San Francisco Weekend Getaway

Friday, June 13-Sunday, June 15: Train, Rally, Art, Brunch

Mr. E and I headed out at 1pm for an early afternoon Amtrak + bus connection trip to San Francisco for the weekend. Unfortunately, once we reached Emeryville to meet up with the bus, am Amtrak employee informed everyone that the bus needed repairs. There was not ETA for when the bus would be fixed or another would be brought in instead, so Mr. E and I decided to check out the option for a Lyft to Union Square and our hotel. The ride was just over $30 and totally worth it so that we didn't have to wait or deal with the walk from the bus stop.

We got to our hotel, the Hilton Union Square (where I had stayed for the CSSO Conference back in March), around 4:20pm. The front desk staff was super friendly and helpful and made sure we had a room with a good view! We were in a corner 1-bedroom suite on the 25th floor with a panorama out over the city and part of the Bay.

After we got settled in, Mr. E went to the Fitness Center for a short workout in the rather large Fitness Center on the first floor. Before going to the Cityscape Sky Bar for snacks and beverages, we did some errands, including procuring some popcorn for me along and trying to find an HDMI cable so that we could access our streaming services by hooking up my laptop to the TV. This is one of those hotels with very minimal TV channel offerings and no streaming at all! We struck out at CVS (store closing so very low stock of everything), Walgreens (popcorn purchased here), and Ross. Luckily, the nearby Target was much larger than we expected and had numerous options for HDMI cables. We made very good use of our new purchase over the next two nights to watch Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1 and The Accountant 2.  

[Note to self: Leave HDMI cable in big purple for future use while traveling!]

When we got back to the hotel, we headed up to the 46th floor for an amazing panoramic view and some beverages. I enjoyed my Negroni with Junipero gin (new to me), and Mr. E found his 0% ABV "beer" to be quite refreshing. We split the cheese & charcuterie plate, which offered lovely portion sizes of each item along with sufficient bread and crackers on the side. We had scoped out some nearby restaurants for a potential takeout dinner, so Mr. E hopped across the street to Oma Sushi and brought back the Caterpilla roll for me as well as a terikyaki Bento box for himself with some seaweed salad and a side green salad to share. Yum!

On Saturday morning, I went out for a walk before my Zumba and yoga in-room workout routine. I considered going to the rooftop pool on the 16th floor, but there were other people already there, which would have made it challenging to do laps. We decided to get brunch at Caffe Central and opted for takeout since there weren't any tables available. While Mr. E waited for the food, I started back towards the hotel, picking up Starbucks on the way. Mr. E had the California Bagel Sandwich with a fruit cup and I had the Union Square Plate. We enjoyed our brunch at the high-top table in our site overlooking downtown.

Our first destination of the day was the No Kings rally, so we left the hotel around 11am to head towards Civic Center Plaza, which is where I thought the rally was taking place. Unfortunately, we didn't have the most updated information but were able to find out that the event was starting with a rally at Dolores Park followed by a march to the Civic Center. We headed towards the Park to meet up with the crowd and got there just in time for the beginning of the March. Lots of great signs and a huge turnout and some sights that were very "San Francisco-y" as well!

Since we had timed entry tickets for the Wayne Thiebaud: Art Comes from Art exhibition at the Legion of Honor, we didn't participate in the march and instead grabbed a Lyft to the museum. The exhibition was so interesting, since it focused on how Thiebaud was inspired by so many other artists and frequently borrowed or even copied from their work in his own paintings. I was really fascinated to see how his painting evolved over time, since I usually think of his style as being heavily layered paint but very smooth and glossy. This wasn't the style he used at all for some of his earlier works!

Mr. E particularly enjoyed this exhibit, and while he lingered in these galleries, I had time to check out the porcelain collection and the current works on paper from the Achenbach Collection. There was another Thiebaud piece in this gallery, too!

We grabbed a Lyft back to the hotel and relaxed for a bit before heading to E&O Kitchen and Bar, one of our favorite SF spots for Happy Hour. We enjoyed our 1/2 dozen oysters (for each of us), mushroom skewers (me), and short ribs and pork bun (Mr. E). I also had the Tradewinds G&T, which has a beautiful purple color thanks to the pea flower infused gin. Unfortunately, I somehow manage to knock the glass over, which not only spilled my drink all over the bar but also broke the glass!!! I guess I'm stronger than I realize... ha, ha. The staff was very attentive in rushing to clean up everything and to remake my drink. 

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped off at One 65 Patisserie for some macarons, truffles, and cookies. I had checked out their offerings earlier in the day when we were next door at Caffe Central and knew that I wanted to return for some of their beautiful and amazingly intricate creations. My favorite was definitely the s'mores truffle -- somehow they managed to get all the appropriate layers of flavor of the marshmallow, chocolate, and graham cracker into a tiny little ball. Impressive!

We made sure to spend our daily $35 credit for food and beverages at Herb'n Kitchen at the hotel, although Mr. E was dismayed to discover that his bag of salt & pepper chips contained garlic powder as well. Grr. This is why I read ingredient lists on almost everything, because you just never know where such things might lurk...

On Sunday morning, I repeated my walk and Zumba activities and then swam laps in the lovely and warm outdoor pool. We met up with L, an alum from my NYU SPS MSTI program, and her spouse, A, at Honey Honey Cafe & Crepery, which was an awesome spot for brunch. It was really nice to re-connect with L in person and to get to know her spouse a bit. They moved from New Jersey to Redwood City last year and were kind enough to make the drive into downtown SF to meet up with us. 

We had arranged for a 12:30pm checkout at the hotel so had some time for reading and Duolingo practice after brunch before we walked to the bus stop near the Salesforce Transit Center to start on our Amtrak return trip home. On the way, we paused at One 65 so Mr. E could get a sandwich, and I procured one final s'mores truffle as a treat for later. The train home was less crowded than on the way into SF on Friday, so we enjoyed a very peaceful ride (except for having to hear some stuff from the phone of a passenger sitting two rows in front of us... put your ear buds on, dude!). The walk home from the train station in Sac was a bit toasty but tolerable, and we were back with the kitties by 5pm to settle in for the rest of the evening.

A really enjoyable SF weekend getaway with perfect sunny but cool weather! The only disappointment is seeing how this city is still suffering from the effects of the pandemic and the growing issues of homelessness and drug use. It's quite sad, since the city also still has so many wonderful things to offer, but we'll likely explore other areas for hotels for any future visits, as parts of the Union Square neighborhood just aren't very pleasant to be around. 

May Evanston Events

Thursday, May 1: May Day Rally + Better Off Read Book Club

I was able to attend a bit of the afternoon rally at Fountain Square once I wrapped up work meetings. The Mayor of Evanston gave some opening remarks.

Later in the evening, I went to the Better Off Read Book Club at the library. The selection for this month was Long Island, which I mostly enjoyed although it was hard to empathize with several of the characters. But it was great to discuss the book with others and start to make some new local connections. Unfortunately, I'll miss the next few meetings since we'll traveling or in Sac, but I definitely plan to re-connect when we're in Evanston for the fall.

Saturday, May 3 & Sunday, May 4: Lakeshore Shuffle 5K, Coffee at the Lake, Man of La Mancha

Mr. E and I walked the 5K Lakeshore Shuffle on Saturday morning since I'm not able to run anymore, even this type of shorter distance. The weather was still a bit chilly but beautiful! 

On Sunday morning, my friend R drove up to meet me for coffee and tea at the Lake. We took advantage of the indoor kiosk space and then walked along the Lake for a bit. In the afternoon, Mr. E and I went to the final performance Man of La Mancha at the Wirtz Performing Arts Center. The show was amazing, and the setting in an immigrant detention center was so evocative and emotional. We were both in tears after the finale! We asked a staff member if we could buy one of the big posters because we wanted to remember this experience, but unfortunately they weren't for sale. So instead, Mr. E grabbed one of the smaller flyers from the men's room for us to take home and frame. 

Thursday, May 8: Spring Sip & Stroll

We visited several downtown businesses as part of the Spring Sip & Stroll, including the new Herson's Barbershop, where we met the super-friendly owner who assured me that he's very comfortable doing women's short cuts. I ended up making an appointment with him later in the month since I'm still trying to find a good local salon within walking distance of our apartment. (I was very pleased with his service and pricing!)

Thursday, May 15: Arts & Craft Beverage Crawl

We were supposed to join up with our friends M & L for arts & craft beverage crawl along the Main / Dempster mile, but unfortunately I was having a multiple migraine week and wasn't feeling up to being social or any sort of adult beverages. Mr. E enjoyed the get together, including dinner at Kuni's, one of M & L's favorite Japanese restaurants.

Saturday, May 17 & Sunday, May 18: Dinner at Eataly + Hubbard Street Dance

My sister J was in town for the weekend for a work event and invited us to join her small team dinner on Saturday evening at Eataly in downtown Chicago. We met up with her a bit early for some family chatting and then enjoyed getting to know some of her close colleagues. Unfortunately, the dinner experience overall was subpar due to lackadaisical service and undercooked pasta (at a pasta specialty restaurant!). Mr. E had some words with a manager and got our bill reduced by nearly 2/3, which was covered by J's company. I think they appreciated our "contribution"!!!

On Sunday afternoon, we headed back to downtown Chicago for the Spring Series performance by Hubbard Street Dance. Once again, the company was AMAZING! I had watched several of the pre-show interviews and sneak peeks online, which helped to really appreciate some of the pieces and better understand the creative process behind-the-scenes. Coincidentally, this series was at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park, just down the street from where Mr. E's mom lives, but since she was already in France with Mr. E's sister and brother-in-law, we didn't have a chance to meet up with her.

Friday, May 30: As It Is In Heaven

As one of our final Evanston activities before returning to Sac for the month of June, we went to see As It Is In Heaven at the Wirtz Center. We both enjoyed the strong performances, including all of the singing and instrumentals, but the script and subject matter weren't quite as compelling compared to other shows we've seen so far at this space. We're looking forward to the announcement of next season's offerings and hope to add several to our calendar.

Scenic Views

The late Spring continued to provide lots of scenic views, including lots of forsythia and pansies and many multiple-bunny siting days. We also had some gorgeous sunsets and sunrises (with surfers in the Lake -- brr!) along with some VERY weird thick fog that hung around all day. We thought perhaps this was an annual weather event in Evanston, but according to the locals, it was unusual for them, too!

Lyon River Cruise: Cruise Day 7 (End of Trip)

Wednesday, May 28: LYS > YUL > ORD

The schedule indicated an arrival in Lyon around 4am, and I had hoped to do my morning walk along the city streets. However, when I got up just after 6am, it was very obvious that we hadn’t reached the city yet. In fact, the boat pulled into a small dock south of the city to restock on supplies before finally continuing on to our final destination. We had to have our bags packed and ready outside of our cabins by 8:30am for the crew to organize them according to follow-on plans (e.g. additional travel or taxi service).

Unfortunately, our final breakfast was a bit low on some items, including scrambled eggs, so we made due with other options and grabbed some mini toast crackers for later. We had to vacate our cabins by 9am but didn’t need to leave the boat until 11am, so Mr. E, M, and I got Mr. E’s mom, aunt, and uncle settled in the Lounge Bar and then headed into the city for some final walking and exploring. We lingered over coffee at Starbucks and then took our last stroll around the city before returning to the boat to meet up with the family and catch our respective taxis to the train station (M, Mr. E’s mom, aunt, and uncle for return to Paris) and the airport (Mr. E and me).

Our return trip was on Air Canada, and we had paid for extra-space seats in the economy section, so we had a two-fer together for our flight to Montreal. I definitely learned that it’s worth paying more for some sort of business class seats given my ongoing issues with the left side of my back and leg, as it was quite challenging for me to get comfortable in the smaller seats without the ability to really stretch out. I watched a few really great movies (The Killer, Tarla, and most of The American Society of Magical Negroes) and started but didn’t finish one movie that wasn’t so great (Inside).

We had smooth passage through customs and immigration in Montreal and took advantage of access to the Mont Blanc lounge for lunch, knowing that we wouldn’t have many options on our flight to Chicago. We arrived a little early at O’Hare, just after 8pm, and grabbed a taxi home to Evanston and the kitties, making it back to our apartment by around 9pm. This gave us time to unpack and get settled before wrapping up the evening. Mr. E had gotten his second wind so stayed up for cocktails and TV, but I went to bed and enjoyed returning to the night-time snuggles and nesting with Louis XIV.

Overall, a really great trip and wonderful to spend time with family! We learned that we prefer a larger riverboat with some additional public space, which is good to know for any future plans. This boat had only two decks, primarily because it had to go under so many bridges on the Rhone River, and it only had the Lounge Bar and sundeck as general gathering spots. The boat we were on in Bordeaux had three decks and included another salon area, so it was easier to spread out and have some different spaces during the free time on board. Mr. E’s mom seems interested in one of the Portugal river cruises, also offered by CrosiEurope, so we may have to consider adding that to our plans within the next year or so.

Lyon River Cruise: Cruise Day 6

Tuesday, May 27: Viviers + Sailing to La Voulte + Onwards to Lyon

We were right next to the dock in Viviers, so I was able to enjoy my morning walk along the river, getting a far-off view of the city along the way.

For our city walking tour, we again split into groups by language, so M and I joined the French tour guide while Mr. E, his mom, and his aunt and uncle stayed with the English group. The town is quite small and very close to the dock. However, the inner part of the town is also very windy and hilly, so Mr. E’s mom, aunt, and uncle headed back to the boat before embarking on that part of the tour.

Our French guide was extremely informative and rather funny, getting a bit exasperated when there were too many visitors or when other tour groups were in the spot she wanted to be. She also had some wry commentary on parts of the town’s history and current situation, including the challenges with upkeep for the historic structures and the reliance on individual investors to maintain or renovate the buildings. She led us through the winding streets and up to the scenic panorama and the cathedral.

M and I had some time at the end of the tour to wander back through some streets for additional photos and a surprise friendly kitty encounter! [PHOTO] 

 

Mr. E’s tour group had finished earlier, so he was already back on the boat enjoying some coffee by the time M and I returned. We joined the rest of the family for lunch, and then we all decided to skip the optional afternoon excursion to the Ardèche Gorges, staying on board for an afternoon of sailing instead.

I was able to do more homework while Mr. E got some reading time. We also strolled around the sun deck as we waited out a rather long delay at one of the locks. The original schedule was for the boat to arrive in La Voulte around 4:30pm, with a return to the boat of the excursion buses around 6:30pm. Mr. E, M, and I had hoped to have the chance to get off for an afternoon stroll in the town, but due to the delay, we were actually late in arriving so had just enough time to load up everyone else and then continue onwards towards Lyon for the rest of the afternoon and through the night.

Our final dinner was in the style of la guingette, with colorful linens and decorations. We celebrated the end of the cruise with the family by sharing our wine from Tain l’Hermitage, which was quite tasty. Mr. E's mom received a wonderful creative fresh fruit alternative option for dessert!

The evening’s post-dinner entertainment was karaoke in the Lounge Bar, including participation from most of the crew. I again opted out of the later activities and instead did some organizing in anticipation of our departure the next day before going to bed.