The San Franciso Treat

Guess what everyone. Rice-A-Roni is not made in San Francisco, even though it's the San Francisco treat. It's made in Chicago. This is just one of the many fascinating tidbits I learned on my big touristy bus tour while in San Francisco last weekend. I actually really enjoyed a big touristy goober while in San Francisco. I'm pretty sure half the people there are tourists, so I fit right in. Plus, it meant I didn't have to drive or walk everywhere. I got to sit on the the top of a lovely open top bus and take in all the sights San Fran has to offer...which is quite a lot.

The open top part would have been more fun if it wasn't FREEZING cold while we were there. I knew it was going to be chilly there, but I was not prepared for just how cold it was. I hardly ever use my scarf, hat and gloves in LA, even in the winter, but they definitely would have been helpful in SF. I had to buy a winter hat to wear while we were on the bus it was so cold! It is very stylish, don't worry, you know I always have to look good. We got to  see pretty much everything there is to see in San Fran. I highly recommend doing touristy bus tours when you only have a few days in a city because it shows you everything you need to see, you don't have to deal with traffic, you learn all kinds of random things from the tour guide AND you get to look super awesome sitting on the top floor of a bus. The locals don't make fun of you at all.

We hiked up Lombard street, to the crookedest street in the world...buses are not allowed to drive up there, and neither are stretch limos. Thanks to our lovely guide Betsy, we learned a stretch limo once got stuck there for 3 days and had to be airlifted out, haha. I also learned the San Francisco Bay is not actually a bay, it's really an estuary. So, just like LA, SF is not all that it appears to be. We also ate some REALLY good food. I got some amazing noodles in Chinatown and had some fantastic lobster ravioli at Scoma's, which is supposed to be the best seafood restaurant there. I also tried to go to IHOP and get a kids Rooty Tooty meal and they refused to let me have it! F you IHOP! You are delicious and all, but I wanted less food than a real Rooty Tooty and I just don't understand why you wouldn't let me have it! Ugh, whatever.

My favorite part of SF had to be the Sea Lions at Pier 39. I know that is completely ridiculous of me to say, but they are seriously SO entertaining. They smell terrible, but watching them is totally hilarious. They are all piled up on top of each other, barking and crawling all over the place. It took some convincing to make me walk away from them. I know, I'm a goober.

Anyway, other than the weather, the trip was fantastic. All the students I went with were great, everyone got along, minimal complaining and overall we had a really great time. We drove up the PCH on the way there, which was a beautiful drive. It took fooorrreeevvver, but it was so gorgeous. I just wish had gotten started sooner because by the time we got to the SF part of it, it was dark and we could no longer see the beach. We took the freeway on the drive home and it took almost as long with traffic. Oh well. I was completely exhausted yesterday when I got back, but I took a fantastic nap and life was better. We still don't have any internet at my house, so blogging is kind of difficult. Right now I'm at a coffee shop in Hollywood, while the students are wandering around, looking for stars. We also still don't have a trashcan, a TV or any lights in the living room at the apartment. I was hoping my new roommates would kind of get some shit together while I was gone, but apparently they are not interested in having a house that looks lived in, so I'm going to work on that this weekend. We also found out from the landlord that he wants to increase the rent on  us. Trying to figure out that whole mess has been such a pain in the ass and I kind of hate being a grown up.

Ok, well tomorrow it's Catalina and then I will actually be home this weekend for the first time this month. Kind of excited about waking up in my own bed AND not having to wake up to an alarm.

Dream big people!