Pretties at the Farmer's Market

On my way home from working out, I had to stop by the peach stand at the farmer's market. The good thing about waking up so early on a Saturday is I beat some of the crowds and could wiggle in to the booths to take a few photos. Alas, I didn't beat the Four Barrel Coffee-goer's (the line was enormous), but headed to Coffee Bean instead. Fun way to start the day.

Inverness Get-Away

Over the weekend, I spent a few days at the family home of some friends in Inverness, near Point Reyes. The house is right on Tomales Bay. Across the Bay, you can see the cars heading up Highway 1 and can see all the oyster cages at Tomales Bay Oyster Farm. It was wonderfully relaxing and quiet. I went into "town" to Point Reyes Station for meals at the Station House, a tourist hot-spot, and Pine Cone Diner, a local diner, complete with plates lining the wall and a statue of Virgin Mary over the cash register. Both places, I had good food (eggs at both!). I also stopped in to Bovine Bakery, a favorite refueling stop for the cyclists, and Cow Girl Creamery, a famous cheese shop. I walked on the beach, took a trail run, and relaxed and read. I also headed up Highway 1 to Hog Island Oyster Farm & Cafe and ate the best fresh oysters I've ever tasted. Next time I go, I'll plan in advance and reserve a picnic table, get a few friends together, grab charcoals & bring salads  goodies & we can learn to shuck our own oysters!

BBQ'd oysters & local brew, Lagunita's

Barnacles & mussels on rocks

Low tide

Kehoe Beach

More oysters! Yum

Hog Island Oysters--buy them & shuck yourselves

Picnic area at Hog Island

Order your oysters here

Pine Cone Diner

Walking Tour--California Gold Rush

RQ and I joined a walking tour group today to learn more about the California Gold Rush and how it shaped San Francisco. San Francisco City Guides Walking Tours is a free, volunteer-led walking tour of neighborhoods & historic areas of the city. I'd always wanted to go on one and today finally did it. It was fantastic! Manuel, our guide, led us through downtown and into Chinatown, past some of the oldest buildings in the city, the first mint where the newly discovered gold was kept, where Mark Twain drank and met the "real" Tom Sawyer (a SF-based firefighter). Both RQ and I had a great time learning about the settlement of SF, the Gold Rush, and the San Francisco 1906 earthquake and subsequent fires. Though gold was never found in SF, only the American River in Sacramento, it was where the boats from all over the world would dock and where much of the gold-money was spent. The city flourished and prices sky-rocketed--in 1849, lunch in the city cost $20 and a loaf of bread about $4...not much different than now!

I can't wait to do another tour!

Commercial Street

Chinatown

Gold Street

If you squint, you can see the Ferry Building clock tower...

Balance Street, the shortest street in SF

Chinatown Light-post

Happy 2013!

Merry Christmas

I went back to MN for Christmas. It was wonderfully relaxing & I was able to catch up with many friends and family.

Christmas 2012

Holiday tree in Union Square, San Francisco

Over-sized ornaments outside my office in SF