One of the things I really enjoy about San Francisco is the weather. I like how sometimes it’s sunny and the clouds and fog suddenly roll in.
Often I go to Wa Li Bakery in Chinatown to get some zongzi for breakfast. I was devastated when I found out they were closed for remodeling. The horror. If only they had done it last month.
There are tons of food options on the packed streets of Chinatown.
I decided to shop for some fruit at Rainbow House while I worked up an alternate plan for breakfast.
I picked a bag of big fat and juicy bing cherries. They had a sweet delicious flavor at the peak of the season. 🙂
I also got a pound of fresh lychee. They were deliciously sweet too. Sadly they are only in season the same time cherries are.
Walking by Louie’s Dim Sum I notice they have zongzi.
It’s much like how my mom use to make it with sweet rice, peanuts, Chinese sausage, and fatty pork. Flavor was really good but it was sitting out for a bit. Would have been great if I had boiled it a bit before eating. Wa Li Bakery’s version taste fresher as they kept it warm in a pot or insulated bag.
I stopped by the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory to get dessert. You can smell the scent of fresh baked cookies from the alley. There is no other scent like it. There is typically a crowd of tourist scrambling to get a free sample cookie. Cookie is crunchy with a sweet mild flavor.
I picked up 4 bags of flat fortune cookies and the owner gave me some samples hot off the machine! 🙂
Lady in the back is putting a fortune in the cookie and hand folding it.
Today we are going to visit the Charles M. Schultz museum. We start the trip driving up to the fog covered Golden Gate bridge.
I would have stopped for fresh cherries if I didn’t just buy a bag in Chinatown. It’s a beautiful drive up to Santa Rosa.
Saw this cool bridge near Petaluma.
We are greeted by Charlie Brown when we arrive at the Charles M. Schultz museum in Santa Rosa.
I remember the first time I read the Peanuts back in the 70’s. Friendly neighbor next door saved stacks of newspapers in their garage to recycle. They let me go through them to read the comics and clip coupons. The Sunday comics were the best as they were in glorious color and the pictures were bigger. The Peanuts were my fav strip as I couldn’t wait to see what Snoopy, Woodstock, and Charlie Brown were up to. I witnessed some glorious battles between Snoopy and the Red Barron.
It was a sad day in February 12, 2000 when Charles Schultz died. I still read the Peanuts daily though as the local paper is publishing reruns. On certain holidays I watch the Peanuts holiday specials on blu-ray. I still feel that sense of wonder at how they transformed the puny little tree Charlie Brown picked out for xmas…
So much to learn about Charles M Schultz here. I never knew he owned a 20 acre property in Santa Rosa where he built his own ice skating rink and after his death this museum was constructed in 2002.
There many of his original artworks on display.
His studio was moved from his house to be put on display here.
Outside the gift shop.
Gift shop is in another building and has signed lithographs for sale. Would like nice hanging on my wall except the price is around $5k.
It was awesome visiting the last place Charles lived. It’s a nice neighborhood of the type I can imagine Charlie Brown living in. I like the quiet. The friendly people. The majestic redwood trees.
We were going to have chicken pot pie for dinner at the Petaluma Pie Company but it was near closing time and they ran out. 🙁
They did have a hand size peach pie. Nice crunchy crust. Delicious sweet peach filling. Needed more filling as the filling to crust ratio was lacking.
We drove back to San Francisco and decided to try Mel’s drive-in.
It was packed for dinner but food came out pretty quick.
There was a big jukebox near the entrance and each table along the wall had a smaller one.
French fries had a rich potato flavor and a little crunch. Fried chicken was half a chicken coated in this extremely crunchy batter which had a sweet honey flavor. Meat was tender and the breast was juicy. This is one of my fav styles of fried chicken. Taste just like Brian’s 24 in San Diego. 🙂
Time for one last selfie before heading out.
Louie’s Dim Sum
1242 Stockton St
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 989-8380
Golden State Fortune Cookie Factory
56 Ross Alley
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 781-3956
2301 Hardies Ln
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
(707) 579-4452
Petaluma Pie Company
125 Petaluma Blvd N
Petaluma, CA 94952
(707) 766-6743
Mel’s Drive-In
2165 Lombard St
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 921-3039
Road trip San Diego to San Francisco Day One
Road trip San Diego to San Francisco Day 2
| Road trip San Diego to San Francisco Day 3 |
| Road trip San Diego to San Francisco Day 4 |
Road trip San Diego to San Francisco Day 5
Road trip San Diego to San Francisco Day 6
| Road trip San Diego to San Francisco Day 7 |
Such an awesome day! Love how you researched Charles M Schultz! I admire how you arranged the day in chronological order. The Golden Gate bridge with fog pictures are magical. Thanks for showing me all your favorite places in Chinatown!
I have been arranging the day in chronological order on all my road trip posts. Makes it so you are there too as you read. Welcome!
Do you boil your zongzi? We steamed the ones we made. I microwave the zongzi I’m going to eat the next day though (that’s already been steamed the day before). I would love to visit a fortune cookie bakery shop. That would make me so blissfully happy. I’ve been gifted one of those ginormous individual fortune cookies which was awesome.
My nephews so would enjoy the Peanuts expedition you went on! Didn’t know it was in SF. How come no one was ice skating that day?
I boil my zongzi when I’m about to eat it if it’s been in the fridge or needs reheating.
It smells so good in the fortune cookie factory! Lucky! I never had a big one.
The museum was about 45 minutes north of SF. I’d go again as they have new exhibits and the gift shop stocks different stuff seasonally.
I’m not sure why nobody was skating. Here is the public skate schedule:
https://www.snoopyshomeice.com/calendar-PS.php
You can check the webcam to see when people are skating:
https://www.snoopyshomeice.com/webcam-ice.html
zongzi: It looks very much like is known in Latin America as Tamales. Different ingredients but the overall idea is the same. The Mexican version its spicy compare to the tamales from other regions. I got to try out Zongzi!!
Thanks for the heads up! I’m not a fan of spice food so I’m gonna stick with zongzi.
I LOVE Mel’s Drive In!!! There and Denny’s is where we went all the time after clubbing and Bon fires lol! I just book marked all your places! I honestly haven’t been to Chinatown in forever since my family doesn’t have businesses there anymore. These days my family and I stick to the Sunset or Richmond Districts.
Did you leave SF already? If not, don’t forget about Sun Tung! I wanna see your opinions on it!
You have excellent taste! The fried chicken was great!
Cool! What are your fav places in the Sunset and Richmond Districts? I’m gonna visit again next month. 🙂
I have left and slowing documenting the trip. I have 3 more days of adventure left to post on.