San Francisco

 From Monterey Trish and I drove up the coast through Half Moon Bay and on to San Francisco.  

Our first stop was at the huge park near Golden Gate where we spent a lot of time at the Conservatory of Flowers.  This is the first commercial greenhouse built in the United States and dates from 1879.  The building itself is beautiful.

The 1879 Conservatory of Flowers greenhouse.

Part of the mission here is the preservation of endangered flower species and there is a strong concentration of insectivores including many species of pitcher plants. We saw them in multiple shapes, sizes, and colors.

Fascinating Pitcher Plants.

There were also lily pads floating on water so clear that they looked like they were suspended in the air.  We loved this place and stayed for quite a long time.

Like they floated in the air.

Afterwards we drove across the Bridge to look back across the Bay at Alcatraz and the city itself.  We finished that day riding all over the hills of San Francisco before spending the night at the lovely Mark Hopkins hotel atop Nob Hill.

A beautiful day!