The purpose of our trip to San Francisco was to attend the wedding of friends Jim and Deb's daughter Kate, to Jason. The wedding was everything anyone could have hoped for but we managed to squeeze a few more activities in as well.
We stayed at the DaVinci Hotel on Van Ness, in the Russian Hill District, only a few blocks from the Bay. Day one saw the ladies go off shopping while the men strolled Fisherman's Wharf looking for the perfect loaf of sourdough bread filled with clam chowder to compliment a beer.
That evening. We attended the first wedding event at Pauline's Pizza for the out of towners. The pizza arrived continuously and the wine and beer flowed.
The next day Deborah and I were up early and took off on our bicycles to explore. We made our way down to the water and joined the throngs enjoying the beach and sunny weather on the first day of Spring.
We biked the Golden Gate Bridge and took pictures at the vista point at the North end. After lolling in the sun for awhile we reversed the trip and headed down to Fisherman's Wharf and treated ourselves to an iconic IN/OUT BURGER.
The wedding took place in the Mission District. It was a combination of a traditional Jewish wedding with a non-traditional, laid back, "we are here for a good time" approach. It was held in The Chapel, a nightclub on any other day. There were four bars pouring whatever it was you favoured and drinks were provided BEFORE the ceremony. Of course the bride and groom looked stunning and after a short ceremony (including the breaking of the glass and a Rabbi that could moonlight as a comedian), the party started in earnest. A live band played the whole night and the dance floor was full. At one point the bride and groom appeared floating on chairs above the crowd supported by their friends and family. The evening ended for us just after midnight but we left the party going strong.
The next day we joined in a wedding brunch and then made our way to Napa and Sonoma for a few days of Wine Tasting.
