I celebrated my 57th birthday by accompanying my husband to San Francisco for a work event. Prior to heading to San Francisco, we spent the weekend in Sonoma. On our first day, we visited General Vallejo’s house. A luxurious and spacious home in its day. Sonoma is considered to have been founded by General Vallejo. We then visited Sonoma State Historic Park, which features historical exhibits, stunning courtyards, and museums. The area also has coffee shops, bars, and restaurants.
On the following day, we drove up the Sonoma Coast and to Jenner and Bodega Bay. We walked around the shore, enjoying the views despite the chilly weather that day.
My birthday was spent touring two Sonoma wineries. For our first stop, we visited Bartholomew Estate Winery. Our next stop was Guadlach Bundschu, where we enjoyed a charcuterie box and wine tasting. My birthday day was wonderful and I had a great time.
My first impression of downtown San Francisco was how cool it was in August. My visit to local shops, thrift stores, and restaurants was unaffected by that.
We stayed at the Marriott Hotel in downtown San Francisco. In the morning, when my husband headed to his work event, I wandered the streets to look for thrift stores. Compared to my local stores, they offer some interesting items, despite being smaller.
These walks were most impactful due to the number of homeless people we encountered on the streets. Denver has a large homeless population, but they appear to be dispersed. They must live in treacherous conditions every day, which was heartbreaking to see. Rather than approach the people walking by, they continued along with their lives.
On the following day, I took an Uber to Ashbury Street, an area lined with hip bars, restaurants, and coffee shops. If you’re in town, don’t miss this stop.
My husband had a half-day off from work, so we hopped on the trolley to Ghirardelli Square. This famous spot offers spectacular views of the Angel and Alcatraz Islands. A delicious ice cream sundae awaited us as we strolled through galleries and clothing stores.
We made the most of our short trip. There is a lot to see and do in Sonoma and San Francisco. In my opinion, all the places we visited during our short stay were worth visiting.
