San Francisco: 49 Hours is not enough - Part II

Beyond seeing glorious drag queens, gingerbread houses and enjoying the San Francisco Symphony, I met a few animals in San Francisco: the furry kind at Macy's SF SPCA adoption, chocovores (and chocoholics) on a Gourmet Food Walk and merry makers on a caroling cable car.  These are just a few of San Francisco Travel's 49 holiday things to do. 

Macy's helps the SF SPCA find dogs and cats homes for the holiday

Macy's SF SPCA Adoption window at its Market Street location
As of Dec. 15, 195 cats and dogs had been adopted since Thanksgiving.

Paisley is a puppy that is up for adoption.

As of Monday, Dec. 19, 224 dogs and cats have been adopted.  This is the 25th year the SF SPCA has offered holiday pet adoptions from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day.  Krista Maloney, a spokesperson for the SF SPCA, told me that it's the seventh or eighth year that Macy's has generously offered window and floor space to help pets find homes.

If you're visiting San Francisco and don't have a home to offer, Maloney says that they are still looking for volunteers to help out -- especially between Dec. 26 and New Year's Day.  "Volunteering involves collecting donations and greeting the public, and shifts are only about two hours each," says Maloney.  For more info, visit: sfspca.org/holiday

This kitty needs a home in the Bay Area.  (I encouraged my friend, Dick Jordan,
to adopt a canine or feline, but his cat rules a one cat household.

Gourmet Food Walks or walking for chocolate (and other treats)

We sampled three delicacies from Recchiuti Confections in the Ferry Building

Although I went on a Gourmet Chocolate Tour during my holiday visit,  the chocolate tour is available year round from Gourmet Walks.  Over the three hour tour, I learned about the painstaking labor involved in growing and harvesting the fruit of the cocoa tree and was offered more samples of chocolate than I could eat.  You also have opportunities to buy chocolate during the tour, and many of the vendors offer Gourmet Walks guests a 10% discount.  I bought some tasting samples to give my family a chance to have a chocolate experience over Christmas.  

Until I took the tour with Nicole, I never had any idea that tasting chocolate could be as complex as wine tasting. . . without the hangover.  (Since I was sampling chocolate confections that are at least 70% chocolate, I didn't experience any sugar hangover.  In contrast, a Hershey's bar or common chocolate bar usually contains 10% chocolate and 90% sugar.)  

The next time you unwrap a piece of gourmet chocolate, look at it, sniff it, snap it (unless it's a truffle) then taste it.  It helps if you inhale as you are tasting the chocolate.  I hope to edit and post video from my lesson soon.

During the holidays, Gourmet Walks has a Holiday Lights and Chocolate Tour that includes tea with macaroons.  Throughout the year, Gourmet Walks not only offers chocolate tours but foodie tours in Japan Town and downtown Napa.   My chocolate tour began at the Embarcadero and ended at Union Square. 

A foodie tour is a great way to see the city while you educate your palate, delight your tastebuds and tighten your waistband.  

At Leonidas, we sipped Belgium hot chocolate followed by a tasty sample.

Classic Cable Car Holiday Lights Tour


Although I only had a chance to do an abbreviated version of this, it's great fun to hear Christmas carols while seeing the holiday lights of San Francisco from a cable car.

The carolers I met were very friendly.  Happy Holidays!

Hey, San Francisco, 49 Hours isn't nearly enough - Part 1

You can be a good skate at the Holiday Ice Rink Embarcadero Center
(Activity #11 - open thru Jan. 8, 2012) (Photos: Terry Gardner)

San Francisco is happening for the holidays.  In a two and a half days last week, I barely scratched the surface of 49 holiday things to do.  Here are highlights from several Activities I checked out during my brief visit.

Only in San Francisco - a night with drag queens followed by an evening at the Symphony

L to R: Manuel Caneri (Diego), Pollo Del Mar (Rose), Cookie Dough (Sophia),
Heklina (Dorothy), Matthew Martin (Blanche) & Laurie Bushman (Clayton)

Activity #13 - Revisit the "Golden Girls" as they are re-imagined in a high camp, "all drag" extravaganza at the Victoria Theatre, 2961 16th Street. Heklina plays Dorothy (the Bea Arthur role) in this special presentation of two "Golden Girls" episodes.  Most of the audience had seen the "queens" present the Golden Girls last Christmas.  And theatre is usually fun when you get to drink beer or wine during the show.  On December 22, local San Francisco celebrity, Jan Wahl, will have a cameo appearance.  Her hat has yet to be announced.  The last two shows are Dec. 22 and 23 at 8:00 p.m.  Advance tickets are sold out, but you may be able to get a last minute cash ticket at the door. www.trannyshack.com

Exterior of Davis Symphony Hall

Activity #18 - Davis Symphony Hall - After spending the previous night with men who are more comfortable in high heels than I am, Davis Symphony Hall was quite a contrast.  Instead of seeing queens, visions of angels danced in my head.  After trying to see as much of San Francisco as possible that day, it was soothing to listen to the strings of of the San Francisco Symphony accompanying the San Francisco Chorale as they performed Handel's "Messiah."  The Symphony turned 100 this year, and a hearing a concert in Davis Hall was definitely a highlight of my trip.

Although you'll have to wait until next year to hear Handel's "Messiah," there is a Christmas carol sing-a-long this week ("Twas the Night") and a New Year's Eve Masquerade ball.

We parked across from City Hall for the Symphony.
The Ferry Building glows red at night during the holiday season.

San Francisco Hotels offer houses of Gingerbread, a Castle of Sugar or Snow Thrice daily 
(Activities 16, 29, 31 and 35)



 Fairmont San Francisco

The Fairmont San Francisco boasts a full size
Gingerbread House during the holidays (Activity #16)

The Palace San Francisco

The Palace Gingerbread competition included Gumps, the Four Sisters Houses, the Golden Gate Bridge, Elvis and Hound dogs, the Farmers Market and more (voting is activity #29)

Carolers may sing while you dine in the Garden Court at the Palace

For more details on the Palace, please visit my earlier post about my stay at the Palace along with a Palatial holiday post by my travel writing colleague, Dick Jordan, on his Tales Told from the Road blog.

The Westin St. Francis

The Westin St. Francis boasts San Francisco's largest holiday sugar castle.
It weighs over 1,200 pounds (Activity #31)

The Hyatt Regency San Francisco

Hyatt Regency San Francisco has snow fall three times a day during the holidays (Activity 35). 

I didn't get to see any snow while I was there learning about chocolate on a Gourmet Food Tour. 

Stay tuned for Part II - SF SPCA Pet adoptions, a gourmet chocolate tour and more.