Last week I had the pleasure of visiting San Francisco.
Traveling with my brother was a memorable experience.
I enjoyed touring the city; including some uphill walks and gorgeous views of the bay.
We took a day trip across the Golden Gate Bridge and hiked the trail along Muir Woods and saw the tallest redwoods.
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| Sunlight shining through the redwoods |
Later we took a wine-tasting tour to Napa and Sonoma Valley.
The views were gorgeous. I absolutely loved it! And I'm not a big wine drinker.
The following day we took a ferry ride to infamous Alcatraz Island.
You can see "The Rock" off in the distance.
We listened to an audio tour as we explored the prison cells.
A bit creepy at times, but it was fun to learn the history.
After a chilly day by the water, I was eager to taste the clam chowder at Fisherman's Wharf.
The sourdough bread bowl at Boudin was the best!
After lunch we strolled over to Pier 39 to watch the sea lions. It was fun to watch them sun bathing and barking at each other.
During my trip, I met up with a few blogging friends.
My beautiful friend Katrina and her family drove 2 hours to meet with me just so we could hangout and talk. She's such an awesome friend. Please pick up the latest issue of HGTV magazine to see her gorgeous home and family being featured. You may recall her house fire.
Katie and I met for a morning coffee date. After communicating online for the past few months, we arranged to meet in person.
She lives nearby and was so sweet to pick me up at my hotel. We had a great time! I'm so chatty though, boy did I talk her ears off!
Can you guess which beautiful-blogger's home this is?!
I was delighted to tour one of my favorite blogger's home in person!
Every room has a breathtaking view.
Did you guess Mary Ann of Classic Casual Home?
Goodness, Mary Ann is so bubbly and sweet! Pictured with Chief- her adorable Boston terrier
I thoroughly enjoyed my impromptu lunch invitation. She made the most delicious salad and we snacked on crostini.
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| Coffee and good conversation |
I can't tell you how much I appreciate her hospitality and kindness.
But after a week away from my husband and children,
I was so happy to fly home to my family.
Thank you for a wonderful time San Francisco.
Brandi, that looks like so much fun! We went to San Francisco 2 years ago with our extended family. We visited most of the same places you showed but we never made it to Muir Woods. That's on my list! Weren't you surprised how chilly it is there? I nearly froze!
ReplyDeleteIt's so neat that you got to meet other blogging friends. I know they loved it as much as you did. :)
Looks amazing; I need to visit Cali, my dad and brother in law both just moved to San Diego but I've never been.
ReplyDeleteHi Brandi!
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing trip!
I've also had the privilege to visit San Francisco . . . and it's so fun and beautiful! There's so much to see . . . and it looks like you got to see many of the city's highlights!
And I think it's so neat that you got to meet a fellow blogger in person :0)
So cool!
Have a great week sweet gal!
Suzanne
This really does look like an amazing trip. I can't wait to visit Northern California someday!
ReplyDeleteNow this looks amazing I have always wanted to see that bridge up close and personal. Glad you had a great time and got to meet some bloggers to
ReplyDeleteI love San Fran but I haven't been there in a while. After reading this post I want to go back asap! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Brandi, looks like you had a wonderful time. I live about two hours from there. There is so much to see. You did make your way around. Meeting up with some bloggers sounds like fun.
ReplyDeleteDear Brandi, This was a great trip. You got to visit with your brother and see the sites as well as meet blogging friends in person.
ReplyDeleteThat is such a treat.
I don't blame you though as Dorothy says, "there is no place like home".
Blessings dear. Catherine
Looks like so much fun!! So glad that you enjoyed your trip!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous trip, and wonderful pictures. How fun meeting up with some fellow bloggers too.
ReplyDeleteSo fun to meet so many friends in one trip! How sweet of MaryAnn to have you to her home - it looks gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteFantastic pictures! Looks like a lovely trip and how cool to meet internet friends in the 3-D world
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! What a fantastic trip!!!! I'm glad you had fun and shared all of these pictures. I've always wanted to go San Francisco, it's just one of those places that looks dreamy no matter what!
ReplyDeleteWow Brandi~ you did all that in a week?? Looks like you had an amazing time hitting all the popular sites and then you visited with blogging friends too? It all sounds dreamy. Glad you had such fun! Thanks for sharing...I've never been!
ReplyDeletelooks like a beautiful trip Brandi! I would love to travel to California soon. Looks like an awesome place. So glad you made it back safely.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad and happy for you Brandi! Meeting up with fellow bloggers is always awesome, and with your wonderful personality, you will click in with anyone! Love Mary Ann and have to check out Katrina and Katie! Your pictures are great by the way. Now go and enjoy the family you missed!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic trip! I have never been west of the Mississippi. So nice to be able to meet blogging buddies in person too! They are the BEST! Is the San Francisco Bridge as awesome in person as it is in pictures? Janice
ReplyDeleteGreat pics, it looks like you had an amazing time on your trip. It was so good that you were able to spend time with your brother. Hey and you got to meet some bloggers in real life, too... so cool.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh Brandi! You really saw a lot in a week! I am so envious that you got to see Mary Anne and visit her home! What a fun week for you.
ReplyDeletePam
It looks like you had a wonderful time Brandi. How nice that you got to meet up with some blog buddies. Katrina's son is so beautiful and Mary Anns home is just gorgeous. I'll have to check out her blog. Your pictures are beautiful. I lived in Cali for 7 years and only drove through San Francisco, never toured the city. That sourdough bread is delicious isn't it?
ReplyDeleteThat looked like an amazing trip! It looks like you fit in a ton of stuff into your week too! So happy you enjoyed your time in California ;) (BTW they serve boudin bread bowls at Disneylnad and they really are fantastic).
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing trip. I also love SF:) Amazing you actually visit your blogger friends there.. Did you guys ever meet before this trip? Just curious?
ReplyDeleteSan Francisco is one of my favorite cities! So glad you had a wonderful time and how fun to meet up with blogging friends!
ReplyDeleteHi Brandi !! Yo estuve el año pasado en San Francisco !! Una ciudad hermosa con esos cerros y esas casas victorianas .. Adore cruzar ese lindo puente y ir a pasear a la cárcel de Alcatraz
ReplyDeleteYou really packed a lot in so it was especially sweet that you made time for me. Beautiful photos!
ReplyDeleteWow! What a whirlwind trip! I LOVE that you got to spend time with fellow bloggers. And you got a well deserved break. Loved reading this Brandi!
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ReplyDeleteHi Brandi
What an amazing trip. I believe that you had joy touring the city so beautiful! Your photos are perfects!
Hugs
Oh, I'm so jealous you got to visit my favorite city!! Your pics look a lot like mine. We visited many of the same places. I remember once we were there on the 4th of July watching fireworks on the Marina Green, and we were freezing!! We literally walked to the Walgreens and bought a blanket. We looked so funny with our hats, scarves, coats and Walgreens blankets! Ha! Looks like you had a wonderful time and what a bonus that you got to meet up with friends!!
ReplyDeleteThose are beautiful pictures! I'm glad you enjoyed your visit to our lovely City by the Bay. My daughter has lived there for 18 years, but as we speak, she's packing up and getting ready to move back to Sacramento. I'll really miss my three-day visits to SF (especially the restaurants), but it will be nice to have her "home" again.
ReplyDeleteI went to San Francisco in the 80's and haven't been since. I don't remember sea lions. Guess I need to go back.
ReplyDeleteOh Brandi, I enjoyed these pictures so much, because I'm so familiar with San Francisco, Fisherman's Wharf, and everywhere you mentioned. I live a couple hours away, and have been here many times. Your pictures were so lovely and soft, and it looks like you made your pictures bigger on this post. I actually have a sea lion picture just like that that my husband took. It's funny to think that our blog friends are closer to us than we think. So glad you had a great time with yours.
ReplyDeletelove,
~Sheri
What a great post, and what a great trip you had Brandi.
ReplyDeleteMy dream to come & live in America would take me to SF, somehow I always had a fascination for CA,but unfortunately I haven't been there yet.
It's so great you met another bloggers, I know the feeling.
Cheers!
Awesome trip! Looks like a ton of fun and so many things that are different from Atlanta. I hope the travel got your juices flowing. It always seems to revive me...after I get readjusted to my regular life.
ReplyDeleteAll the best!
The Other Marian
What a wonderful time you had in San Fran - great share. Stopping by from Katherine's Corner.
ReplyDeleteBrandi - It looks like you had an amazing trip filled with so many wonderful things! I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the winery tours even though you aren't a big wine drinker. I also think it's so neat that you were able to meet 3 blogging friends! How fun!
ReplyDeleteWhat an incredible trip!
ReplyDeleteSan Francisco looks like an incredible city :D
WOW Brandi ~ what an amazing trip!!!! Looks like you had a great time with the sights and even better time meeting up with your blogger friends. : )
ReplyDeleteOh Brandi, thank you so much for letting us tag along on your San Francisco trip! And what a trip it was! Not only did you get to do some awesome sightseeing but you also got to meet up with other bloggers. That's just wonderful!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing, Brandi...Everyone looks so happy in your pics:)
What great photos! I love SF but haven't been there in a long time. Thanks for sharing your trip. A friend of mine refers to SF as "the charm on America's chain" and I think it fits perfectly.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I've found some great new blogs because of this post. Thanks again. :)
Amazing pics, dear!
ReplyDeletetheprintedsea.blogspot.com
What a wonderful trip! So glad you had a great time and you got some awesome pictures!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful trip!!! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE seeing all those pics and BEST blogging friends! That in itself would be worth it! I enjoyed myself!!!~~~Blessings~~~Roxie
ReplyDeleteI've never been to San Francisco, your pictures are so pretty, they make me want to go visit soon! It looks like you had such a great time! How awesome to meet fellow blogging friends!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous trip, Brandi! San Francisco is on my bucket list. Love your pictures!
ReplyDeleteHi Brandi, what an amazing trip you had seeing so many great sights. How special to meet up with blogging friends too. It is the best isn't it? I have had the opportunity to do the same and loved it.
ReplyDeleteYour pics are wonderful. You made some special memories.
Have a great week ahead.
Hugs
Ah the city of my birth and you captured it magnificently!
ReplyDeleteHow fun to meet a blogging friend.
Have a beautiful weekend!
Hi Brandi, I am delighted that you had such a lovely visit and where able to meet some of your blogging sisters. San Fransisco is a remarkably beautiful town. It is so much fun to visit new places, but there is know place like home. Happy to see that you made it home safe and that you have wonderful memories that will last forever :)
ReplyDeleteConnie
What a fantastic trip. I haven't been to the West Coast since I was about four years old, so I don't remember a thing! How wonderful that you were able to meet up with other bloggers. I really do feel like we become friends with the bloggers we read regularly.
ReplyDeleteBrandi, that looks like enormous fun! San Francisco looks like a beautiful place to visit, I've got it on my list of places to go to in this lifetime. I think I'd go there just to see the sealions!
ReplyDeleteSan Francisco is one of my favorite cities. My daughter lived there for 10 years and I miss having a place to crash for my "city fix".
ReplyDeleteYou introduced me to some new bloggers so I am off to check them out.
It's so warm here today...and clear.
ReplyDeleteLooks like an amazing time! I want to go there too
ReplyDeleteSo cool that you met up with some blogging friends! What a fun trip...what wineries did you go to? Love your long gold necklace in the picture with your friend and TGIF!
ReplyDeleteOh Brandi! What an amazing trip! You really made the most of this northern california trip and went to all of the best spots! Next time you have to visit Sausalito and/or tiburon (if you haven't already, of course). I love SF...it's one of my favorite cities in the world. My sister lives in Foster City which is about 30 minutes from the city, so luckily I get to visit a few times a year. Thank you for sharing these beautiful pictures with us. I'm yet to visit Muir woods and Napa.
ReplyDeleteLooks like an amazing trip, so many wonderful sites! So great that you got to meet so many other bloggers, such a treat!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Patti
Hi Brandi! Your trip photos are lovely! Happy to find your blog after you visited mine! Blessings, Cecilia
ReplyDeleteWhat a great trip! I've been in San Francisco a few times, though it's been awhile. As a matter of fact, we stopped for chowder in the sourdough bread bowls at the same place! Yum, makes my mouth water just thinking about it:)
ReplyDeleteHi Brandi,
ReplyDeleteSo lovely that you were able to go away on a trip to San Francisco and I enjoyed seeing all your lovely photos.
I was there in 1980 and loved the City.
Hope you are enjoying the weekend
hugs
Carolyn
Brandi these are beautiful photos. It was so nice that you were able to meet up with your blogging friends. I always wanted to see the Golden Gate Bridge. I went Los Angeles some years ago...but missed that opportunity. Thanks for sharing your adventure.
ReplyDeleteI want to visit San Francisco badly! This looks like the best visit. I love that you got to do so much and meet blog friends! Such beautiful pictures, thanks for sharing your trip with us!
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