We left our hearts in San Francisco
by PEGGY BLUESTEIN
Michael and I are both huge music fans, but I��m a little bit country and he��s a little bit rock and roll. We were enjoying Sunday brunch in Santa Monica with some friends, when conversation turned to the upcoming weekend we were planning in celebration of our one-year wedding anniversary. Being aware of our musical differences, my friend Carole suggested we hop into our new GMC Acadia, and drive up to San Francisco for ��Hardly Strictly Bluegrass,�� a annual free music festival held in Golden Gate Park the first weekend in October.
Due to the eclectic nature of the event, Carole felt sure that Michael and I would find plenty to enjoy in the Bay Area, and might even land up bonding over our small incompatibilities. It sounded like a fabulous plan �C a couple of days of music in the park followed by a day of sightseeing in one of the West Coast��s most fascinating cities.
The first weekend in October rolled around quickly, and before we knew it, it was a crisp, sunny Friday morning, and we were motoring up Interstate 5 heading for Northern California. Fortunately, we find our small incompatibilities somewhat endearing, and we were completely unfazed as we sang along separately to Hank Williams and the Rolling Stones. When it came to singing the praises of our superbly comfortable GMC Acadia however, we were definitely on the same page.
Arriving in San Francisco via the Bay Bridge, the longest high-level steel bridge in the world, and seeing the sun setting over the bay and the stunning skyline, was spectacular in the extreme. We knew right then, that we had made the perfect choice for our anniversary weekend.
After a rejuvenating night in a quaint and colorful Victorian B & B in the Height, we were back in the Acadia navigating our way to the park through the impossibly steep hills and winding streets of San Francisco. Kudos to the OnStar navigation system, without which we might have redefined the concept of lost. Not much our Acadia could do about the famous San Francisco parking, or lack thereof!
The event was simply perfect. Two days, five stages, dozens of musical acts �C a lesson in how different people can get along. By the end of it, I was able to pick out the melody in a wailing electric guitar solo, and Michael was seen publicly tapping his foot energetically to the strains of a banjo and fiddle combo.
Romance was most definitely in the air, as we spent our evenings succumbing to sublime cuisine and soaking up the glorious ambiance of the renowned restaurants and bustling nightclubs of San Francisco��s North Beach. This was certainly as much fun as our honeymoon the year before.
Of course, no sojourn in San Francisco is complete without the quintessential tours of Alcatraz, Chinatown, Fisherman��s Wharf, and Coit Tower. And needless to say the magnificent Golden Gate Bridge, the transcendent Muir Woods, and ridiculously picturesque Sausalito were also must-sees on our romantic journey in the bay area.
By the time we climbed back in our faithful GMC Acadia for the return trip from the glorious Bay Area, we were truly glowing from head to toe. It was delightfully reaffirming to be reminded so lucidly of our mutual commitment to our wonderful relationship and of our deep appreciation of each other��s unique and inspiring differences. To quote that old Northern California adage; if music be the food of love, play on!
Author Bio: Peggy Bluestein was raised in Memphis, Tennessee. She made the move to Southern California, after meeting her husband at Graceland, where she worked as a tour guide. Peggy makes a living as a freelance writer. She occasionally finds herself compelled to make public apologies to William Shakespeare. For more information on the GMC Acadia, visit bayareagmcdealers.com.
