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Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Shorter Days in Birch Bay

The view this afternoon from our back yard - a colorful sky over majestic Thunderbird Lake...


Monday, November 21, 2016

Au Revoir, San Francisco

Aboard Alaska 315 SFO-SEA at 36,000 feet, after an interesting parallel takeoff with a Delta flight on the next runway over...


Alaska-style Couscous
.

Last Lunch of the Trip: Yank Sing

One of Kathy's brothers urged us to try it. Thanks, Tom! It made for an excellent Dim Sum lunch.


This branch is located in the Rincon Center, a magnificently restored old post office building from the late 30s.


Lots of accolades in the window...



The team meets for a pep talk before opening.


We're in and scanning the menu.


No duck feet or pork belly on the menu, but a lot to choose from...



The Xaio Long Bao was good...


This shrimp dish was a work of art.


Their version of lettuce wrap is elegant.


We're happy to have finished with sesame balls, a quasi-dessert but not too sweet.



A delicious way to wrap up our four-day weekend in San Francisco.

Sunday, November 20, 2016

The Rock: Alcatraz

Amazing to learn that the total number of federal prisoners that Alcatraz housed totaled only 1500-1600. 

Rainy San Francisco

We are finally going to Alcatraz and it proves to be pouring rain.

We picked up our tickets at Pier 33 and discovered Butterfly just down the street, a great place to enjoy a Sunday brunch.




And the sky is brightening.



Saturday, November 19, 2016

Dinner at Tin: San Francisco Vietnamese

It was a dark and stormy night (well, rainy) and we researched the neighborhood around the Intercontinental, settling on Tin, a well reviewed Vietnamese eatery in the next block.



We started with Cha Gia rolls and papaya salad. You wrap the rolls in the lettuce, adding the mint leaves, cilantro and sauce.



Our main course included lemongrass chili chicken with vermicelli, "shaken" beef with rice, and a side of baby bok choy.



This place is a winner.

The Busy San Francisco Exploratorium

The pass we bought included entry. It's a great hands-on science center kind of place and as busy as you'd expect on a very rainy Saturday.

We took a quick walk through and then headed back to our hotel on Streetcar F.


Quite a drinking fountain to attract young people...



San Francisco Aquarium of the Bay

Jellyfish, sharks, and more...