We wrapped up our California wine adventure with a weekend stay in San Francisco. But, first things first. Once we departed the Napa Valley Marriott, we initially had to make a stop at the local Target in order to buy a suitcase and an ample supply of bubble wrap so we could safely bring home those choice vintages we purchased along the way. With that necessary task behind us, we proceeded mid morning on Friday to head south along CA Route 101 towards the city. Our departure was timed so that we’d arrive in Sausalito around lunchtime whereupon we proceeded directly to Scoma’s. At this famous establishment, the menu is as lively and colorful as the catch that comes in on their daily fishing boat. Proudly ranked TripAdvisor’s #1 seafood restaurant in Sausalito, Scoma’s never disappoints seafood lovers with steaming whole crabs, rich hearty chowders, perfectly grilled seasonal fish and house specialties like the shellfish saute’, brimming with crab legs, prawns, scallops and clams. Raw bar selections, steaks, burgers and pastas, plus wine and cocktails round out their classic menu. Our group very much enjoyed the food, the service and the world-class views over the Bay.
After lunch we took some time to explore Sausalito. The town lies just across the Golden Gate Strait from San Francisco. This seaside community in the city’s backyard has an abundance of shops and dining options, scenic views, charming houseboat enclaves and provides plenty of opportunities for scenic strolls along its waterfront. Sausalito is a laid-back town with a distinctly Mediterranean vibe. We walked among the marinas and sidewalks, taking in the sights of the downtown area’s tourist shops. These include stores selling everything from T-shirts, ball caps and chocolates to high-end boutiques offering designer clothing, leather goods and handcrafted jewelry. Sausalito is also well known for its many art galleries where one could spend a small fortune on original photography, artwork or sculpture created in a variety of mediums. Here, the only limits are your own interests and financial well being. By mid afternoon, we headed into town via the Golden Gate Bridge.
This suspension bridge spans the the one-mile-wide strait known as the Golden Gate which connects San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. Upon its completion in 1937 (under budget and ahead of schedule), it was the tallest and longest suspension bridge in the world. The Golden Gate Bridge came to be recognized as a symbol of the power and progress of the United States, and it set a precedent for suspension-bridge design elsewhere in the world. Although other bridges have since surpassed it in size, it remains incomparable in the magnificence of its setting and is said to be the most photographed bridge in the world. Its orange vermilion color, suggested by consulting architect Irving Morrow, has a dual function, both fitting in with the surrounding natural scenery and being clearly visible to ships in fog.
It didn’t take long to arrive at the four-star JW Marriott San Francisco Hotel on Union Square. After a seamless check-in, the gentlemen drove back to the airport to return the rental van which we certainly didn’t need while spending the next two days in the city. Fortunately, we didn’t incur any additional charges for taking the wrong van on arrival earlier in the week. Thanks to the abundance of taxis at SFO, we returned to the Marriott in short order. This 110-room hotel is located one block from busy Union Square The most notable feature of the 1987 building, originally the Portman Hotel, is the nineteen-story atrium that rises above the third-floor lobby. Glass elevators whisked us up to our rooms located off open hallways, giving us a bird's eye view of the elegant, seven-foot tall bronze sculpture by noted Twentieth Century American sculptor Elbert Weinberg called "Joie de Danse." The work is made of bronze figures inspired by Henri Matisse's dancing ladies. Our 460-square foot studio king suite featured a sofa and chair as well as a writing desk and in-room safe. The marble bathroom had a lighted makeup mirror and the 55-inch flat screen TV also featured Netflix streaming service. This proved to be a comfortable and ideally located hotel for our two-night stay.
Be advised that the City and County of San Francisco requires proof of full vaccination against the coronavirus in order to dine indoors. We were prepared and our dinner reservations had been made at the Harborview Restaurant & Bar, located in the Embarcadero. This 2019 Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand establishment overlooks a stunning view of the San Francisco Bay. (Bib Gourmand restaurants offer a full menu of a starter, main course and dessert, making it possible to order two courses and a glass of wine or dessert for around $40 or less, excluding tax and gratuity.) There was a wedding taking place on the large patio when we were first seated and the noise level from the drums and gongs was initially quite high. Things calmed down after a while and we were able to better enjoy the dining experience. The Harborview boasts a sophisticated menu of authentic Cantonese-Chinese cuisine, dedicated to dim sum and noodles, fresh seafood as well as a variety of chicken, beef and pork dishes. The dim sum was especially good and everyone was happy with their entré selections and wine choices. We certainly slept well at the JW that night after such a full day of activity!
Several months prior to our trip, we had made the necessary reservations to visit Alcatraz Island. This is a must as this historic attraction sells out far in advance and we had been disappointed several times on prior visits in not having taken the initiative ahead of time. Our tickets included the roundtrip, fifteen-minute ferry ride to Alcatraz Island which departed from Pier 33. After breakfast on Saturday morning, we walked down to Market Street. From there, we caught the historic F line cable car, running along the Embarcadero and exited at the “Bay Street” stop, across from Pier 35 and simply walked one block south. The ferry was full and we chose to sit upstairs in the open air during the short ride to “The Rock.” On arrival, a National Park Service ranger provided an overview of the Federal Prison’s history and several of her most famous “residents.” This facility in the chilly waters of San Francisco Bay housed some of America’s most difficult and dangerous felons during its years of operation from 1934 to 1963. Among those who served time at the maximum-security facility were the notorious gangster Al “Scarface” Capone and murderer Robert “Birdman of Alcatraz” Stroud. Our tickets included the Cell House audio tour, during which we saw several of the most famous cells, along with the cafeteria and the library. I was quite disappointed to see that nearly all the facilities are in dire need of repair. Most notably, the warden’s house which lies in ruins after a devastating fire in 1970. As a side note, no food or drink is permitted on the island and there are no dining concessions of any kind. Inexplicably though, there were swarms of flies outdoors near the ferry dock. They annoyed us on arrival but we assumed they would simply blow away on the return boat ride. Unfortunately, they were quite hardy, stubbornly clinging to our clothes. Yuck! Back at Fisherman’s Wharf we had lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe at Pier 39 which is always fun and offers hearty fare.
A good friend had recommended we dine at Kokkari’s Restaurant. This warm and rustic Greek tavern at 200 Jackson Street sits on the border of where the business lunches of the financial district cross over into the date-night dinners of historic Jackson Square. Although our reservation was set past 8:00 PM, we showed up early and were seated immediately at a lovely table in the center of the front dining room nearby the signature fireplace. From the moment we arrived, we were taken in by the warm and inviting atmosphere. Our server was friendly and knowledgeable as well and explained the menu in great detail. The wines were good and the service was timely, although we never felt rushed. We shared several appetizers, including the Kalamboki, roasted sweet white corn with horseradish and feta butter, and the Spanakopita, phyllo pies of spinach, feta, leeks and dill. My Moussaka entré was outstanding. This traditional baked casserole of spiced lamb, beef, eggplant, potato and a yogurt béchamel sauce was cooked perfectly. Dining at Kokkari’s was a great way to end our journey and we had a blast reminiscing about the previous week’s many adventures we shared.
Unfortunately, our return journey home was not nearly as pleasant and turned into somewhat of a disaster. We were booked on a Delta 767-300ER that was supposed to depart San Francisco for Atlanta at 11:49 AM. After boarding was complete, we were still at the gate some 30 minutes later when the pilot announced we had a maintenance issue. We were seated in Row 2 and one of the ceiling panels just ahead of our seats was not securely in place. The mechanics came aboard and proceeded to first stand on the armrests and bang on the panel several times in hopes that it would “catch.” Sadly, this didn’t happen and after a time, the entire plane was off loaded. We were sure the flight would be cancelled but after several hours, we boarded once again to discover they had simply duct taped the panel back in place! (Why didn’t they do this initially?) Our flight took off some three and a half hours later! By the time we arrived in Atlanta well after 10:00 PM, our connecting flight had already departed for Raleigh. Delta gave us two economy class seats on the first flight out the next day and a complimentary voucher for a room at the Airport Holiday Inn. It gets worse. The hotel bus never arrived after we waited more than an hour and so we decided to take a chance and head to the Airport Marriott Hotel even though we had no reservations. We were lucky enough to secure a $200 room for the night and after about four hours’ sleep, arrived back at the airport very early the next day for our flight leaving at 7:20 AM. We were exhausted by the time we found ourselves back in Raleigh about 9:30 in the morning.
Sometimes things don’t go according to plan and I have enough travel experience to weather the ups and downs of life on the road with aplomb. To their credit, Delta did reimburse us for the Marriott hotel room charge and the fare difference between first class and economy on the final leg of the journey. Bad as our return mishap was, it didn’t take away from the wonderful week we shared with our good friends and the many good and lasting memories we made.
Until next time…safe travels.
Sad that the end of the journey was such a disappointment - but at least it was the END and not the start which could have soured the whole trip. The story about the Alcatraz flies reminded me of a certain Alice Springs adventure - are you sure you are not related to Beelzebub? ...