For my trip to Napa, I flew in and out of San Francisco. They’re just an hour away from each other and it was really fun to have a trip that was part vineyards in the country part city by the bay. When my Napa press trip ended on Friday, I spent the weekend in San Francisco before flying out on Sunday. I saw and did so much in just a few short days, and wanted to share it with you.
A Weekend in San Francisco
This trip was the best because so much of it was unplanned and spontaneous. In three weeks I had been from Omaha to Pennsylvania to Florida, back to Omaha, before heading to California. By this point, I was tired and just excited to have the trip unfold as it may.
I researched the crap out of all the amazing food offerings in San Francisco (I recommend this Eater article) but otherwise relied on the expertise and recommendations of the various Uber drivers I used around the city. The city is spread out with so many unique, distinct districts and I wanted to make sure I saw as much as I could. They gave me the rundown on things to see (residential areas like Noe Valley, Twin Peaks, and Castro), things to skip (Pier 39, Ghirardelli Square) and made my trip 1000% times better than if I had done it all on my own. It just goes to show it never hurts to approach a new situation with a smile and a curious face!
If San Francisco is on your travel list, here are my recommendations for where to stay, what to do, and where to eat. I hope you enjoy!
Where to Stay
For a hotel right in the heart of everything, you have got to stay at the Westin St. Francis. It’s located in Union Square and is in the center of some of the best shopping in the city. (There is a Louis Vuitton two blocks away from the hotel. I sent Josh a photo of the store with a big smiley face. He texted back, “Should I be nervous?”)
What I loved about the Westin St. Francis is that it is part national upscale chain and part historic hotel. It has all the amenities I know and love from Westin, with the charm, history, and bones of a hotel from a time very long ago. (The St. Francis.)
So much has happened within these walls. Numerous Presidents and Foreign Dignitaries have stayed here. (The Queen!) It’s luxury rooms were converted into a hospital during World War II. There was an assassination attempt on President Nixon’s life while he stayed here. High Society would come from all over first for its balls and then eventually for its discos.
Shirley Temple posed with this clock!
I love learning the stories about a place and The Westin St. Francis has a lot. I love that a place like this has been preserved for future generations to come, stay, and take a temporary step back in time.
Until you get to the actual rooms, of course. The rooms are all the modern luxury you would want and expect with a Westin.
I love this photo of the Golden Gate Bridge.
The Westin St. Francis just completed a huge gym renovation.
I love the hotel’s focus on health and wellness. These living green walls always reminded me to stop for a second and take a deep breath.
What to Do
There are so many fun things to do in San Francisco. My first recommendation is just to go outside wherever you are and start walking around. The city is so green and the architecture is so beautiful, it’s eye candy on steroids.
(A side note for solo travelers: I felt totally safe in San Francisco during the day walking around by myself but there are a lot of homeless people (like more than you could imagine in some areas). I was aware of my surroundings, smart, and had no issues. That said, at night I walked around in a few areas where I probably shouldn’t have been by myself. After my warning radar went off I started taking Ubers from place to place at night.)
San Francisco is the perfect mix of urban and residential. After exploring the downtown area for a while, I got out and explored the neighborhoods. There are so many beautiful ones. I went to Mission, to Lower Haight, to Noe Valley, to Castro, to Cole Valley and to others that I’m probably forgetting the names of. I just took an Uber there, walked around, took pictures, stopped in shops and local bars. It was the best and allowed me to get to know the city so much better in such a short amount of time.
There are so many hills in San Francisco! I walked up this one and it may not look like much here, but woof. I shared via Instagram Stories what my feet looked like walking up this hill. They were going straight up!
The hike was worth it though because it led me to this view and these beautiful woods. It’s called Fairy Gates Trail and I would have loved to spend a day exploring it. It looked like it was out of a storybook!
Bringing a little ne-barre-ska to my workouts. 😉
I fell in love with Soul Cycle years ago in New York and have been missing it since moving to Omaha. My hotel was blocks away from the SOMA location so I bought a three pack of passes and went on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It was a great way to ensure I was getting a good workout in with all the delicious food I was eating.
While I know Soul Cycle has its critics, and a really hefty price tag, for me it’s more than a workout. It’s a therapy session. I leave feeling refreshed and restored and ready to take on the day. Now if only Soul Cycle would come to Omaha!
I saw Hamilton!! Seeing this show has been a dream of mine so I’m writing a post just about the experience.
As a Full House fan growing up, I was ridiculously excited to visit The Painted Ladies. I took more pictures than one probably ever needs of a row of houses, but they were beautiful and I want to live there. I’m an East Coast girl all the way, but my goodness San Francisco speaks to me.
Another must-see is the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre. Originally a temporary exhibit for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition, this gorgeous creation is now a permanent fixture in San Francisco. Walking around the grounds feels like stepping back in time.
No visit to San Francisco is complete without a visit to the Golden Gate Bridge. I woke up early and headed to Crissy Fields to walk along the water and take some pictures of the most photographed bridge in the world.
Where to Eat
San Francisco is a foodie haven, so I was so excited to try and explore the city via all its flavors. While I’d love another few weeks to go to town on San Francisco food, I loved what I tried. Some stops were planned, some were spontaneous, all were delicious.
If you have one meal in San Francisco I would 100% recommend Cotagna. As a solo traveler, I lucked out and managed to grab a seat at the chef’s prep bar. I got to watch her work as I ate the best pasta dish of my life.
Black Sands Brewery has such an awesome atmosphere and makes one hell of a twist on a mint julep.
You can’t go to San Francisco without getting a burrito! After a bit of research, I settled on Little Chihuahua and it did not disappoint. It’s focused on local, sustainable food. P.S. That margarita was bomb!
Peasant Pies was an unexpected find that looked so cool I had to stop in and try it. I got a chicken curry pie that was so, so yummy.
Another unexpected find was this flourless chocolate cookie from Noe Valley Bakery. Delish!!
I swear Whole Foods put out a homing signal for me. I walked by so many this weekend. I can’t visit a place without exploring their Whole Foods, so I ducked into this one in Noe Valley to browse their local goods.
I discovered The Living Apothecary Kefir Water and was so intrigued I had to grab a bottle. I drank this bottle while resting and relaxing in the San Francisco sunshine (it exists!). It was such a great day and this stuff is good!
Zazie’s is an incredible brunch spot in the San Francisco area that is as known for their food as it is for its long waits to get a table. What’s a girl to do on a Sunday with no reservations?
Get an eggs benedict and side of breakfast potatoes to go, of course. My wait was ten minutes and this dish was heavenly. 1. I always scramble my eggs benedicts. and 2. Yes, those are hunks of grilled garlic mixed in with my breakfast potatoes. Good thing I wasn’t kissing anyone that weekend!
A sidenote: Zazie is a no-tipping restaurant. Their prices are built to accommodate a living wage, insurance, sick time, and vacation time for all their staff. Right on! And at $14 for this breakfast, their prices are not outrageous! I wish more restaurants would do this.
My last meal in San Francisco was one recommended to me by an Uber driver and taken with me to the airport. Truly Mediterranean is a truly delicious Mediterranean restaurant. I was glad for the tip and loved savoring every last bite of San Francisco while I waited to catch my flight home.
Questions of the Day: Have you been to San Francisco? What’s your favorite way to explore a city? Do you workout on vacation? What part of my trip would you enjoy the most?
SeekAndRead says
San Francisco it’s always beautiful. Nice pictures
Jessica says
I love SF!! Your pics are amazing!!
Jenna says
Oh wow! What an awesome trip! I haven’t been to San Francisco before, but it is so on my list!
Stacy Risenmay says
We love San Francisco! Great photos!
Sara Giboney says
Looks like a fun weekend! Gorgeous photos!
linda smith says
What an amazing trip! Your pictures are fantastic!
Elizabeth says
I hope you enjoyed SF! All your photos are so beautiful!
Kimber says
I love San Fran!! Beautiful photos!
Anita says
What a fun trip! That’s awesome that you saw Hamilton and kudos for working out three days in a row! I’ve been to San Francisco twice and would love to keep going back. The weather is nice and there is so much good food and variety of activities. Thank you for sharing!
Anna Baun says
San Fran is by far one of my favorite cities! Looks like you had such a great time! XO
Lily says
We are planning a trip soon and San Francisco is actually on our list of potential places to visit.
I will have to bookmark this and revisit this if we decide to go!
Liz says
Looks like an amazing trip!! I’ve been wanting to go up there!
Steph says
I’ve never been to San Fran but it’s definitely on my bucket list! I’ll have to pin this for when I do go!
Heidi says
What a great weekend and gorgeous photos! I love San Fransisco!
Alex says
San Francisco is one of my favorite cities in the country! Looks like you had a wonderful time. Love their Westin property, too.
Anastasia says
So cool!! I’ve always wanted to go to San Francisco!
Jessica says
What a fantastic trip (and beautiful photos)!
Rachael Thomas says
I’m dying to visit San Francisco! I’m loving your recap, and I’ll never tire of looking at those beautiful row houses!
Rachael
Katey says
Oh my goodness! What an amazing post! Such detail and these pictures are beautiful. How darling are those row houses! I’ve never been to San Francisco but I’ve heard such great things.
XO
Cassie Rea says
I LOVE visiting San Francisco. There are so many fun things to do – such a great city!
angelle Marix says
Great post.. love San Francisco!! thanks for sharing!!
Kimberly says
Oh this is making me want to visit out west – it’s so beautiful!
candacd says
Looks like you had a lovely time! I lived in SF one summer for dance camp..such an amazing city!
Best,
Candac
Jenna says
It looks like you had an awesome trip! i need to make my way out West!!
adriana says
These pictures are so stunning! San Francisco is seriously incredible, I love cities that are aesthetically so gorgeous like this!
Tif says
What a great trip! I’ve always wanted to visit San Fransisco, but the farthest west I’ve gotten is Vegas.
Adaleta says
San fran is the best and you got a lot in over the weekend!
Molly | Miss Molly Moon says
It sounds like it was a wonderful trip! Also, I’m SO jealous that you got to see Hamilton! I am dying to see it.
Annie says
I’ve been dying to make a trip to San Fran! Looks like a great time!
Mariam says
What a great guide!! Thank you for sharing!
xo Mariam
Lindsay says
This is great! Sending to some friends that are going this summer! Loved all the pictures.
Jacqueline Swartz says
So many great things to do on your next trip. The SFMOMA is one of the country’s best modern art museums, and it was recently expanded. The de Young Museum stands among the trees of Golden Gate Park. And in the often-neglected Richmond District is the Museum of the Legion of Honnor, with its collection of Rodin sclupture – on of the best in the world.
Ying says
Wow, I love the architecture of the hotel- this is such a great guide to exploring SF!
Erin says
I am going in a few weeks (never been) and cannot wait! Full House row of houses is top of my list too 🙂 I am also a bit daunted by the hills, but after surviving Queenstown, NZ here is hoinf I survive SF! Great post!
Tracy says
I love San Fran. My cousin got married there in 2010 and it was my first bu not last visit. She lives in Oakland a really cute area. I visited and we went to Napa twice! Great photos!