In a Western Place

Matty's folks are in town visiting from good ol' WNY, so over the holiday weekend we gave them a large dose of the Kirsten and Matty Central California/San Francisco Experience. From early Thursday morning until Sunday evening, we entertained them, non-stop, with some of our favorite day trips and scenic attractions... such as:

-- hiking and sea creature hunting (but not touching!) at the tidepools in Pacifica
-- lots of coastal driving through small coastal towns
-- dining along Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey
-- visiting a home made entirely out of garbage
-- visiting another home, er castle, made entirely out of priceless items
-- laughing at the Elephant Seals and their "rude" mannerisms
-- eating at a Taco Bell in Steinbeck country
-- stopping at a winery for a tasting (I needed to use their bathroom)
-- strolling through Golden Gate park
-- touring an exotic flower display, with butterflies!
-- consuming delicious Mission Mexican fare
-- commuting via street car (the F line)
-- saying "hello" to the sea lions
-- hiking up Telegraph hill where the parrots could only be heard, not seen
-- viewing San Francisco from atop of Coit Tower
-- eating at our favorite, off the beaten path Italian restaurant in North Beach
-- Target (OK, that was more for me)

Because of the relentless wildfires, I had to bypass a large portion of scenic highway 1 via highway 101, so no Big Sur (large frowny face). Despite the detour, the sky was completely filled with smoke and I spotted a mountain top engulfed in flames. Scary! Oh, and the weather was sunny, foggy, cold, cool, hot, sunny, foggy, cold, cool, hot -- you know, depending on where you walk.

Pictures to follow... throughout the week.