San Francisco! (part ii)
This is part ii of my San Francisco recap. You can read part i here! Looks like there will be a part iii because this got a bit long!
SATURDAY!
On Saturday I got to run in Golden Gate Park, which awed me. I already said this, but I’d love to run there again! And to do a race there.
We got Arzimendi Bakery for breakfast, and I had the vegan focaccia (yum). Normally I’d share food pics with you, but none turned out. So I will share other mediocre pics instead.
After we fueled we were off on a long walk through a few neighborhoods, with a planned end at The Painted Ladies near Alamo Square. On the days we walked a lot, we got about 18,000 steps in. We both enjoyed walking so much and seeing things that way – that’s how we prefer to explore!
Mica asked us what we were most surprised by in San Francisco. I said the size – looking at it on a map, I didn’t grasp how big of a city it is. I understood we’d take public transportation and get rides places, but I thought things would be a littler closer together (this is not a complaint!).
Steven said the variety of neighborhoods. He thought things would be more homogeneous, but there are distinct neighborhoods and architectural styles. He compared it to New York City, and I agree. And we don’t mean to offend San Franciscans – I am not sure if they hate the NYC comparison as much as Chicagoans do!
Our walk included stops at Hot Cookie (yum), a yarn store, Cha-Ya (vegetarian Japanese food, also yum), KitTEA Cat Cafe (just to watch – made me miss my babies even more), and Blue Bottle Coffee.
We walked up a huge hill to see the Painted Ladies and when we got to the park, Mica said “Don’t look yet! Don’t look!” until we got up a little hill in the park “Okay, you can look now.” Ha ha.
We didn’t reenact the Full House intro as planned (ha), but it was cool to see these homes we saw so many times watching that show in childhood.
Mica had told us that the show intro implies the park is a lot more open and I totally get what she meant – there was a group of trees in the park that make it feel more cramped than the TV does. Ahh, TV magic. That’s show business, baby <— put that line in solely to annoy my snis.
After hanging out at the house we went back home and ordered Patxi’s Pizza. I appreciated that they had a vegan deep dish! Even though it made both of us gassy muah ha ha.
Then we watched San Andreas (we wanted to watch something “set” in San Francisco) and played more Overcooked 2 to STAY AWAKE BECAUSE WE HAD MIDNIGHT THEATER TICKETS!
So, Mica and Harrison love The Room, this horrible 2003 movie set in San Francisco that has a cult following because of how bad it is (the 2017 film The Disaster Artist is about making The Room). Mica was STOKED when she found out it would be playing while we were there. I really think that is what she was most excited about – introducing us to it, because she knows we love to laugh!
And laugh, we did.
But first! We had to go to Target and get spoons. There are framed pictures of spoons in the movie, and whenever you see them, you yell “spoons!” and throw spoons up in the air. So fun.
When we got to the film, we found out the writer/producer/director/star Tommy Wiseau was there. It made me happy to see Mica and Harrison excited about meeting him! I still had no idea what he was like, and just thought he was polite and goofy (in a fun way).
So the movie didn’t actually start until after 1:00 am! There was a long line for people to meet Tommy and get autographs, then he did a completely goofy question and answer that got me really excited for how wacky the movie would be.
And oh, it was. I understand the obsession with it. I want to go again! It was a blast to learn the cues for all the things to shout, chant, or do. Steven and I both laughed so hard, at the movie and especially at the audience.
(The movie is about a love triangle between two friends, with bad acting, bad lines, inconsistencies, horrible sex scenes, and just so much ridiculousness.)
We got home so late! Past 3:00! But it was totally worth it! We fell asleep while repeating and laughing at the different lines from the movie. Side note: and we watched The Disaster Artist Monday/Tuesday night when we returned. Steven had seen it and liked it, and I hadn’t yet!
This is getting long so I’ll write a part iii about our last day(s)!
Themocracy
SF half or full next July? http://www.thesfmarathon.com/the-races/1st-half-marathon/ This is on my bucket list of races. I have this and the Monterrey Bay half left on my list for California. I might try to do them both in 2019 if I can pony up the fees 🙂
San Fran sounds awesome!
I’d be game if it was not the ONE weekend I am busy in July – the day after RAGRBAI. That stinks. 🙁
I hope you can do both in 2019! When are you running WI?
All the eye rolls snist.
Heh heh heh. Love you. :-*
I had no idea what you were referring to when you said Painted Ladies. But yes, the cool old houses are really nice. Fun fact: one of my high school buddies bought a SF row house and it was so interesting to see the inside of an old house like that!
We’ve seen Disaster Artist but not The Room – I am so envious that you got to enjoy the nuttiness that is Tommy Wiseau!
Ha! I only know they are called that because Mica taught me! I love seeing layouts in row houses. People do some really interesting things to maximize use of the space!
I hope you get to enjoy it someday at a theater!!!!
Wow, Golden Gate Park looks STUNNING! I didn’t have a chance to go there when I went to San Francisco, but that will definitely have to be on my list if I go again!
Did you go to the actual Full House house, too, or just the Painted Ladies? That was easily my favorite show as a kid, so I insisted on going to both, haha. I’m pretty sure at least half of my excitement about being in San Francisco when I was there was due to being in the same city as Full House 😛
I read that the citizens of SF wanted something similar to NYC’s Central Park, and I can see the inspiration there! I do hope you get to see it if you go again. I could probably spend a day there, walking around. And there are a few museums and gardens in it.
We just saw the Painted Ladies! That is awesome you saw their house too! I remember watching that show all the time as a kid but not really getting that it was in SF until I was an adult. Ha ha.