I recently returned from my first visit to Napa Valley; before heading to wine country, I spent an afternoon and a morning in San Francisco. I visited the city as a young child on a cross-country vacation with my family but had been eager to return as an adult for some time now. And my short visit only made me want to return more, as there was so much I didn’t have time to do — ride the cable cars, drive across the Golden Gate Bridge, visit Ghirardelli Square, eat in Chinatown. I arrived at San Francisco International Airport late morning, picked up my rental car and headed to my hotel, The Argonaut, a Kimpton Hotel, located at the end of the Fisherman’s Wharf area. My friend and I dropped our bags and immediately headed out to explore. Six blocks behind our hotel was the top of Lombard Street, the world’s curviest road. We had no clue just how steep those six blocks were, and our calves were burning as we reached the top. After our climb, we wandered the North Beach neighborhood, enjoying lunch at Tacolicious, offering unique and tasty tacos with creative cocktails. From there, we headed through Chinatown to the St. Regis San Francisco for spa treatments at Remède Spa, one of the city’s top-rated spas. (Look for more on the experience in an upcoming Spas article.) Evening had fallen when we finished our pampering, and it was time to change for dinner and check in at Waterbar, along the Embarcadero and offering exceptional views of the water and the Bay Bridge. This restaurant is a must on your next visit to San Francisco. The interior is warm yet very chic; I loved the floor-to-ceiling, tube-like aquariums. The menu changes daily. Be sure to read my review in an upcoming eFlyer USA and on trazeetravel.com. After dinner, we were exhausted (and full!), with an early wake-up call for our 8:45 a.m. ferry tickets to Alcatraz. I was determined to squeeze in a visit on our busy itinerary to the former prison, and I wasn’t disappointed. I only wish I had more time to fully explore every corner. The complimentary audio tour is exceptional, and it’s awesome to hear stories from former prisoners and guards. Walking to and from our hotel and the ferry terminal, we explored the wharf a bit and visited the sea lions at Pier 39. It was time to head to Napa. We briefly returned to San Fran Saturday evening, driving by the Painted Ladies (famous for us from growing up watching Full House), but it was too dark for a good picture by the time we found them, and dining on fresh seafood and chowder on Fisherman’s Wharf. San Francisco, I can’t wait until we meet again. — Kim Krol, managing editor