President’s Day in San Francisco

We got up early and drove to Berkeley for the campus tour.  Although traveling to every campus that you possibly think could be right for you is expensive, it makes a huge difference.  Like when we looked at camps.  The camp which we thought was going to be perfect was so not right. We realized that the second we walked onto the grounds.  Today at Berkeley was sort of the same.

Berkeley is a fantastic school but it is a huge ( I emphasize huge) state school.  The grounds are beautiful but there is no love.  85% of the kids there are from California.  It is more difficult for an out of state kid to get in.  Jessica made the point that she wants a place where there is the same degree of difficulty for everyone to get in because that will definite the student body. Although a place with lots of wonderful history particularly the radical protesting during the 60’s, that is not what the school is about today.  I am so glad we went and looked but we cut out during the tour.  Even Josh, who has had an obsession with Berkeley since his camp counselor last year went there, gave it a big thumbs down.  Hmmm.   

After a stroll through town, we drove back in to San Francisco.  We know many people who have moved out to San Francisco over the years and seem really happy here.  I, for one, don’t get it.  Maybe because it is more of a town to live in vs. visit.  But today, which is a national holiday, President’s Day, tons of places were closed.  Not just banks but stores and tons of restaurants.  What kind of town shuts down?  Granted, NYC never closes, but making dinner reservations for tonight was not easy.  Strange?  I thought so but I think San Francisco is more of a neighborhood town than an urban oasis.  Just different and not for me. 

We went to the Farmer’s Market for lunch or thought we would find lunch there.  We didn’t.  The one great restaurant there had an hour and a half wait so we passed.   As beautiful as the market place is, I wonder
how many locals go there.  Josh was really hungry so we picked up a small hunk of Sir Francis Drake cheese from the Cowgirl Creamery.  One of the most incredible pieces of cheese I have ever had.  Soft triple creme with a semi-firm rind and full of flavor.  Outrageous.  We got a hunk of bread from the place next door to make a little snack to tide Josh over.  The girls had no interest, Jessica hates cheese but Josh and I were over the top.

After figuring out our options were dim we opted to get back into the car and check out a new neighborhood.  The driving is making me insane! We drove to Cole Valley.  Nothing there that we found to satisfy our desires and ended up driving back to Hayes Valley.  Lots closed there too and ended up at Stacks which is more of an all day breakfast place so that is what we had, another breakfast.

Back at the hotel, chilling.