For as long as I can remember, my Dad has talked about San Francisco and all of its history and architecture. Dad and his family visited the city when he was young and he has always wanted to bring his own family there. Well we finally got around to visiting the unique city and let me just say, I loved it more than I thought I would. I was actually a little afraid that I would be underwhelmed by the city based on reactions I got from people when I told them I was spending a week there. There is seriously no other city like it. Here's how to spend a weekend in San Francisco, specifically for new visitors:
Where to Stay:
My family stayed at Palace Hotel, which is a Marriott luxury hotel in a great location. We were walking distance from several attractions and restaurants. We also drove into the city and it was fairly easy to get to (again, native Houstonian here who is used to crazy drivers and weird streets). All the staff at the hotel were extemely helpful! They also have a great breakfast buffet!!
As always, Airbnb or VRBO are great options if you'd rather have a homey feel!
Where to Eat:
I'm a sucker for food halls and marketplaces, so I loved Ferry Building Marketplace. They have so many different types of food available there. We tried El Porteño Empanadas, which were amazing! We also tried Miette Patisserie and Obour Foods. Everything that we tried in the Ferry Building was really good!
It's in a touristy area and the restaurant gives tourist vibes, but it really is delicious! I ate crab and corn bisque in a bread bowl, which was so good! The rest of my family ordered crab macaroni and cheese, clam chowder in a bread bowl, and a mahi mahi sandwich (not on the menu but my mom asked if the chef would be able ot make it and they did!). All of the food was great! You can sit outside and enjoy your meal with a view of Fisherman's Wharf.
Lori's Diner is a cool restaruant with all-day breakfast and all your traditional American diner food. I had a tuna melt and fries, which were both good! I loved that you can pay to play a variety of different songs from little jukeboxes at each table!
As an ice cream lover, I believe you can't go to SF without getting a sundae from Ghiradelli. The mini sundae is pretty big; it was plenty for me!! You can also buy any kind of Ghiradelli that your heart desires!
Things to Do:
If it's your first time in San Francisco, I'd recommend knocking out some of the touristy activities. We were able to knock out a lot of activities in the 2 days that we were there!
Purchase tickets ahead of time to tour the former federal prison and the rest of the historic island. Alcatraz Island has a lot of history. It was a military fort at one point, a military prison, and then a federal prison (which held Al Capone and George "Machine Gun" Kelly). An audio tour will walk you through the prison and what life was like for prisoners. Once you're done with the audio tour, you'll have the opportunity to walk around the island. If you're interested in history, definitely check out Alcatraz.
Lombard Street
If you have a car while you're in SF, you can drive down Lombard Street, a steep, curvy road in a residential area. There is usually a line of cars waiting to drive down the road, so factor in some extra time if you plan on driving down the road. You can also walk up/down the road. Just know that the backside of the curvy road is a steep, straight road. Walking up the backside was not easy haha.
I love window shopping (I only like real shopping when I have money to spend 😅) and Union Square is the perfect place for that! There are a range of stores, from Zara and Nike to Louis Vuitton and Gucci! The stores are spread across a couple of blocks so feel free to roam the streets.
Take in the View at Alamo Square
Alamo Square offers an incredible view of the Painted Ladies, a row of stunning houses, with downtown San Fran in the background. Grab a blanket and some snacks and head to Alamo Square for an afternoon picnic!
Okay, I admit this one is a bit bizarre. Church of 8 Wheels is a roller rink in a former church! At night the disco lights hit the stained glass windows while the music is blasting. This is fun, quick activity for people of all ages!
Pier 39 is a famous spot for sea lion viewings! You can hear sea lions bark as they're all piled on docks. There's also a great view of San Francisco bay at Pier 39!
Fisherman's Wharf is a fun area to walk around with a bunch of different restaurants! If you're looking for some seafood, there are some great spots here. It is a touristy area, so there are a lot of people walking around. There is a great sourdough bakery called Boudin Bakery! You can see the bakers making hundreds of loaves of sourdough bread!
Cable cars were invented in San Francisco in the late 1800s and are now considered a National Historic Landmark. You can use the cable cars as transportation (their original intention) or you can use them to tour/familiarize yourself with the city! There are three different routes that take you across the city, with stops along the way. We purchased tickets right near the Market St turnaround. If you're feeling adventurous (it's really not that crazy), you can stand on the side of the cable car and take in the incredible views of the city and San Francisco Bay!
Cross the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito
If you have access to a car, a short drive across the Golden Gate Bridge will take you to Sausalito, a small town on the bay. Sausalito has a stretch of shops and restaurants right across from the water. You can stroll and shop while taking in the view of San Fran across the bay. Warning: there is a toll to cross the Golden Gate Bridge.
First of all, Golden Gate National Recreation Area is huge (80,000 acres to be exact)! Part of the recreation area is on the south side of the bridge and part is on the north side, and the area is comprised of multiple different parks. There are beaches, historic sites/structures, wooded areas, trails, viewpoints, etc. This national recreation area is stunning and was one of my favorite parts of my trip to SF!
Explore Chinatown
I've been to Chinatown in New York, Boston, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia, but San Francisco's Chinatown blows the others out of the water in my opinion. The architecture is amazing and there are loads of shops and restaurants. You can also stop by Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory, which was founded in 1962! Did you know flavored fortune cookies exist?? At Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory, you can buy choclate fortune cookies or cookies with x-rated fortunes in them!
I know this one is not super San Francisco specific or exciting, but it's still pretty fun! Waymo is a self-driving rideshare serivce (basically like Uber but it's a self-driving vehicle). To ride, you have to download the Waymo app and sign up. Then you put in your destination and call and ride. Once the car shows up with your name on it, you unlock the car in the app. During the ride, you're able to change music and the A/C settings. It's a really cool alternative to ubering.
Just know that there is so much more to do in San Francisco than what I mentioned! We wanted to hit all the most popular attractions in town since it was our first time there.
How to Get Around:
Car
Driving and parking in SF can be a bit hectic. Between the hills, unfamililar roads, and traffic, there is a lot going on in SF. Some streets are so steep, you can't parallel park (the parking is either 45º or 90º to the curb).
You can also Uber or, like I said earlier, Waymo around the city. Waymo rides are only available in a certain area of San Francisco.
Public Transportation
As I mentioned earlier, there are three cable car routes in downtown San Francisco. They're a great way to see the city and get from one place to another.
The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) takes you between San Francisco National Airport (SFO) and the city. There is also a bus system through the city. I have never taken a bus or the BART in San Fran, so I could not tell you how it is.
Walking
We also were able to walk a large portion of downtown San Francisco. Our hotel was right off of Market St, so we walked all the way to the Ferry Building Marketplace and along the water to Fisherman's Wharf.
Of course there were a few things that we learned about the city once we got there, like a lot of stores/businesses close around 6pm. Just like any other big city, you have to be vigilant in San Francisco. I was warned about the high homeless population, but as a native Houstonian turned Austinite who has traveled to many big cities, I was not in shock by the number of homeless people.
Comments