Taking the L to downtown SF

Unlike at home in San Diego...

we don't really utilize public transportation as much as folks do in the Bay Area...

Rolling Out Cafe

Farther east up Taraval was another bakery,

which actually had a San Diego connection...

Spring Break 2017 Road Trip Day 5: Andytown (location #3)

It's back to the Spring Break 2017 posts...

going waaaay back to March 29th for our 5th day of our vacation...

Dinner @ Brothers Pizza on Taraval + another OBSF sunset

Fast forward a few hours later...

We were back near Andytown #2, but we weren't here for coffee...

Spring Break Road Trip 2017 - Day 4: Return to Andytown Coffee Roasters (Taraval)

Before making our way to the city...

we had to have some coffee up the street...

Return to George's Zoo deli +snacks from Trader Joe's

Construction at the southwest corner of 46th and Wawona was shaping up.

The old structure is still showing up on googlemaps...

Andytown Coffee Roasters (location #2) on Taraval

Sometime between hanging out in the Outer Richmond and coming here for coffee...

we had checked into our favorite motel in the area to freshen up a bit...

Spring Break Trip 2017 - Day 5 Highlights

Our vacation days cannot begin unless...

we have coffee...

Mr. Bread

The striped awnings with a cute stylized happy baker on it lured me in like the Millenium Falcon to the Death Star's massive tractor beam...

Bert already knew from the look on my face that we would have to go in...

House of Pancakes

When you hear the words House of Pancakes, you usually think of the breakfast type of pancakes, like IHOP.

You won't find those here at this establishment...

Return to Marco Polo Ice Cream

Yes, it was the return to Marco Polo Ice Cream...

I noticed that formerly dead patch in front had now sprouted grass...

Mellow's Cafe

One thing that we really like about the motel we were staying at was its proximity to the L-Taraval Streetcar.  If we wanted to, we could go downtown for the one-way fare price of  $2.25  (youth ages 5-17 are only $1). With that, the ride would also take 45 minutes. No, our destination was just going to be nearby Taraval St.

The motel actually gives earplugs to guests who find the noise bothersome especially at night. For all of the times we've stayed here, it's never been an issue for any of us having a problem falling asleep because of the noise.

For me, whenever I'm in a different city, I am more accepting of the ambient street noise I suppose.
There were several places we wanted to go on Taraval, the first one was another request by TC...

Hollow Coffee + more scenes from Irving Street and Parkside

A few blocks down from Snowbird Coffee & Arizmendi Bakery...

was yet another hipster coffee shop, Hollow Coffee.

Bert already knew what he wanted...

George's Zoo Liquor Deli

Along Sloat Blvd, near the Zoo grounds is this interesting roadside oddity...

This interesting bit of Americana is known as the Doggie Diner head (a designated San Francisco landmark as of 2006; the head dates back from the early 70's from the original Doggie Diner located at 46th and Sloat; it is now on the median of 45th and Sloat across from the SF Zoo).

and you can't miss it!

Summer Road Trip 2015 - Day 8 Highlights

Our stay in the Parkside neighborhood was all too short. Near our hotel we noted that a whole block was razed....

whereas during our road trip last Memorial Day, it was still there...

SF Roadtrip Day 2 - John's Ocean Beach Cafe

[Update - This place is now GONE as in FOREVER.  The whole block was torn down May 2015 to make room for a new commercial/business development. Sad panda.]

It's the return of the SF Road Trip pix from when we went up for my former student's wedding, which was held here, the SF Zoo...

located right across the street from this local eatery, John's Ocean Beach Cafe...

which is literally steps away from the beach. You can see the Great Highway  at the intersection and after that is San Francisco's own Ocean Beach...

But first, breakfast on Day 2 of our mini road trip...

Marco Polo Italian Ice Cream

After walking up and down several blocks to explore, we went back a few blocks the other way to hit up this place...

We were on vacation and yes, we wanted dessert every $%#@ day...

Taking the L to Taraval: First Stop - Kingdom of Dumpling

Near our hotel was the L-Taraval Streetcar (which I erroneously referred as a 'trolley' in a previous post, please don't hurt me native SF readers). It costs $2 per adult, and .75 for those under 18. This is the very end of the line at 46th and Wawona Street.

Interestingly, the streetcar's money machine wasn't working that day. Correction, it worked for me, so I did pay $2 but Bert, TC and all the other customers wishing to pay cash got to ride for free.

Nearly there...

Slowly but surely we were making progress...

as we headed up the 101 to our eventual destination of good ole SF...