Day 5: San Francisco

AirBNB

Today started out in the really nice AirBNB we have in Lower Pacific Heights, San Francisco.

I was super happy to replinish the pistachios in my little food container. And also excited to use a modern Keurig. We've been thinking about getting them for our houses since they're well designed and effective.

Also I'm starting to judge the places we're eating and staying based on what's offered with coffee. For instance, the place in Carmel had two creamers and no stirrers. The restaurant in Carmel didn't have coffee stirrers either. It's started becoming a thing.

And today's also the day I've switched my phone from photo to video as a preserved, default setting.

1310 Fillmore St Garage

We paid $20 to park for two days in a garage. Plenty of space in the garage. Car feels relatively safe. We're happy.

I'm always interested to see ads for where I'm from. I remember seeing a sign for the Miami Ad School when I visited San Francisco in 2014. Something about that always stuck with me.

Incense and oils while walking to Japantown

Door

Japantown

A while ago, my friend Mindy told me about Kinokuniya Books when I asked what I should do when I visit Manhattan. And I was excited to share that with Carolina when I found out there was a branch in San Francisco. I ended up going back a couple of times and spending about $200 at the store in New York. The San Francisco store didn't have as many of the stationary products as I'd seen in the other store. But it's still a store worth visiting.

And then I found it. Kinokuniya has a whole shelf of weird little multitools. Things like keychain shoehorns -- things no one needs. But are wanted very badly. However, my search for a knife for the trip was over on this $9.99 gamble. -- A gamble because I couldn't try it out before buying it. "If it's good enough, I'll ship it back to Florida."

I don't really know how to say this, there's pictures of the origami shelf displays, and Totoro spirit statues -- it's a cute store. But I think its magic -- almost why it's almost worth the trip to the big city in itself -- is they thought of everything. In the moment I acquiesced to carrying too much, the moment I deeply wished, against the dread of burden, for a small basket -- there's a stack of little baskets. Perfectly sized baskets. The sweetest surprise. "They thought of everything."

Kinokuniya Book Stores of America
+-------+-------------------+
| price | item              |
+-------+-------------------+
|  6.99 | Smartphone Tripod |
|  9.99 | Bug Pliers        |
+-------+-------------------+
    

I own at least three cellphone tripods at this point. I never take them seriously. But they're the only thing that can do what they do.

This key box cutter was another gamble. I just loved that it looked so much like an actual key. A pocket knife solves the issue of -- how few tools there are around us, especially while traveling and staying in plastic hotels.
Give me a blade.
Because it's amazing how dull a normal key can be as a cutting instrument. But a key with a small edge and an end-capped snaggletooth that looks identical to a normal key is genius. No TSA agent in the world would stop a keyset with two keys.
I have to admit, I'm still unhappy about the pocket knife situation. Though I did have something -- two things -- to cut with, they both felt flimsy, cheap, dull -- dissapointing.
I tried to find a pocket knife in both the thrift stores and Walmart, and both methods came up short. The Walmart in Marina, CA was -- very different. Even with the product application, I couldn't find what I was looking for. So I was excited to cross some in the Japanese stationary stores. But, before taxes, I was at $20.49 for the two, cheap tools that I was hoping to spend $4 on.

Mai Do 
+-------+---------------------------------------+
| price | item                                  |
+-------+---------------------------------------+
|  2.50 | G2 Mini Premium Rolling Ball Gel Pens |
| 10.95 | Key Box Cutter                        |
+-------+---------------------------------------+
    

Carolina's two new bags for the trip. This is a 'My Neighbor Totoro' thermal insulated lunch bag with a zip closure from the Kinokuniya shop.

Snapshot

Goodwill

We stopped in a San Francisco Goodwill just to see it. Not much to see. Very clean and organized.

Signage

La Boulangerie

We ate at 'La Boulangerie de San Francisco' -- again, mostly from the Yelp! pictures.

Moment of appreciation for the coffee bar. Strong stirrers. Well organized. Multiple kinds of sweeteners. Clean.

La Boulangerie - Pine St.
+-------+-----------------------------------------+
| price | item                                    |
+-------+-----------------------------------------+
|  4.50 | Lemon Glazed Poundcake                  |
| 10.50 | Turkey, Pesto, Cheddar                  |
|  5.50 | Mini Smoked Salmon                      |
|  5.50 | Mini Smoked Salmon                      |
| 10.50 | Wild Mushroom and Truffle Cheese Quiche |
|  5.25 | Cafe Late                               |
|  5.25 | Cafe Latte                              |
|  2.82 | Healthy SF Surcharge                    |
|  3.15 | SF Sales Tax                            |
|  7.05 | Tip                                     |
+-------------------------------------------------+
    

Alta Plaza Park

This is Alta Plaza park. It has some of the best views of the city. We walked our lunch over to eat it in the park.

Carolina atop the Alta Plaza stairs

Climbing the steps

Met a dog in the park

My parking hero.

Baker Street Steps

We kind of stumbled on the Baker Street steps.

Signage

Cumaica Coffee

We stopped to do some work and have a coffee.

+-------+---------------+
| price | item          |
+-------+---------------+
|  2.50 | Life Water    |
|  3.00 | Izze          |
|  5.50 | Fruit Parfait |
|  4.50 | Cafe Au Lait  |
|  1.55 | Tip           |
+-------+---------------+        
    

Rock bed colors

Chinatown

I've also been searching for a cheap hat. Hats are kind of like cellphone tripods in that I constantly underestimate their value and then have to buy one on the spot. This trip, I've used Chapstick and Carolina's fancy sunscreen. A buff would've also been nice in place of a hat and sunscreen. But a hat is probably the least intrusive form of sun protection.

Perched shoes

Carolina in Chinatown

Carolina and graffiti

Transamerica Building

There's a really lovely park at the bottom of the Transamerica building that I've always wanted to see. It has redwoods in the middle of the city. It was closed but I took a photo over the gate.

Pier 7

The pier was really nice

The White Swan Inn + Yo Ki

Richard and Giovanna

Snapshot

The ground