Tuesday, June 6, 2023

Vacation Recap - Part 1 - Berkeley

I don't know about you, but I love reading travel blog posts, so I hope you like them too.  I have part 1 of 2 of the trip Dave and I took last week. Dave was attending a business leadership course at Berkeley University hosted by his company.  I tagged along and then we tacked on a couple of extra days in San Francisco before flying home on Sunday.   

Dave left on Tuesday morning and I went out on Wednesday morning. I had a guest pass to the Maple Leaf lounge so I had a nice breakfast and did some work.  I also saw Nick Nurse (former Raptors head coach). 
New headphones :) 


After landing in at SFO, I took an Uber to Berkeley, crossing the Bay Bridge that is in the Golden State Warriors' logo. Dave was at his course so I let myself in the room at our hotel, the Claremont.  Then enjoyed lunch at the hotel bar. I was texting with my mom and sent her this to tell her I was eating lunch, but didn't remember to take a photo.  It was a fish sandwich.


Then I walked around the property.  It was chilly so no pool time for me.






I did sit by the pool for a bit in the sun and read my book, and then went to the gym.


Dave was staying on campus for dinner so I walked down to a Mexican restaurant and enjoyed some guacamole and margarita.

And an ice cream on the way home.


Everything was so lush and pretty on the walk. I restrained myself and only took three photos. 




Dave was having dinner at the football stadium.






We had some drinks at the bar after Dave and his colleagues got back. 

The next morning I had breakfast at the hotel and did a bit of work. Then I walked over to the Berkeley campus.



This is Sather tower.  It is open to the public so I went up.



I think Dave was in one of these buildings.




The Golden Gate Bridge is over there in the fog!



The bell player is there a couple of times a day but not when I was.


This is the mechanism that turns the clock.



Go Bears!




I stopped for an iced coffee and sat for a few minutes.



Then I had to walk down to Chez Panisse, which is a Berkeley institution.  We did not eat here though.  Very unassuming and in sort of weird spot.


I was curious about the menu. 


I had picked out Rose Pizzeria for lunch.  I went right when it opened and secured a sunny spot on the patio.

Rose for one


The recommendation was the mushroom pizza.  I ate four slices and brough the other 2 home with me.  It was very good.


Then I went back to the hotel, had a nap, and then sat by the pool and read.  It was warmer on this day but I didn't feel like swimming.


The American flag had been replaced with a Pride flag for June. 


Dave got back and we opted for dinner at the hotel.  We had to wait for a bit so grabbed a drink outside.




On Friday morning we went on a hike.  It was a challenging trail and our legs were burning!













Some parts were quite steep.



We were gone for about 2 hours and then went back to our room, packed up, and checked out.

Palm Trees in the courtyard of our hotel, as we waited for our Uber into San Francisco.


Come back on Thursday for the second part of our trip.





5 comments:

  1. I'm actually going to San Francisco next week! I've never been to Berkeley, it looks fun to explore.

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  2. That is such a beautiful hotel! I love the views from the hiking trail you found.

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  3. I loved looking at all your pics! I'm so behind on reading blogs (I have been out of routine for the last couple of weeks) I'm popping over to read about the rest of your fun trip.

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  4. What a great trip! It looks like the perfect mix of exploring and relaxing. I had fun following along with you on Instagram!

    Lauren @ Don’t Mind Our Mess

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  5. Love all these photos!! What a great part 1 of your trip. You made the best of it--exploring, eating, hiking and more.

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