San Francisco

Golden Gate Park Botanical Gardens

/ Bulldog Travels / 19 Comments

The Botanical Gardens at Golden Gate Park is arguably one of the best places to visit in San Francisco and maybe the state. These world class gardens never disappoint as a alternative to the traffic and tourism of the City. One can visit frequently throughout the year and see something different each time. In COVID times its a wonderful way to get outside and keep your distance from other folks while breathing sweet salty fresh air. I have visited here many many times over the years and will be forever grateful for my best friend going to college here and introducing me to this magnificent place. The enormous and aged coastal trees are stunning, the detail of the flowers from all over the world are magnificent, and the trails are fun. There is also nothing wrong with bringing a blanket and popping a top of something and just enjoying the sunshine amongst acres and acres of beautiful picnic location options in the gardens.

San Francisco Zoo

/ Bulldog Travels / 8 Comments

I finally made it to the San Francisco Zoo.  Have you ever tried to go somewhere and wind up starting to go half a dozen times before it actually works out?  I have even driven here a few times and couldn’t park or it was closed etc.  Well, we finally made it, and the weather was fine.  It was a lovely day to visit the famous beachside zoo and botanical garden.  Many of the animals were doing what they do best and what I wish I was doing, napping.  Some of the enclosures were smaller, darker, and more older fashioned than I would have expected at a zoo this large and famous and frequently visited.  But, toddler temper tantrums aside it was a lovely visit with the highlights being the hippo, the giraffes, the penguins, the koalas (thinking of their friends down under), and the gardens.

*My son would like to note his favorite part was the bubbles and the garbage cans.  So, there you have it, a solid three year old review of the Zoo.

Lovely gardens here at the Zoo and the weather was fine
Hello Bear!
Sleeping birds
I love me some giraffes
Pretty shot of the aviary
Up close and personal with some penguins

Lands End Labyrinth – San Francisco

/ Bulldog Travels / 3 Comments

Ever wonder what’s at the end of the world?  Well, at Land’s End in San Francisco Bay, it’s a labyrinth and an amazing view of the most iconic bridge in the world…the Golden Gate.  I’ve been visiting this city for a long time and only just heard about this labyrinth.  Where has it been all this time?  I had to go check it out.  And check it out I did in the same high heels I used to go shopping earlier int he day.  Readers, I risked my ankles for you!  You are welcome! 😉

The labyrinth can be accessed most easily by parking at the Legion of Honor and walking on the cart path north towards the Golden Gate Bridge through the golf course.  The path will lead to the labyrinth but it also navigates around the entire peninsula making for a splendid sea walk.  The path is not handicap accessible.  If you plan it right stop for a visit at the Legion of Honor which is worth a look any day of the week!  Eat there at their lovely café or top it off for some Clam Chowder by Ubering to the Cliff House overlooking Ocean Beach at sunset.

California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park

/ Bulldog Travels / 4 Comments

I have posted about Golden Gate Park in San Francisco before but there is even more to talk about.  The California Academy of Sciences is a world class science center which proves entertaining for adults and children.  I was visiting the sites nearby and had a few hours to kill and thought it would be a fun stop. It’s been a few years since I last visited and the dinosaurs were visiting this time around!

One of my favorite features is the living roof which is reminiscent of a hobbit house being bulbous with port hole windows. From the roof one can see 360 degree views of the spacious and green park and get a burst of sea air.

Next on the list of my favorites is the indoor rain forest.  No time to travel south of the equator? Come here and see some lovely tress, flowers, birds, frogs, and butterflies native to the world’s rain forests.  Science center guides are available to educate children on butterfly and bird species and their habitats.

Not enough for you?  Head downstairs to a spacious and impressive aquarium where the littles can touch sea creatures in a tide pool and walk under the fish tanks. Don’t forget a visit to the famous albino alligator on your way out of the natural history museum area.  And bring a picnic because there is no better place to sit and enjoy the sunshine in the City by the Bay!

Don’t miss this wonderful stop on your next trip to San Francisco!

Springtime in Napa

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It’s springtime in Napa which means mustard flower and cleanup piles. I have always found Napa to be a spectacularly beautiful place. But, I’ve always found the views away from the large commercial wineries to be my favorites. The side roads and country in between the touristy places can take your breath away. Napa is truly the most beautiful big time small town in Nor Cal and I never ever get tired of it in any season.

San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers

/ Bulldog Travels / 23 Comments

Golden Gate Park is full of surprises and pleasant escapes from the rest of the City. It is certainly up for “Best Park in America” if you ask me which no one ever does…

I digress. One of the many treats in Golden Gate Park is the Conservatory of Flowers.  It was like a trip back to Victorian times only more humid.

And where better to try out my new iPhone XS?  The portrait feature is a lot of fun providing some fake depth of field by blurring out the background of your subject. The phone is particularly better taking photos in high and low light compared to previous versions. (Thank you Apple for finally improving that.) Some of the filters are comically bad from a real photography perspective but they are fun from a, well, fun perspective.  Bottom line, the phone takes a much much clearer photo than before which I appreciate considering the obscene price.

This looks like it is something that belongs in Europe not in the “New World”
Beautiful garden and art outside the front of the building
Lovely little alley which invites you to see what’s on the other side
Reflections…
I love this view
This to me is gorgeous despite its not being even from left to right
Lovely
Mother Nature is showing off her artistic side
Don’t forget to look down
A treat from the Dahlia garden outside
Purple, always a dramatic color

It’s the City by the Bay.  The City that Rocks.  The City that Never Sleeps. We Built this City on Rock and Roll!  ~Jefferson Starship, We Built This City

Click here for other Golden Gate Park posts which will make you want to visit immediatly!

Check out my other posts on San Francisco here!

De Young Museum- Cult of the Machine

/ Bulldog Travels / 10 Comments

San Francisco’s premier art museum De Young , located in the glorious Golden Gate Park, is showing a “Cult of the Machine” exhibit which is simple, small, and enjoyable. The exhibit focuses on what appears to be period Industrial Art Deco style meets San Francisco Tech Industry.  A few pieces even focused on the Golden Gate Bridge, our beloved swaying icon of the area.  I found the exhibit to be very modern despite much of it being 100 years old.  The museum is a perfect respite from the heat and only feat away from my favorite San Francisco attractions; the Japanese Tea Gardens and the Botanical Gardens.  One could easily spend the entire day at the De Young even while the nature just steps outside beckon.

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Clarence Holbrook Carter – War Bride, 1940

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Joseph Stella – Bridge, 1936

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Charles Sheeler – Golden Gate, 1955

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Joseph Stella Factories, 1918

San Francisco’s Ghirardelli Chocolate

/ Bulldog Travels / 6 Comments

You must go here. It’s crowded but the hot fudge, my friends, is worth the wait. Not many touristy places will get my endorsement, especially in San Francisco, but you must trust me here. If any part of your tooth is sweet bring them here. 

Interestingly enough you can get a hot fudge Sunday just like this at AT&T park while watching the Giants play. Who needs beer and hot dogs when they can have this?