San Francisco Trip Recap

I have waited to post this trip recap for a few days because my heart is still so heavy from the Las Vegas tragedy. I'm sad for all of the families of the victims and our world how it is today. Going to a concert, or traveling anywhere, is such an exciting thing that so many of us love to do and I hate that now we have to be thinking about escape routes, places to hide, etc. I'll be honest...it makes me extremely nervous to take my boys to big events in any city, and scares me when I think about the future and them attending them.

Anyway...after Napa (read my recaps here and here) we headed to San Francisco bright and early Saturday morning. We got into the city by 10am so we had 3 full days to explore! We stayed at the Kimpton Sir Francis Drake (we picked this hotel due to it's great location in Union Square) and were planning on staying there 3 nights, but we ended up staying with Billy's cousin for our last 2 nights. Him and his girlfriend had just recently moved a few weeks prior into an amazing place in the Mission district and offered to let us stay with them (we owe them big time!) Our stay at the hotel wasn't bad at all...it was close to so much or a quick uber away and we had great customer service, but the bedroom and bathroom were pretty small. I've heard this is normal for SF though so I'm not sure but overall it was just OK. Nothing fancy. Also, I don't recommend renting a car while you're in the city...the uber rides are pretty cheap and it's much easier to not have to worry about parking.

For our time in city our goal was to spend more time in the areas we didn't get to see on our first visit, like the Marina and Mission districts. We still wanted to go to Fisherman's Wharf and see Alamo Square and such, but we didn't spend as much time there.

One of the best parts of the trip was walking along The Embarcadero and going to the farmers market that they have on Saturday mornings (I think they have them during the week as well.) It was the largest farmers market I have ever been to...it was seriously amazing and you kinda get a feel for what it would be like if you lived in the city! You also get views of the Bay Bridge since it's along the waterfront.

Here are some of my other favorite things we did and places we ate at... (and if it's your first time visiting, read this post. It has all the places we went on our first visit!)

TO SEE // DO:

+Walk The Presidio and Crissy Field for incredible views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Make a stop at Baker Beach!

+Go shopping in Union Square (I went a little crazy in Zara🙌)

+So many good breweries! (Barrel Head, Southern Pacific, and 21st Amendment would be my top rec's!)

+Alcatraz tour (on my first trip post here)

+Take the ferry over to Sausalito: We spent a whole afternoon shopping and eating lunch outside on by the water. You can rent bikes here for the day to get around and explore! Have a drink after at Barrel House Tavern.

+Have lunch in the Mission district then walk over to Dolores Park! This is where Billy's cousin lived, right overlooking the city/park (see their incredible view in the pic below), and we absolutely loved this area. So many cute shops, good restaurants, and the best people watching while relaxing at the park. Try eating at Delfina for dinner, Foreign Cinema for brunch, or go to Urban Putt for a really cool miniature golf experience. We had drinks while we played putt putt and ate dinner there afterwards. We loved the food here (the chicken & waffles were a hit) and it was such a fun place. Didn't hurt that the girls beat the guys in putt putt either... :)

 can you imagine waking up to that view everyday? 😍

+Visit Alamo Square to see the Painted Ladies and another stunning view of the city

EAT:

+Tacolicious for delicious Mexican food: North Beach or Marina-we went to the North Beach location and walked around the area afterwards! I highly recommend the guacamole and the steak carne asada taco!

+Sweet Maple for brunch: Get there early or be prepared for a long line. We went at 9am and got so lucky because we didn't have to wait at all but 20 minutes later the line started forming outside. Get the millionaire's bacon, french toast with berries, or a benedict. SO GOOD!!

+Clam Chowder or Lobster Roll at Fishermans Wharf (Boudin is a favorite of many)

+Italian food in Little Italy: You can't go wrong with any place here.

+Coffee lover? Try Philz, Blue Bottle, or Ritual! We liked them all but Philz was definitely our fav.

We couldn't have had a more enjoyable trip. Heck, I even left my Ray Bans in our uber on our first day there and he ended up returning them to me. The city has some of the best food you'll ever eat in your life (in my opinion), so many unique areas to explore, and absolutely beautiful weather this time of year. Definitely add it to your list if you haven't been before! (And either pin this post or save it so you can refer back my recommendations!)

What is your favorite thing to do in San Francisco?