balance

 Another walk to the Golden Gate Bridge to take in the view. Here are a few photos taken from Fort Point and then a cheers to SF with "bright green" Juice Shop juice followed up with an Americano pizza from Tony's Pizza Napoletana for balance.

that SF bridge

with donuts in tow I headed over the bridge to Marin for some sunshine and shopping... first stop Heath. 

crisscrossing the golden gate

my trusty steed decided it needed some TLC and started spraying radiator fluid from under the hood just after I crossed the bridge and this scene from Wall-E came to mind. A friend let me use her AAA and after a few hours and five trips across the bridge as the tow truck needed to pick up another car before dropping mine off at the repair shop where we arrived just minutes before they closed for the weekend, phew. It all worked out amazingly well as I caught a ride up north to the pre wedding oyster BBQ and filmed this little video.... and got to chat with Luna, the kind tow truck driver originally from Oaxaca. Hooray!

that SF bridge

the Golden Gate Bridge isn't just for tourists. I love visiting this bridge and there's always a new way to see it, whether it's the light or just a new angle.

belly love

Another beautiful Friday night at Off the Grid: Fort Mason with a new favorite from The Chairman Truck. I'd heard rave reviews about this traditional Taiwanese snack. I ordered the tender pork belly with turmeric pickled daikon and green shiso on a steamed bun... it was incredible.

waking up early on Saturday

 San Francisco is different than other cities in that there are times of day where the whole city seems to be asleep.... even after the sun is up. I woke up and the neighborhood was still and the fog blanket was still over most of the city. Instead of heading to the local farmers market I drove to Marin County. As I approached the Golden Gate bridge a few cars slowly started to fill the lanes. I stopped at the Marin Headlands for a clear view of the San Francisco skyline with sun peaking through the clouds, but not quite reaching those still fast asleep. I paused here and continued to wake up slowly and take in the sea air and view of the bridge as the slow started to recede a bit more. Continuing north to Marin Mart for farmers market treats and a little inspiration at Erica Tanov with coffee in hand until they opened, but once they did I'm pretty sure I looked at everything in the store a few times before parting. The image on the right is a detail of a tall (15ft) wall section that they covered in these flat metal discs.

a quick stop at Heath ceramics

... in Sausalito before heading back over the Golden Gate bridge. I tend to see Heath colors after I leave their shop/studio.

looking left and right

I walked under the bridge and found the familiar view of the Marin headlands and the vast ocean on the other side. favorites

pastel sunset over the city skyline from that other SF bridge

lunch break at the beach

working just a few blocks from the ocean and an hour+ for lunch I decided to go for a little hike by Sutro baths and watch the fog pass through the trees, waves crash along the shore, and tourists take photos of the Golden Gate Bridge. 

bright

Recent rain has recharged the city plant life and everything was a little more illuminated. Golden Gate Bridge in the distance and a little tree behind the Marina library that seemed to glow.

soaking in the winter sun

We spent the late afternoon lounging in the sun by the Golden Gate Bridge. My left flipflop strap broke on the walk to the Ferry Building so I found some raffia at a garden store and rigged it to stay together until I picked up my boat shoes. After basking in the afternoon sun we picked up lamb kebab sandwiches in the Mission before heading up to Bernal Hill to watch the sun set behind the city as the fog rolled in. Winter in SF

Happy Birthday, MUNI!

This is the end of the Hyde and Powell street trolley turnaround with a view of the Golden Gate bridge, Alcatraz, the bay, and of course the trolley as it is turned around by hand before being sent back up and over the hill.

focus

 There's a weekend Instagram contest for intentionally out of focus photos and I thought I'd brave the cold and snap a few of the Golden Gate Bridge before meeting up with my friend Sam (love his stories) in the Marina. I went to a few favorite lookout spots to see the city skyline and then to the official GGB lookout where I found this couple chatting by the light post and felt like I was in an Edward Hopper painting.

Here's one of the out of intentionally out of focus photos of the bridge. It surprising difficult to take an out of focus photo these days with all of the auto focus advancements. Sam thought the idea of out of focus photos is silly, but I really appreciate how much more aware I am of where the focus is directed. Below is my duvet illuminated by computer screen light.