San Francisco, How I Adore Thee

Last month, I took a trip down to California with San Francisco as my first stop. It'd been 10 years since I was last there and my circumstances had changed a lot. The first time I was a recent uni grad just itching to get away so I flew down to stay with my buddy Dan. At the time, he lived in the Mission, which sounds cool, and sort of is if you don't mind that it's also really ghetto. In fact, I still remember his strict instructions regarding taking the BART. "Make sure to get off at the second Mission stop. Fewer crackheads there." It was a week of taking in the sights (e.g., Alcatraz at night!), staying up late, frequenting bars and a lot of walking around and stumbling on uneven pavement.

Annabel at Alamo Square in front of the famous "Painted Ladies"

This time around, I went with my hubby and 18-month-old daughter Annabel. Needless to say, there were no late nights and no bars, but no crackheads either. We still did a lot of walking around, but this time with a stroller in tow. And my buddy Dan is now a married father of three so our reunion was hardly rowdy! Regardless, I still had a great time and this city by the bay remains one of my favourite places. Have a boo at my story in the Hip & Urban Girl's Guide.