)
• See also: McEvoy Ranch and Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma, Sonoma County; Iron Horse Vineyards in Sebastopol, also Sonoma County; and Hog Island Oyster Company in Marin County

March 15, 2009, half day in the Bay Area before coming back home:

• Vista Lot on the UC-Berkeley Campus and 924 Gilman Street in Berkeley