A Penny For Your Thoughts

3. Home Sweet Home

On the weekday mornings, I went to some of the various landmarks that were unique to The City by the Bay. The full list was too extensive and exhaustive for one week, so I whittled it down to include just the top tourist destinations.

Coit Tower on Monday, Alcatraz Island on Tuesday, Painted Ladies on Wednesday, and the Palace of Fine Arts on Thursday. I only spent a handful of hours at each stop, but the landmarks proved to be fulfilling destinations. I took a number of pictures as a memento for this vacation. Even though my supposed trip was limited to the city borders, I didn't foresee myself returning to these places any time soon.

By Friday, there was only one destination left on my five day sightseeing trip: The Embarcadero. The famous waterfront area was a fitting place to conclude the tour. The piers were a mere ten minute walk from Armstrong & Lynch, but I never took the time to explore them.

I began at the venerable Ferry Building and continued north along the piers. It was the perfect day for a walk by the bay. The sun was out, peeking out from behind a layer of clouds, and the ocean breeze was the soothing version of the usual harsh winds.

The beautiful weather attracted plenty of people to the piers. Locals and tourists alike filled up the boardwalk. Summer was in full swing and people wanted to take advantage of the rare uptick in temperature.

I wandered along the path, weaving in and out of the masses of bodies. That reminded me of Penny Campbell. I had not seen the eccentric yet elusive girl since our original meeting on the cable car, when she disappeared into the masses on Lombard Street.

With a population of roughly nine hundred thousand people, San Francisco didn't exactly seem like a large city, but it was large enough to make the search for one specific person feel like looking for a needle in a haystack. Factor in the total number of four million plus in the metropolitan area, and the mission felt more like looking for a needle in the Bay.

Although the odds might have been highly unfavorable, it wasn't impossible. Events with even slimmer probability had beaten the odds in the past. If Roy Sullivan could survive seven lightning strikes, there was reason to be optimistic about running into Penny once again.

The foot traffic and commotion escalated as the pier number increased, and it reached an all time high when I reached Pier 39. That really wasn't all that surprising. Pier 39 had made a name for itself as a shopping center, with an abundance of restaurants and shops on its boardwalk. In addition, there were also family friendly entertainment such as an aquarium and a mirror maze. It made sense that Pier 39 routinely hauled in more pedestrians than its counterparts.

The shops on Pier 39 were influential in helping me choose this particular landmark from the list. While the main reason for coming to the waterfront was to sightsee, the prospect of purchasing something for my parents played a part in my decision making process. I had been over for dinner every night of the week, and showing up empty handed each night made me feel rather ashamed of myself.

This was the perfect place to atone for my mistake. Pier 39 was home to a variety of shops that sold all kinds of things. There was a beauty boutique, a puzzle place, many souvenir shops, and other authentically San Franciscan stores. There must be something for my parents here.

I noticed a Ghirardelli chocolate store out of the corner of my eye and made my way towards the world famous confectionery. Not only did their chocolate satisfy my parents' sweet teeth, but it also satisfied my desire to purchase something local. The company was founded in San Francisco back in 1852, making it the third oldest chocolate company in America.

There was chocolate everywhere in the store. Individual pieces of chocolate and fudge were stored behind a panel of glass, ready to be purchased in bulk. Prepackaged box sets adorned the opposing wall with their colorful wrapping.