5 Highlights From My Trip to San Francisco!


I just got back from a fun weekend adventure in San Francisco! I'm no stranger to the city though, this was my third trip there. The last time I went it was rainy and foggy so I couldn't see the Golden Gate Bridge. This time the sun was shining and skies blue! The weather was perfect during the day, but you need to wear layers because it gets chilly at night.


I walked nonstop in San Francisco!  I had so much fun running all over this beautiful city! On Sunday I tracked that I walked 8 miles, particularly on crazy steep hills up and down. San Francisco blocks are twice the length as DC blocks so what looked close on my map was always much farther away.

1. Golden Gate Bridge & Coastal hike

I took the bus to the Sutro Bath ruins then walked 4 miles along the coastline on a trail surrounded by gorgeous willow and cypress trees. I hiked along the water with the best views of the ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge. Just a few other people were on the trail as it was super windy, but I was thankful for them as the emergency call box I passed was out of order. Next I made my way down to Baker Beach. This empty beach was my favorite spot for pictures.


The sand ladder stairway to leave the beach was a killer! It’s 200 timber logs placed in the sand for a 120 foot climb. Halfway through when I had to take a break and I thought I better make it because a helicopter rescue here is probably out of the question! lol


2. Marveled at the architecture and Street Art

San Francisco is an architectural dream. Every house is different, colorful and so pretty! Most townhouses have garages instead of a garden out front. But I did see some pretty potted cacti gardens. I took a Saturday afternoon stroll in the Mission and Castro districts. I relaxed in Dolores Park for great views of the city. Lots of people were having picnics and listening to music. I passed through the Castro neighborhood which has tons of bars and a fun rainbow crosswalk. I went to the Seward Street Slides which was super fun slides for adults! Then I walked through the Balmy Street Murals which is an alley full of political murals.






3. Vegetarian Dining

San Francisco is a foodie's dream because it's home to some of the best vegetarian restaurants!  I went to Slanted Door for Vietnamese food and Humphry Slocombe for exotic ice cream flavors. I met up with a friend for vegan sushi at Shizen Vegan Sushi Bar.
Had vegan Mexican food at Gracias Madre. When I walked in I could smell the freshly made corn tortillas and had a very hard time deciding what to get off the menu because everything sounded fantastic. I settled on the Tamale filled with butternut squash topped with mole and cashew cream.
My top place to eat in San Francisco is at Greens restaurant where I had an amazing lunch with a gorgeous view of the marina. I had a butternut squash, sage, walnut pizza on a cornmeal crust.


4. Nightlife

I grabbed a drink at the historic Vesuvio bar and admired the street art in the Jack Kerouac Alley next to it. Jack Kerouac wrote the poem 'San Francisco Scene' and among many other things and is famous for coining the term Beat Generation to describe a group of writers in the 1950's. There I ran into a guy in a chicken suit and asked what the occasion was. lol He said it was his birthday so he wore the chicken suit and gave his friends a small block radius in the city and told them to come find what bar he was at with a little money wager. They all took the day off to work to do this and apparently it's a popular thing to do in SF - see Chicken Chase Drinking Game.


5. Landmarks
 
Palace of Fine Arts
Coit Tower

Wharf

Union Square
San Francisco is such an eclectic city and has so much to offer. The street and homes were so beautiful!  I just had an amazing time! I think if I had to move to another city SF would be it! I just need an app to tell me how to avoid the hills. You can read my other California posts here:

Beach Bliss in Santa Monica

Summer Chillin in Los Angeles

Vegetarian in LA



1 comment

  1. beautiful pics, look like you had a blast!!

    I get confused as to why people get so defensive about things like this. If it's proven it's a significant risk, WHY would you risk it?


    Confessions of a Frumpy Mommy

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