SF Bay Area

After a brief hiatus that I like to call job application week, I'm back. Here's a look at my fall break trip to California.

Palo Alto

 Stanford has one of the most gorgeous campuses I've ever seen.

 Green Library

the Quad 

 Stanford Memorial Church

 Bell's Books: an adorable book shop in downtown Palo Alto

The Creamery: a great old-fashioned diner in downtown

At the Stanford game vs Colorado University. Stanford won!

The Stanford Band is a hoot. They wear pretty much whatever they want & paint their instruments (which for some people is a lawn chair or whatever random object they can find to beat on). My friend said they don't even have to know how to play an instrument when they join. And who can forget about their mascot--a tree.

 a beautiful dining hall

 the entrance to Brittany's dorm

Santa Cruz

Before the Stanford football game on Saturday, Brittany, Bonnie, and I drove to Santa Cruz. We enjoyed the sunny weather relaxing on the beach, collecting sand dollars, and chowing down on tacos from Las Palmas. The highlight of my morning was when I saw a sea lion splashing around in the ocean, only a few yards away from the shore. It was the first time I had ever seen one in the wild.

 

 a really interesting book that I'm reading for my Customer Insights class

 

 

 

San Francisco

Brittany needed a day to study and do homework, so Bonnie and I ventured into San Francisco on our own. The Sunday we chose to go also happened to be the day of an aerial show to celebrate Fleet Week and a 49ers football game, so the city was extra crowded with visitors. We were a little overambitious in trying to see the entire city in only a single day, but I think we at least got to see some of the highlights. 

 We rode the Cal-train into San Francisco 

We went shopping around Haight St and the Mission

and found this great decorating store

the Community Thrift Store on Valencia serves over 200 local charities

Shakespeare Garden

Mission Street

 a great hole-in-the-wall Thai place that was recommended to us

 Pineapple fried rice: fried rice with curry powder, pineapple,
cashews, raisins, onions, tomatoes, and green onion

 down on the pier

 Alcatraz

I was glad that I got to go thrift shopping in the Mission, eat some great Thai food, visit the Golden Gate Park, ride on a trolley, and walk along Fisherman's wharf. And even though I didn't get to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, I at least go to see it. Attempting to see a city in a day is impossible, especially when you are roaming around without a map, guide, or clue where you are going. Trying to figure out the puzzling public transportation system made me realize that I am just not a city girl. Public transportation is something that I did not grow up with, and it takes me weeks before I can learn all the ins and outs of a metro and bus plan.

Live music by the porta-potties. This guy even

has a cd called "I Love to Sing Love Songs." 

San Francisco is a colorful city where the friendly outcasts and creative people of the world gather to live in harmony. Certain neighborhoods, outside of the tourist areas, make the city seem like a completely different country to me. There's probably no other place in the world where people are so free to express themselves, even if that means deciding not to wear clothes one day or living in a tree.  My trip to the Bay Area was a great one. I barely scratched the surface of all three cities that I visited, and I hope to go back one day and explore some more.

"San Francisco is a city where people are never more abroad than when they are at home" -Benjamin F.Taylor