3 days in san francisco

Steve and I escaped to the California coast for a little get-away recently and realized why a number of our friends say it’s one of their favorite places to vacation.  We probably could have spent the whole week discovering San Francisco, but because of our exploring nature we decided to stay just outside of the city and planned day trips to the surrounding towns north and south of the area.

We’ll start off sharing a bit of San Francisco though…

Because I’m a retailer, I cannot help to seek out independent shopping areas.  I get inspired by store layouts, product displays and the mix of offerings that make up the shopping-scape.    Hayes Valley was one of my favorite areas  in the city.  It’s filled with well curated boutiques including California Made Mercantile.  It’s filled with goods created by the locals which drew me right in.  Steve (my cycling nut) scored this great San Francycle tee and I couldn’t leave with out this marvelous memento.

Another gem in this district is Smitten Ice Cream.  Have you heard of ice cream made with liquid nitrogen?  It’s made just for you with uber fresh ingredients and tastes AMAZING!

And of course this clever ice cream shop is housed a re-purposed shipping container… because it’s not cool enough already.

Pacific Heights is another area not to be missed.  This wealthy area has some amazing views, architecture, more cute shops and restaurants of course.  You know the street is steep when sidewalks have stairs!

Speaking of steep streets… we had to check out the famous Lombard Street.  Yeah~yeah~yeah… it’s one of the most crooked streets in the city, however I think the stunning gardens make it worth the stop.  The famous trolley route rolls right by that area too.

We did take the standard double deck bus tour around the city and learned a lot more about the history of the neighborhoods.  Chinatown really looked like a little slice of another country (fish hanging to dry in 3rd story windows and all!)  And their vintage streetcars are easily the most stylish public transportation I’ve seen.

One place you must stop is the Ferry Building.  It’s a foodie’s paradise.  And for even more action, stop by on a Saturday when the farmer’s market is in full swing.

Steve & nibbled on treats from lots of different vendors in the building but the Biscuit Bender wins the award for most adorable display (and tasty biscuits I might add!)

There is also lots of great art all throughout the city.

Oh and by the way… if you ever visit in the summer, pack jeans and sweatshirts.  Because of a bunch of weather information I don’t completely understand, it’s often cloudy, windy and cool during the summer months.  Seriously, some days I felt as if I was living in a cloud.

We’ll end this city tour with a few more classic stops… Full House intro anyone?  I love the contrast of these gorgeous Victorian homes (aka painted ladies) with the backdrop of the bustling city.   Haight & Asbury ~ still a hippie’s heaven… plenty of resale and tattoo shops.  And touring Alcatraz always makes for an interesting afternoon.  Here’s a tip: if you do plan on visiting SF, be sure to get your Alcatraz tickets a month or two before you leave as they sell out fast!

So we packed this little city adventure into three days.  Stay tuned to see what other towns we explored next.

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