Monday, June 11, 2012

My Heart Belongs to San Francisco


I visited San Francisco for the first time about 15 years ago.  Within a few hours, I declared that I would live there someday.  The closest I've come (at least by the standards of a Midwesterner) was the year that I spent living in Oregon, but I've still done my best to make it out for visits as often as possible.  Many of my best friends live in the area, and it's just a really incredible city.  I love the people, the vibe, the architecture, the culture, and the overall progressiveness.  The food is phenomenal, the design is impeccable, the shopping is fantastic, the music scene rocks...  I could go on and on.  Traveling is a huge part of my life, and I've been lucky to visit a lot of cities.  I am also proud to be a Chicago girl - I moved all around the country in the years following college, and still ended up back here, right where I started.  But the quick trip I got to take this weekend as part of the Adobe Photoshop Elements project I'm working on reminded me that deep down, my heart really does belong to San Francisco.

I could go on and on about the trip and all the adventures we piled into two days, but I figured I'd spare you  guys and just share a few pictures I took along the way.  I wish I could say I'd taken more shots with my "real" camera instead of just my iPhone, but it was a very action packed 48 hours, and let's face it - whipping your phone out of your purse is infinitely more convenient than awkwardly attempting to change lenses and adjust DSLR settings.  I did take some more invested shots though, and I'll absolutely be sharing them later this week.

1. best coffee I've ever had  //  2. Pier 2, across from our hotel  // 3. cherries at the farmer's market 
 4. brunch at Market Bar with Kaelah  //  5. prettiest hotel room number sign ever 
  6. Bay Bridge  //  7. beet salad at RN74  //  8. beignets at RN74

I was admittedly a little nervous heading out for this trip, but any worries I had quickly faded upon my arrival.  The people at Adobe are beyond cool, and they made our Photoshop Elements training so much fun.  And can I just say that the San Francisco Adobe headquarters building is freaking amazing?  Seriously.  I want to work in that space everyday.  Talk about well-executed, chic design.  Nothing about it felt corporate.  It was gorgeous.  I got to squeeze in a little shopping and hang time with the other bloggers, which was also such a great experience, as was the Gaultier exhibit at the DeYoung Museum.  Wow.  I mean it - if you live in the Bay area and can check it out, please do.  It was mind blowing. 

9. Adobe HQ  //  10. Adobe visitor's pass (which I will keep forever, because I am a huge dork) 
11. heading into the DeYoung Museum  //  12. I was just a little excited about the Gaultier exhibit
13+14. a few of my favorites at the exhibit  //  15. even the sign was gorgeous

I've been playing catch-up with work stuff (and sleep) yesterday and today, but am looking forward to sharing more Adobe Elements Ambassador posts over the upcoming months!  I hope your weekend was especially fun (and that your Monday is as enjoyable as Mondays can be!).
Top image: flowers at the Ferry Building farmer's market


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23 comments:

  1. looks like such a great time, so happy you enjoyed your trip!

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  2. sounds like you had the perfect 48 hours there! i visted san francisco 4 years ago and completely fell in love with it! i am dying to go back x

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  3. Looks like you had a great trip! I've always wanted to visit San Francisco, it seems like such an amazing city!

    -Alyssa
    http://glossymusings.com/

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  4. I know what you mean... San Francisco is just one of those places where everything seems right and wonderful and better than where you call home. I grew up about 100 miles west of Chicago and visited often growing up and still do now.. and its great.. but San Fran just has a leg up on it. Period. My sister lives in between Sacramento and San Francisco so a visit to see her means a visit to San Francisco. Your photos are lovely and I can't wait to see more. Looks like you had a lovely little trip.
    Janell

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  5. so so cool, Melissa!! Stoked to hear about all of it. :)

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  6. My mom's family lives near San Fran, so I've been there a lot and it never gets old. The next time you go and have some spare time, I recommend Incanto for an evening meal. It's not by a lot of other stuff (in the Noe Valley neighborhood, I think it was?), but there's a train stop a few blocks away.

    I can't wait to hear about the rest of your trip!

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    1. George ChrismanJuly 01, 2012 4:55 PM

      You know it makes the locals insane when people call it Frisco or San Fran. It how natives and transplants alike filter through the interlopers.

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    2. "George" - every city has locals who get irritated by non-locals calling it by names that they deem unworthy. People do it here in Chicago as well when tourists say things like "the Chi." Personally, I think it's a little silly. And funny enough, I have many friends who are not only local but native to San Francisco who call it San Fran. To each his/her own. :)

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  7. I've always wanted to go there. I love travelling. Your photos are wonderful :)

    ♥ Naomi {Starry Eyes + Coffee Cups}

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  8. Looks like a great trip, your photos are beautiful!!! Can't wait to hear more about it!! :-)

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  9. Looks like you had an amazing time! Can't wait to see what you learned!

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  10. Ugh, you make me miss San Francisco so much! It's such a beautiful city...I'm thinking I need to make a trip there by the end of this summer. I'm glad you had fun.

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  11. melissa, i gotta say i completely agree about san francisco, but i'm sure i told you that a million times before. how about the cool art in that city too? i wonder if that's the same gaultier exhibit they had in dallas, that i saw in january? also i did NOT know you could get beignets there, which i thought was just a new orleans thing, & therefore, i'm loving that city even more! but then again, i was born in california, & always considered myself a california girl. sigh. meaning i'm a tad jealous of your visit, but really glad you are sharing it with all of us. :)

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  12. Hi Melissa,

    stumbled upon your blog via the web through another blog and congrats on what you are doing, your blog and work is beautiful! I put it on my bloglovin list to keep up with it :) sending you many greetings and love from Saarbruecken/southwest of Germany
    and here is a song that instantly came to my mind when I read this post: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tLY1s9p8VU
    Mayer Hawthorne with "I lost my heart in San Francisco" :) Cheers and keep up the great work!!! :)

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  13. Thanks for your comments you guys! Glad to see there are so many other SF fans. :)

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  14. Just after stumbling upon your lovely blog and with perfect timing...I'm currently planning my honeymoon in August and San Francisco is on the itinerary so this post has me doubly excited :) Sounds like a fantastic trip and I'm really looking forward to seeing what upcoming Adobe tips and tricks from you :)

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  15. Great pictures! It is such an amazing town.

    http://shannonhearts.blogspot.com/

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  16. If you could see me right now, you'd see that I'm green with envy! I first went there about 25 years ago and I feel the same way as you. I always wanted to live there. I'm a Chicago girl myself. I've been there twice since. My daughter eloped to Yosemite in 2010 and invited us (immediate family) to join them. We met in San Francisco first and had the best two days ever!

    Your pictures are beautiful.

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  17. Both the food shots and the bridge shot are very appealing! TFS your views on SF!

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  18. Thanks for sharing..Sounds like you had an amazing time! <3 Ruth <3
    http://isntthatsew.blogspot.com/

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  19. so awesome! i am slightly jealous! ;)

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  20. there's definitely a special place in my heart for san fran. hmm.. i ought to drive up this summer.

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  21. that looks like such a great trip and congrats on working w/ adobe!!

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