San Francisco’s Hayes Valley – I’m a Valley Girl at heart!

shoe store — Great name for a shoe boutique – just GIMME MORE!

Hayes Valley girl that is! A district of San Francisco discovered last year while staying at a quaint boutique hotel (Inn at the Opera) in town to run the Nike Women’s half marathon. Located a short walking distance to the Opera House, City Hall and about a 20 minute walk to Union Square.

A place that surprised me to find out that only twenty years ago was considered a haven for the city’s homeless, drug addicts and prostitutes. In other words quite a seedy location which they cleaned up pretty good. Something reminiscent of New York City’s Meat Packing District.

The most delicious macaroons from France

Since then it has developed into a haven for haute couture. Where the crack houses and tenements once stood, there are now trendy fashion boutiques, SoHo-style funky art galleries, high-end interior-decorating shops, top-notch restaurants and hip nightspots.

True Sake wall display — Sake wall display

Now, tourists also head here specifically for the shopping, for one-of-a-kinds like a buffalo-leather chair or an exclusive Sue Wong Art Deco gown.

Great vintage shops with amazing finds – things like slightly used Louis Vuitton luggage and crocodile handbags for only $350. It was hard to tell if I was in a really great second hand shop or that of a local designer.

In any event it was fun to even window shop, have a bite to eat and just walk around this interesting combination of “old meets trendy” district which reminded me of Palermo in Buenos Aires or Knightsbridge in London.

wall art - local bakery — Wall display – local bakery

Lovely lingerie like Eres & La Perla — lovely lingerie – jesusfernandez would go perfectly amongst Eres and La Perla.

Plants a plenty – not used to seeing outdoor Jade plants

love the outside of this restaurant — I had the best turkey club at “Grove”. Short of growing their own vegetables and raising their own turkeys – all dishes are made in house with a diverse selection.

clothing store window display — Zen window display clothing boutique

Inside Absinthe — People become “Absinthe” minded at times at Absinthe bar and restaurant. Tried it?

Cool babies get bored — No matter how fashionable you are shopping can get tiring!

For hotel info: http://shellhospitality.com

DESTINATIONS

urbanemporium: Mobile, AL

The urbanemporium is a non-profit store for new start up retail businesses located in the heart of downtown Mobile, Alabama. Basically it’s a great shop filled with all kinds of fun stuff and the feel of an upscale flea market.

What really got my attention was the window with the funny but very practical & colourful waffle robes monogrammed with “property of the Betty Ford clinic.”

Well I needed one anyway and might end up there one day. Don’t they have a BYOB policy? (bring your own bathrobe).

Sock Monkey — Doesn’t everyone need a sock monkey backpack?

Tile Wall Sayings — A wall full of funny tile quotes – mostly true.

What’s really neat about this store is that there is an art wall with marine murals done by young artists from the Southwest Alabama Regional School for the Deaf and Blind in Mobile. They paintings are made on black tar paper. Words aren’t necessary as paintbrushes illustrate the fanciful aquatic images swimming in their imaginations.

Annabelle. She gave me a pamphlet on the Dauphin street historic district walking tour of interesting places. **The school is selling the paintings to the public to raise money for a new multi-sensory room that will provide deeper therapy for multi-disabled students.**

Cypress lined st. — Overhanging Cypress trees line the streets in Mobile

Interesting tidbit: Did you know that Mardi Gras originated in Mobile in 1702 before New Orleans. Now New Orleans hosts the biggest Mardi Gras but they still celebrate big time in Mobile.

Photos: d. king

DESTINATIONS

Siesta Key is #1

Siesta Key is a beautiful barrier island eight miles long just offshore of Sarasota situated between Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Siesta Key was voted #1 best beach in the USA in 2011 because of the pure white sand, which is 99% pure quartz crystal and always cool to the touch.

You will find it alive with tropical atmosphere, blessed with the “world’s finest, whitest beaches,” filled with charming hideaways, and always offering plenty to do – but it is also a place to relax, and let the warm breezes, cool water and soft sand transport you to your personal paradise! It has clear, warm waters and tropical nature preserves. The area is a haven for vacationers from all over the world.

Publications the world over has sung the praises of Siesta Key’s powdery, white sand beaches and breathtaking scenery. The picturesque view of a Siesta Key sunset must be seen, to be believed.

Interesting tidbit: What do Naples, Venice Beach and Panama City all have in common? They’re all right here in Florida. We’ve been to all 3 and Naples is almost like a little Beverly Hills.

Cheers everyone!

DESTINATIONS

Key West – Living Locolly

060 — Lunch in Key Largo……pelican central

074 — Just felt like taking a casual stroll around town

070 — Even with a simple home the landscaping is amazing

140 — We were between a Hard Rock and a hard place – where to go next?

011 — I think this is a sign………..we must go to Cuba next. Keep seeing it.

DESTINATIONS

Mile “0” – Key West

Sunset 1 — Here is what we woke up to for 3 mornings. The best spot at our not so desolate campsite.

Key West is an island at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys and home to the southernmost point in the Continental United States. The island is about 90 miles (140 km) from Cuba.

186 — I think the rules have changed since then – but hang in there!

Here are some photos taken yesterday around the city.

202 — Typical Gulf/Caribbean style housing.

127 — Conch, Coconut Gulf Shrimp & a Key Lime Margaritas for lunch at Willie T’s. People sure know how to throw their money around.

090 — Vancouver get with the program – this is so much better than coffee.

124 — Only here – not even in Mexico do they serve Tequila soup.

102 — Roosters rule the roost here – they’re literally everywhere.

Parrots — I thought riding without helmets is illegal.

Duval St. is Key West’s equivalent to Boubon St. in New Orleans.

111 — How much are the doggy’s in the window? They got startled with JiaJia barked at them.

120 — You are barking up the wrong tree here fella!

135 — We are all equally cool in this town.

Until later……………………..gotta go have lunch (maybe a conch salad?) and another margarita. This time at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville – the gold standard for margarita’s but i’ll let you know in tomorrow’s post.

Photos: d. king

DESTINATIONS

See Ya Later…….Everglades!

Our first night camping in a somewhat desolate campground in the Everglades. Good thing we kept JiaJia on a short leash.

campsite gator — This is what we saw upon awakening – looked to be about 10 ft. long

I guess with about two million alligators living in the Florida Everglades the chances of seeing at least one are pretty high. Did you know that Florida is the only place in the world where both alligators and crocodiles co-habit in the wild.

Tried to take a photo of a baby gator but just as I was about to snap there was a loud splash. The mama made her presence known and I made mine disappear in a flash so sorry; no photo. Damn…it would have been so good too.

Heron & Gator – still can’t believe the amount of wildlife we’ve seen here

After we left the campsite on route to Miami we saw a big turtle crossing the highway and shortly after a whole bunch of buzzards tearing apart what looked to be a very large dead python. I’ll spare you those photos.

Hummer Limo — This is a rarely seen land creature – almost extinct.

What do you get when you cross a hummer and a stretch limo? One ugly motherhummer!

Photos: d. king

DESTINATIONS

SANIBEL ISLAND

Sanibel Island, Florida is Frommer’s Top Tourist Destination

056 — Bowman Beach – the little dot is JiaJia

Yesterday we went to Sanibel Island which is not too far from my uncle’s house. What a gorgeous stretch of beach! They have 250 different kinds of shells so naturally I picked some since I collect hard to find shells. We took JiaJia for his birthday to the Island Cow restaurant where he had the child’s portion cheeseburger (since he’s under 10) with the cheese on the side. Then we let him ~~run wild~~ on the beach. Every now and again he manages to break loose from his leash. See photos.

Arther Frommer (from Frommer’s series of travel guide books) ranked Sanibel Island, Florida as his #1 favorite travel destination. Hard to believe but here’s what ranked second and third:

#2 is Bali, Indonesia

#3 is Paris, France

This is what he wrote in his 2011 travel guide:

Off the west coast of the Sunshine State, a few miles from Ft. Myers, is an idyllic haven of white-sand beaches, condos where seafront apartments are available for weekly rentals, excellent restaurants, good shopping – and the most important, the Ding Darling Nature Preserve, visited by thousands of birds of every species, who bask in the sun after diving for fish, and are one of the great natural sights of wildlife in America.

He never mentioned the traffic and the other kind of wildlife called “snowbirds”.

On our way

At Island Cow Restaurant — After our birthday lunch

Bowman's Beach — Run, run……..run to work off lunch

Photos: d. king

DESTINATIONS

Historic French Quarter, N.O.

008 — Roux rules….the base for almost everything

They’re getting ready for Mardi Gras now but it’s always a party here. History, Music, Culture, Architecture, Food, Fun……………….. .all to be found in New Orleans.