When I moved to California I flew in late at night, so it was dark. We slept for a few hours in a San Francisco hotel and left... in the dark. The city looked beautiful in the dark, no doubt about it, but I've been wanting to go back and explore it in the light. Well guess what? We went last Sunday and it was awesome! Here's what we did.
Rolled out:
The drive is a little over an hour from our house so we hit the road around 9. We filled up with gas and food and headed west. I knew it would be raining and cold but the weather app predicted a window of no rain and we were banking on that prediction. It rained the whole way there and I was really starting to think that this was a bad idea. Luckily, by the time we got to the city the rain had subsided.
First Stop - Golden Gate Bridge:
There are a lot of spots you can check out views of the bridge. We decided to go to the north side of the bridge on a road called Conzelman Rd. There were a few spots to stop like "Golden Gate View Point" and "North Tower Golden Gate Parking". We also got out at "Battery Spencer" and walked around, the views there were amazing! Best part was we had the whole place to ourselves because apparently no one wants to be out in the windy, cold ass rain, on a Sunday morning. We saw two guys, and one couple leaving as we got there ... but that was it!
Stop Two - China Town:
We were super curios about China Town so we decided to check it out. I've never been to a China Town and I must say it was pretty cool. I really loved seeing all of the signs and shops. We got out and walked a few blocks and it totally felt like I was in another dimension. There were a TON of produce markets, with fruits and veggies I have never seen before. We peeked our heads into a few shops, and headed to our next stop.
Third Stop - Fisherman's Wharf:
This place is huge and stretches along the Bay Area. It is slap full of shops, restaurants and cool stuff like that. It also has great views of Alcatraz, which I wish was open because I totally would have gone there! I saw signs for whale watching tours and Golden Gate boat tours. I am really looking forward to coming back one day and doing some of those when they re-open!
Another great thing was all the food. If you enjoy food, this is the place for you! They have clam chowder, crabs, seafood, candy and desserts. I even found a Biscoff store!
If you are planning to come to San Francisco you have to check out this area. You will not be disappointed.
Sourdough Bread:
On the subject of food we stopped by the Boudin Bakery which is located in the Fisherman's Wharf. I had no idea that San Fran was known for its sourdough and that's my favorite bread! I typically do not eat seafood but we decided to split a dungeness crab sandwich. It was good but not mind blowing, overall it was worth trying despite the $16 price tag. Doug enjoyed a jalapeño sourdough roll that he munched on throughout the day, too.
Pier 39:
Also in the Fisherman's Wharf is Pier 39 which is the ultimate place to be. They even have a Hard Rock Cafe and Aquarium. For me, one of the highlights was seeing the sea lions. I've never seen them in the wild before and they were so cute! I love the sounds they make, and liked watching them get an attitude with each other. They can be rather sassy.
Final Stop - Ghirardelli Square:
This is the home of the original Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory. They have a few shops you can stop in and buy a variety of Ghirardelli chocolates. The original shop was closed unfortunately, but we peeked in the windows. The easter stuff was still out on the shelves, it's like time stood still in there once COVID hit. We ordered a couple of their famous sundaes and sat down to take a break from walking. I noticed a few fine dining options that I would love to come back and try one day.
Despite the dreary weather, we managed to dodge the rain until the last 5 minutes when we got completely soaked on the way to the car. NOT COOL! We took that as a sign to head home.
Overall it was a great day. So happy that window of clear weather worked out for us. I totally want to go back... but on a sunny day!
What was your favorite part and where should we go next? Comment below.
I love all the pics! My favorite parts were the bridge and the mermaid tits!