{"id":5201,"date":"2013-08-12T23:12:57","date_gmt":"2013-08-13T03:12:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catchingfireflies.com\/blog\/?p=5201"},"modified":"2016-07-26T23:20:19","modified_gmt":"2016-07-27T03:20:19","slug":"3-days-in-san-francisco","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.catchingfirefliesgifts.com\/blog\/2013\/08\/3-days-in-san-francisco\/","title":{"rendered":"3 days in san francisco"},"content":{"rendered":"

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.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

We’ll start off sharing a bit of San Francisco though…<\/p>\n

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Because I’m a retailer, I cannot help to seek out independent shopping areas.\u00a0 I get inspired by store layouts, product displays and the mix of offerings that make up the shopping-scape. \u00a0\u00a0 Hayes Valley<\/a> was one of my favorite areas\u00a0 in the city.\u00a0 It’s filled with well curated boutiques including California Made Mercantile<\/a>.\u00a0 It’s filled with goods created by the locals which drew me right in.\u00a0 Steve (my cycling nut) scored this great San Francycle tee<\/a> and I couldn’t leave with out this marvelous memento.<\/p>\n

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Another gem in this district is Smitten Ice Cream<\/a>.\u00a0 Have you heard of ice cream made with liquid nitrogen?\u00a0 It’s made just for you with uber fresh ingredients and tastes AMAZING!<\/p>\n

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And of course this clever ice cream shop is housed a re-purposed shipping container… because it’s not cool enough already<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Pacific Heights<\/a> is another area not to be missed.\u00a0 This wealthy area has some amazing views, architecture, more cute shops and restaurants of course.\u00a0 You know the street is steep when sidewalks have stairs!<\/p>\n

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Speaking of steep streets… we had to check out the famous Lombard Street<\/a>.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 The famous trolley route rolls right by that area too.<\/p>\n

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We did take the standard double deck bus tour around the city and learned a lot more about the history of the neighborhoods.\u00a0 Chinatown<\/a> really looked like a little slice of another country (fish hanging to dry in 3rd story windows and all!<\/em>)\u00a0 And their vintage streetcars<\/a> are easily the most stylish public transportation I’ve seen.<\/p>\n

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One place you must stop is the Ferry Building<\/a>.\u00a0 It’s a foodie’s paradise.\u00a0 And for even more action, stop by on a Saturday when the farmer’s market is in full swing.<\/p>\n

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

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There is also lots of great art all throughout the city.<\/p>\n

Oh and by the way… if you ever visit in the summer, pack jeans and sweatshirts.\u00a0 Because of a bunch of weather information I don’t completely understand, it’s often cloudy, windy and cool during the summer months.\u00a0 Seriously, some days I felt as if I was living in a cloud.<\/p>\n

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We’ll end this city tour with a few more classic stops… Full House intro<\/a> anyone?\u00a0 I love the contrast of these gorgeous Victorian homes (aka painted ladies) with the backdrop of the bustling city. \u00a0 Haight & Asbury ~ still a hippie’s heaven… plenty of resale and tattoo shops.\u00a0 And touring Alcatraz always makes for an interesting afternoon.\u00a0 Here’s a tip: if you do plan on visiting SF, be sure to get your Alcatraz tickets<\/a> a month or two before you leave as they sell out fast!<\/p>\n

So we packed this little city adventure into three days.\u00a0 Stay tuned to see what other towns we explored next.<\/p>\n

Like to see where I spend my time away from catching fireflies<\/strong>?\u00a0 Then sign up to receive blog posts like these in your email inbox <\/strong><\/span>HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n