Weekend in SF: Sea Lions!

Saturday, January 18-Sunday, January 19
This weekend marked the 30th anniversary of the arrival of the iconic sea lions at Pier 39 in San Francisco, so Mr. E and I made use of our SF weekend package from the WEAVE live auction for a quick overnight trip. Our Amtrak train left Sac at 10:30am on Saturday, and the connector bus was supposed to get us to downtown SF by about 12:10pm, but a delay with the bus due to equipment malfunction plus major traffic due to the closure of Market Street because of the Women's March resulted in our arrival at the W hotel near SF MOMA closer to 1:45pm. Good thing we didn't have any specific appointment on the calendar for early afternoon!

Mr. E did a short weight workout after we got settled in our room while I found the nearby Whole Foods to pick up some snacks. Then we went next door to SF MOMA to see "Mur Murs," a wonderful film by Agnes Varda about the mural culture in Los Angeles during the 1980s. We both enjoyed the style and story of the movie, and for Mr. E, the sights and scenes brought back memories of his time in SoCal during the early 80s.

Our weekend package included a $150 gift certificate to La Mar restaurant on the Embarcadero, right next to the Ferry Building. La Mar specializes in Peruvian cuisine, which is based on peppers, so almost every dish includes pepper of some kind, even the specialty cocktails! I tried the El Volcan with aji amarillo gin and ice cube, but it was just too spicy for me, so I ended up with a glass of white wine from Argentina instead. We had a fabulous server who was very helpful with my dietary restrictions, which was especially useful since we weren't familiar with many of the items on the menu. We shared the Causa Limena as a starter, and then Mr. E had the mixed Anticuchos sampler for his meal while I had the Salmon La Mar. Yummy!

We walked back to the W where I did my daily yoga practice and Mr. E enjoyed a cocktail in the bar. After an episode of "Love It or List It," we called it a night.

On Sunday morning, I did a jog/walk down Market Street to the Embarcadero and along to Pier 15/17. Then we had breakfast at Trace, the W's restaurant, since Mr. E's Bonvoy status gave us access to the complimentary meal. We followed up with coffee at the Starbucks on 3rd & Market and then caught the F Streetcar down to Pier 39, where we signed up for the 12pm Sea Lion Discovery Tour. Since we had a little time before the tour, we walked to Boudin to buy two sourdough baby turtles for later. Then we headed back to Pier 39 to join our tour group, which was led by an educator from the Aquarium who provide a 30-minute lesson about the sea lions, including their history in SF bay, their physical characteristics, and their typical behaviors. Although the population was a bit sparse today, we still enjoyed watching their antics and hearing their bellows.

After the tour, we walked around Pier 39 to admire the 30 colorful sea lion statues, which were created by local artists to celebrate the animals and will be placed in various locations throughout the city for the rest of the year in honor of this anniversary. We purchased a beautiful (but pricey!) commemorative book at the Aquarium gift shop along with a sea lion ornament to add to our collection.

We decided to walk back to the hotel since the weather was nice and found our way to the Salesforce Park via the gondola on Mission Street. What a great public amenity on top of the Transit Plaza! Next time, I'll have to keep in mind the various group fitness classes available for free, including the 2pm yoga class on Sundays. If I had known about it, we could have planned better so that I could attend, but instead we needed to get back to the hotel to pack up and check out (yay for the late checkout). Then we caught our Amtrak bus near the Salesforce Park gondola and had a smooth trip back to Sacramento, where our train actually arrived 10 minutes early.

Such a fun SF trip. Love those sea lions!!!

January: Still in Vancouver!

January 1-3: Vancouver for NYE
Wednesday 1/1: Morning Run, Polar Bears, Arts Club Theatre, Science World
What a beautiful morning to welcome in 2020! Blue skies and plentiful sunshine once the big puffy clouds moved off after the sunrise. My morning jog/walk along the Seawall up to Canada Place was breathtaking, with clear views of the mountains and the sunlit clouds. Canada Place was still decorated for the holidays, so I got to see the trees and holiday displays sponsored by various businesses as well as the big holiday light moose at the end overlooking the Bay.

We repeated our breakfast buffet and then headed off in the sun towards English Bay Beach to check out the preparations for the 100th anniversary of the Polar Bear Swim. The official plunge was scheduled to begin at 2:30pm, but there were lots of folks out on the beach already and doing their own DIY plunges to start off the year. We'll definitely need to participate next time!

We walked along the path by the water, admiring the views and public art and all of the dogs out walking their humans! The Aquabus provided our transportation over to Granville Island, where the Market was closed for the holiday so we had to make do with one of the few eateries open for a quick lunch. Bummer about the mayo-y shrimp salad in the sandwich! Our matinee performance of "Miss Bennett: Christmas at Pemberley" by the Arts Club Theatre was wonderful -- great cast, fun feminine script, and third-row seats for an intimate experience.

We hopped back onto the Aquabus for the 20-minute ride across the water to Science World, one of the few attractions open on New Year's Day. Our focus was on the special Cats & Dogs exhibition, where we learned some very interesting new facts about our four-footed friends. We also perused the gallery on the human body and the "Eureka" area with lots of interactive and hands-on displays.

Since the weather was still cooperating with no rain, we decided to walk back to the hotel, admiring the lights of the city and pausing along the way for some browsing along Robson Street and picking up some take-out for dinner. Unfortunately, Pokerrito was closed, which was quite disappointing as I'd had my heart set on another yummy bowl with kelp noodles, so I made do with the salad bar at Whole Foods instead. We both managed to get back to the hotel in time for Happy Hour drinks and snacks and then finished off the evening with more "Witchblade" and wine in our room.

Thursday 1/2: Yoga, Food Tour, Locavore Dinner
I started off with the 1-hour Move Well yoga class with Krysty and was the only student for the day. Then I grabbed a quick bite at the breakfast buffet while Mr. E had an Americano before we headed out to the meet-up spot for our Secret Food Tour of the Gastown area. My navigation error had us thinking that the tour wasn't going to happen (the other tour we had booked for earlier in the week had been cancelled), but luckily our guide, Liam, called Mr. E's cell so we were able to make a course correction and find the group just two blocks away at the correct meeting spot. Oops!

The other tour participants included two college student brothers from a small town near Perth, Australia, and a single guy from Chicago. All three of them were planning to attend the hockey game that evening, so that became a frequent topic of conversation, especially since our tour guide also works at the sports bar at the arena.

We began with sushi followed by [fried] fish tacos then vegan "Buffalo wings" (cauliflower) and "calamari" (oyster mushrooms) and a cronut and finishing with organic soft-serve ice cream. Liam did a great job of requesting modifications to the food to accommodate my allium and dairy issues at each location. The weather continued to be cold and rainy, so we got a bit damp and chilly on our walk back to the hotel.

After getting warmed up and drying out our clothes, we headed to our final Happy Hour at the H Lounge for pre-dinner drinks. Our final dinner was at nearby Forage, a seasonal locavore spot on Robson Street. We started with the charcuterie board for Mr. E and the cheese board to share, both of which were quite plentiful and accompanied by house-made bread and lavash-style crackers. Our mains were from the Sea (tuna) for me and the Land (tomahawk pork chop) for Mr. E. We also had regional beer and wine to accompany the food. Delicious! Definitely a spot we could and would visit again.

Back at the hotel, we packed up and spent time reading (me) and at the bar (Mr. E). My special Negroni from H2 was tasty with the Amaro instead of Campari, and Mr. E enjoyed his multi-layer chocolate cake for dessert as we wrapped up our Vancouver visit.

Return for the Memorial Day holiday??

December: Holiday Happenings

December 6-8: Denver Visit
Since I didn't get my usual Halloween visit to Denver this year, Mr. E and I decided to take advantage of an early December opportunity to check in with A, R, F, & C. We got to see their new house and meet the new feline member of the family, Nugget. What a cute little stripey boy cat! And so patient with both F & C and their playing and snuggling. Our weekend time included going to get a Christmas tree and "supervising" as the family decorated, attending F's basketball game (so fun! and he scored 2 baskets!), watching the Badgers, and spending 4+ hours working on my CPCA grant project (oof -- hadn't expected that much time, but everyone was very understanding of the impending deadline). This trip also helped with my Southwest accrual towards A-List status! As usual, Mr. E traveled on United, but we were able to coordinate our schedules so that we could meet up at SMF after our return flights. And I had enough time before he arrived to claim my winter coat from the Jet Blue Lost & Found (I had left it on my return flight from JFK earlier in November when J and I did our NYC trip -- so glad it was found and I could reclaim it!).

December 21-26: Xmas in Austin
We headed to Austin for Xmas as has been our tradition ever since C was born in 2014. Mr. E and I once again traveled separately on our respective favorite airlines (United for him, Southwest for me), and this trip achieved my A-List eligibility for 2020. Yay! That's a first for me! I arrived around dinner time on Saturday, and Mr. E's later flight put him on the ground close to midnight.

Sunday started off with a group outing to church to watch C as the Star in the kid's Christmas Pageant. So cute! Mr. E and I left before communion to do some errands, and then we had a movie-going afternoon with Mr. E and B seeing the new "Star Wars" and J, C, Mom, and me opting instead for "Cats." Despite the rather poor reviews, I quite enjoyed the movie and particularly loved the effects off the twitching ears and tails. Mr. E and B picked up some pizzas from Austin Pizza Garden on the way home for dinner.

All of the adults except Mom had to work on Monday. B went in to the office, and J, Mr. E, and I scattered to various spots around the house to set up our remote work stations. Mr. E, Mom, and I took a pause to go to Whole Foods for lunch and to pick up the items for tomorrow's dinner. I was able to log off around 4pm CT, and then J and I went to nearby Shore Raw Bar & Grill to meet up with D and also J and M from Pollyanna Theatre Company. We enjoyed our drinks and snacks (gulf oysters for me!), and M very kindly treated the group. In the meantime, Mr. E made dinner for himself, B, C, and Mom, with a chicken and veggies dish. He left some veggies on the side so that J or I could eat them. Yum!

We didn't have much on the calendar for Christmas Eve day until the evening, when we repeated what's now become a tradition with J, B, C, and Mom going to church and Mr. E and I making dinner. Mr. E cooked up a different cut of beef this year and also took care of the salmon while I focused on the sides. We had shrimp to start as the group returned from church and the main meal was still being finished off, and then the evening wrapped up for C with a reading of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" along with setting out cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. Once C was asleep, the presents came downstairs and were appropriately distributed under the tree and by the stockings. Merry Christmas!

Opening presents was set to begin around 10am on Christmas, so I had enough time to take Mom to Walgreen's for some film (and Xmas cards) before we gathered in the living room to watch C investigate the goodies and begin the unpacking. We were all done by about 11:30am, and we did a quick FaceTime with A, R, F, & C an hour later to show off some of the bounty at each household. We made sure to spend some time outside and then settled in with leftovers for both lunch and dinner.

Mr. E left in the late morning on Thursday for his early afternoon flight, but I was able to stay a bit longer and have more time with family before J took me to the airport for my early evening flight. Mr. E and I met up successfully at SMF and drove home together, where the kitties welcomed us with much scolding and snuggling.

December 29-31: Vancouver for NYE
Sunday 12/29: SMF > YVR
After a couple of days at home to do laundry, clean, reconnect with the kitties, and repack, Mr. E and I set off for Vancouver on the Air Canada direct flight from SMF on Sunday morning. The departure was a bit delayed until about noon, but we got through customs pretty quickly even though we had to claim our bags as we'd checked them at the gate in SMF. We made it to our hotel, the Westin Bayshore, in the early afternoon and set off for the nearby Whole Foods for some lunch after we checked in and dropped our bags in the room. We had a junior suite on the 3rd floor overlooking the outdoor pool (closed for the season) and Coal Harbour, with a partially obstructed view of Stanley Park as well. Despite the grey and cloudy weather, the view was still gorgeous and we definitely will keep this property in mind for a future visit during nicer weather so that we can truly enjoy the enormous lanai!

We picked up some provisions at Whole Foods as well as at the Safeway and BC Liquor Store just across the street. Back at the hotel, we unpacked the goodies and our bags before checking out all of the hotel facilities, including the Just Add Water yoga studio and Vida Spa, where we made massage appointments for tomorrow afternoon. Then Mr. E went to the Fitness Center and I headed to the H Lounge for the 5-7pm Happy Hour (the other restaurant, H2 Rotisserie & Bar, hosts Happy Hour from 3-5pm, so you could in theory spend an entire four hours in a progressive Happy Hour without leaving the hotel!). Mr. E joined me in the Lounge and we both enjoyed 1/2 dozen oysters each, shared the mini cheese & charcuterie plate, and drank some adult beverages. I also ordered the mini prawn cocktail from the HH menu.

For dinner, we split up to get to-go items from Pokerrito (me) and Viet Sub (Mr. E), which we then brought back to eat in the room while watching some Canadian TV. I also did some research for activities for the next few days and procured reservations for a holiday lights railway ride in Stanley Park as well as tickets for a show at the Arts Club Theatre on Granville Island.

Monday 12/30: Yoga, Massage, Bright Nights at Stanley Park
I got up around 6:30am to swim laps and had the pool all to myself. I braved the drizzly weather for a short walk to try to find a travel size bath wash but was unsuccessful in my quest. Back in the room, I did some work on Little Bucky and nudged Mr. E around 9am so that we could get our day started with the breakfast buffet in H2, which was included in our stay thanks to Mr. E's elite status with Bonvoy. The buffet was quite comprehensive (smoked salmon every day!) and included juice and coffee as well. Once we finished and got an Americano for Mr. E at the T & Co. coffee bar in the lobby area, we returned to the room for some 2020 travel planning.

I had paid for a first-timer two-week pass for Just Add Water so headed off for a noon Power Yoga class with Bryan. There was only one other student in the class, and the practice was definitely more active and challenging than my usual hatha and gentle classes here in Sac at the CAC. The other student was a former professional dancer and aerialist -- that explains his amazing handstands and super-pointed foot extension!!!

Neither Mr. E nor I was hungry for lunch after our morning buffet, so we took advantage of the non-rainy time for some browsing on Robson Street. We got a Vancouver patch for C to put on his new soccer backpack but nothing else, despite our extensive time in the Skechers store. I stocked up at the bulk candy store on the way back to the hotel, including four Lion bars to bring back to the States.

Mr. E went for a short work-out before our 4:30pm massage appointments. We relaxed a bit afterwards in the Spa and then returned to H Lounge for more HH oysters and drinks. Then we grabbed our umbrellas and managed to find our way in the dark to the Bright Nights display at Stanley Park, where we joined the crowd waiting for the 8-8:30pm mini train ride. So much fun! We didn't realize how many lights were tucked in and around the railway route, so I'm very glad we took the ride and didn't just stroll around the other part of the display area. Mr. E took some great photos of the holiday lights, including the huge red reindeer and Canadian flag.

Once we returned to the hotel (chilly, rainy walk), we ordered some food to go from H2 and ate a late dinner in the room while watching "Red 2" on TV.

Tuesday 12/31: Yoga, NYE Dinner
Unfortunately, the 8am morning yoga class was cancelled, so I made do with Zumba and YouTube yoga in the room before we once again enjoyed the breakfast buffet, this time with an omelette station. We could see the beginnings of the set-up for the NYE party at the hotel and witnessed more of the transformation throughout the day. Our post-breakfast planning this time focused on 2020 financial goals.

I attended the noon Ebb & Flow Express (45 minutes) class with instructor Krysty and just one other female student. We had a lovely view of the steady rain outside the studio windows. Rain all day today! Mr. E worked out in the early afternoon, and we then watched a few episodes of "Extraordinary Canadians" on the public television station.

Mr. E had made reservations at Showcase Restaurant for NYE dinner, so we braved the rainy conditions and set off on foot for the relatively short walk to the Marriott Pinnacle, where the restaurant is located. We began with drinks at the bar and were then able to get seated earlier than our reservation time since the venue was pretty quiet this early in the evening. Dinner was absolutely delicious, and the kitchen customized the prix-fixe menu to accommodate my dietary restrictions, even providing us with a second dessert for Mr. E at no additional cost. We started off with oysters (1 each), then shared the housemade sourdough that accompanied the duck confit salad for Mr. E and smoked sturgeon with caviar for me. Our mains were baked salmon (me) and steak (Mr. E) along with a variety of sides including roasted carrots, broccolini, and acorn squash. My non-dairy dessert was white peach sorbet, which I shared with Mr. E as he indulged in his flaming Baked Alaska.

Yummy! And also quite calm and peaceful at our table by the window with a view out to the street.

The rain had stopped by the time we finished dinner around 7:45pm, so our return walk to the hotel along the Seawall was even more enjoyable. We settled in with wine in the room and used the Little Bucky HDMI set-up to watch part of the original "Witchblade" movie before I decided to call it a night.

Happy 2020! Farewell 2019!