San Francisco: Travel Diary (Vlog Included)

A Weekend Away

It didn't take long for San Francisco to become mine and Kirby's favorite city to visit in the states. The first time we were there we wanted to move within about and hour... Until we saw rent prices were double what Denver was. Short lived dream, but we did know we loved the area and couldn't wait to explore. It's a colorful city, with tons of life and a ton to do/see. This most recent San Francisco Travel Diary is much more relaxed than the one with family while still fitting in a few must visit spots.

Our first trip there was with family while this second trip was just us two (after Kirby attended Dreamforce last year) so we were happy to get two different experiences all in the same place. I had done a previous post on New Year, New Adventures that highlighted our trip over New Year's Eve 2016 with the family. We visited Redwood Forest (In a limo, no joke), Sonoma for lots of wine and even got to tour Alcatraz Island which was way cooler than I expected. 

For The Love of Travel

Like I stated above, Kirby was invited to Dreamforce last year which is a week long event held right in San Francisco. Of course, I knew I was going to meet him there the second he got invite because why not? Traveling is one of our favorite things to do together and any opportunity that we get we totally jump at. There is just something about traveling the world with your loved one that gives you the most magical feeling.

The funny thing is, when I arrived in San Francisco Thursday we were both so tired after such busy weeks that we stayed in at the hotel and ordered a pizza. Looking back I still laugh, but it was actually really fun and something we've never done before in any place we've visited. I guess sometimes you just need to stop and chill with the one you love most even if it is a a completely different and super cool city.  

We are living our adventure

 

Our days we're definitely packed, but going at a pace we choose instead of keeping up with 8 of my family members gives off a much different vibe. Don't get me wrong, traveling with my huge family is a ton of fun, but its so different when it's just Kirby and I. We made a pack to skip the Ubers and walk everywhere which definitely pushed us into scenes we never would have found without walking. For instance, we stumbled upon the movie Ant Man 2 being filmed which was such a big production for what seemed like such a small scene. We also walked from our hotel to the Painted Ladies and all the way back down to the bay which became exhausting, but we passed such amazing neighborhoods and spots that we had never heard of and had so much fun exploring them.

Two things we obviously made time for: the famous Irish coffee's at The Buena Vista and of course, In-N-Out burger (no shame). It was so fun just exploring the city one block at a time and we felt like we were really able to take in the culture and the vibe the city gave off by walking everywhere.

Colorful San Francisco

It was a really special and fun weekend that we truly didn't have anything planned for which made it that much more awesome. Traveling with Kirby is honestly one of my favorite things to do. We have the same laid back attitude, but both always want to make the most of our time so our trips are full of new things, lots of laughter and constant wandering down different streets and into new restaurants.

Another funny thing hat happened was we actually ended up at the same restaurant in China Town that we did with my family and one of the same Italian Restaurants. So I guess my statement sounds weird, but I swear its usually all new and random things. The Italian restaurant was by complete accident and we didn't even realize until Kirby went in to use the restroom and we just laughed. What are you going to do? The food was just that good haha!

Find a list below of all the places we were able to check out and some of the things we advice skipping if you don't have the time or because we weren't fans. San Francisco is an amazing city full of life. I highly advice you skip the Uber and take a chance wandering the streets. I believe that's half the fun of an adventure!

Eat & Drink

Cafe Tiramisu - This place is located on Belden Place which is a little alley way lined with cute little restaurants. Each place has a fun patio area and it seriously does feel like you stepped into a street in Europe with all the bricks, lighting and the fact that its hidden away from the busy streets of San Francisco. This is also the place that we had eaten with my family, but I swear we had no idea until Kirby stepped inside to use the restroom. We order the mussles which came in a pesto sauce so I was in heaven and two huge pasta dishes.

Mr. Holmes Bakeshop - Okay, I totally made Kirby come here because it houses the infamous 'Got Baked in San Francisco' neon sign that is splattered all over Instagram. Yes, we waited in line for 15 minutes and yes it was hard to capture a picture because everyone was trying to, but the baked goods were delicious. If you have the time I would totally try to stop there, but skip out on the coffee. I swear it was worse than church coffee.

The Buena Vista - This is the spot to grab the super popular Irish Coffee's, but be ready for a packed small bar because it's definitely a tourist attraction. We were lucky and got two spots up at the bar and honestly sat there for probably way too long. The atmosphere is perfect with it being right on the water and the Irish Coffee is so dang good. 

Spicy King - We went here with my family a couple years ago and had to make our way back. It's located in the heart of Chine Town and for reals has the best fried rice ever. We ate so much food here, but luckily did the whole no Uber thing so didn't feel half as full once we got back to our hotel. Everything we've had here from the sesame chicken to the classic egg rolls were so delicious. It is a traditional Chinese restaurant so to be honest I didn't know what half of the stuff was on the menu, but its all good!

Boudin San Francisco Sourdough - We so wish we would have eaten here, but had just finished lunch when we stumbled upon it. It's right in the Fisherman's Wharf and is a huge location that houses a bakery/cafe, a bread museum (they're been around since 1849), and a nice bistro. The place smelled unreal good and looked like it had the best chowder (served in bread bowls of course), awesome sandwiches and so much more. We order a few glasses of wine which was just as delicious, but I definitely want to eat here on our next trip. 

The Baked Bear - I found this place on Instagram and knew I needed to make it a stop on our trip. They create these crazy ice cream sandwiches that you can totally customizes from the cookies, to the ice cream and even the toppings. There are a couple locations too making it easy to fit into your trip no matter where you're at in the city.

Touristy

Fillmore Street - We stumbled upon this street when we were wandering back from The Painted Ladies and its was super cool. It seemed very hipster and all the places were really unique. It was lined with boutique shopping and seemed to be the place all of the fashionable and 20-30 something people hung out. 

Fisherman's Wharf - This is a super touristy area right off the bay, but it's a ton of fun to walk through and has the best people watching.

Alcatraz Island - We made it here on the first trip with our family and it was way cooler than what I expected. We did the audio tour and it totally set the scene of the craziness that took place here so many years ago. It's a quick ferry ride away and definitely a must do. 

China Town - It's pretty crazy once you step foot into China Town because it almost feels like you left San Francisco. There is a ton to look at with a lot of little shops to browse. If you're looking to grab Chinese food this is the place to go because it's actually the largest China Town outside of Asia!

Things To Skip

The Painted Ladies - This obviously was pretty cool to see, but if you're crunched on time don't fit this in. To be honest, the houses aren't the colorful (at all) compared to the other ones you can find wandering the city. The area is loaded with people taking pictures as well which takes away from the entire experience. It was cool we did it, but we both were kind of like, meh, when we arrived and only stayed for a bit before making our way all the way down to the bay.