San Francisco: Sausalito and a Sunset on the Bay

I was probably most excited about Saturday afternoon. After a refreshing morning run and lunch from a yummy taco shack, we headed back across the bay to Sausalito.

The six of us enjoyed a lovely, laid-back afternoon along the waterfront. We window-shopped at fantastic boutiques, ate free Lappert's ice cream (hooray for military appreciation days!), and patronized our men as they oohed and ahhed over the fancy cars all over town.

When dinnertime rolled around, The Spinmaker was an easy choice. It overhangs the ocean, serves deliciously fresh seafood, and provides incredible views of both Sausalito and San Francisco.

We went on a pretty walk after dinner and ended up at the famous Vina del Mar. Elephant pillars grace the entrance and a large fountain serves as the focal point of the quaint little park. It's quite picturesque, so it was little wonder we stumbled upon a man who had just popped the question and his gorgeous fiancee who couldn't stop looking at her new ring. (Which reminded me of the English couple whose proposal Matt and I witnessed at the Trevi Fountain in Rome. It was just like the movies!)

Before we knew it, the sun was starting to set and it was time to board the ferry, which stops in Tiburon en route to Fisherman's Wharf. Tiburon is another small town in Marin County, and it was enchanting in the evening glow.

This ferry ride has been my absolute favorite thing to do in San Francisco for about a decade. I was thirteen the first time I experienced the sunset on the bay, and I remember thinking about how terribly romantic it'd be to share with my husband someday. Luckily for me, Matt rose to the occasion and exceeded my schoolgirl expectations. The setting was ideal, the sunset beautiful, and the company perfect.

An hour later, we arrived at the pier as the last pieces of sunlight faded away.

And as icing on the cake at the end of our evening, we took a detour to drive down Lombard--"the crookedest street in the world."

It was a delightful day.