Tag: San Francisco

I left my heart in San Francisco

Published on by thecopelandadventures7 Comments

It’s true, I did. I don’t know what it is about this city, but I just feel so at home there. From the moment that we started our descent into the city and looked down below to the landscape beneath us… Those all familiar butterflies of returning to my favorite city leapt into my stomach.

Every time I visit, it seems that I purposefully leave out items that I have on my agenda, just so I have a reason to come back. (ride a cable car, make the trek up to wine country, visit the secret slides, bike/walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, visit the Ferry Building…) All must-do’s in my book – but never quite enough time to do them all in one visit.

I visited a few years ago (after college) with a strong thought of moving here. The reality of not having any money, or a job in such an expensive city deterred me. Actually now that I do have a steady job, a savings account and a lot of stability – moving here isn’t really realistic either. It really comes down to the money. Which breaks my heart. But at the same time I’m not exactly willing to trade in my two-story house with a backyard, two-car garage, plenty of street parking, and my front loading washer and dryer for a tiny 1-maybe-2-if-I’m-lucky-bedroom-apartment with no garage, no parking, and highly overpriced rent. The older I get, the more I realize it just isn’t worth it. Even if I did make it happen, I don’t think I’d be able to live the lifestyle that I would want. The dreamer in me can not stop plotting and scheming up ways to make a move to San Francisco a reality – then my logical side (heh hem, Luke) kicks in and brings me back down to earth.

As much as I love this city, I think I’ll keep it for long weekend trips every few years or so. It will become the city that I visit and continually fall in love with time and time again. Each time I return its incredible views, amazing restaurants and steep hills will make me fall head over heels again.

I’ve reserved a special place in my heart, just for you, San Francisco.

You can check out what we ate during our trip – because a trip with me isn’t complete unless you revolve your itineary around checking out the yummiest restaurants in the city Le Zinc, Delarosa and Tacolicious.

And a few pics from some previous San Francisco trips… 2006, 2010

San Francisco: Delarosa

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I can’t remember how I heard about this place – but its been on my list of must-go places for a few months. We got super lucky and walked right into an empty table for four. We were quickly seated and our food came out shortly after we ordered. It was so good. The prices weren’t bad either – it was more Portland prices than San Francisco prices. If I lived here, I would obviously be here every week – I liked it that much.

Arugula and fennel, shaved parmesan
Potato, rosemary, gorgonzola and radicchio pizza
Classic Margherita pizza
 
– Photos © Holly Carman –

San Francisco: Tacolicious

Published on by thecopelandadventures4 Comments
Right after we arrived in town and had a few cocktails at Mike and David’s house, we took the bus/muni over to T-Lish for some more drinks and tacos. I follow a few people on Instagram that live in SF and every single one of them had posted pictures of their T-Lish tacos over the last few months – so I wrote this place down and vowed to go have a taco (or few) of my own.
House Margarita

1. fried local rock cod cabbage, tangy crema
2. traditional carnitas
3. butternut squash, poblano peppers, chicories, spicy pepitas
4. shot-and-a-beer braised chicken

Get a seat outside and enjoy a pitcher of margaritas and a few platters of delicious tacos with some friends. You won’t regret it!
– Photos © Holly Carman –

City by the Bay

Published on by thecopelandadventures10 Comments

We’re headed to San Francisco on Saturday! We’ve had this trip planned for a few months, but it just now hit me that we’re going in less than a week & we haven’t done any planning, except to find someone to watch Gracie while we’re gone (thanks, Abby!). We’re staying with Luke’s old boss & his partner in the Noe Valley/Diamond Heights area & they already have a few fun things planned for us. Then I plan on spending the remainder of our time wandering around the Mission looking for yummy food. (Any recs? Send my way!)

My computer wouldn’t let me upload pics from our last trip to the city, so here are a few snaps from 2006 when my cousin & I took a spontaneous road trip down to SF & stayed for a week. We were both bored & unemployed so we decided to drive down to San Francisco, just for kicks. I didn’t have much money & was afraid to look at my bank account when we got there – when I finally did & realized that I had more money than I thought – we stayed a few extra days in the city. Oh to be young & in your early twenties again…

– Photos © Holly Carman –