I got an email from a reader the other day asking if I’ve ever been to San Francisco. She’s heading out there for vacay and wanted to know if I had any recommendations on what to do/see.
Indeed I have been, and do! Ben and I spent a week in the bay city a couple years ago, pre blog, and it ranks as one of my all-time favorite places in the entire country (just behind NOLA…maybe…eek, they might be tied!)
With spring break just around the corner, I thought I’d share my top 10 things to do in San Francisco in case any of you are headed there! I’m leaving out popular and trendy restaurants, because honestly SF has thousands of them and we had great meals wherever we went. What made my list is a mix of touristy sights, outdoor activities and stuff you won’t find anywhere else except this fabulous, NoCal gem! :)
My Top 10 Things To Do in San Francisco
1. Hike around Sausalito Island.
Sausalito island is located at the non-San Francisco end of the Golden Gate Bridge and is home to some incredible homes and views.
We took a ferry there from Fisherman’s Wharf and spent the afternoon hiking in the sunshine and peeking over the sheer cliffs to the ocean below.
2. Rent a car for the day and drive to Muir Woods.
Muir Woods is home to the world’s oldest and tallest redwood trees. It is impossible to capture how. freaking. huge. they are with a camera.
Walking amongst them will seriously blow your mind and make you want to cry.
In a good way!
3. Drive along the coast.
The views and beach pit stops will have you asking, “Wait, so WHY don’t I live here again??” Get some good friends to show you around too, if you can! ;)
4. Visit Alcatraz Island.
This is simply a San Fran must-see and I learned so much about the island. Like how the guards and their families including their children lived on the island with the inmates!
Make sure to play a fun game of “I won’t talk to you until you say ‘Welcome to the Rock!’ in a Sean Connery accent” like Ben did to me.
5. Go to Bourbon and Branch for a cocktail.
Look up the secret location and entrance password on the Internet, then ask them to take you to “the library!”
6. Shop at the Ferry Plaza and Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market.
THE best outdoor Farmer’s Market and indoor market, um, ever. Just go. Trust me!
7. Lombard Street
They don’t call it the crookedest street in the world for nothin’! (poor Ben being blinded by the sun light but still smiling his little heart out!!!)
If you still have that car from Muir Woods and your coastal drive, give driving down it a shot. Hey, it’s a rental! ;)
8. Eat at the Fog City Diner.
Ok, so there IS a restaurant on my list! My Dad told Ben and I about this place. It’s an old diner with white tablecloths and INSANE food. Best meal of our trip.
9. Visit Ghirardelli Square for free chocolate, then visit the little wine/beer tasting place in the same square for a beer while overlooking the bay.
FREE CHOCOLATE!!!!! ’nuff said. And get the Anchor Steam Beer – mmmm.
10. Explore, explore, explore!
Get off the beaten path and find your own discoveries,
restaurants,
and fun!
And for Heaven’s sake – have some candy. You’re on vacation!
Gosh there’s like a MILLION other things I could tell you about – but this should get you started!
What are your San Fran favorites?
Where’s your favorite city to travel to in the US? (or in your country if you’re outside the US?)
Hello, Birdie! | Simply Present 08.04.2011
[…] dinner I made ground turkey BBQ sandwiches based off of IGE’s recipe. I usually use turkey but the chicken was on sale and I’m a bargain […]
Traveler Mike Behnken 07.01.2011
I”m from San Francisco and I must say, not bicycling across the GG bridge is a major oversight. The hills are pretty tough but going down is the prize for exerting all the energy going up.
Juliet 04.03.2011
Where did you stay when you went to San Fran?
Iowa Girl Eats 04.03.2011
We stayed at the Sheraton in Fisherman’s Wharf. Great location close to the action, and there was a Trader Joe’s & another supermarket within 2 blocks!
Mary 03.09.2011
First NOLA is one of my favorite places to visit!! LOVE IT!!! With that said, I am a SF native…born in SF and raised just a few miles south!! I don’t think I could live anywhere else. I always love seeing tourist’s take on my beautiful city — you have really captured what is so special about the city. You really need to come back again because there is so much more to see!!!
And just an FYI — Sausalito is not an island (although we have a number of islands in the bay — Treasure, Angel, Alcatraz, to name a a few). It’s the first town you encounter after crossing the Golden Gate Bridge into Marin County. Did you have a chance to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge? Really an incredible experience!!
Jenn 03.09.2011
Umm… I don’t care. That is definitely NOT a maid-rite! haha I agree with the maid-wrong :P but it might be good anyways!
Ms.S 03.08.2011
My favorite city is probably Bandon, OR. It’s a tiny little coastal town, and it’s not somewhere we go for heavy sight-seeing…but it’s beautiful and relaxing. Walks on a beautiful misty beach, flying kits while listening to the ocean, fresh crab and shrimp, gorgeous sunsets…and a bit of cool relief during hot Midwestern summers. We just went last summer and I hope to goodness we get back in a couple years!
Lynn @ Learning Curves Blog 03.08.2011
I live in the East Bay but don’t visit “the city” near enough. But, I thought I’d tell you about a few of my favorites.
1-Philz Coffee…the absolute BEST coffee ever. It’s a must stop place for us if we are anywhere NEAR the city. Be sure to try to the Mint Mojito Mocha…seriously…it’s to die for!
2- Cha Cha Cha’s. There’s one on Mission and one on Haight (which you KNOW you’re going to visit Haight and Ashbury anyway, right?). A fun place with excellent cuban food (tapas) at a great price. Get a pitcher of Sangria and then plan on walking around til you sober back up. Their Sangria has converted my beer drinking friends, it’s THAT good!
3- Def see the Ferry Building!
4- If you go to Union Square there is a cute tea house in the park…a great place to rest your feet. However, if you need another drink then hit up the Grandview Lounge inside the Grand Hyatt. It’s on something like the 19th floor and has an awesome flight of martini’s plus an incredible view of the city!!! A+++
5- Golden Gate Park has a lot of history as does the Sutro Heights near the Cliff House. Fun hiking and the Conservatory of Flowers is open!!
Okay, I could list lots more but I’ve already taken up enough space!!
anna 03.08.2011
This couldn’t have come at a better time – I’m going to SF next weekend. Then again, I only live four hours from there. :)
I love checking out all the parks and lots of live music!
Michelle 03.08.2011
A camera FYI: If you take pictures of something that is either too tall or too big or too long to fit in to a normal photo, take it in sections and use Photos Live to stitch them together and make a panoramic photo. :)
dmcgirl 03.08.2011
http://www.palaceoffinearts.org/Welcome.html
Oh next time you are in San Fran you have to go here!!!!
One of my fav places there.
I will be retiring up there!!! Yippeeeee!!!! It is right between Portland and LA for me, perfection!
Rachel @ Grateful Girl Goes Gluten Free 03.08.2011
San Francisco is my favorite city that I’ve been to. I love it so much there. I hope to go back soon so thanks for the tips!
AlisonP 03.08.2011
LOVE San Francisco!! A must for me is the Buena Vista for Irish Coffees and Mona Lisa restaurant in Little Italy/North Beach for amaze Italian – the interior is total Italian kitsch overload, but the food is goooood! And that North Beach/Little Italy neighborhood is fun. Also, can’t miss SHOPPING! Union Square is a no-brainer, but Fillmore and Haight streets are where I like to go for cute boutiques and one-of-a-kind finds. Love SF!
Shannon 03.08.2011
I grew up and spent most of my first 26 years just a few miles east of San Francisco, and I have to say it’s the best city in the US! No bias here or anything….I moved to NYC almost two years ago and it doesn’t hold a candle to SF. This post made my homesick!
OC_Philadelphia 03.08.2011
I need sunshine, so I know I could never live in SF year-round. But, I do love to visit it and enjoy the city feel, since you don’t get that living in the LA metropolitan area. I love the museums and the outdoor hiking the most. I recently discovered Seattle and I have to say that Seattle (when it’s warm and not raining outside) is better than SF, because it’s cleaner, less polluted, has friendlier people and much less homeless panhandling. It just felt safer from a pedestrian point of view. Everyone should visit Seattle in late summer or early fall. Just beautiful!
erica 03.08.2011
this post makes me want to re-visit SF!!!!
Jennifer 03.08.2011
These are great suggestions. My Dad is a retired cable car conductor, and I live 20 minutes from the city. I try and get over there a few times a month. I do a lot of walking there. I get off of BART at Powell St. and usually walk through Chinatown and into North Beach. North Beach is a MUST, in my opinion. Have some great Italian and then hit up one of the Irish pubs, Maggie McGarrys or O’Reillys. Just walk! There is nothing like it. Also, try to find the Creme brulee cart guy, he is usually on Market St. somewhere. (@cremebruleecart)
kelly 03.08.2011
Right on suggestions, Iowa Gril! I moved here from Iowa nearly 14 (yikes!) years ago and love it! One of your readers suggested visiting the Tongo Room, but it’s closed. Depending on how long you stay, renting bikes near the Wharf and riding out over the GG Bridge to Sausalito is a great way to see the sites. If you get tired, you can always take the ferry back. Get tickets to Alcatraz in advance. Bring layers–it’s often chilly in SF, especially when the sun goes down. There are 3 cable car lines–buy a day pass and ride all 3. Don’t feel like you need to board the cable car at the turn around spots–it’s often crowded. If you have a day pass, go to any stop and squeeze on. If you can swing it, a day trip to wine country, preferable Sonoma over Napa, is in order. I think there’s a tour company called Playtupus Tours that is good.
Leslie 03.08.2011
Drive up to the jelly Belly factory for a tour too…very fun and very cool.
Kelli H 03.08.2011
I would recommend walking around Haight & Ashbury, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Union Square for shopping. Use Yelp.com to help you find reliable yummy places to eat at. Definitely get an Anchor Steam beer while you’re there. They’re delicious! I agree though, if you rent a car make your way north and check out Muir Woods and maybe even venture to Sonoma or Napa County to do some wine tastings (it’s less than an hour away).
Sara 03.08.2011
I haven’t been in a while, but North Beach Pizza is fabulous! I recommend the clam and garlic pizza (sounds suspect, tastes great). http://www.northbeachpizza.com/