San Francisco | A week in Northern California
STAY
We stayed with my good friend, but as always I would recommend checking out Airbnb to get the most local experience!
EAT
Umami Burger
FISH
Little Gem
Sightglass Coffee
Saturday Farmer's Market at the Ferry Building Marketplace
PRO TIPS
Rent a car so you can go out, explore, and find the little gems that you can't get to on city transit alone.
Unless you're going in the summer, dress in layers! It can get chilly, but in the afternoon we were able to ditch the jacket (...well, not me).
ROUTE OVERVIEW
San Francisco
The Golden Gate Bridge (cause, duh)
Big Sur
Sauslito
Napa Valley
Muir Woods
Point Reyes
Yosemite National Park
I don't know if you have noticed, but I'm obsessed with San Francisco. I keep going back and can't stay away! This most recent trip, however, I broke out of the city and took some day trips to see more of what Northern Cali has to offer outside of the city alongside someone that I think is pretty great.
So before we continue any further, there is someone I have to introduce to ya'll: Meet Tucker!
He is a writer and communications guru. He loves the Lord with all his heart and is a professional encourager. He is the best travel partner and can parallel park like a champ. He knows the words to every song and is not afraid to get down on the dance floor! He is just one of those people that can always make you smile, especially me, (mostly because I get to call him my boyfriend)! He is a words guy, and I'm a pictures girl, so I'd say we are a pretty good pair... I think I'll keep him around.
So this time I got to take him with me to San Fran and it was so great! We stayed with my friends Holly and Cody Fowler in San Jose, so we got to live our best tourist lives while also getting some great recs from locals. And since you hear from me all the time, I figured what better way to introduce you to Tucker than to let him write a little guide to Northern California!
So here it is people:
TUCKER'S TRAVEL TIPS | SAN FRANCISCO
Ahhhh…. California. I never knew if it could live up to its hype. I thought the many great cities, landmarks, and views that I had seen in movies my entire life couldn’t be as great in reality as they were made out to be.
... I was wrong.
This was my first trip to the west coast and I wasn’t disappointed at all. I can’t speak for the whole state, but the Bay Area was automatically one of my favorite places that I had ever been. Here are some of my favorite places and moments that Erin and I shared while we were there!
San Francisco
Getting to explore this incredible city with Erin was something I’ll never forget! She loves a good view as much as I do, and this place has no shortage of them. It feels Mediterranean in some places, like a small town in certain neighborhoods, and there are definitely spots that make it feel like the huge metropolitan city that is actually is too.
MUST EAT
(Food is the way to Tucker's heart... so its very fitting we start here!)
Believe it or not, some of the best food I had in California was a meat and three. This place has a really cool atmosphere, but it has fried chicken and grits that are better than most that I can find in South Carolina. It's a really good slice of home if you're a southerner visiting the west coast like me!
They make a mean latte and there are many locations throughout the city. Pro tip: They don’t have wi-fi, so prepare to drain your phone’s hotspot if you want to get work done. Don't come here looking for something besides really good, simple espresso drinks and pour-overs.
Cheap South American food in the Mission District that we literally just stumbled upon and took a chance on. It was so good, and I've been trying to find arepa back home ever since. Spoiler alert: The south pretty much pretends that South American food doesn't exist.
My GOODNESS I love this place. Get the truffle burger. I dream about it every day.
Eating here is pretty much the only thing we did in Santa Cruz, but I'm so glad Holly took us here. Eggs Benedict is one of my favorite things on earth, and this place has the best I've ever had.
MUST SEE
Marin Headlands
You’ll have to fight to park, but it will be so worth it. This place is the best view of the Golden Gate Bridge you can find. And you get to drive across the bridge to get there, so that’s obviously fun too!
Baker Beach
From what I hear this technically a nude beach , but luckily all we found were families and dogs. Great view of the bridge and the pacific ocean.
Chinatown
You’ve gotta go! The history of this place is actually very interesting. Bring cash though - we have a pretty funny story involving that at House of Dim Sum. But if you’ve been to Asia before and are looking for some good boba tea in the states, you’ll definitely find it here. This part of town is definitely the most traffic-heavy, so give yourself plenty of time to get there.
OUTSIDE THE CITY
Yosemite National Park. Duh. It was a four hour drive from San Jose (where we stayed) both ways, but it was so so so worth it. The Tunnel View is your best bet for a great view without doing much work, but walking the trail to Yosemite Falls is worth it too. (And the food at the cafeteria inside the park is actually very, very good.)
Point Reyes Seashore/Lighthouse. It was another one of those that was a pretty long drive, but I can’t imagine not going back if I ever visited the Bay Area again. I have never been so in awe of the ocean than I was at this lookout!
Muir Woods Forest. These trees are stunning! Such a good place to take a relaxing walk and clear your head after a few days exploring the city. (It's also on the way to Point Reyes.)
Pfeiffer Beach/Big Sur/Monterey. This might have been my favorite day of the trip! These views are unbelievable. Drive across the Bixby Bridge to Pfeiffer Beach and watch the sunset. I have cold chills just thinking about it.
Castillo De Amorosa. It’s Napa Valley’s only castle, so you can’t miss it. It’s a little pricey, but go on the tour instead of just doing a tasting. It’s well worth it!
WOAH...Ok take me back right now! I'm seriously in love with California!
I do have a couple honorable mentions that Tucker left off ....soooooo for a few more must sees:
Sausalito: It's the small harbor town on the other side of the Golden Gate... go! And eat Fish and Chips at FISH! Then just wander up and down the harbor... I am a sucker for sailboats and it was extra stunning the day we went!
Muir Woods Beach: We went on accident because we had to get service to pay for our parking spot for the Muir Woods Forest... which you conveniently have to walk out on the beach to get! Then we just stayed there a while taking in the view... and took some pics of course!
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Now I think you know what you need to do, get your bags ready and get yourself to San Francisco!