San Francisco
I just love the romantic atmosphere of San Francisco it is one of the most elegant cities in the world. The city is a major international center of culture in terms of music, art, and museums.
The " City by the Bay" is located on the tip of the San Francisco Peninsula overlooking the Pacific Ocean to the west and the famous Golden Gate Bridge to the north. In 1776, the Spanish settled on the tip of the Peninsula and established a fort just to the north of where the Golden Gate Bridge now exists.
San Francisco is an international tourist attraction and known for its rolling hills, famous landmarks, cable cars and modern architecture. The population of San Francisco County is approximately 744,041 and growing.
I love taking a walk in San Francisco's Union Square it is such an UP-Beat Atmosphere filled with the electricity of excitement.
The shopping is great and one could find all the great stores like Neiman Marcus, Barney's New York, Saks Fifth Ave and others in the Heart of Union Square. I enjoy just being in such a lively city and always have a great deal of fun.
San Francisco has many Fantastic Restaurants and this romantic city is famous for its beautiful views. The city offers visitors a multitude of places to stay. The Fairmont and the Ritz-Carlton are two of the most extravagant and romantic hotels in San Francisco and have luxurious type settings. One could become very passionate in these hotels.
The Fairmont
950 Mason Street
Definitely in a Class of its own. Everyone should visit The Fairmont. The Fairmont is located at California & Mason on Knob Hill-- it is situated overlooking Union Square and the Financial District. The Hotel is built in the genre of the grandeur of 1906. When you walk into the lobby you will feel as though you just stepped onto a movie set. It's a showcase in itself. The lobby is elaborately decorated with Crystal chandeliers, marble floors, and gigantic columns. This is the hotel were Tony Bennett gave his first performance of "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" back in 1962. It then became his signature song.
Union Square
What a great place to walk around and enjoy the shopping or just one another. Or we could just enjoy the atmosphere and just let the world go by.
It features a large plaza with a terraced performance stage. What a convenient way to shop around and find unique gifts. In Union Square, you will find some of the best names in fashion, dining, and theater. It is the premier shopping district in San Francisco. All the major department stores like Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Ave are located within walking distance of Union Square.
We then could take a ride on the cable car and go to go to Fisherman's Wharf, Ghiradelli Square and back again for some more shopping!
Ritz-Carlton Hotel
600 Stockton Street
The Ritz-Carlton hotel in San Francisco is located on top of Knob Hill and has a lavish and decorative atmosphere. The property reopened as a 336-room luxury hotel in 1991. We could go for high tea in the Ritz-Carlton and enjoy the pasties and deserts it is definitely a treat. Then later get another treat! With more pampering than most people could handle.
Fisherman's Wharf
Fisherman’s Wharf has some of the most incredible views of the San Francisco Bay and the Gate Bridge. I love to enjoy the views of the waterfront, the unique shops, and delicious seafood restaurants. We could take a cruise and it is a wonderful way to enjoy the beauty of the San Francisco waterfront, then go to one of the delicious seafood restaurants. Why not live it up and go back to our Hotel and sip some Champagne!
Haight/Ashbury
Is the neighborhood surrounding Haight Street and Golden Gate Park on the West. The district is famous for 1960 Hippie movement that was associated with the 60's Free Love Generation. Every year Haight-Ashbury has a Street Fair it begins on June 8. I love to walk around and see the wonderful performances and showcases of the different artists and performers as they present their work during this festival. These were a few wonderful restaurants that I have visited.
Gary Danko
800 N Point St.
This restaurant was voted number one as the most popular restaurant in San Francisco. Make reservations in advance it's mostly sold out. After dinner, we could have our own little private celebration!
Cliff House
1090 Point Lobos
Has a wonderful view of the Marin Coast Line and the Suro Bath ruins. The menu has mostly fresh seafood. A must see when visiting San Francisco.
The Boulevard 1
Mission St.
Great Food and very reasonable. The decor is beautiful. Everything is really fantastic. Be sure to try their fabulous desserts.
More to come.
Bar Agricole
When you enter this French Restaurant, you will be impressed with the beautiful modern design of space in this very Hip setting.It Is very nice French Cuisine, fantastic menu reasonably priced. Great Bar and with lots of mixed drinks and don't forget their creative desserts. It' an Exotic treat definitely you will enjoy!
Atelier Crenn
3127 Fillmore
San Francisco, CA 94103
415-440-0460
Delicious food beautifully presented. French Modern Cuisine. Famous chef Dominique Crenn displays her talents to make an of a combination of visual and tasty food. Very nice experience loved the modern display of Artistry in the presentation of her delicious dishes.
Vacation Time - New York City - Did I Dream It?
New York City has vibrant energy like not another city in the world. The population of NYC is approximately 8,250,567. and growing. The city is made up of five boroughs, which are each famous in their own right. However, Manhattan remains the cultural and economic focal point of the city and, as some would argue, the world. Manhattan is visually stunning with captivating views of towering skyscrapers and bustling avenues.
In 1524, New York was discovered by Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano. At that time, the area was inhabited by only 5,000 Native Americans and was later named New Amsterdam. New York's roots are tied to its birth as a Dutch trading settlement. Nowadays, New York City has energy so intense that I felt there was a magnitude of things to see and experience. I was very excited to be exploring Manhattan.
New York has many fine restaurants to be enjoyed. Wonderful Broadway shows, not to mention great sightseeing, shopping, and special events. There are many fabulous museums which are located in the heart of Manhattan.
I just love 5th Ave which is considered the most premier shopping in the world. It is ranked also as one of the most expensive streets in the world. Here you will find high-end department stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf's, Versace, and Ferragamo.
Madison Avenue's Fashion corridor has about fifteen designer shops such as Chanel, Giorgio, Jean-Paul, Prada, Hermès and more. If you begin your exploration at Fifth Avenue and 86th Street, you could walk to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Then on 78th Street, there is the Institute of Fine Art. A turn left onto 70th street you can see one of the great Fifth Avenue Mansions built for Henry Clay Frick currently the home of the Frick Art Collection. The Witney Museum is located at East 75th Street and doesn't forget to stop by William Doyle Galleries (175 E 8) which has tons of paintings, furniture and professional decorators to help.
The Empire State Building is located on Fifth Ave at 34th Street. It is a New York National Landmark that opened in 1931. There is an observatory on the 86th floor that offers the most spectacular views of the city. These views can be enhanced by the high powered binoculars which are located along the promenades.
Metropolitan Museum of Art is located at Fifth Avenue and 82nd Street. The Met has different works of art from different periods of time and every corner of the world. This world-class institution houses more than two million works of art.
The Rockefeller Center is positioned between 48th and 50th Streets from Fifth to Sixth Avenues.
In 1988 Rockefeller Center was designated a Historical Landmark. It has a famous skating rink and is a gathering point for tourists and visitors.
Central Park, extending from 59th Street to 110 Street, is the city's 843-acre playground for residents and tourists alike who enjoy the sites from the Zoo to other areas. Approximately 25 million people visit Central Park each year. Other sites and cultural meccas include:
American Museum of Natural History
Central Park West Between 77 & 81 Street
Open Daily 10 AM- 5:45 PM
The museum's exhibitions include fossils, mammals, and birds. It also features other interesting exhibits.
Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is located on Broad Street between Wall Street and Exchange Place. Since the 18th century, it has been a trading place.
As one could see there is more than a magnitude of things to do in NYC.
Statue of Liberty
Downtown Area
The Statue was a gift from the French people. It's very impressive, everybody visiting NYC should see the Statue of liberty which represents Freedom.
Fine Dining-NYC
La Grenouille
3 E. 52nd St.
It was definitely one of the Best French Restaurants I have eaten in.
Butter
Manhattan/Greenwich Village
415 Lafayette St
(between 4th St & Astor Pl)
Beautifully decorated and romantic atmosphere is most impressive. I read that Paris Hilton visits this restaurant.
Tavern on the Green
Central Park West at 67th
Touristy, but the food was good. Nice Central Park atmosphere, romantic.
Delmonico’s
56 Beaver Street
Steakhouse in the financial district. Excellent also has Italian and continental dishes. These are just a few items one could explore if visiting Manhattan and NYC. More to come.
Exciting Las Vegas
I love Las Vegas and visiting this town on vacation is always exciting. Some of my friends have lived there. This city has the most exciting entertainment and non-stop shows. The city is probably one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States and currently is expanding upward as well as outward into the desert county. The city has a fascinating history and went through many phases to become the polished Las Vegas of today.
In the 1800's the Mormons arrived and tried to settle there. However, after experiencing the hot weather in the summer they felt it was not for them. Benjamin Segal helped to develop the Las Vegas Strip. He was also instrumental in building the first modern casino resort "The Flamingo" which opened in December 1946. These events helped transform a little-known desert town into a world-class resort center of glamour and gambling. Eventually, Las Vegas evolved with varied Modernistic and Eclectic themes as the casino resorts sprang up along the "strip" and other at other hot spots within Vegas.
On this trip, I stayed at the elegant Bellagio hotel. The setting of this Hotel is so totally romantic with the fountains of the Bellagio it's truly relaxing to the senses. It has such an extravagant atmosphere it is truly among the Best. The Hotel has many fine restaurants to choose from, we settled on the "Prime Steakhouse", which has a fantastic menu of steaks. I had a magnificent view of The Fountains of Bellagio from were I was seated. The show is synchronized to music, a concert of opera, classical or Broadway tunes.
My companion also suggested we visit the Bellagio Art Gallery, which I enjoyed tremendously. The Fine Art Gallery showcases different works of fine art from and museums and private collections around the world. The Gallery features the finest examples of paintings, sculptures and other impressive works by some of the world’s most influential and renowned artists such as Van Gogh, Renoir, Cezanne, Degas, Manet, and Pissarro.
I had the most magnificent time in public and in private.
xoxo,
Tiffany Champagne