We're All Animals

On my first full day back in California, I went to the San Francisco Zoo with my family. It was awesome...my mom, dad, and brother are all just as excited about looking at animals as I am (that is, very, very excited), so we were happy campers. Also, the San Francisco Zoo is the least depressing, most hospitable zoo I've ever been to...the inhabitants seem genuinely content, and most of them (excepting the polar bear, of course) come from climates that are extremely similar to that of the Bay Area, so they feel right at home.

My little brother (who's just recently surpassed me in height!) and a giraffe (who remains taller than both of us).

Delicious leaves!

I bet you can guess which one is the alpha male.

Chillin'.
Family observing a bird of sorts.

Brother and a monkey.

Our closest relative!

Sleepy koala.

Brother being horrified by the horrid parrots.

Bear! And a stray seagull.

Mid-zoo snack: Vanilla soft serve!

Me retreating slumped in defeat because all the sheep in the petting zoo refused to be petted, and would rather hide under signs.

Lemur sitting like a little long-tailed person.

City by the Bay

Spending some time in the city definitely confirmed that I left my heart in San Francisco. My friend Pia (we've known each other since we were 9!) and I did some fun, faux touristy things today...ate some delicious seafood and pastries at the Ferry Building, drove around the Presidio, and took a stroll about Crissy Field to get close to the Golden Gate.

The San Francisco skyline from Crissy Field.

Pia and I, plus the best bridge!

City birds.
Hello, Pacific Ocean!




Crissy Field used to be a naval base, and a lot of the old officer's quarters are now part of a marine life sanctuary project!





The base's naval past.

On to delicious eats! We stopped by the Ferry Building at the pier, and could not resist the call of good seafood at the San Francisco Fish Co. outpost. Pia got the crab cake sandwich and a cup of New England clam chowder...

And I got the crab leg po boy and a cup of Manhattan clam chowder! Delicious. It warmed me right up.

Slaw + the red chowder.

The store across the way was devoted entirely to selling various kinds of fungus! A mushroom sampler.

A diagram of potentially poisonous varieties!

After the shellfish-fest we picked up some macarons from Miette and headed out to the bay.

This one is chocolate and orange. Great texture and chew!

And this one is geranium and rose. It was the best! Flavored with rosewater, it had the sweet, perfume-y flavor of Persian ice cream. And the cream filling was smooth, rich, and perfect. Pia and I agreed that we liked these natural colored cookies better than other food-color laden varieties.

Boot buddies! My trusty Beans are on the left, and Pia's cool lace-ups on the right!