t.r.a.v.e.l.i.n.g . san francisco . sonoma

i spent a long weekend under the sun and stars of nor cal. i headed out west for my friends' carly & jake's wedding. i got to spend a couple of days hosteling it up and wandering around san francisco, and then swanked it up in sonoma with fine company and fine wine for the wedding. here's the top five highlights of my trip:

wandering around san francisco
i stayed in union square at the adelaide hostel (+pretty clean. +good rates. +excellent location. -loud beds. -spotted a tiny little mouse.) i spent a couple of days in san fran, wandering around via transit and my own two feet. the verdict is that i love san francisco, love the vibe, and would move there in a heartbeat, given a decent opportunity. the people were exceptionally (and surprisingly?) friendly, the city felt safe, the food was great, the transit was awesome, and the sights and sounds were so very enticing. i mainly wandered around the waterfront marina, crissy field, union square, tenderloin, soma, the civic center, mission (between 24th & 16th st), and even took the bart out to visit uc berkeley. san francisco has solidified its spot in my top 5 favorite american cities. bravo. can't wait to visit again.
running across the golden gate bridge
i got up early the first morning i was in san francisco, took the powell & mason st. trolley over the hill to fisherman's wharf, and ran along the waterfront through fort mason and crissy field to the golden gate bridge. i had such a swelled sense of adrenaline running across the bay, looking down at the pacific, and feeling dwarfed by the giant rusty-colored steel towers and twisted cables. after i crossed the bridge and stopped to catch a few photos, i ran back to the presidio beach to stretch and take in the warm morning sunlight. the whole route was an awesome 9-mile run, and i'm so glad i did it.


visiting the sfmoma
i love modern art museums, and the san francisco museum of modern art certainly did not disappoint. there were some excellent pieces there, and while the outside of the museum isn't a whole lot to look at, the vibe and the layout of the inside is chic and refreshing. (i especially like the central stairways between the floors.) my favorite pieces were james rosenquist's 'leaky ride for dr. leakey', the 1000 journals project, and katharina frisch's 'kind mit pudeln', shown below.
driving through the vineyards of sonoma
after a few days in the bay area, i rented a car and drove up north into wine country. as someone who doesn't own a car, there's something so freeing about the rare occasions when i get behind the wheel and drive fast on an open road. the rolling views were incredible and the warm weather couldn't have been more welcome to this new englander. we stayed at the sonoma hotel (+excellent location. +very clean. +unique cozy rooms. -a little expensive, but totally on par for sonoma.) right off the corner of the town square. sonoma was a bright, relaxing place to spend a weekend.

being part of a beautiful wedding
saving the best for last, i got to spend a beautiful day watching my friends get married under perfect skies, and tasting savory wine at some of the country's finest vineyards. we visited sebastiani (handsome facility, delicious merlot and cheese), imagery winery (home of 'wow oui' - my new favorite white), and domaine carneros (best view in sonoma, perfect brut rosé). many congratulations to jake & carly. thanks so much for making me a part of your awesome day.