So I realized it had been a year since I took my last vacation… And while I still have fond memories of Fiji and New Zealand, I needed to make some new memories, and get out of my apartment. Staycation it is! I am lucky enough to live in a city that I love and always intend to take more advantage of as well as lucking into a week with pretty perfect weather and no fire smoke. Off to a good start!

A few things to prepare for a staycation, since I wasn’t going to spring for a hotel or Airbnb I needed to get my apartment clean enough that I didn’t look around annoyed or compelled to clean. I also made a pasta dish to supplement some food delivery meals as well as buying some snacks like fresh cut fruit. Staycations do have some pros and cons. Pro, I don’t have to do things like pack. Con, it’s easier to let a few tasks slip into the week, though I did decide that was for the best rather than stressing to get 100% of things tackled. I also tried to keep my apartment a little vacation vibey by doing things like take a bath, light a new smelly candle, ready a book, read a magazine, and actually purchased a tv series (latest season of The Good Fight) to treat myself.

So while I was also just taking a little bit of downtime I wanted to do at least one out of apartment activity a day. A stroll through Japantown and up Fillmore Street ended in an unexpected restaurant visit, Choquet’s had a closed side street and at an off hour offered isolation from fellow diners and passersby’s and was very well serviced. A trip to the San Francisco Zoo with timed and limited arrivals as well as many closed touch and speaking activities, turned out to give lots of animal sightings, adorable! Another stroll (suggested by The Nudge) started with a to-go cocktail from Horsefeather and taken up to Alamo Square for a look around a temporary mural exhibit next to the Painted Ladies and then a hang in the park to sip and watch the sunset, not too shabby. A pop into to the deYoung, which is also at limited capacity, has a Frida Kahlo exhibit (which was sold out) and The de Young Open which features 877 pieces by Bay Area Artists followed by a peek at the new carousel (also sold out). And capping off the week a trip on the Ferry always puts me in vacation mood, this time a trip to Tiburon and a socially distanced patio lunch at Sam’s Anchor Cafe.

Overall like most vacations it felt too short but it did give me a break from what has been a very long year. It also renewed my enthusiasm for activities that appreciate the city. And got me out of my apartment which has been a bit of a challenge for much of the year. Still looking forward to another vacation, maybe next time I get in a car and drive. Any suggestions?