The City by the Bay

When G. and I were first married we got a screaming deal on plane tickets into Oakland and so we took off on a weekend trip. We stayed in a hotel with a double bed, wandered around the city via the cable car and ate as cheaply as we could. It was a fantastic trip and we made great memories. Fast forward five years and G. got the chance to go back to SF on a business trip. We decided to extend the trip and have me C. fly out and stay at the end of the conference he was attending.

This time we splurged on two extra nights at the hotel that G's work had him stay in. Our room was a corner room on the 20th floor with views of the city skyline and the bay. It was AMAZING! We spent 2.5 incredibly days wandering around, eating yummy food and enjoying the sunshine and sea air (NOT the freezing wind). We even took a real tour and got to see a lot of things that we had missed on our first trip.

 On Saturday we hit up the SF farmers market and then headed into Oakland to pick up a rental car (yay for being old enough to rent one this trip). Then we drove to the city where I was born and we stayed in a hotel there. We ate at a hole in the wall restaurant that was incredibly yummy. I was totally a hipster foodie and took a picture of my amazing dessert.

That Sunday we went to the Church building that I had attended as a young child. It was where I and all of siblings were blessed. There were a few family faces and lots of new ones. Then we headed out to the famous Muir woods where we saw the massive redwood trees. It was so serene, I wish it was somewhere that we could go to again and again.

On Sunday we got to spend time with my cousins that still live in the area it was so great to get a chance to catch up.

On Monday we ate breakfast at the donut shop that my family use to go to. Yes it was still there, and yes it was as delicious as I remember. Then G. drove me around to all the places I use to go to as a kid, my elementary school, favorite park, pool etc. Then since it was nearby we also went to my mom's hometown and saw where she grew up and went to church.

With a little time to kill we headed up to the Oakland Temple. It was where my parents were married and the views up there are incredible you can see the entire bay and SF on a good clear day. The flowers were beautiful too. Then it was finally time to head to the airport and fly back home to see our wonderful kiddo who were in the excellent care of my mother. It was truly and amazing trip and we feel so blessed that we could go.