NorCal Was Hella Fun

So… I spent the weekend in NorCal (Northern California, for those who aren’t from California). A week prior, I was hanging out with some friends and my friend, Nikki, started reminiscing about how good the ice cream was at the Bi-Rite Creamery, the last time we went (which was like a good 4 years ago). This led to us talking about how great that trip was. Then cut to 5 minutes later – we’re all looking up flight prices and flight times on our phones. I love having friends like this…

We flew into San Francisco early Saturday morning. Once we got in, we picked up our rental car and headed to the hotel. It was too early to check-in, so we wandered around Union Square in search of Vietnamese food. We found a nice hole in the wall filled with Asians, so you know it had to be good.

After lunch, we went to check out the new Exploratorium. Well… not really new, but new for me. The last time I had been to the Exploratorium, it was by the Palace of Fine Arts. I was in undergrad and had gone with a huge group of friends. It was extremely fun… So I was excited to check out their new digs.

It costs about $30 to get in, but it is SO worth it. I may be a huge nerd, but this place was amazing. There were so many interactive exhibits and games. It was hard to not get lost. Also, their new location enables them to expand physically (Quantitatively there are a lot more exhibits) and expand in diversity (they are able to add more sciences like biology — with special marine biology exhibits in which they incorporate the SF bay — and social sciences). I could go on and on, but I won’t bore you with the details. Just trust me and see for yourself. Even if you have no interest in science, you will find something here that will make you push a kid over and say, “Coooool! Lemme try!”

Okay enough nerding out about the Exploratorium. After that, we were pretty much beat. So we headed to the hotel, checked in, and “took a nap”. Technically it was a sleep, but we did wake up for dinner and some Boba Guys (oh so kindly delivered by Casey and Kim) before we fell back asleep again. Sooooo let’s call it a nap.

The next day, we woke up early and drove out to St Helena to have breakfast at Archetype. Lemon Ricotta freaking Pancakes. I’ve only been craving them for 2 years…

After brunch, we went around St Helena a bit. It was interesting to see how much it had changed since I was there for undergrad. Definitely had a few nostalgic moments while driving through town. We made a quick stop at The Model Bakery for their English muffins. (Trust me. I don’t even like English muffins, but theirs are so gooood!) Then Taylor’s (now Gott’s) for a few milkshakes and fries (we never stop eating). Then headed out to Sterling Vineyards for their winery tour and wine tasting. It’s the only vineyard with an air tram. So that’s pretty neat. Also, the view is really pretty from up there. It’s a shame it was just so damn hot. We could barely stand to be outside long enough to take a few pictures before we ran back inside.

Once we had our fill of Napa Valley, we drove back to SF to finally get our Bi-Rite Creamery. The initial muse of our last minute weekend getaway. It was as lovely as I had remembered it.

Black Sesame + Cookies & Cream

Yum.

By that time, it was time for us to head back to the airport. A one hour flight later, we were home. Short and sweet! But thoroughly enjoyable… Although I’m a SoCal girl through and through, I think I’ll always have a small place in my heart for NorCal (although their vernacular is “hella” gay). Fun with science, nonstop good food, naps, wine, and good friends. All the fixings for a pretty awesome weekend.

-Kat

P.S. I am SO sorry for the radio silence. WiFi was questionable in Bali… But on the plus side, I have so much to tell you guys! Plethora of posts and adorable turtle pics coming soon!