When you get tired of walking around in San Francisco, you can always lean against it.
I was fortunate enough to visit San Francisco for Labor Day Weekend. My goals were summarized in one short and sweet sentence – I traveled across the country to see a bridge, a tree, and a friend. I saw quite a lot more than that, and I want to share what I experienced through the images below.
I started my San Francisco adventure at Philz Coffee. My friend who served as my lovely tour guide told me that this Philz was special in particular because its the very first of its kind. I was very adventurous and tried the mojito iced coffee and w h o a. I highly recommend if it’s in season during your visit.
Philz Coffee as well as the place I stayed at was located in the vibrant Mission District, which is the home to one of the largest Latinx communities in the country. You could see the district bursting with color from the street murals to the interiors of the stores.
I spent the evening with two good friends, wine, and the best Mexican food in the country in the beautiful Dolores Park. The view captures the San Francisco skyline and the golden hour there is breathtaking. You could also get a good view of Karl from here if he’s out and about – apparently they call their fog Karl and he has an instagram too.
I hundred thousand percent recommend eating at La Taqueria (or as the locals say “La Taq”) Anything there is fantastic, and I was told it’s a local secret to ask your soft shell to be “dorado” when ordering – makes it golden brown and crispy!
The next morning, my friend took me to another hopping eatery – Tartine. When it’s 8 am and there’s a line this long out the door on a Saturday, you know it’s gonna be delicious. I enjoyed a yummy quiche and my friend ate some berry banana bread pudding – Y U M.
As I’ve said before, it was my goal to see a “tree” but not just any tree, a Redwood Tree. My friend and I travelled to the South Bay area via train to visit Big Basin Redwoods State Park where I was not disappointed.
The trail we took led us to this beautiful waterfall – Sempervirens Falls. My only complaint with this easy four mile hike was that it was along the road. Besides that, the scenery was still absolutely breathtaking.
Enjoy this gorgeously composed spread that we lunched on. It was super yummy and a beautiful view accompanied it.
The next morning, we hunted down yet another place that had a big line. For brunch, we ate at Zazie, a French restaurant, which is located in Cole Valley. We were hopeful that the food was going to be as good as the wait, and we were not disappointed at all. If you are feeling boozy, order the blackcurrant sorbet Mimosa.
After filling up our stomachs, we headed over to Alamo Square to see the Painted Ladies, a famous row of houses that I swear is featured in the opening of Full House.
Our next stop was Baker Beach where I’d achieve my next goal – seeing a bridge – the Golden Gate Bridge. The air was warm and the water was chilly yet refreshing. My friend and I set down a blanket and enjoyed the sunset.
The final activity for my San Francisco trip took me through the Napa Valley/Sonoma and to Russian River where I joined a large group to float down the Russian River in a funny version of a “booze cruise”. I definitely don’t recommend drinking while floating down a river, but also you only live once? Haha, just be careful … also it was illegal to drink on the beach. So, keep it in the water, kids.
That’s about it for my first San Francisco experience. It was quite lovely and I saw all that I needed to see. I’m excited to return and add more important spots to my checklist – that including more museums and food spots.
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