Weekend in San Francisco

This past weekend we attended our seventh Whiskies of the World Expo in San Francisco. Tom goes for the tastings, to check out new products and talk with the distillery managers and owners. I go to keep Tom company.

We stayed at the Handlery Hotel on Union Square. It wasn't our hotel choice, but one chosen when the Renaissance Parc 55 overbooked and offered to pay for our stay at another hotel. We had a "deluxe" room, and it was nice. However, it was on the second floor facing Geary St and much like sleeping on the street with all the noise. Were it not for the fact that the hotel was completely booked we would have asked for quieter room; instead we purchased squishy ear plugs which seemed to do the trick. It was, however, an excellent location and the price ($0) was right.

The hotel had a comfortable lobby, where I spent the early hours knitting, till it was a reasonable hour for Tom to get up. While there I had a chance to chat with Charles South, a member of the Tisohmingo county, Mississippi school board. Seems the National School Board Association was in town (is that why we were moved?).

The better part of the trip for me is the shopping in San Francisco. We always visit Artfibers and I usually come home with something new. I do a lot of online yarn shopping, but clearly there is nothing like seeing yarns in person and Artfibers always has swatches and samples, which is the reason this year I came home with three colors of Sylph—a true red, a rosy red, and royal blue.

Of course, Britex is always a destination on our visits to the City, but without a specific project in mind, I generally don't leave with anything. It is an experience, to be sure, but a bit of a sensory overload.



Tom did pretty well, too, adding to his collection of Single Malt Whiskies and other spirits, including a Bruichladdich special bottling. (This is a pdf link)





On our return to the hotel from Sutter St, we walked through Union Square where artists were displaying their work. And there was a giant elephant staring at us from Macy*s as part of their Celebration of India.