Treats and Views in San Francisco

Well, yesterday I went to San Francisco. I went to Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf, and Ghiradelli Square and had a very nice time with a friend who got me reacquainted with the spots to be.

This is my sister and I at Pier 39 almost exactly three years ago, the last time I was there. It stuck in my memory enough to want to visit again.

As you can see, it's a pretty popular place.

My friend and I had fish and chips at Chowders, a fun little eatery right at the front.

Then we went to see the sea lions at the pier! They are so fun. If you click on the picture you can get a closer look.

Apparently it's the 22nd anniversary that the sea lions have been coming to hang out here.

Then we went to this nice park by Ghiradelli Square. If you click on the picture and get a closer look, you might be able to see the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.

Then we made our way up to Ghiradelli Square...

...and shared a banana hot fudge sundae. It's the quintessential Ghiradelli Square experience, if you go there, you have to get a sundae, cupcake, or both. We got a cupcake for his roommate.

Then we went to his favorite bread place, Boudin.

They have fantastic freshly made bread in all shapes and sizes, and all kinds of fancy seasonings, spreads and kitchen tools inside. I took home a loaf of sourdough to enjoy.

After browsing the shops at Pier 39 a little more, I headed back.. and took a picture of a trolley.

It was a fun day, and I hope to visit the city again in not too long. Maybe next time I'll visit Chinatown and Union Square.

This is from when I visited Chinatown in 2009. Just look at all those cars.

Have a great weekend! I plan to spend mine relaxing and baking muffins.

Interesting Times in San Jose

Well, I've been in San Jose approximately six days now, counting the two halves of Wednesday and today. I've gotten comfortable, done a little exploring, and managed to keep myself fed and occupied.

The downtown area is vibrant with big buildings, unique murals and all kinds of restaurants and stores. Pretty parks, too. Yesterday I went and got a burrito in Japantown, which is kind of an ironic food choice given the location, but there was one right there, and I had originally planned to go to Chipotle, which turned out to be too out of the way.

I took a picture of this interesting mural, which seems to be making a statement of some sort...

Can anyone tell me what you think this mural is saying?

Here's an example of the fantastic architecture downtown, too.

When I'm not out exploring or surfing the net, I'm cooking. The shared kitchen is right next to my room, so it's perfect. My roommates say I should be majoring in cooking, since I seem to be cooking all the time. I've made pancakes with bananas, macaroni and cheese, quinoa and stir fried vegegtables, ramen, and recently, this great vegan chili. It made a huge batch so I'm freezing some to have later. It's great with rice.

Well, hope everyone's having a great week!