By Carried Away SF
design inspiration is everywhere in san francisco!
As we mentioned in our last post, we’ve been creating new San Francisco experiences to add to our roster of San Francisco private tours. Without further ado, we’d like to introduce you to “Well Designed“.
Since many of our guests are interested in design we thought we’d add an outing that is focused on just that topic. In the course of your “Well Designed” outing you may see some landmarks (the Palace of Fine Arts offers major design juice), hidden gardens, local design shops (no pressure to buy, ever*), quirky gems, artists and makers, and of course amazing San Francisco architecture.
Really, whatever makes you tick design-wise can be included. We’ll talk to you first so that we can understand how to customize your outing based on your particular interests. Let us create an inspiring outing just for you!
*Carried Away is not commercially affiliated with any of the retailers that we visit on our outings. We don’t receive commissions and you are under no pressure to buy anything ever. We will select each destination simply because we believe they have something special to offer you, our guests!
p.s. If you’d like to see more pictures from “Well Designed”, click here for our flickr photos of this outing.
By Carried Away SF
Leaping Ladies of Carried Away
THIS is how we hope you’ll feel during your San Francisco custom tour with the Ladies of Carried Away!
Background: the day this picture was taken, we were on a walk with our camera (it was one of those beaut days that we just HAD to capture), and a LOVELY young man on a bright orange bike rode by us and said “hey do you want me to take your picture together?”. Of course we said yes and struck a fairly standard pose. Our new friend/photographer said “Hmm, how about something more exciting? Why don’t you ladies LEAP!”. You should know that we were on the top of a VERY steep hill. One mis-step and we’d end up in the bay. So we LEAPT!
Turns out the lovely young man was a profesh photog doing us a solid. This is what happens when you’re out for a good time with the Ladies of Carried Away! Let us know if you want to take a leap with us!
By Carried Away SF
Love Love Love
Valentine’s Day is one of our favorite days of the year. And we love street art. So naturally we thought this photograph would make a lovely Valentine from us to you. We hope you have a wonderful day.
Much love today and everyday from the Ladies of Carried Away!
By Carried Away SF
Thank you George Dyson for articulating that – we are IN LOVE with that sentiment. In fact, a version of that thought is at the core of Carried Away, our San Francisco private tour business. We want you to experience San Francisco in a way that is relevant, personal and meaningful to you. So, we curate the city specifically for each and every one of our guests based on their interests and desires.
There is so much INFORMATION out there about what to do and see in San Francisco; what we hear from our guests is they just want to turn off the “best of” lists and information-heavy apps and websites since they’re not personalized. It’s too overwhelming and too much to sort through. As Mr. Dyson says – only humans can provide the meaning. Voila Carried Away!
Your customized San Francisco tour with Carried Away starts with a phone call – with either Vikki or Dianne – in which we discuss what would make a great day for you based on your interests whether that be art, wine, food, gardening, fashion, design, nature, grand sights, photography, you name it (!). Then we custom design your outing, we both go on your outing with you and we are 100% focused on creating a personal San Francisco experience just for you.
Step away from the computer & call Carried Away! We’d love to start designing your personalized San Francisco tour!
By Carried Away SF
Trina Turk in conversation
Since we field alot of requests from design lovers for a customized tour of San Francisco, part of our job is to stay on top of the what’s happening at the SF Design Center. Since we both have a natural affinity for design, we have to admit it’s a pretty great job requirement!
During the first week of February, it was “Design Week” in San Francisco, so we attended a few of the events…one was a talk with international California-based designer Trina Turk. Trina’s story the classic started-in-my-living room and am now running a very successful business. It was wonderful to hear her story, and also to hear how being based in California influences her designs.
If you love design – anything from gardens to interiors to architecture to fashion – let us know and we’ll create a San Francisco design tour that will leave you inspired!
By Carried Away SF
Steeeeeep Hill
We just love pointing out fun photo ops like this one to our guests during the course of our San Francisco private tours. The hills provide unique views and are a great backdrop for staging some fun shots.
Kids especially LOVE our unique SF topography, which is basically a natural roller coaster. We can go on all the hills and into all of the neighborhoods (not true for other tours), so you won’t miss a nook, cranny or really steep grade when you’re out with us!
By Carried Away SF
One of our fave neighborhoods!
If you’ve been reading our blog for a while, you know that in addition to designing customized tours in San Francisco (and beyond!), we also contribute to travel writer Nancy D. Brown‘s blog, in a series called “Welcome to the Neighborhood”. In each of these articles, we encourage visitors (and locals!) to get off the beaten track and visit San Francisco’s neighborhoods.
This month’s topic – a favorite place to eat in a few of our favorite neighborhoods. Some of them are new, some have been around a while but remain to be a bit of a local’s secret, all are interesting and each will give you a good feel for the neighborhood.
We love to take our San Francisco private tour guests to the neighborhoods, not only for unique eats but views, homes, shops, landmarks, gardens, art…each neighborhood is has so much to offer. Let us pick a few especially for you!
By Carried Away SF
Beautiful boards (and art!)
Something that surprises many guests on our Carried Away San Francisco private tours is the vibrant surfing culture that exists here. Since we’re surrounded on three sides by water + there are many adventurous people here, that = surfing.
And where there are surfers there are surf shops, good food, great views, wonderful photo ops, strong coffee and a super Cali vibe. While the Ladies of Carried away aren’t surfers – we’re hardy, but come on the water is COLD – we do enjoy experiencing the surf culture and sharing it with our guests. If you’re interested in finding your inner Kelly Slater, let us know and we’ll include some wonderful surf-y destinations on your personalized tour of San Francisco.
By Carried Away SF
Scott Weaver and some of his amazing sculpture
This is one of those “you just have to love living here” stories. Taking the day off from designing San Francisco private tours for our guests, we were doing some grocery shopping. In the produce department we saw a gentleman with a cabbage leaf on his head, and so naturally we comment “nice yarmulke”. Conversation ensues in which we learn that we are speaking with Scott Weaver, the artist of the famous San Francisco toothpick sculpture. He was thrilled that we know about his work (know it? we LOVE it!) and we were thrilled to meet him.
Take a moment to look at the video, you will be amazed and delighted. The sculpture will have a permanent home at the Exploratorium when the museum relocates to Piers 15 & 17 next year.
By Carried Away SF
garage door as canvas
The Ladies of Carried Away are unabashed lovers of street art. Since we’re out with guests on San Francisco private tours almost every day, we’re always surrounded by this unique art form in different neighborhoods all over the city. It is interesting how the art changes from neighborhood to neighborhood and also how what’s deemed a good “canvas” changes with each area.
In the case of the photo above, a garage door on a private Victorian home makes a dandy canvas for a contemporary piece by well-known San Francisco artist Brian Barneclo.
Since you’ll be all over the city in the course of your San Francisco customized tour with Carried Away, you’ll experience street art without even trying! You may want to sit back, relax and soak it in or you may want to stop to contemplate and take pictures…whatever you so desire, we will accommodate your artistic impluses!
