Before I moved to San Francisco, I heard a lot about the delicious food that awaited me in the city. Friends told me to prepare myself for the cheap and diverse cuisine full of organic and local ingredients. To check out just exactly what was in store for my tastebuds, I went on the NoPa/Alama Square walking tour with Gourmet Walks where their experts showed me the best foodie spots in San Francisco's North Panhandle neighborhood. Here are some photo highlights from the tour. For more details, read my article on How to Eat Like a Local in San Francisco's North Panhandle, on Untapped Cities.
Little Star Pizza
846 Divisadero Street
Trying out the namesake pizza at Little Star, popular for their Chicago-style deep dish pizzas.
Chile Pies
314 Church Street
Sweet or savory? They have something for whatever you are in the mood for.
Nopalito
306 Broderick Street
California has some great Mexican restaurants like Nopalito. How about some fish taco's, with catch fresh from the Monterey Bay?
Corkage
1302 Fulton Street
Having just returned from Japan, a sip of the sake they have on tap took me right back to my trip.
I keep reminding myself that summer is over now, but the San Francisco weather keeps proving me otherwise. On a November morning, I still spot shorts and flip flops around town. Forget the image of the city covered in fog - although there are plenty of foggy mornings in San Francisco - the moments I remember about this city are ones filled with the warmth of the sun.
The sun hits San Francisco in a different way than it did Toronto. Sunsets last longer here than in the East, and the strength of the rays is stronger. The sun brings out all the photographers and I've never felt more at home among all the creatives, chasing light around town and across the bay.
In the next tent over, a group of teenagers chat and giggle into the night. Sleep-deprived and shivering under my blankets, I contemplate going over to give them a lesson on camping etiquette. But that would involve having to leave my own tent and venture into the cold. The thought quickly dissipates.
In a heated tent in Yosemite, I lay sleepless into the night. With each sound outside, I ponder the chance of a bear attack. Did I lock our foodbin safely? Did I leave a energy bar wrapper in the car? I can hear the guys breathing nearby, they are already fast asleep.
Yosemite reaches below freezing at night in October. By the time we visited in November, there was snow on the trails and a few of shallow lakes were empty. Trading colder temperatures in favour of empty trails, I spent the first weekend of November in the park. Our first day was spent entirely on the valley floor while the second day was up north in Tuolumne.
We hiked a few moderate trails that rewarded us with beautiful views. From the top of Lembert Dome, Tuolumne laid at our feet.
Lines and circles drawn in the white sand form what is known as a Japanese rock garden. The dry landscape is composed of a careful arrangement of rocks, pruned trees, and sand raked to resemble ripples in water.
As I listen to our guide explain the garden arrangements, it amazes me the level of thought and detail that goes into every part of the Japan garden. Just like the depth of detail and meaning that frames a traditional tea ceremony. Just like everything else about Japan.
Welcome to Just-in-Time (JIT), a travel photography blog by Tracy Zhang. Began after a year of backpacking around Europe, JIT is a time capsule of 6 years of wanderlust.
As of August 2016, JIT is no longer being updated. For more projects from Tracy, find her at www.tracyzhang.com.
To read more about JIT and its original purpose, visit our About page.
