My trips back to SF are always far too short and stressed, with catching up on missed classes, reading to keep up with future classes, and oh yeah...working... usually the whole reason that I'm out there. It's hard to squeeze in time with friends, so I actually laid extremely low this time - yet another reason I can't wait to finish law school! I need my social time, I think. This trip was no exception to the busy ones - three full days, with my mom by my side (or on her own, but hanging out with me during my precious hour or two per day of non-busy awake time) - but a good time nonetheless. It's been 3.5 years since I lived there, and I've finally moved away from eating at the old favorites in the interest of trying new cuisine. Oh, and it was wonderful! Blue Bottle Coffee, Frog Hollow Farm coffee + pastries, Le Boulange croissants (ok, those I get every time)... Tommaso's for pizza, Betelnut for a little Asian fusion... I wish I had more time, if only to keep eating! It's been a while since I was excited about eating out, and I'm not sure if it was because I was traveling - new tastes to explore - or just jaded from the lack of options here.
Anyway, as the song says, you should go with a flower in your hair... and the weather was beautifully spring-like, flowers even beginning to bloom. I returned to a rainy but warmer District, and was excited to see leaves reappearing on trees in Rock Creek park. The cherry blossoms are next!
Spring also means the current semester is winding down. This may be my last post for a while, given the impending doom of final exams. I only have 2 this semester + one paper + one take-home. I think it'll keep me quite busy, so it's good that the SF trip happened this month, rather than next. Coming up on a trip to the lovely city by the Bay? Below, your itinerary for 3 days:
Hungry? Keep going along the park to Ocean Beach, and find the Cliff House. Eat lunch here (or if you're on a budget, Louis' is around the corner and just as good and muuuch cheaper - also great views)...and watch the surfers on the water. If you have a car, you can drive south on the Great Highway, or walk a few blocks to the SF Zoo (not my favorite zoo, to be honest) and right after that, a cool little park that's worth walking around (Fort Funston) - you'll find lovely views here
For dinner, plan to eat @ Greens. Make sure to make reservations & get there before sunset. It's gorgeous...amazing all-vegetarian food...right on the water (and lots of parking available). If you have energy after dinner: go out in North Beach! Bourbon and Branch is a speakeasy that's pretty hip. I also like the Hidden Vine - a cute wine bar nearby
Day 2: Wine Country
Spring also means the current semester is winding down. This may be my last post for a while, given the impending doom of final exams. I only have 2 this semester + one paper + one take-home. I think it'll keep me quite busy, so it's good that the SF trip happened this month, rather than next. Coming up on a trip to the lovely city by the Bay? Below, your itinerary for 3 days:
Day 1: City / Touristy stuff
Take the morning easy with a big breakfast at Ella's. Then, head out west to Golden Gate Park. If you're lucky, you may catch it on a sunny day. You can drive / take the N Judah muni (train) out to the de Young Museum & California Academy of Sciences. Amazing museums! The de Young has a free deck you can go up to for some lovely views. The Cal Academy is just a really awesome museum. If you have time & are into science, it could take all day. If you want to explore the city instead, skip it and just do the de Young deck before driving around the park. There's a big lake where you can rent paddleboats if the weather is nice - just keep driving til you find it :)
Take the morning easy with a big breakfast at Ella's. Then, head out west to Golden Gate Park. If you're lucky, you may catch it on a sunny day. You can drive / take the N Judah muni (train) out to the de Young Museum & California Academy of Sciences. Amazing museums! The de Young has a free deck you can go up to for some lovely views. The Cal Academy is just a really awesome museum. If you have time & are into science, it could take all day. If you want to explore the city instead, skip it and just do the de Young deck before driving around the park. There's a big lake where you can rent paddleboats if the weather is nice - just keep driving til you find it :)
For dinner, plan to eat @ Greens. Make sure to make reservations & get there before sunset. It's gorgeous...amazing all-vegetarian food...right on the water (and lots of parking available). If you have energy after dinner: go out in North Beach! Bourbon and Branch is a speakeasy that's pretty hip. I also like the Hidden Vine - a cute wine bar nearby
Day 2: Wine Country
I always preferred Calistoga for a day on a vineyard. It's just north of Napa, which is lovely but can be overrun by tourists, especially the big-name wineries (aka Robert Mondavi). You'll get to drive over GG Bridge so you can stop and walk around it on your way out of town. Once you get there, the visitor's center has plenty of maps and coupons and if you're feeling adventurous, you can rent a bike and ride on back-country roads to wineries. There are 2 bike shops in town and they'll give you a map to find the wineries. In my experience, this is more fun AND safer than driving!
2 of my favorite wineries;
- http://www.
- http://www.zahtilavineyards.
- and another one, with a tram! http://www.sterlingvineyards.
In Calistoga, you can also take advantage of their unique mineral pools - only $10 after 7 pm, and a great way to relax after all that wine. You can stay here, too, or anywhere in town is good...or head home after, it's only an hour and a half drive. - http://www.
- http://www.zahtilavineyards.
- and another one, with a tram! http://www.sterlingvineyards.
Day 3: City + Coast
Morning is the best time to see Fisherman's Wharf / Pier 39. Walk along Market to Embarcadero, or take the F Market trolley ($5) all the way there. Side note: at the corner of Market & Embarcadero is the Ferry Building. Go inside, and to the left, to Blue Bottle for coffee & a pastry for breakfast. Yum!Pier 39 can get pretty crowded, but it's most beautiful when all is quiet. You can book tours to Alcatraz island from here... which, if you have time (4 hours), it may be a great way to spend today. One of the coolest tours I did in my three years' living there. This is also a great chance to sample some fresh clam chowder...Boudin Bakery is great and so are all of the vendors on the street at the Wharf. (assuming seafood is an option)
If you'd rather wander, you can walk or rent bikes to head along the north end of the city - Chrissy Field, flat bike paths, and the lovely Marina neighborhood. I like to admire the multi-million dollar waterfront houses. You'll see a large domed building near GG Bridge - that's the Palace of Fine Arts, site of many movie filmings and the Exploratorium (another cool science museum, but geared mostly towards kids). You can bike up to the GG Bridge too, to see it up close, or just ride leisurely around the neighborhood.
Dinnertime's a great chance to try one of SF's many pizza options, either at Little Star for my very favorite deep-dish in the Mission (followed by ice cream @ Bi-Rite or Bombay Ice Cream + bar-hopping along Valencia St) or at Tommaso for Italian-thin crust-style in North Beach (followed by bar hopping in North Beach). Or perhaps just relax, after three days of eating, walking, and exploring SF (note: don't call it San Fran).
If you'd rather wander, you can walk or rent bikes to head along the north end of the city - Chrissy Field, flat bike paths, and the lovely Marina neighborhood. I like to admire the multi-million dollar waterfront houses. You'll see a large domed building near GG Bridge - that's the Palace of Fine Arts, site of many movie filmings and the Exploratorium (another cool science museum, but geared mostly towards kids). You can bike up to the GG Bridge too, to see it up close, or just ride leisurely around the neighborhood.
Dinnertime's a great chance to try one of SF's many pizza options, either at Little Star for my very favorite deep-dish in the Mission (followed by ice cream @ Bi-Rite or Bombay Ice Cream + bar-hopping along Valencia St) or at Tommaso for Italian-thin crust-style in North Beach (followed by bar hopping in North Beach). Or perhaps just relax, after three days of eating, walking, and exploring SF (note: don't call it San Fran).
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