You can always tell you are in San Francisco because you’d be walking along and then suddenly realize that the sidewalks are not even…
and that the incline is, in fact, quite pronounced:
But most of the times you can’t be too sure whether the next corner will find you uphill or downhill because the city is cocooned inside a fog…
then dusted with rain, making it sometimes difficult to navigate while avoiding messenger bikes and oncoming cable cars:
But a misty San Francisco is the perfect way to see this town to romantic dreamers like me. I find Lombard Street even more charming with the fog above its zigzag hill…
The Fisherman’s Wharf also feels more “authentic” in the winter dreariness. It’s a total tourist trap and I’ve been here on sunny days, but maybe I do prefer a rainy SF, London, and even Hanoi from all the years of reading Brontë and Hardy novels. And a certain dogeared book called Gorillas In The Mist.
I’m going to duck inside Boudin’s (home of the famed sourdough bread) for lunch and see if I can’t get better shots of the city once the fog lifts later…
See you then.
Tags: boudin, Brontë, Fisherman's Wharf, Gorillas In The Mist, Hardy, Lombard Street, San Francisco
I know I left you hanging with the Lanvin for H&M story a few weeks ago, so today I’ll take a break from the road and continue my saga…
So around 11am I headed back to the mall, mentally psyching myself up for the 15-minute mad dash for my loot. As I exited the parking garage, I ran into the two girls who were in front of me in the original line where I got my wristband. The only reason I recognized them was because one of them had on a very funky pair of knee-high socks that she wore over her leggings. I saw H&M shopping bags in their hands and my stomach nosedived.
I rushed to the store and lo and behold, there was no line outside. All of the signage was also gone…along with the entire Lanvin inventory! Much to my dismay, the groups had either moved much faster than expected (why did I leave my post!) or the store had simply sold out and everyone in line had scattered. Now I’ll never know because I left too soon.
I wish I’d stopped those two girls to get the entire scoop and of course to see what, if anything, they were able to snag–at least I could have lived vicariously through them, but it’s all a mystery to me now.
As I left the store, I made eye contact with one of the salespersons at the cash register. He was of a very slim build, only a few inches taller than I am, and had fashionista written all over his attitude. He saw me drooling over the one item I really wanted to find from the collection, which he was wearing, and winked at me. I pointed at his t-shirt then at myself, miming the fact that I’d fit in his shirt–that I’d buy it off his back. He grinned widely and mouthed back: not for sale, honey.
So yours truly left emptyhanded…from the women’s collection. But what was it that I was able to wrangle earlier from the men’s sale? A purple tiger t-shirt that might work belted, over skinny jeans or leggings,
and a pair of men’s tuxedo pants for my friend’s boyfriend.
I’m disappointed to tell you that Miss Plan B didn’t do so well for this particular fashion challenge, but in these days of e-commerce, she can always find some vindication as Miss Plan C. Hello, eBay!
Everything is for sale. Honey.
A dear reader guessed Tahoe, and she’s close…but no cigars 
!
Yes, there are mountains and water and pine trees and snow…
but what we’re after today is El Capitan, the 910m vertical rock formation at Yosemite National Park…
It’s simply magnificent, and I can imagine this park teeming with people in the summer. But even on this chilly day with first signs of snow, it is a marvel to behold. I do my best to capture as many pictures as I can before I lose sunlight. So while skipping through slippery Yosemite in–gasp–ugly shoes (more on this later)…
I’m keeping my eyes on the prize…
Finally I reach the waterfall at the foot of my destination. Maybe on a less chilly day I’ll manage to get to the top!
Fashion Sidebar: I know in my About Me page I talk about not wearing icky shoes, and generally I stick to nice shoes because they can transform your whole look, even when you’re schlepping around in very casual wear. If I had a certain budget, I’d probably invest the largest percentage of it in a good pair of shoes or bag because these two accessories give the best ROI. Anyway, I’ve been mucking around in my “orthopedic” aka Nurse Ratched shoes this whole time:
No, one of my legs is not shorter than the other and these are not orthopedic shoes prescribed to fix that condition! They’re just one of those trendy shape-up shoes with the funky soles supposedly made to help shape your calves and butt while you walk. I have actually been told this is just a scam and the shoes have zero fitness value, but boy oh boy, they sure are comfy!
So the first couple of days I was quite self-conscious about the way they looked. I wore them with the longest jeans I could find to hide the ugly soles. But after 48 hours of walking in treacherous and inclement conditions, I was sold. I’d wear these with a swimsuit…well, ok, let’s not get crazy here! They’re still ugly as sin, but these Avia shoes are becoming a permanent fixture in my travel bag. Wonder if I could find them in gray…
Tags: Avia, El Capitan, Yosemite National Park
From the Grand Canyon we overnight in Vegas then get a fresh start back to California the next day. Before we leave Nevada, however, we make a quick pit stop at the touristy Ethel M chocolate factory (maker of the famous M&Ms). If you’re traveling with two Belgians whose country is rather known for their chocolate, wouldn’t you feel a bit intimidated?
Nah! Turns out we’re all kids in a candy store…
especially when they give out samples at the end of the tour,
which is a really sneaky trick to get us into the gift shop…
I can’t resist the dark chocolates, and my behind will pay for it! Sigh. Want another shot of that Balenciaga bag I mentioned yesterday? The color of the bag is called galet, and it’s not the most utilitarian color for the road but I’ve never been able to resist a gray bag. Or dark chocolate. But at least with such a big bag I could hide the aforementioned behind!
Besides the chocolate hit, this factory actually has a rather cool (supposedly one of the world’s largest) botanical cactus garden with over 300 species of plants, from cacti to succulents…
I’m inspired to create my own cactus garden. Anyway, from here it’s a long, long drive to our next destination. Here are a few shots taken from the road:
After crossing big towns…
and small ones…
we finally arrive:
Any guesses as to where I am?
Tags: Balenciaga, California, Ethel M chocolate factory, galet, Grand Canyon, Nevada, Vegas
Isn’t it sometimes the case that the most precious thing you seek is right there in your own backyard? I don’t mean the money tree you’re watering and feeding while saving up for that perfect handbag. Or the infinity pool designed by you and coveted by your neighbors. What I do mean is the gift from nature that’s sort of right here in my backyard…er, a couple of states over.
This is such a huge country that crossing state lines takes many hours…
lots of stretches of desert sand and cacti…
and odd sightings of open air museums and random pit stops…
and ominous signs inside pit stops (I know you road warriors are laughing at me, but this city girl is scared of any restroom that has any kind of warning)…
till you reach one of the true wonders of the world, Arizona’s Grand Canyon:
We only manage to visit a tiny fraction of the national park’s South Rim on a glorious, sunny day. And already I’m planning to come back for a whole week of hiking through this park when there are more daylight hours. I can’t wait to ride a mule down the canyon or take a helicopter flight through its valleys. Standing high atop the canyon, I would give anything to be a bird for one day and soar over its cliffs…
What took me so long to get here? But better late than never. I can’t wait to return. Btw, I love this Balenciaga men’s day bag I’ve been using on this trip as seen in this photo–the Bal leather makes the perfect travel companion!
I could stay here forever,
but the next stop awaits us on our road trip,
and by sundown we are already dreaming of new discoveries.
Tags: Arizona, Balenciaga, Grand Canyon, South Rim
