I Left My Heart...in California (#30)

Just how many times do you think this picture has been painted or photographed? From Moran to Adams...to me and maybe lucky you, I imagine the first thought was...breath.

Last week I had the opportunity to co-present a paper at the Vernacular Architecture Forum in Fresno, California. My partner and I flew into Oakland and spent quality time in San Francisco and Yosemite National Park at the beginning and end of our trip.

We started the trip savoring the great city by the bay. We had one evening and the next morning to tour this delightful city before heading to the conference opening in Fresno. We drove into San Francisco via the beautiful Bay Bridge and made our way to The Westin St Francis on Union Square. This incredible historic hotel was built in 1904 and possessed the most luxurious bed I have ever slept in at a hotel. The two hour time difference worked in our favor because the next morning we woke at the crack of dawn to catch the sunrise over the bay from our room before scrambling out onto the city streets for a quick architectural walking tour.

We walked down to the corner of Powell and Market and watched the hand turned cable cars before they make their way back up the hill via the Powell/Mason line toward Chinatown and Fisherman's Wharf. Did you know that The World Famous San Francisco Cable Cars are the only mobile National Historic Landmark? I am not sure where all we walked but we were overwhelmed with one architectural gem after another and before long we needed to pack up and head out...but not before having lunch at Fisherman's Wharf.

The sky was so blue and the temperature was perfect! This was the second time (twice in a row!) I had experienced this incredible weather in the city famous for rain and fog...I wished we had a little more time. We did not leave without taking in a few quick tourist stops to snap a picture or two.

We drove down Lombard Street, the crookedest street in America...

and saw the eerie Alcatraz Island, home to the west coast's first lighthouse.

and some very unique homes before heading to the San Joaquin Valley for the conference in Fresno.


Onward to Fresno
Fresno was truly a pleasant surprise. We experienced two wonderful tours highlighting Adobe architecture and the cultural landscapes of fruit farming. Of particular interest on Adobe tour was our stop at the Kearney historic site to visit the incredible Châteauesque Mansion constructed of adobe and we were served a "cowboy lunch" on the lawn.

We also toured the beautiful Art Deco Fresno Airport, toured residential homes in the famous Old Fig district and wrapped it all up with a subterranean visit to the Forestiere Underground Gardens. On our own we found several great neon light displays, one of which was next to a delightful microbrewery Sequoia Brewing serving great beer battered fish and chips.

One Short Day in Yosemite
As it seems all things great come more quickly to an end, we had one glorious Sunday to spend at Yosemite National Park. Having a very limited amount of time we drove the road to Glacier Point before descending into the valley proper. The one hour drive out to the point was incredible and from Glacier Point we had great views of Half Dome and most of the major waterfalls. We went to the valley to capture more views of Yosemite Falls, on of the world's tallest and the highest waterfall in the US. Before leaving this paradise we enjoyed a fabulous lunch on the veranda of the Ahwahnee Lodge, complete with their own specially brewed beer! Oh why do such great times come to such a quick end?