What a day! Our little group of intrepid travelers finally arrived in San Francisco after Marla was admitted to the hospital in Santa Rosa early in the morning. The “show went on” as she insisted.
You can check out the saga with this link.

We stayed at the JW Marriott on Mason Street close to Union Square. That evening I could barely climb into bed and skipped dinner. Stacy and her family found pizza nearby.

The next morning we were able to connect with Marla in the hospital via FaceTime.

Our daughter Lisa and her family connected with Mar in Denver at the same time! It was so good to see a smile on her face! No visitors were allowed at the hospital due to COVID and people died from the virus in the rooms next door to hers!

Sears Fine Food has been a family breakfast tradition in the City forever!

The Girls loved their Swedish pancakes!

Flashback: This is a 2014 of our grandson Vaughan in front of the restaurant.

Flashback: Grandson Owen with his pancakes at Sears Fine Foods in 2016.

Stacy suggested exploring around the Square.

Of course the whole family had to visit the Nike store! Shoe fantasia!

“How do they feel?”

Looking down from the Nike Store at the fascinating Apple store and the public space next door. In May 2016, Apple completed construction of a new flagship store on the northwest corner of Post and Stockton Streets. The project included renovating the public space located between the new store and a hotel on the southwest corner of Sutter and Stockton Streets. The renovated public open space now includes wooden tables, chairs, planters with trees, a “living wall,” a new multi-color “LOVE” sculpture and Ruth Asawa’s “San Francisco Fountain.“

The City of Paris Dry Goods Company (later City of Paris) was one of San Francisco’s most important department stores from 1850 to 1976, located diagonally opposite Union Square. In the mid-20th century it opened a few branches in other cities of the Bay Area. The main San Francisco store was demolished in 1980 after a lengthy preservation fight, although the store’s original rotunda and glass dome were preserved and incorporated into the design of a new Neiman Marcus..

We have some fashionable young shoppers here!

After heading back to the hotel, Marla called to say she needed her suitcase so I drove back up to Santa Rosa.

It was wonderful to wave at Marla and talk on the phone from the parking lot. I returned to the City to have dinner with our good friends, the Stump family.

The kids’ table was a very happy place! Aimee and Charlton speak fluent French which fascinates the Girls!

Super sweet!

The guys loved the evening as well!

Stacy catches up with Alex and Chris.

I met Alex when she was 12. Her brother Jean-Francois photobombed our family at an outdoor table in Cannes. She spent a year with us after University working in the Wesco Fabrics’ showroom. Alex has a brand new Champagne company, Champagne Alexandra Sainz, sourced from her family vineyard in Bouzy, France.

It was sad to say goodbye! Love this family!

Stacy took her family to see the Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon the next morning. Stacy competed in the race twice and coached a few qualifiers for the race over the years.

Flashback: You can tell this was a few years ago! Stacy and her sister Lisa competed with me. It was the most difficult athletic competition in my life! The currents in the Bay made the swim leg horrendous for me! The one and a half mile swim was much longer as I had to aim for Fort Mason rather than straight to the Marina. I thought for a few minutes I would be heading under the Golden gate Bridge! I’ve never been more panicked. Needless to say I finished but I was not a pretty sight!

After the competition. Owen said he would like to try it someday!

Of course we returned for another breakfast Sears Fine Food!

Photos: Dick Gentry. Not to be used without permission.