San Francisco

We really wanted this vacation to go out with a bang, so we opted for a treat from the mini-bar.

This $3 bag of Famous Amos cookies was so worth it!

The day began at the end of the Powell-Hyde cable car line.

I had no idea we would be waiting in line for nearly an hour just to get on the car. This was the first indication that I had not planned well for San Francisco. I had no clue what we could do for an alternate method of transportation. Normally waiting in line wouldn't be too much of an issue, but with only one day to explore this city, I could just feel the time wasting away.

It was pretty fun to see the men manually turning the cars around.

I guess because everything is so automated in this day and age, it was pretty surprising to see the way these cable cars work.

We rode to the other end of the line to Fisherman's Wharf.

And more importantly, to Ghiradelli Square.

Forty dollars of chocolate and a close encounter with some salt water pearl earrings later, we wondered if that was really all Fisherman's Wharf had to offer. Either we didn't see it all or it's truly a tourist trap.

On the ride back toward Union Square, we stood on the back of the cable car.

It was quite an intense experience. The hills are incredibly steep and we barely had anywhere to hold on. Andrew was trying to hold on to me while also keeping himself from falling and from being whacked by the cable car operator who was flinging himself around while yanking on a lever at random times. I'm sure there was some purpose to what he was doing, but I couldn't find any rhyme or reason to it.

See what I mean by steep? Imagine standing on the back of an open-air cable car where you can barely hang on. I couldn't pass up the photo op though! Don't miss Alcatraz in the distance.

The architecture here is beautiful.

We made it back for our reservation at Grandviews Restaurant on the 36th floor of the Grand Hyatt.

Andrew went for the All-American burger and fries.

And I had a Cobb Salad that I had been craving all week. It was good, but this place has nothing on the Cheesecake Factory's version.

We requested a table by the window and were not disappointed with this view.

The city view was great, but I just couldn't get over the colors of the bay.

Somehow I didn't get a shot of it, but we could see all the way from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Bay Bridge. I can't imagine finding a better view of the city.

Desperate to give our tootsies a break, we parked it on the steps of Union Square for a bit.

Then we had to swing by the cafe for a latte and coffee. I swear when we're home, we don't even drink this stuff.

The plans for the afternoon consisted of hanging around Union Square. Turns out that wasn't the best idea. On the last day of a whirlwind vacation, we were spent - physically and financially - and not exactly in the mood for shopping, as if Andrew ever is. I ended up with a few back to school clothes from H&M, so it ended up being worth it for me.

Somehow I roped Andrew into this DSW store. Utter madness I tell you! They had boxes and boxes of Gucci purses going for $300-500. People were on their cell phone calling everyone they knew and handbags were flying everywhere.

Andrew's pay off for the afternoon of shopping was stopping by the AT&T Park on the way out of town.

Imagine kayakers climbing all over one another in hopes of catching one of Bonds' infamous home runs in the bay. We were only a couple of seasons late!

Everywhere we turned in this city made me long to schedule a photo session here. This massive green door, for one, would have been much fun.

The ride home was smooth sailing. If I was a betting girl, I'd say Andrew spent his time trying to sleep but instead was too embarrassed of his wife conked out with her mouth hanging wide open. This is what I awoke to.

My internal clock was so messed up that it took a minute to discern whether this was sunrise or sunset. After a week full of unbelievable views, this was the only possible sight that could have still wowed us!