{ Turtle Tower } { Monterey Bay Aquarium } { 17-mile Drive } { Sakana } { Taqueria Cancun }
We started at a slower pace the next morning. We were all craving for phð.
Turtle Tower in the Tenderloin district, with its Northern Vietnamese style
of cooking, was an appropriate choice. Our phð did not come with the more
familiar serving of bean sprouts and basil leaves. The noodles are wider and
flat. The broth also tasted differently, better than what I'm used to in
most Vietnamese places in New York City and Montreal. It was a touch lighter
and somehow tasted more pure. I found out later that this Northern style of
making phð does not involve star anise and other herbs used more in the
south. I now must find a Northern Vietnamese restaurant in New York City!
We passed the windmills that dotted the East Bay on our way out from the
city, those minimal towering structures that for some reason reminded me of
Don Quixote. Almost four hours later we were in Monterey Bay. The Monterey
Bay Aquarium and its two hundred galleries and exhibits was overwhelming. I
have never seen aquariums on such a scale anywhere else. My favorite was the
school of bait fish swimming round and round non-stop overhead.
Rarely-seen jellyfish were eerily floating in large wall-mounted aquariums,
suspended in a way that was haunting and memorable. There were also towering
three-story aquariums that allowed all of us to see the sea turtles, sharks
and barracudas as if we were diving with them. Sea otters were putting on a
show for the children in a two-story exhibit. There was also a splash zone
where the water would come in waves on glass ceilings above our heads.
In Pebble Beach, we followed the dashed red lines and drove the famous 17
Mile Drive along the coast. Armed with an $8.50 map, we stopped at each of
the twelve points of interests and took photographs of the uncomparably
beautiful Californian coastline. Our favorite was the Lone Cypress, an
enduring California landmark that has been around for over two hundred
years.
We oooh-ed and aah-ed at the mansions and villas we imagined were used as
sets for hiphop videos. Somewhat absurd was the the tradition or tendency of
most property-owners here to name their villas as one would have a vanity
plate on a car. After a lengthy discussion Boca de Paradiso won out as being
a marginally more classy name for a future seaside pad. It was a bit chilly
so we skipped the stroll on Spanish Bay where Don Gaspar de Portola camped
in search of Monterey Bay.
The Bird Rock was dotted by countless shorebirds, groups of harbor seals,
and sea lions. Their collective sounds echoed across the channel that
separted them from the beach.
The Fanshell Overlook's white sand was full of harbor seals cooling off after the pupping season.
Back in San Francisco, dinner was very low-key at Sakana in the Union Square
area. Despite its no-frills ambiance, the toro was really good. The boy and
I shared the daily specials of abalone, mackerel, yellowfin and uni. We
decided to walk over to Cafe Royale for some drinks to end our week-long
trip to San Francisco. By one in the morning, after a stroll in Union
Square, we hailed a cab to take us back to the Mission. The trip would not
have been complete without a stop at Taqueria Cancun on 19th Street. We've
already had several beers at the bar but we capped the night with a couple
of Pacificos, a chorizo taco, and the and the eternally satisfying house
special burrito filled with rice, beans, and carne asada.
Turtle Tower
631 Larkin Street between Ellis and Eddy
San Francisco, CA
415/409.3333
Monterey Bay Aquarium
831/648-4800
About an hour and a half south of San Francisco via Highway 1
17-mile Drive
Highway 1 south and exit 68 west
Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach
Sakana
605 Post Street @ Taylor
San Francisco, CA
415/775-7644
Taqueria Cancun
2288 Mission Street @ 19th
San Francisco, CA
415/252-9560 |
