the beautiful views of the bridges, funky architecture, sour dough bread, walking up and down the steep hills, Ghirardelli chocolate, cable car, and the diversity. I arrived on a Saturday afternoon (2 days before the conference began) and it just so happened to be raining (more like a torrential downpour). 
Guess what I forgot to pack? Um, yeah an umbrella. Oh well! I hopped on an airport shuttle and to the city I went. A beefeater, dressed up like a bodyguard of the British Monarch (see photo to left and below) greeted me at the entrance of my hotel...I stayed at the Union Square Sir Francis Drake,
instead of the over-the-top expensive conference hotel. (Ah, the joys of being on a grad student travel budget.) Actually the Sir Francis Drake was one block from the conference hotel. So, it 
made for a very convenient spot to stay, plus it was located on Powell St. where the cable car runs, plus it offered some VERY cool amenities (keep reading...), plus the dude dressed in red threads with a fancy flowery hat greeted me every time I entered/exited the hotel. On arrival I checked into the funky, yet swank hote
l and walked across the street to Walgreens (how convenient) to pick up 
an umbrella. WHAT...$18 for an umbrella? I must be in the big city! I skipped the umbrella purchase and instead decided to check out the hotel digs. I soon realized that the best hotel amenity was in the closet...two super chic bathrobes--one leopard print and the other zebra print. Ahhhh...some. I tried both of them on (not at the same time), decided on the leopard print, and lounged around in the hotel room (with free wireless) until the rain subsided around 7 p.m. Then, out to see the city, which was great timing because the Chinese N
ew Year parade just so happened to be traveling right by my hotel.
The next day was SUNNY! Did my morning yoga, laced up the walking shoes, and headed out to explore the city. I walked all over...first to Whole Foods for breakfast. Then, to Chinatown, North Beach (smell that garlic), Fisherman's Wharf, and Ghirardelli Square. From there I walked up, up, up Hyde Street and down, down,
down the crooked Lombard Street and slowly made my way back to the hotel. After a full day of walking my legs were tingly and the leopard print bathrobe never felt so good.The next two days were
intense conference days...thus, I did not leave the conference hotel except 
to walk back to/from the Sir Francis hotel. It was sad to leave SF...such a great trip!
