TravelswithCharie

San Francisco is all decked out for the holidays. Under the tree at Nieman Marcus Victoria Secret "Give Her Sexy" Outdoor florist Macy's window Macy's window On Union Square * * * Photos by Charie

Behind the Ferry Building in San Francisco is a promenade with tremendous views of the bay. It's especially inviting on a warm day when you can sit outside and begin to relax while listening to the sound of water lapping against the pier. In the midst of this outdoor setting, there's a statue of Mahatma Gandhi. The inscription beneath his thin frame dressed only in a skimpy robe and aided by a walking stick reads: "Non violence is the greatest force at the disposal of Mankind. It is the supreme law. By it alone can mankind be saved." And right below his name and vital records is this quote: "My Life is My Message". * * * Photos by Charie

The view of the Museum from Mission Street reveals only the brick façade of the former Jesse Street Power Substation. Hidden behind the neo Gothic cathedral of St. Patrick's is the startling extension to the Museum which is in the shape of a gigantic cube designed by Daniel Libeskind. Libeskind's idea of melding distinctive architectural styles translates into the successful fusion of the old substation in the Classical Revival style and the bold and contemporary blue metallic steel cube extension. View from Yerba Buena Lane The museum is located at 736 Mission Street (between 3rd and 4th), San Francisco, CA 94103 . It is a short walk from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. http://www.thecjm.org/ Hours: Daily 11 AM–5 PM, Thursday 1–8 PM, Closed Wednesday. * * * Photos by Charie

In beautiful and sunny San Diego, a four-star resort offers rooms for $19.00 a night. Great rate? There's no bed, no electricity, no toiletries included at this price. Bring your own tent and sleep on the floor. Oh, and don't forgot your flashlight and toilet paper. For more on this story click on the link below: http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/09/11/mm-hotelamenities/

For the last month I've been passing through this field of colors in Gilroy on my way to work. Last Monday I could no longer resist the view so I finally stopped to take this picture. Thank goodness this field has not withered under scorching temperatures but the sunflowers down the road sure did. I took too long to take a shot of that. Time takes it toll. * * * Image by Charie

Outside Santa Barbara Mission (the "Queen of California Missions"), we were treated recently to a riot of colors. An outdoor gallery of chalk art graced the grounds in front of the church. There were copies of Renaissance paintings, Van Gogh's Starry Night , Winslow Homer's Boys in a Pasture and scores of original art. With no rain in sight (and no erasers), this exhibition could stick around to delight visitors. * * * Image by Rosario Charie Albar

Few cities in the U.S. can claim it is truly unique. There's Santa Barbara with its distinct Spanish architecture, Santa Fe with its adobe buildings, San Francisco has its hills lined with Victorian houses and there's the Danish community of Solvang, in the shadow of the Santa Ynez mountains. A visit here is a trip to the old country of Denmark where thatched roofs crown half timbered buildings. And of course, there are many bakeries offering Danish pastries. What a way to cap off a leisurely stroll around town.

24 hours in Santa Barbara and we found two terrific restaurants to talk about. Yesterday we ate dinner at Arigato Sushi on 1225 State Street and were treated to new and memorable dishes including Mrs. Ebilyn, a shrimp gyoza, Locals Only, a mix of scallops and minced crabmeat served in a shell, wikiwiki roll, sushi with crab and avocado, and yellowtail kama (collarbone). The staff, of young people were very nice. And I learned to say "cheers" in Japanese. Kampai ! Today we had lunch at the Harbor Restaurant at Stearn's Wharf. What a view of the beach and Pacific waters! For starters we had the Santa Barbara Roll , a wrap with chicken, avocado, tomatoes and lettuce served with chips, salsa and guacamole. For my main entrée, I ordered crabcakes with steamed vegetables and my sister and niece shared the mixed seafood dish with mahimahi, calamari, breaded shrimp, maui onion rings and vegetables. The portions were generous and we had food leftover "to take out".