Travel // San Francisco
If you happened to see on Instagram last week, Mr. Lovely and I made a quick trip to San Francisco with a few of our pals! Ryan and two of his best man friends all turned 30 within a week of each other, so we celebrated by gathering in the city and running around finding fun things to do. It was a quick trip but so fun, and if you find yourself in SF any time soon you can hit up some of these good spots!
Hang out on the piers and hop a ferry to Alcatraz. I had never been before, even growing up just an hour or so from San Francisco! It was a pretty incredible tour, and the buildings are so beautiful in a really broken-down, creepy way. Take the cheesy audio tour — there’s so much interesting info that you’d never get otherwise. Take the ferry back and hit up Fisherman’s Wharf for some clam chowder to warm up after being on that windy, cold island.
Drive across the Golden Gate Bridge. Stop on the Sausalito side at the Vista Point and obviously take the obligatory photos. Then head into Sausalito and wander around near the yacht club — there are enough little shops and restaurants to fill up an afternoon.
Head into the Haight and wander around. If you can manage it, have brunch at Pork Store Cafe (a tiny, delicious, hole in the wall). Mr. Lovely was particularly fond of Recycled Records, a vinyl shop just down the street. And swing by Haight and Masonic to snap a photo in front of this insane painted wall.
If you’re looking for a place to stay with a group of people, we used this airbnb and it was really killer. In a great location, walking distance to lots of shops and restaurants, and plenty comfy for our group of 6. And hey, if you have a favorite spot in SF, let me know in the comments! Now that we’re so much closer to the city we’ll be there plenty. xoxo
I love wandering around Noe Valley – 24th Street has tons of shops and restaurants (Chocolate Covered is an amaaaazing spot to buy gourmet and interesting chocolate), and Kite Hill Park has an amazing view of the city.
Paxton Gate and Paxton Gate Kids on Valencia are super fun and unique stores in the Mission District. They have all sorts of unique home goods, toys, tricycles with wings, impressive taxidermy (including a unicorn head!), amazing terrariums… worth a visit! Other favorites of ours include: Off the Grid (gourmet food trucks by the dozen!), the Humane Society display in Macy’s window in Union Square at Christmastime, and any number of stops in the North Beach!
I love San Fran! What a fun way to celebrate. Can’t believe he’s my age! Seriously thought he was a tad older. Hehe.
Gorgeous pictures! I love San Fran! I’m heading there next month and this post will be super helpful!
I’ve lived close to SF for seven years now and still haven’t been much of a tourist. It took FOUR years to cross the Golden Gate and I’m eager to visit Alcatraz. A lot of it had to do with limited funds and spotty employment, but now that that isn’t an issue I have no excuses 😉 Time to explore!
What a fun way to celebrate.
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I adore San Francisco for its classic spots—Alcatraz with an audio guide gives you goosebumps, the chowder at Fisherman’s Wharf warms you up, and the Golden Gate in the fog is simply epic, just like on my first trip with friends. After a trip like that, I always long for the islands, and I recently put together a box of California souvenirs—vinyl from Recycled Records and photos from Vista Point—for my family in Grenada. I sent them through https://ram-shipping.com/destinations/grenada/ — the delivery was fast; even by ocean, everything arrived intact in a couple of weeks. It extended the vibe of the trip, and now they’re enjoying a piece of SF under the palm trees!
San Francisco is truly mesmerizing — the fog on the Golden Gate Bridge, the goose bumps from the audio guide at Alcatraz, and a warm bowl of clam chowder at Fisherman’s Wharf after the cold wind from the bay. After such a trip with friends, I returned exhausted but overwhelmed with emotions, and in order to somehow come back down to earth, I started playing a game in the evening — just to run around and distract myself from memories of hills and landscapes. It turned out that the team at https://skycoach.gg/ helps you quickly level up your character and get cool stuff. I ordered a boost, and in just a couple of evenings, I had that same winning vibe, as if I had conquered the city again. Now, after every real adventure in real life, I know how to keep the adrenaline going in the game without unnecessary grinding.