Ah, we had a great time. You learn in writing classes and speech classes to make sure your ending is good as it “leaves a taste in the mouth”, and unfortunately my fun weekend had a bad closer. Our taxi from SFO was driven by a hopped up cabbie who didn’t know how to get to North Beach from 101 North. And, there was a game, a fair, and the Jazz festival in North Beach clogging up the streets! Driving through the streets, Sally, pictured above, turns to me and says, “San Francisco is bigger than Seattle.” We had talked to my brother about which was bigger and he gave some props to Seattle, but there’s an experience of dense urban living that hits you right in the face as you sit in packed cars on Bryant trying to get to 3rd.

Our weekend kept on drifting between relaxing and hilarious. We didn’t do much- lots of eating, and chatting. We shopped pretty hard at this Japanese superstore Owajimaya in the International District, lounged in our hotel watching cable, or walked in between eating places.

There was an amazing patisserie in the Fairmont near our hotel, and combined with my favorite bakery Macrina, we were well supplied with muffins and croissants. I had a bit of a nostalgia trip from working in Seattle for a few years- and next time we do this I asked that we not go somewhere where I’ve lived! Seattle was gorgeous while we visited and only rained the night before our last day. The one day I stopped using my iPhone we had bad taxi drivers and a poor brunch call (blame the W concierge!).

It was like a bridesmaid weekend without the roller coaster emotions or the bride, or the wedding! For the next girl weekend I’m lobbying or Paris.

Pictured: Panama Hotel (site)
In addition to the bath house, the other side of the basement comprises a storage area containing trunks and suitcases filled with personal treasures and every day items left by Japanese Americans when they were forced to leave Seattle in 1942.