Hey guys! I am SO stoked to share this post with you all! My dear friend from college came to visit all the way from ninder nanders (nickname DJ and I use for Indiana). Man, oh man, I missed this girl. We haven’t seen each other since graduation last year. That’s just too much time I do say. On Monday I worked all day, and after the relief of knowing I was in the clear, I cleaned out my closet and went through clothes to give to good will/ take to Plato’s. Love me some cash for clothes, ya feel? I found some shirts that I was deciding if I wanted to give away, but actually ended up liking them now and kept them after not trying them on for years.
Sarah arrived at about 1230 at Tuesday at the San Jose airport right down the road! We headed to SF to explore the city. I felt so bad because this was Sarah’s first time here, and we could not see the doggone Golden Gate. I have never seen such dense fog before! It was crazy, but still somberly beautiful.
She’s so flipping cute I can’t even take it. COME BACK, SAR!
After popping over to the non-existent Golden Gate, we went to the loyal, fog-resistant Ghirardelli square. Chocolate will never let you down.
We grabbed the free samples of the pumpkin spice milk chocolate (uhm, yum) and then explored. The inside of the Ghirardelli shop is so neat- it has a very 50s/60s-esque vibe, and you can actually watch the chocolate churning which fulfills my childhood Charlie-and-The-Chocolate factory dreams.
They are known for their massive, and delicious, sundaes, but it was a wee bit chilly out for us to grab one. If you want to see pictures of the sundaes in all their glory, you can check out our experience here!
BUT what can warm ya up better than a nice glass of wine? There is a cute little winery, Wattle Creek Winery, in Ghirardelli square that I’ve actually wanted to try for some time now. I was excited when Sarah suggest we stop for some- told yaaaaa- we twins.
It’s super unique and has eclectic vibes. It has a mish-mash of decor and colors that could easily come off as tacky, but somehow the way it all pulls together it is nothing but modern class.
This is a picture below of their wattle leaf, learn something new everyday!
After hanging out in the square, we headed down to the pier.
Naturally, I had to show Sar Fisherman’s Wharf and the famous sea lions.
They were being super lazy for us. Prolly grieving the fact that the Golden Gate up and vanished like the rest of us.
We caught glimpses of Alcatraz and then headed down the pier to the shops. If you know me, you know I have a weird love for sock shops.
We finished the walk down to the Ferry building and then turned around to walk back while soaking in the views along the Embarcadero.
We were pretty ravenous after all the walking and decided to try Crab House on the pier. I have never been here before, but the bibs drew us in (you’ll see what I mean ;)).
The crab house can be described in one word: FUN. It is decked out in themed crabs everywhere you turn, the staff is incredibly friendly, the views of the bay were fantastic, and the food. OH. THE. FOOOOOD!
We decided to split a few different items from the menu to get a varied taste of everything. This calamari was the bomb, it was the definition of flavorful and perfectly crispy. 🤤
We also tried their crab chowder. We chowed down like we were from out of town. It was insanely delish.😋
And, of course, we couldn’t pass up their iron roasted mussels and shrimps. Holy maloly. The word tasty has a new definition for me after these little suckers.
THE BIBS! Now do you understand why we had to come here?
We actually survived the whole meal without getting anything on them (I can’t believe it either), and ended up taking some bibs for the road. What didn’t we take with us? Oh, the food, because we demolished every last lick.
Walking back to the car we were unable to escape the mouth-watering scent of baking bread wafting from the Boudin bakery. As we passed the window we noticed an alligator made of pieces of bread.
When we came home we chatted on the balcony sippin’ on wine and eating some ice cream.
In the morning we went to (if you are a long time follower you can probably guess)- Bill’s!!!!!! The actual best breakfast place in the whole world.
We split one of their mimosas (it’s pretty essential for a brunch at Bill’s).
Sarah had their cinnamon roll french toast. Oh. my. word. It was insanely good. Like there are actually no words to describe the deliciousness that is their cinnamon roll french toast.
I usually get their Greek omelette, but this time I had their Salmon Benedict with a bagel, capers, onions, smoked salmon, and poached eggs. It hit the spot. I think I muffled out a “mmmm mm” with every bite. It’s easily the best salmon benedict I have ever had.
And, of course, I had to show Sar around the Row after!
At about 1215 I dropped her off at the airport. It was a hard goodbye, but I was tremendously thankful for the short time we had together. It meant so much that she made the time to come see me & the Bay!
This morning (Thursday morning) I stopped by Peet’s to grab a cafe au lait before my residency class. It was super nice to see everyone from my cohort, and also nice to have a class day vs. in hospital day.
Hope you all have a beautiful weekend! I will be working all weekend long, but living vicariously through you!
xo <3
You both are so cute, & all that food sounds amazing!
Hehe- thanks so much, the food was pretty doggone delishhh! <3
Oh my god, this all looks AMAZING! You sound like you had so much fun! xx
Aww, thank you, Mia!!! I so appreciate you stopping by <3 I hope you have a great weekend, beautiful! XO
Isn’t cleaning out your closet the best? It give me such a good feeling plus I love rediscovering clothes I stopped wearing for a while. You and Sarah look like twins and are adorable! It’s great you were able to have such a short but fun visit from her.
YESSS!!!! It’s seriously one of the most cathartic things- I swear!
Thank you tons & tons. I am so thankful I was able to spend even a small amount of time with her! XO
OMG this looks like such a great 23 hours. I love San Francisco – I was there last August and can’t wait to go back. That alligator made of bread is incredible!!
It was SUCH a blast! Isn’t SF awesome? Do you have a time that you are planning on coming back?!? Hahah- the alligator was super cool. People’s creativity never ceases to amaze me!
Okay, the Crab House is now on my list. I love everything you ate there. And the bibs! And the meal at Bill’s, totally would have ordered that too! And the pumpkin spice chocolate? Don’t tell my husband. 😉 And….now I’m hungry. 🙂
YESS! Put it on the list! It’s SO good! Seriously if you are ever in the area I will not let you leave without going to Bill’s first too. It sounds like ya’ll would LOVE Ghirardelli square too!! Ever been?! Ahhh now I’m hungry too again talking about it all. Haha
We have never been to that area of California, just LA and Malibu. If and when we make that trip, I will be hitting you up with so many recommendations!
I want to visit Malibu so bad!!!! And girlllll, I’ve got you covered if you need some recommendations- I could give you a restaurant list a mile long!!!!
Sounds like a great time 🖒😊
Aww thank you, Myra!!!! It was so nice to see her and such a blast. Hope you have a great weekend!!!
Thank you so much, you too have a great weekend! ☺🍸
❤️ 🍷 ❤️
Bill’s Cafe pictures always makes me smile!!! Thanks for another fun blog! And we need to go to the Crab House!
Every time I go it makes me miss you guys!!!! I think of you every time and heck YES! Crab house is a must- also it’s been far too long since we’ve seen you guys 😭 MISS YOU TONS!
Looks like an amazing time! You’re making me miss the city! 😉
Awww, it was so fun! You need to go back soon, it’s calling your naaameeee! Hehe.Hope school is going well, love!! XO
Hi Mackensie, so nice Sarah came to visit all the way from Indiana! Its great toI catch up after being apart from a friend for so long. it must have been nice to find clothes you can now use again. I have been there done that! You got to being touristy right away. The golden gate bridge still looks awesome. Sarah is so cute(well there are 2 of you in it to be honest!)love her smile! The winery looks like a beautiful spot to visit. fishermans wharf will be on my to do list someday. I love the socks! The bibs look so awesome on you two. Look at that French toast roll! Mouthwatering. It is a pity you didn’t get more time to hang out but maybe can arrange something in the future. I hope work is going good for a weekend Dear, Big hugs, Terri xo.
It was SO nice to see her! I missed her terribly!! It’s so funny because all through college people would say we looked alike! She is seriously the cutest though, so I take it as a major compliment . And LOL- yessss we wasted NO time on being touristy, I told her it’s fun because with as many pictures I take when I’m down there, people probably just assume I’m another tourist, although I live right down the road 😂 that French toast roll was something spectacular for sure!!! Work is definitely going better, I had a really great weekend there ❤️ now it’s officially my weeekend! Hehe. Have a great week, Terri !!!! 💕💕 and as always thank you for your sweet, sweet words. They made my morning!!!! XOOXO
Hi Mackenzie glad I could make your morning have a great Wednesday, Terri xoxo
<3 I hope you have a beautiful Sunday now that I am slightly behind responding to this 😉
D’ont worry Dear! Have a lovely day, hugs, Terri xo.
You too, Terri <3 XOXO
Looks like a fun time! 🙂
It was tooooo much fun!!!! Now I miss her to pieces ! Hope you are having a great week 🙂
Awh, that’s too bad about the Golden Gate bridge, I actually want to visit SF just to see it, is there a specific season/month where it’s clearly visible? Or is the fog pretty random? And I don’t really drink wine but that winery looks amazing! I love the glass(?) butterflies hanging over head! 😀
And gosh!!! More sea lions!!!! <3 <3 <3
And that crab chowder looks sooo good, I don't think I've ever had chowder.. But I would totally eat those shrimp, delicious! The bibs made me laugh! That's so awesome! I'd go in there for the bibs as well lol.
So sweet of your friend to go see you!
Hey girl! You HAVE to visit- it’s a must for everyone, and it’s seriously the easiest place to see all of in one day. I’ve been to the golden gate more times than I can count (all times of year), and I have NEVER had a cloudy day until now. So I’d say you are way more likely to see it than not- this was an anomaly! Girl, if you come here, I am TOTALLY giving you a tour. Seriously. I would love to do show you everything!!! Mmmm crab chowder, clam chowder, lobster chowder— it’s insanely good. We’ll grab some of that too 😉 The shrimp was so flipping delicious too! We just loved the bibs. hahah. It’s the little things right? Thanks for stopping in, love! XOXO
Well that’s good to know that SF doesn’t have a specific time for visitors. Unfortunately for Portland, we do, and we (by that I really mean I) recommend the spring or early summer lol.
I’d love to have a tour because I’d be clueless about where to go!! You’ll have to help me out with NY itinerary!! 😁
That is SO good to know!!! I’ll keep that in mind before. DJ and I are maybe going to do some traveling next spring, so we’ll see!!! And ahhh I’d loooove to talk NYC- I’m not an expert but I do have some recommendations- Broadway is a MUST. OH, and do you follow Kate at Ankhor you?!? She has a million incredible posts about things to do/see in NYC. I’ll share her blog…https://wordpress.com/post/ankhoryou.com/26798 !
Omg I meant my* not NY hahaha my stupid phone must have autocorrected and I didn’t even notice!! Lol. But thank you! NYC is another place I’d love to visit, but maybe only during fall because I want to see central park lol
LOL!!!!! Oh my gosh, this is hilarious. I love it. Central park is amazing- I bet it’s insanely gorgeous in the fall. I remember we were excited about the Balto statue because that was one of my husband and I’s favorite movies as children. Hahaha, I love the little bunny trail this convo took so much. Yay for autocorrect! 😉
Isn’t time to talk with an old friend the best?? It looks like you really made the most of it!! Now she knows where you are and what life looks like for you in CA. That’s worth a lot. So glad. xox
Yes yes yes!!! It was SOOO nice and very much needed!!! Thanks for sharing in our little adventure with us 🙂 XO
Another post that gave me all the feels!
I love when friends come to visit! Not only do you get to hang with good people, but you also get to play tourist 🙂
Ahhh I MISS San Fran! And you! So pretty even with the fog and oh my gosh you ladies are so stinking cute!
AND I AM SO hungry and nostalgic…Ghirardelli literally had the BEST sundaes! My aunt lives right there (in those high rise apartment buildings) so I woke up to that delicious smell every day! lol.
I found the cutest (and funniest) sock shop in Sausalito. My SiL also loves socks, and I got her and my niece matching ones that said Mommy’s bottle (had a wine bottle on it) and baby’s bottle (a milk bottle) so cute!
Oh my lanta I am soon hungry now! And I now have another must go to restaurant the next time I go to San Fran! The Crab House looks amazing! And those bibbs are awesome! Also I repeat you ladies are the cutest!
And (I am just going to keep repeating myself) that looks SOOO yummy!
And Peets! I absolutely utterly adore that last picture! Amazing coffee AND stunning shoes (attached to a beautiful soul!) = Perfection! I am so happy you got to see your friend (have I mentioned you guys are the cutest? Okay but for reals!:)). Despite the whirlwind you guys did so much! <3
EXACTLY! I love playing tourist. And every single time I’m in SF it’s a new adventure and there is something new to discover. AWWWW thank you, love! I missed Sarah so much, it did something good for my soul during this time to see her! I remember you saying how close your Aunt lived to Ghiradelli- can you say will power?!? How anyone lives within walking distance and resists those incredible sundaes everyday is beyond me. We kept ducking in for more free samples of pumpkin spice chocolate. Lol. # BASIC. AHHHH I need to find this sock shop in Sausalito. YASSS. Oh my gosh when I have a baby one day I NEED to get those ones you got your SIL! Oh my goshhh. AWWW thanks for appreciating my attempt at being artsy with my Peet’s photo 😉 Thanks for stopping in and sharing in our adventure with us. I hope ya got a little SF fix…. but only a little one because you’re due for a REAL one soon! XO
Playing tourist really is the best! I LOVE that! It is how I feel about New York. Five years later I am still discovering new adventures and favorite places!) I know right!?! especially since my friend and I may have gone three times in the seven we were there……Ahem…. #noshame. lol. I love it! That was totally us! I can look up the name for you. It was along the street that runs parallel to the water and who you got off the ferry you went right. Girl yasss! Oh my gosh just thinking of you with a baby makes my heart happy! You will be the best (and cutest!) mom!
Haha anytime you take a peet’s picture is a success in my book! 😉 Awe thank you for sharing your adventure with us! (and reading my novel of a comment lol) I did and girl yasssssss!!!!! I need to go back! I miss it! <3
Uhmmmm no shame AT ALL! That actually is something to brag about, really!!!!! So I have some exciting things to tell you, I’ll DM ya – but basically there’s a good chance I can make it to NYC next summer!!! So I cannot wait to explore the best of the best of your recommendations and hopefully see YOU! What you said about me being a cute mom- 😭😭😭 melting my stinking heart. Ps. I adore your novels . They make my day! And thank you for reading mine! ❤️❤️❤️
Girrlll just got so flipping excited! (Forget all the shade I threw at you about being an Indian’s fan, I did not mean it! I mean I meant it kind of…But I can totally get over it if you come to the city! ;p ) Ahhhh girl yes yes yes! I will totally be your tour guide and show you around and we will drink all the coffee!
it is so true! you will be! Awe thanks beauty I adore your novels! They always make MY day! <3
Heheh!!! YESSS!!!! Girl, it’s like top of my free time travel to do. I know you would be the best tour guide in all of NYC history. PS. I am FREAKING OUT that you and JJ met. I may have teared up. So freaking excited. XO
Woo! SOO excited! YES! We would eat all the food. (and I mean ALL the food!) and do so many things you might need a vacay from the vacay. And you are the sweetest! I will try to live up to that amazing title!
Girl I feel like the circle is complete except now we ALL need to get together! Love you mucho beauty! <3
YES YES YES!!!!!! OMGSH yesssss. I just have to slide into March and then my life should be so much more flexible. We’ll have to make it happen next summer or so! I think I’d legit pee my pants from excitement. XOXO
You can do it! It will really be here before you know it! 🙂 Yesss! I would LOVE that! Hahah so would I! Jenny and I about scared all the tourists in Central Park (okay I scared all the tourists in Central Park LOL) Ahhh so excited! <3
LOL. YESSSSS I LOVE THAT!!!! That’s the best.