San Francisco & Napa valley, May 26-29

It was a long weekend and Boris took an additional day off and finally went to SF. We stayed at the Westin St Francis right in the center of town – the rooms in the old wing were a little tight but we moved to the new wing and it was great...the elevators in the new wing are external which is a little strange at first and it is a bit of a bumpy ride…
We walked all around town and I really recommend straying from the tourist paths onto residential streets and enjoy the city rather than spending time on pier 39/fisherman's wharf with the other 10,000 tourists – crowded and boring.
We went to a great Jazz club on Broadway and Columbus called House of Seafood – I don't know about the food but the music was great.
About food: Fleur de Lys (777 Sutter str.) – good but overpriced; Calzone's (430 Columbus ave.) – simple and good; right next door is Stella Pastry Café (446 Columbus ave.) – just amazing!!!; Sakana (639 Post str.) – great small sushi place; Osteria del Forno (519 Columbus ave.) – great little Italian with great appetizers and pizza, 10$ corkage fee; Segafredo (235 Powell str.) right near Union square – great coffee, great sandwiches and cakes – the best place for breakfast.

Calzone's:

Stella Pastry cafe:

Napa Valley

We rented a car to go to Napa Valley and I really wished we had more than a day to spare…We visited only two wineries Robert Mondavi which has a beautiful setting, a 25$ tour which we didn't take, not the best staff but a cool tasting policy – you pay for the tasting and get to keep the glass you used :) The second one was Mumm with a beautiful terrace where you get to sample all the bubbly, yum! They also have a free tour as well as a photography gallery.
We also stopped at Younville for lunch at the amazing Bouchon (one star Michelin guide) which is next door to Bouchon bakery – both are worth a visit :)

Robert Mondavi:

Bouchon:

Mumm:

Mt Pilchuck, May 19th

The trail begins in a forest but we crossed the tree line very quickly and every step up showed more of the surrounding mountains. The hike is not difficult at all though it is a constant upward slope and we did it while it was still completely covered with snow; 6 miles round trip, elevation gain 2200ft. We took a short cut on the way down glisading on our behinds with our coats tied around them :) Recommended :)

Mount Rainier, May 12th

The flood damage can be seen as soon as you enter the park and start driving towards Paradise, part of the road was completely new. The road is completely clean and was open through to the visitor center in Paradise. Lots of snow and beautiful views (as always), many skiers and boarders.

Wallace Falls, May 6th

The hike is beautiful and fairly easy, about 6 miles round trip, 1200ft elevation gain to reach the upper falls. There are 3 view points lower, middle and upper falls. We liked it very much :)