Sweater Love

It has been pretty warm here in San Francisco so I haven’t been wearing many of my hand knit sweaters. However, today was just cool enough that a sweater was required in the shade. I decided on my Union Station Cardigan. I can’t say it enough… I love this cardigan! It is soft, warm, and the color is oh so cheery.

We headed to Kite Hill for a view of the east side of San Francisco.  There were so many wildflowers blooming along the hill. It made for a beautiful sight.

This little green space is just another reason why I love living in such a diverse city.

Until Next Time,

-Whit-

 

 

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Urban Hike: Mt. Davidson

One of my favorite things to do in San Francisco is to go on urban hikes. San Francisco, like many major cities on the west coast, has a lot of green space to enjoy. This weekend we “conquered” Mount Davidson.  As I learned from Bay Area Hiker, Mount Davidson is the highest natural point in the city.

The view from Mount Davidson was spectacular. We mainly stayed on the east side of the hill and took in the downtown skyline.  The view made for a great backdrop to take some photos.

Also located on the mountain is a giant concrete cross. In 1997, the Armenian American Organization purchased the cross from the city and placed a plaque to honor those who were victims of the 1915 genocide.

The hike was not too strenuous, and when you combine the 1.5-mile walk from my apartment, it was a nice way to get some exercise. It has been steadily raining for the last two weeks so it was nice to be out and about.

In other news, I decided to re-open my Etsy shop. I have way too many FO piled around my apartment. I also plan on listing some patterns that I have created as well. If you have the chance please stop by and visit/favorite my shop.😀

What did you do this weekend? 

Until Next Time,

-Whit-

Sometimes

…my commute home surprises me. 

San Francisco Bay Bridge

–Whit-

Cherry Blossom Festival

Street Festival season has begun! This weekend was the kickoff of the Cherry Blossom Festival in Japantown. This annual festival celebrates the traditions and culture of the Japanese community.  One of our first stops was a Tea Ceremony demonstration held in a replica of a Japanese Tea House. This was a really nice experience. We learned a lot about how Tea Ceremonies are a elemental component of traditional Japanese culture. During the demonstration, we go to sample a sweet and some traditional green tea. Thank goodness the red bean cake was overly sweet as the tea was quite bitter. Next up was the origami exhibit. The items on display were pretty amazing. Hard to believe they are made from a couple of pieces of paper huh?

Afterward, we headed for the good stuff…the food :). The lines were super long at most of the stands therefore, we only got to try two items. The first was beef balls. These delicious treats consisted of beef fried in a rice coating with teriyaki sauce on top. So yummy!

Next, we tried Japanese Hot Dogs. These were outstanding. I forgot what exactly was on mine, but I do remember how delectable it was. The coolest part was the seaweed garnish on top.

Lastly, we did some sake sampling. My favorite…sparking sake. It had a smooth subtle taste with just the right about of bubbles.Cheers!

 

Race Weekend

So I am turning 30 in 11 days. I know I am ONLY turning 30, however, leaving my 20’s behind seems a little scary. Earlier this year I vowed to myself I wanted to achieve a few things before the big 3-0. One thing was to step up my fitness game. Enter my goal: Run in an organized race by November. Well folks I can check that off the list! I ran in my first 5K race this weekend.

The run took place in Golden Gate Park on Halloween morning. Here is a lake in the park. Eerie right?!?

Since the race was on Halloween it was encouraged that you run in costume. I dressed as a black cat and my fiance was Waldo.

The race started and we got off to a great start. Unfortunately, around 1.6 miles I started loosing steam. My fiance thankfully had some encouraging words  and we finished in 30:04!

Boy did that finish line look glorious! I have to say I feel super proud and accomplished. Maybe I can train for bigger races…half marathon maybe? (haha)

Weekend Re-Cap: Tour De Fat

Happy Monday everyone! Did you do something fun this weekend? We did! Saturday we attended the New Belgium Brewing Company’s annual bike festival called Tour de Fat. The day starts off with a costumed bike parade through Golden Gate Park. We dressed up like Full Moon Party-goers. I know…Not the most creative. To be honest, I didn’t have any costumes on hand that were suitable for bike riding.

After the ride there was a fun festival which included beer, music, lawn games, and crazy bikes to ride.

Got to love a sunny Saturday afternoon in the park :).

Exploring Angel Island

On Saturday, we took a little day trip to Angel Island. The island is located about 6 miles north of San Francisco and is only accessible by ferry. Initially, I was a little nervous that it would be too foggy, but the clouds cleared and we had some great views by mid-afternoon.

 

We brought our bikes with us and spent most of the day riding along the perimeter of the island and visiting the historical sites. I thought the bike path would be a little flatter, but what was I thinking? Nothing is ever flat in San Francisco😕. We got off to a little bit of a challenging start (I may have fallen off my bike), but we soon got into the rhythm of the rolling hills.

  Our first stop was the Immigration Station. Angel Island was known as the “Ellis Island of the West ” from 1910-1940. The island was the first stop many saw when arriving to America. The historical fact that resonated with me the most was how horrible the Chinese immigrants were treated. Often the Chinese people were kept in the camps for weeks upon weeks just because they were Chinese. I love my country, but some of our history is downright shameful.

                                         Angel Island was also home to many soldiers starting as far back as 1863. During World War II, upwards of 1400 men were housed and trained on the island. In 1962, the army base was decommissioned. They left all of the structures so now you can explore the old barracks, jail, and museum.

We also did a short hike up to the top of Mt. Livermore. The Sunset Trail was about 2.5 miles and was moderately strenuous. Along the trail we got great glimpses of Marin, Tiburon, San Francisco, and all the bridges in the area. All and all, we had a great day. If you are ever in the area, I recommend a visit.

Urban Hike in San Francisco

One of our new favorite things to do on the weekend is take an Urban Hike. What’s an Urban Hike you say? Well it is a long walk through the the city landscape. Since San Francisco has lots and lots of hills it feels much like a hike minus the wilderness. This weekend, we hiked from Twin Peaks to Golden Gate Heights Park and then back home. Usually hikes include us walking for about 5-6 miles and then ending up a local bar or restaurant to “rehydrate” our bodies. The hikes have been a really nice activity. Not only to they give us some exercise, but it is a great time to chat and explore our city.

The view of East San Francisco and the Bay

View of West San Francisco a top Golden Gate Heights Hill

What were you up to this weekend?

 

Sunday Funday

An advantage to living in a major city is the ease of access to a variety of activities. There are always about 5 or 6 events going on each day in San Francisco and the surrounding cities (Berkeley, Oakland).  This morning we woke up, hopped on the bus, and went the de Young Museum.  Set in Golden Gate Park, this fine art museum is housed in a pretty funky looking building. 

Once we got into the museum, there was so much to see. It was a serious sensory overload. My eyes were practically rotating out of their sockets looking at all of the pieces. We viewed art from just about every corner of the world (hold your cursor over the pictures to see captions).

Outdoor Sculptures

Rescued Firewood from Alabama

Nigerian Art

Eskimo Ski Goggles

“Petunia” by Georgia O’Keefe

Mask from Papau New Guinea

The museum also has an observation deck on the 9th floor of the tower. We had a nice 360 degree view of the surrounding areas, however, Karl the Fog was rolling in so our bay view was limited.

There is nothing like getting out an being a tourist in your own city. Often times we get too set in our routines and forget to get out and explore a little. ~ This world is too big to leave unexplored. ~

Fun at the Zoo

My friend is about to move to Los Angeles, CA. 😦 I told her to pick one activity here in San Francisco that she would like to do before she leaves. She chose the San Francisco Zoo. So we hopped on the train for a little adventure. The weather was great and I had spectacular company.

Zoos are interesting places. On one hand, animals are intentionally held in captivity and caged. Is it right for Polar Bears  to live in San Francisco?  Yet, zoos provide assistance and rehab to many animals in trouble. Check out this rhino with no horn! Could it defend itself in the wild?

This polar bear is 33 years old!

Despite my mixed feelings about the zoo, I really enjoyed my experience. I learned about new animals and got to rediscover classic ones. My top animal of the day…the Anteater. Who knew they were so creepy looking!

Notice my scarf? I finally had a chance to wear my Rainbow Bandana Scarf that I made last year. I almost forgot how much I love the yarn. I think I need some more rainbow variegated yarn in my future.