Ben and I spent three days in San Francisco after our road trip. We stayed at the Chancellor Hotel on Union Square which I would recommend if you want to stay in the center of the city. It was reasonable for what we paid considering San Fran accommodation is seriously expensive.
I was not expecting much from San Fran with very mixed reviews depending on who I talked to about it. I am glad we went and I think it would be a cool place to live (if you can handle the climate) but as a visitor there isn’t all that much going on, a couple of days like we had is perfect. Do not expect it to be warm though, we were there in the middle of July and got super lucky with sunshine but when that fog closes in the temperature drops very quickly.
THINGS TO DO
Golden Gate Bridge – You can walk, drive or bike over the bridge. The first day we were going to bike but as we approached it you could not see it through the fog. The second day we had much more luck with bright blue skies so decided to walk over it. It is pretty far and if you are scared of heights maybe stick to driving. Pretty surreal experience although I wasn’t too keen on the photos next to the edge.
Lombard Street – Good if you want to see it, nothing amazing just a very steep street with lots of bends…
Hire a bike – Easy to do on ride sharing apps now such as uber. Bike around the pier and over the bridge if you would rather bike than walk. There are nice parks around this area too and we had a nice picnic in one of them.
Sausalito – If you cross the bridge by foot you can get the bus down to Sausalito which is a waterfront area/suburb on the other side of Golden Gate Bridge. This is one of the reasons we chose to walk and not ride a bike over the bridge as its quite a bit further to get down here. There is great bars and food spots down here although it is a little touristy. You can either walk, ferry or uber back the other way.
WHAT TO EAT
San Fran is known for its food but we were trying to save pennies where we could so we skipped the ritzy spots this time round. Couple of suggestions below though 🙂
Mr Holmes Bakehouse – The Instagram famous bakery (cringe) but it is actually really good. Pretty tiny spot but if you want a cronut or croissant it is a good option.
Flores – A Mexican restaurant in Cow hollow. Really delicious food, you need to book or be prepared to wait here. Good vibe and good cocktails too, this place was a winner.
Golden boy pizza – If you are wanting some American style pizza by the slice this is pretty good – and cheap.
Mau – Vietnamese restaurant in the mission district. This place is pretty relaxed and cheap but has really good food. The mission district is good to explore as well, reminded me of K Road in Auckland. Grungy but lots going on and good bars and nightlife.
Joe & the juice – Good option for breakfast/juices and coffee if you are that way inclined. Chain around America and over the world now as well.
Bar Bocce – Nice restaurant and bar in Sausalito. The pizzas are really good and the sunshine on the back deck was awesome. Could easily have a little afternoon session here. There is a fire too if it gets cold.
kirstywanders 
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