Lena Hyde Photography: The Studio Journal » Baby and Children's Portrait Photographer, Palm Beach, Florida

are usually free, right? Well, in San Francisco I have found no exception. In spite of all the double digit museum entry fees we shell out, the trendy restaurants we sample daily, and the various daily entertainment, housing, and transportation fees spent here…one place rises above all on the list of favorites. And it is free, nearby, and completely terrifying: the seward street slides. My husband and I have been going to these slides for 18 years, long before the internet had exposed our secret, neighborhood gem. Today, there are lots more people, but the thrill remains the same. My kids could ride down these slides 100 times and still want more.

Here’s a couple of pullback shots with the point and shoot camera (as usual). These slides go from one block to the next and have two nice vertical drops. 99% of riders use cardboard and/or wax paper to gain even more speed. Crazy fun and thank God for no broken bones this trip.

One of my new favorite restaurants is Samovar Tea Lounge. This is a great place to try exotic teas from around the world and sample innovative and delicious cuisine. It is a great place to escape to with a friend or two.

Today I enjoyed a pot of Ocean of Wisdom~

Origin: Rooibos and Honey Bush from South Africa. Ginger, Clove, Cinnamon, and Licorice from United States.

Flavor Profile: Deep and earthy, with a subtle cinnamon and sweetgrass sweetness that drapes the tongue. Complexly warm from the ginger and cloves.

Tea Story: Custom blended for His Holiness The Dalai Lama.

Blended with the intention to create an infusion that is warming and grounding, uplifting and comforting. We unite the nourishing power of anti-oxidant,vitamin, and mineral packed organic, Fair Trade Rooibos and Honeybush with the calming warmth of organic cinnamon, clove, and ginger, and the subtle sweet notes of licorice.

Samovarian Poetry: This warming, grounding, delicious, organic tisane we have custom blended for His Holiness The Dalai Lama. Silken, malty mouth-feel lingers blissfully. South African rooibos, honeybush, ginger, licorice, cloves, and cinnamon. Sail from the ordinary moment into a regal, contemplative one.

I cannot get enough of this place! I think I could shoot here over and over and never run out of ideas…

I love bringing my camera to China Camp, an old fishing village in San Rafael. China Camp is like a tiny nautical ghost town in the most spectacular setting on the bay. It’s old restaurant is like walking into the past and I was thrilled to discover they sold one of my favorite San Francisco treats….It’s It! An It’s It is a dark chocolate-dipped ice cream sandwich between two soft cookies. I enjoyed mine completely, without as much as a peek at the nutrition label.

Lunch today at the organic/vegan/raw Cafe Gratitude and it was D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!

We are thawing out in Marin today, which is about 20 degrees warmer than SF and only a Golden Gate bridge away! First stop, was this fun playground in Gerstle Park, a neighborhood we lived in for a couple of years in the 90s. The neighborhood is full of adorable vintage bungalows and feels like stepping back in time. We also headed over to Mill Valley, where there was a painting challenge going on right in the little downtown square. Mill Valley is the cutest little town with great cafes, shops, redwood trees right in the downtown, and the sweetest smelling air….plus the Mount Tam views are gorgeous too.

Yerba Buena Gardens is my favorite park in the city…it is so urban and inspiring and the sprawling green lawn is framed by the incredible downtown architecture as well as the SF MOMA building, designed by Mario Botta. One of my favorite eateries is also at YBG, the lovely Samovar Tea Lounge, where having a meal feels more like a special ceremony. My kids’ pics are the children’s playground, the vintage carousel, and the ice skating rink.

We spent the day at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, one of my favorite places ever! The Avedon and O’Keefe shows were both going on, so we had a lot to see in addition to the MOMA’s permanent collection. The boys love looking at contemporary art; they are able to connect with it so easily, probably because they also are pretty conceptual in their OWN creations! As an art historian, I was blown away by seeing the images for Robert Frank’s hugely important book “The Americans” in person. There were tons of photographers with cameras here too. Unfortunately, we could not shoot in the photo galleries though…so here are some of the other sights.

I spent the day with one of my favorite inspirational people and photographers, Anna Kuperberg. Anna is a fantastic wedding and portrait photographer and also works true magic with her dog photography. Anna shot my family portraits two years ago and my kids just love here…you can even see us on her website! Anna has a beautiful coffee table dog book on Amazon too.