San Francisco part 3

We started out Day #3 with a trip to the Farmer's Market at the Ferry Building Marketplace (same place we went to the day before).  It was the coolest Farmer's Market I'd ever been to-- there were gorgeous leafy greens and heirloom tomatoes right and left.  It had a very "organic ambiance" hence the antique'd effect on the pictures.

There were also tents that sold fresh food such as this lovely breakfast sandwich and oysters (below).  Only Nathan would eat oysters at 9:30 in the morning...

I think if I lived in San Fran, I would definitely be inspired to cook after visiting the farmer's market.  Buuuut I don't live there so I'll continue with hot pockets and guacamole...

After the farmer's market visit, we went to The Exploratorium, named the number 1 science center in the world.  This museum was quite different than all the others I've ever visited-- there were about 400 displays/experiments in the building, divided into sections (Sound/Light, Math/Science, etc.), and each of them were hands-on.  It was like a bunch of science experiments dumped into one building!  You learn something at each of the stations, whether it be how fast sound travels or how different colors effect your mood.  It was really fun-- definitely a place where your inner-nerd can come out.

This camera took a picture of a drop of water hitting a full mug with my face in the background

Nathan was learning about how plastic roadblocks in a sea of soapy water can create different patterns in the soap... or he might have just been playing with the water :)

Me in a big chair

Nathan in a teeny chair

After the Exploratorium, we went to Haight-Ashbury... apparently this was the hubbub of all things Hippie back in the 60's including the Summer of Love.  I call it: Austin, TX on drugs

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There is a definite hippie/homeless/druggie vibe throughout this little area... It has quaint little shops, although a few are slightly provocative, but some of it was real cute like this hat shop!

Makes me want to sing "San Francisco (Be sure to wear flowers in your hair)" by The Mamas and the Papas

On to the next adventure:

Chinatown!

I was looking forward to visiting Chinatown ever since we mentioned going to California (Yosemite for Nathan and Chinatown for me... quite the pair).  We got their Saturday night in time for the Summer Festival held every Saturday night until October.  Or so I thought.  Apparently the website I was looking at was for 2010 and it was not going to happen for 2011.  Nevertheless, we enjoyed Chinatown and all it had to offer!

We window-shopped quite a bit, soaked up all the Chinese-y smells, I lured Nathan into a tea tasting (Oolong, Green, and Jasmine), we ate dim sum and egg custard tarts, visited the fortune cookie factory...

Speaking of egg custard tarts, us and 1196 Yelp reviews think this Golden Gate Bakery is the bomb.  Nathan liked them so much we went back the next day.  (we first heard about this heavenly tart on Samantha Brown's Travel Channel show)

Here's a peek inside this tiny little bakery...

(I'm totally in my element)

Brian suggested we check out the fortune cookie factory if we could find it (it's in one of the many Chinatown alleys).  We found it and thank goodness we did!  This lady made dozens of fresh fortune cookies right in front of us.  We brought home a bag of fortune cookies and even snapped her picture for 50 cents-- trip worthwhile.

To finish off the night, we took a cable car ride down to Fisherman's Wharf and back-- such hipsters.