Asian Art Museum and More Hiking

First Sundays of every month are free admission days at the Asian Art Museum in SF. After becoming an expert sightseer in Boston, I have become inspired to become a tourist in my own hometown/neighborhoods. On the plane ride back from Boston, I overheard a cute family of four embarking on a California vacation. For some reason, it never occurred to me that people come here specifically to vacation. I realized San Francisco has so much to offer, and that I should really fully explore the area I call home.

First stop: the Warfield box office to buy tickets to Joshua Radin & A Fine Frenzy. I don’t know the dude so much, but I love A Fine Frenzy. Her music is so whimsical. 

If I had to choose, this would be my favorite song of theirs:

There was a lovely farmers market at Civic Center, right outside the museum. 

Look at the awesome sample haul! My friends snickered when I hid my previous Larabar samples from the front end of the market to get more at the end. I have no shame. 

I hit the motherload, guys. 

I tried the Peanut Butter Cookie flavor right away. I’ve probably already proclaimed this, but I love peanut butter. Like, eat-it-from-the-jar-with-a-spoon kind of love. 

The bar was pleasantly peanut-y, but like all Larabars, was pretty fruity in flavor. I like the sample sizes, though. They would be the perfect size to nibble on when minor munchies hit. Too bad they don’t actually sell the squares. 

My rating: 3/5. 

The Museum featured lots of pottery. My favorite pieces were wood and ivory carvings. Of course, I don’t like the fact that they used ivory, but the skill involved in intricately carving a detailed a forest scene or such is undeniable. 

Outside of Asian Art Museum

I really liked this display design

Stone carving in the India section

At 12:00pm, my tummy was already grumbling. One of my friends recalled a pho place in nearby Little Saigon that he remembered being good.

Him: “Turtle Beach? Turtle Tower?” 

I told him the latter sounded more likely. Being the yelp snob that I am, I suggested he look the place up and wowee, it had a solid four stars averaged from almost 1500 reviews. 

Lunch, here we come!

I got the #1, with beef and brisket. 

Yummers

Restaurant broth is always a bit on the salty side, but it was a decent balanced to slurp between bites of soft rice noodles. Hot, steamy noodle soup really hit the spot on a rather overcast and gloomy day. Thanks, Turtle Tower! 

We came back to Berkeley at around 1:30pm. I always think it’s amusing when non-morning people marvel at how much of the day is still ahead of them when I make them get up “early” to hang out with me. 

If you thought I’d be sick of hiking after the last post, you thought wrong! Rule: invite me on an outdoors adventure and I will accept. 

I drove my friend Phoebe and I up to Tilden. Of course, we stopped by the Little Farm to say hi to the animals.

Chubby and sleepy pig

Turtles sunbathing on every rock in Jewel Lake

3 hours, 8.5 miles, with nonstop girly chatter all the way. My kind of afternoon.