Pickled Beets 101

First you plant them.

Then you watch them grow.

 Then you pick them.

 All of them.

 Even if you did plant too many.

 Then you wash them.

 Boil them.

 Peel them.

 Slice them.

 Pickle them.

Then stand back in amazement at how many pints they filled!

Then - and this is the best part - you eat them!

San Francisco the Second

 Sunday we went to Church - or tried to.

Clearly we were not the only tourists in town

and there was absolutely no room in the inn - or the chapel for that matter!

 Then we went to Chinatown.

 And it was fun.

 

 I felt the need to include this photo because

1) we spent a lot of time and

2) money paying for parking!

 Then we drove across the Golden Gate Bridge.

 

 And headed for Muir Woods

to see the redwood trees.

 

 

 

  Then we went to Stinson Beach for a little

sand and sea air. 

 

 

  

 There is just nothing like the ocean.

On the way back to Oakland we drove on Highway 1

and although it makes those of us with motion issues

not really feel well

it is so beautiful! 

 We ate dinner at Spenger's in honor of my Mom and Dad

who loved this restaurant when we lived in Albany

years ago.

 Where I had more fabulous seafood!

 

And we topped off a great dinner

and a wonderful trip

with ice cream from Fentons which is where

every Mormon (and probably lots of others)

goes for ice cream after attending the temple in Oakland.

Thanks to the Bay Area for a great time

we'll definitely be back soon!

I left my heart . . .

A while ago I learned that Allegiant Air

had cheap flights out of Provo to Oakland

and I knew we had to go!

So we did!

First stop: Ike's

for a yummy sandwich at the suggestion of a friend of Courtney's.

2nd stop: The Oakland California Temple

It was beautiful!

Mark served his mission in Oakland

and my Dad graduated from Cal Berkeley

so it was nostalgic for both of us.

We were living in Albany when I turned 8 and I was

baptized in the stake center in this picture.

The next day we got an early start

and had a wonderful breakfast at

Tartine! 

Tartine was suggested by everyone and thus . . . the line!

This was the only sign on the building

notifying you this was the place.

This is a picture of what I wanted to eat.

And this is a picture of what we did eat.

It was all so, so good!

And this is a silly picture of all three of us while Courtney 

polished off the last of the chocolate croissant.

Then we just tried to do everything there is to do in San Francisco in one day.

We walked down Pier 39.

And watched people fish for sardines.

And took our picture with the Bay Bridge.

We stopped by the Ferry Building and checked out their farmer's market.

These are mushrooms, who would have thought they could be so pretty!

We went to Fisherman's Warf.

Let me just say, it looks warmer than it felt.

Alcatraz was all sold out so we couldn't go visit.

But we enjoyed the sounds of the sea lions

and all the smells that the warf has to offer.

Street food - California style!

Of course no trip to San Fran is complete without a trip to

Ghiradelli Square for some ice cream and chocolate!

Sadly we did not ride a cable car - but we did see some!

I wish I could grow azalea like this!

We also went to the Palace of Fine Arts.

Which I think is so beautiful!

When we saw there was a Little Italy in San Francisco

we knew we had to eat there

in honor of our sorella!

Here is a view of the Golden Gate Bridge as we were driving to find

the kind man who had found my cell phone on a park bench . . . 

but that is a whole other story!

So we found Pescatore which is located in The Tuscan Hotel.

Where we dined on warm olives

and wonderful seafood (well I did anyway)!

Then after one last look at Fisherman's Warf

we headed back to the hotel

to rest our poor tired bodies

in preparation for another fun filled day in California!

Another post is yet to come . . .