What a wonderfully crazy travel summer it has been. Japan, Las Vegas, Utah, Philadelphia, and now San Francisco. I woke up early as usual on the day of our departure from Hilo. I recently got some not-so-healthy blood test results back with high numbers for cholesterol and glucose, so I am again motivated to jump-start some healthy habits so I got my workout done before starting this travel day.

I’m thrilled that we were able to use accumulated miles to upgrade our Hawaiian Airlines to San Francisco. The in-flight beef meal was pretty yummy as was the On the Rocks Aviation Laros gin cocktail with flavors of dry cherry, lemon, and violet. We had a smooth flight that got us to SFO earlier than scheduled and stayed at the familiar-to-us San Francisco Marriott Union Square very conveniently located for our needs. We dropped off our bags and got a late-night bite at Sushi Toni since we didn’t want to go too far. We got back to the hotel before midnight and I took advantage of the daily $25 restaurant/bar credit benefit by getting a nightcap at the hotel bar. The Double Vision gin cocktail created by Head Mixologist Kevin was delicious. I loved that all the signature cocktails were named after awesome 80s songs. I wish they would play the songs (or at least the chorus) whenever someone orders the drinks.

The next morning we took advantage of our daily $25 food/beverage credit with a breakfast buffet at the hotel, the first stop on our first full day was Napa Valley Winery Exchange. If you are into wine, stop by and visit Don whose passion and knowledge about wine are so evident. We dropped off our purchases at the hotel and then visited Westfield Mall since they are closing soon. We have some fond memories of taking our children there and we remembered the joy they had riding the escalators there. I stopped at Trader Joe’s right around the corner for just a few things like the seasonal Patio Chips my husband enjoys. Dropped those purchases off at the hotel and then headed to the Ferry Building Marketplace and visited Tsar Nicoulai where we indulged in champagne and caviar for lunch. Moses, who I met the last time I ate there was working and he shared samples of caviar while chatting with us and the rest of the customers there. The next stop of the day was to visit Chinatown where I finally got to shop at Kim+Ono which was closed the last time I was there. While I was shopping, my husband also shopped. He optimistically bought a Powerball lottery ticket for us.

The purpose of the trip was to see Les Miserables. we have seen this show several times but because my husband loves it so much, he loves when he can take in another performance. We even got to see Milo Maharlika from Honolulu who is in the role of Gavroche! After the awesome performance, we had late-night eats at Last Drop Tavern. Shishitos and tater tots for me and a burger for my husband. Also, the Powerball drawing was this evening, and just in case you were wondering, we were not Powerball winners.

We met Siena the next morning and enjoyed a walking tour of Little Italy and North Beach. Brian was our funny and energetic guide who helped us get to know this neighborhood a little better. I indulged in coffee, a mimosa, a cannoli, a deli meat sandwich, Focaccia pizza, the biggest arancini I’ve ever seen, olives, salami, a chicken deli sandwich, a clam pizza, fudge, and a second pizza. Thank goodness for the digestive walk to keep us awake after all this food!

That evening, we visited Deaner, my childhood friend who cooked the most amazing cassoulet with duck, sausage, and pork. The cappelini beans were exquisite and the I would go so far as to say it was the star of this dish. Deaner also indulged us not just with the cassoulet but also with cocktail and appetizer hour, Waterford crystal, French linens, delicious wine, and lots of laughs. What a wonderful end to a great weekend in San Francisco.

At SFO, I bought a loaf of sourdough and enjoyed clam chowder from Boudin before flying home in our upgraded with miles seats on Hawaiian Airlines. I started this post with a statement about my intention to be healthier and although you can see that I did indulge during this weekend, I also did do a lot of walking so I hope that helped balance out the indulgences. Living Hilo Style in San Francisco.