About six years ago my friends got me going to the Thrilling Adventure Hour at the Largo. It's a new style show/podcast in the style of old-time radio, and every month we'd see it live. I knew by now that I was going to be moving, and the live monthly show was ending, so when they went to Sketchfest in SF, it would be the last time I'd have a chance, probably. So a couple of my friends and I decided to head up there after work on a Friday for a Saturday show, and then we'd drive back on Sunday.
LA is about six hours south of San Francisco, so it's not as close as people tend to think it is. It's a long drive. The other thing people don't realize is that San Francisco gets weather. In northern California, it's closer to Portland than sunny LA. So we hit storms. Driving in the dark in torrential downpours isn't fun. And when we rolled up to the Aida Plaza Hotel, we drove around for about half an hour trying to find the parking lot... only to find out that it wasn't in fact free parking, and would cost us thirty dollars a night. But there weren't any other options, so we parked and went up to our room, where we'd also had a scare because we were told that we wouldn't have a private bathroom, and that they were dorm style. And while each floor had a shared bathroom, our room did in fact have our own, so we got lucky there. Aside from not being told some very important things like that, the hotel itself was pretty cute. It was all neon lights and old fixtures, with actual flowered carpeting on the elevator walls. If you're going for character (and aren't bringing a car), it's worth it.
Also it was down the street from my favorite restaurant in SF, Homeskillet. We ended up eating there for breakfast both days, where I had more than a few vegetarian options and they had some amazing coffees. Plus it's right near Union Square, where we could walk around and go into stores and just check out the downtown area. And it really is kind of great. We checked out as much of the Contemporary Jewish Museum as we could without paying (if we'd had more time I'd have been all over it) and if you're into architecture, this could be a good place for you to check out. Plus their gift shop is pretty fun. And our Saturday was pretty packed; we also met up with a friend who's from outside the city and walked around Chinatown, but it's one of my biggest regrets that we didn't actually stop for Chinese food while we were there. It was also right before Chinese New Year, so it was decorated with lanterns and looked really great.
And there were some landmarks we had to hit, of course. Ghiradelli Square was our final stop, with a quick trip around Fisherman's Wharf, where you can also see Alcatraz. To actually go to Alcatraz, you need to carve out a day, more or less. It's a boat ride out there, and there are tours, and then a boat ride back. Unfortunately we didn't have time for that. But we could stand out by the water and watch a boat head over, and with a good camera you can get some decent pictures.
The show was at the Brava Theater Center, and to be honest I'm not sure what I expected of Sketchfest. I think I'd imagined it as more of a festival of sorts, when in reality it was a series of shows around the city at different times. But there are a lot of shows going on then, so if you're in town for it you should probably try to see a few. Get your Sketchfest on.
And of course on Sunday it rained. Like, super rained. We had a plan to go to Lombard Street, which we still decided to do despite the terrible weather. For some reason, my friends let me be in charge of figuring out how to get where in the city. Rather than dealing with figuring out the parking situation, we took public transportation or walked everywhere. PS if you're walking in this city be advised that the hills are ridiculous. Bring good shoes. San Francisco actually has good public transportation, and it was a goal to take all the different kinds we could (there are trolleys, buses, and adorable cable cars that look straight out of the 50's- at least I think so. We turned out to be confused at what they actually consider a trolley and what's a cable car). It's just that I am awful at it. The information I had told me to go where I had the day before and take the cable car to Lombard, and on the way when I noticed we were going the same way we had before, I looked it up and found out that two different lines go from that starting point, and we'd picked the wrong one. This one meant we got out at the bottom of the crookedest street in the world, in the rain, and so we took pictures at the bottom of it rather than walking down it like I'd wanted. Next time.
Overall, there are parts of San Francisco I really like. There's a ton to do, and I wish I'd spent more time in Chinatown and been able to do Alcatraz and spend more time in all the places we hit, really. Plus there are murals and street art everywhere and I like anything that gives me Instagram material. However, our downtown hotel near Union Square was not in the best area, and that area probably made it the dirtiest city I've ever been in. And unfortunately I'm not really in a rush to go back because frankly I got harassed the whole time. I've got a pretty thick skin about that kind of stuff, but I was getting guys interrupting my conversations with my friends while we were walking down the street to tell me what he wanted to do to me, or homeless guys on the bus trying to put their arms around me, or getting rude comments at the freaking CVS while getting a battery for my Fitbit. After getting that constantly all weekend, it really does mess with your head, and while I'd happily go if someone else wants to, I won't be the one suggesting it. Sorry, San Francisco.
Still. Homeskillet was really good.
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