It's Valentine's Day. A time for romance, candlelight, flowers and slow dancing with your honey -- and chocolate. A girl has to keep her priorities straight, after all!
For me, there is no city in America more romantic than San Francisco. Like legendary singer Tony Bennett, I left my heart in San Francisco the first time I visited and have been returning regularly ever since. From the shiny red cable cars that climb it's 48 hilly square miles to the broad expanse of the golden gate bridge that connects it's peninsula to Oakland and the mainland, San Francisco is filled with amazing, funky, unique things to see and do. Among my favorite sites to see are:
- taking a leisurely sunset stroll past the shops and street vendors on the way to a scrumptious meal on Fisherman's Wharf;
- twisting crazily down picturesque, flower-banked Lombard Street;
- spending quiet moments contemplating the exquisite stained glass windows of Nob Hill's Grace Cathedral;
- wandering the tranquil paths of the traditional Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park;
- expanding my horizons with a quirky lecture at the innovative Exploratorium, physicist Frank Oppenheimer's amazing interactive museum;
- wondering at the gargantuan sculptures that hover above the you at the stunning Museum of Modern Art and, of course;
- spending a delightful leisurely afternoon browsing through fabulous shops and galleries;
- sampling exotic cuisines from a host of nations . . .
I could go on and on. San Francisco mesmerizes you like some exotic, misty-eyed beauty, then steals your heart away forever. You'll want to stay right in the center of things. I love the elegant urban suites at the Inn at the Opera (above, left). Located right in the famous San Francisco Civic Center, home to six performance houses, the Inn is just steps from wonderful music, exciting theater, charming bistros and unique shops. For other fabulous San Francisco timeshare accommodations, click the post title.
