Considering my raison d'etre is to play the world's finest golf courses, one might think depression would have set in after missing my chance to play San Francisco Golf Club some 10 days ago. (Currently 26th in GOLF Magazine's worldwide Top 100). But the disappointment was muted for two reasons: First, the opportunity to visit will likely present itself again down the road. Far more immediately, my wife and I whiled away the hours I would have been chasing a ball through the meadow by visiting the oldest continuously operating businesses in San Francisco, and undoubtedly one of the most delightful: Boudin Bakery, at Fisherman's Wharf.

For 161 straight years, since the Gold Rush days of 1849, Boudin has been baking its delectable sourdough bread. Visitors today can watch the bakers do their thing while dining downstairs in the cafe, or upstairs in the bistro, which also features zillion-dollar views of the bay and Alacatraz Island. After a superb lunch (anything with Dungeness crab is a sure winner) one can take a bakery tour, marvel at the multi-generational timeline of the Boudin family, and then belly up to the marble bar at the Buena Vista Carneros for a comprehensive and thoroughly enjoyable wine tasting.

To sum it up, missing an epic golf course is a bummer, but an afternoon at Boudin Bakery is banner. Visit www.boudinbakery.com to learn more.

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