SanFrancisco continued

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On Monday we set off to drive the 49-mile scenic route around SanFrancisco a must-do if you have a car.We made our way to Dolores Street which has some of the loveliest specimens of Victorian architecture. Then we headed toward twin peaks with its panoramic views of the city as well as some of the steepest residential streets around. We drove through Golden Gate Park exiting at the windmills near the Queen Wilhemina tulip garden onto the Great Highway running by the sea. Even though it was blustery day surfers were braving the elements and catching those elusive waves. The highway runs along a stretch of land that was a resort area in the early 1900's and this culminates in the site of the precariously perched Cliff House. Nearby is a new Parks Service building with a snack bar various lookout points and information on this seaside area. Following Lincoln Boulevard to the North is the Presidio a former military outpost which has incredible views of the Golden Gate Bridge- worth visiting.We went back to North Beach for lunch at L'Osteria del Forno on Columbus Avenue and from there up and down some of the steepest hills in any city I've ever visited and parking at the underground parking at Grace Cathedral. We stopped for a drink at the Fairmont in the gorgeous Laurel Room- the famous Tiki Lounge was not open on Mondays- and then on to the Top of the Mark (the Mark Hopkins Hotel)another SanFrancisco landmark for a sophisticated finish to our day. The next day was the start of a trip into Wine Country. Stay tuned.

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