Girls Getaway Guide News

I arrived in San Fran in early September and was quite surprised at how cool it was. I always thought all of California is sunny and warm, but San Fran is the exception. I was told its unique location keeps it cool year round. I should have packed some warmer clothes.

We arrived at the legendary Clift Hotel, a boutique girls in big chair

property that has been a Downtown San Fran hot spot for more than 100 years. As you walk in, you will notice the oversized chair in the lobby and the fireplace that I darted directly towards upon escaping the cooler-than-expected weather outside. While the mood in the hotel lobby is that of elegance and comfort set in an earth tone palate, the rooms are painted a calming lavender with a splash of modern decor and plenty of space to move around (not always available in older hotels).

Patty and Casey

We met my San Fran friend and fellow travel writer, Patty Burness, at Press Club for my first California wine tasting experience. The Press Club is a convenient way to bring wine to the city as six Northern California-based wineries have a presence at the Press Club. Here you can taste your way around CA's wine country without leaving San Fran. It was the perfect way to start the trip...as I did with the Pinot Flight.

Dinner that evening was at the Clift Hotel's Velvet Room, girls at redwood room

which is a new farm-to-table concept for the hotel. We dined at the sharing table and were impressed by the food, from salad to beef. Next stop: drinks at the Clift's Redwood Room, which is one of the more popular bars in the city. The walls are made from redwood trees (or the rumor has it one tree), and the backdrop of the bar is not to be missed as light radiants from behind a ceiling high row of shelves. Many thanks to Stacy taking such good care of us.

The next day was our first (and only) full day in the city. girls in chinatown

We started with a walk to Chinatown where we shopped and took it all in. We walked to the waterfront to the Ferry Building, then along the Embarcadero to Waterbar where we had lunch. Our favorite was the Lobster BLT, which was one of the best BLTs I have ever eaten.

operating cable car

After lunch, we cabbed it to Powell Street where we jumped on a cable car. Many thanks to James for teaching me how to operate the car. This will be a great addition to my resume! We rode the car to the end, which was the perfect place to disembark and begin the hike up the steeper-than-we-thought Lombard Street. As we hiked up the road, we could see the famous area on the street that makes it the

Crookedest Street and a must-see during your stay in San Fran. In addition to it being crooked, it also provides a great view from the top. After Lombard, we made our way to the Golden Gate Bridge only to find fog covering the top portion of the bridge. Fog in San Francisco...go figure!

Dinner that evening was at Straits Restaurant, which reflects the cuisine one would find in Singapore that features a Malaysian/Indonesian, Chinese, Indian and Nonya combination. Straits is located in the Westfield shopping center. Although the location puts this restaurant off-the-beaten path, it is the perfect place to re-fuel during your San Fran shopping spree. It provides a fun atmosphere, complete with a DJ and a great cocktail list. Although we sampled a lot of food, my favorite was the Chicken Curry (and I'm typically not a fan of curry).

We managed to squeeze in one last dinner in San Fran before we flew home. Ame Restaurant is located in the St Regis Hotel in downtown San Fran and features a final san fran dinner

menu of New American cuisine. It provides a fine-dining option with amazing foods, such as Kampachi Ceviche, Tai Snapper Crudo, Broiled Sake Marinated Alaskan Black Cod and Shrimp Dumplings in Shiso Broth, Grilled Wagyu Beef Steak with Bordelaise, Frozen Yogurt Souffle with Melon Soup and Nigori Sake Foam and Ame's Chocolate "Energy Bar" with Strawberry Pave' and Almond Ice Milk. Everything was delicious and something I had never tried before.

Although our time in San Fran was somewhat limited, we saw some of the best sights, got to do a little shopping (they have every store imaginable here) and got a firsthand look at just how serious this town is about their food. If you are a foodie, shopper or just want a great change of scenery, San Fran should be on your list!