San Francisco Weekend Tour - Part I

Last weekend Will's brother and sister-in-law visited San Francisco.  As I mentioned in my weekend recap, we packed those two days full of food, activities, and sights: some old, famous SF favorites and some off-the-beaten-path places we've found in the 18 months we've lived here.

Once they arrived, we drove straight to brunch at the Presidio Social Club.  The weather was so pleasant that we ate outside.  Look at the color of that sky!

While we digested brunch, we drove through the Presidio, admiring the clear views out to the Bay and the Pacific.  They got to see some of the views from our favorite running paths--Inspiration Point:

and Immigrant Point Overlook:

Leaving the Presidio via the Seacliff neighborhood, we showed them Lands End and shared the story behind the Sutro Bath ruins:

 and the Cliff House:

The city recently finished construction of their Visitor's Center at Lands End, which was a nice place to get a bit of history and pick up souvenirs for our nephew who didn't come on this trip.

After driving by Ocean Beach, we headed towards Union Square via Golden Gate Park.
Just a few bison relaxing in the sun on the way...

We wandered Union Square and Downtown before meeting up with some friends at Irish Bank.

Plenty of Irish s.w.a.g. here.

With renewed strength, we wandered Chinatown, which was bustling with energy and fireworks in preparation for Chinese New Year the next day.

The guys bought firework poppers to join the festivities.

As the sun began to go down, we settled at a table on the bay at Waterbar.

Two Old Fashioneds, a Greyhound, and an Anchor Steam

 We ate oysters and watched the sky get dark and the Bay Bridge light up.

Tadich Grill is San Francisco's (and California's) oldest continuously-run restaurant; it opened in 1849 as a coffee stand during the Gold Rush.  It's known for its authentic San Francisco cuisine, so we thought our city tour had to include the incredible seafood Tadich has to offer.  For dinner, the guys both ordered the famous cioppino, which is served with a bib (fuel for some light jeering).

via

Not ready to call it a night, we found ourselves at Lefty O'Doul's downtown after dinner.  It was half Irish bar, half Southern-style cafeteria, and it was the right dose of randomness after our packed day.  

We all slept well that night.  Good thing--up next was another equally full day in the Bay Area.