We had a pretty packed Labor Day weekend because after our hilarious trip to Napa Valley, we drove to Downtown San Francisco for dinner. We ate too much food for breakfast that we skipped lunch altogether, so we were all starving by the end of the day. Because no one had any idea where to go, I referred to Yelp, searched for recommended restaurants, and YakiniQ came up in the results.
I'd say going to an eat-all-you-can Korean BBQ place was a terrible idea because there was almost half an hour wait before our turn. What's worse was that the entire room smelled of grilled Korean BBQ that made us more hungry than we already were.
Needless to say, we were food-buzzed after 15 (15!) servings of grilled meat with unlimited side-dish refills (i.e., kimchi, mung bean sprout salad, etc.).We didn't realize that the sun has set when we walked out of the BBQ place, but Roan and I have yet to see the Golden Gate Bridge. The temperature dropped to 50+ degrees that night that I needed to layer my knitted cardigan with Roan's jacket. Who knew it's much colder in the Bay Area than in San Diego!
It's impossible to miss the Golden Gate Bridge when you're in the area, and I can't tell you how excited I got when I saw the famous landmark of San Francisco, up-close and personal! It was breathtaking. We only got to take photos from the viewing deck because the walkway leading to the bridge was already closed. Everything seemed OK until a stray raccoon appeared from the bushes, which sort of caused all of us to hurry and retreat to the car. I was mostly worried that our movements would startle it and attack us!
My apologies for the poor quality photo. This was the only shot I got of the crooked street!
Ran took us back to Downtown San Francisco again to pass through the famous winding road on Lombard Street! I must have held my breath the entire time, anxious that we'd hit the car in front of us or scratch the sides of our own!
Roan pulled over the side street when we reached the end of the crooked road to take photos, and boy, did I drop my jaw when a service van flawlessly weaved through it like it's his business!Driving through the uphill and downhill streets of Downtown San Francisco was another memorable experience for us because it felt like we were on a roller coaster ride! I'd assume that San Francisco drivers are hands down the best parkers, too, especially if you needed to parallel park on a ridiculously inclined street! I mean, can you imagine how difficult that is?
We thought the night was still young at half past 10, so we went to Union Square to take a walk. Grace and I needed to use the restroom, but the nearest Starbucks was already closed, and Jack in the Box was our only option. A few minutes in, someone was banging on the door that startled both Grace and myself! As it turns out, a drunken old lady needed to use the restroom, too, and found it silly that one has to ask for a token to get in. (Our thoughts, exactly.)
So, Union Square. It's that public plaza in the middle of Powell, Post, Stockton, and Geary Streets (right across Macy*s), where the Dewey Memorial lies (or stands, depending on your perspective). It's a central shopping, hotel, and theater district, making it a popular tourist destination in San Francisco. The malls were already closed, but there were still a few people on the streets, making the most of their Labor Day weekend.
San Francisco has a certain charm I couldn't resist, and for that reason alone, I know we need to go back. There's so much more to discover in the city that a long weekend isn't enough of a time to cover all that. We plan on making another trip there, but we're flying instead in order to maximize our time exploring the city.