San Fo (Oct. 2008)

We just got back from a 4-day trip to San Francisco. We spent those 4 days visiting with family friends (the Tang's and the Bondoc's), eating out (old favorites and some new ones), shopping (of course!) and sightseeing too.

We stayed at the Grosvenor Suites (right on Nob Hill). Mom and dad loved the place since it was so spacious and close to everything (two blocks to Union Square, 2 blocks to Chinatown, and the cable car stop right at the corner).

Here are mom and dad welcoming us into our 2-bedroom suite.

As soon as you enter, there is a little foyer where we would drop our coats, bags, and shoes. If you turned to the doorway on the left that would be the living area, the doorway on the right (behind dad) would be the sleeping area while the door next to the glass table was a closet.


Here is the living area. Dad staked out the dining table for his notebook and business papers while I could usually be found on the couch watching tv!


Here is the mini kitchen (and by mini I mean really teeny tiny!) but it served us well and mom still managed to do some cooking. I think my mom could probably still whip up gourmet meals even if she only had a pan over a campfire.


Here is the first room - king sized bed for my mom and dad. They had their own full-sized bath too.


Here's the room Atsi and I shared (my bed was next to the window). We had our own bathroom too.


This was the view from my window. You could see the rest of Nob Hill. It was pretty awesome.


We enjoyed many great meals out - this one is at the House of Prime Rib in Van Ness. The prime rib was really good (huge but good). Seated around the table are Auntie Cynthia, Atsi, me, Margriet, Auntie Carrie, Uncle Bobby, Dad, Mom and Uncle Ed.

Other memorable meals include hamachi tuna at Sushi Rikka, Vietnamese food at Out the Door, the succulent crabs and roast duck at R&G (along Kearny St. in Chinatown), and that great lunch we had at the cafeteria at the California Science center (it was definitely NOT typical musuem food).

Uncle Bobby, Auntie Carrie, mom, dad and Auntie Cynthia in "the rainforest" at the California Science Center.


Butterflies flying freely around guests in the rainforest exhibit. It was very cool - or rather should I say humid since they recreated the actual conditions of a rainforest.


Atsi and I posing by this huge fish (I can't recall what it is called) - but Auntie Cynthia insisted we pose beside it!

Here is our whole group at the California Science Center steps. This newly opened center (located in the Golden gate Park) is a MUST SEE for any one who visits San Francisco. There are so many cool displays and breathtaking exhibits. We spent the whole day there and enjoyed every minute of it!


Just the "young ones" exploring Union Square and shopping to our hearts content. We spent more than 4 hours - we literally shopped till we dropped! Luckily we had a good dinner waiting for us when we were done.

I wish I could have taken pictures of all the great food we had. But most times I either forgot or was too busy eating! Anyway, this was our last meal in SF. It was at the Pier Market on Fisherman's Wharf. Both dishes were really good.

Mussels in a curried broth.


Cioppino (a seafood stew).

Both were really good with the famous sourdough bread that SF is known for.

Our last shot before we left was a band from the US Navy.

It was a great 4 days - am so glad mom, dad, atsi and I got to spend it together!