San Francisco—So Much to Do, Too Little Time
When my friend and I discovered that our work schedules would line up landing us both in San Francisco at the same time, we decided to make a trip of it and meet up for the weekend. We arrive Saturday, April 29.
I’ve been to San Francisco more times than I can count on two hands, but only a few times traveling for leisure. She, on the other hand, has only spent few hours in the city and has never seen the Golden Gate Bridge. So, I mapped out options outlined by geographic area that are easily walkable with a good selection of places to eat—compiled based on a combination of personal experience and recommendations from locals (friends of friends/family), family who has lived there, Twitter followers, the Girls Love Travel (#GLT) Facebook Group and Eater San Francisco. (You might notice there's a lot of Asian cuisine on the list. That's because we love it.)
These are in no particular order, just a list. I enjoyed putting this together and will probably continue to edit, refine and add to it over time for anyone to use. I’ll report back as we make progress over the weekend on social media and next week on the blog to tell what we did and where.
What do you think? If you have suggestions, please tweet @saysdash, contact me on Facebook at harberdashery or leave comments below. Cheers.
China town & the Surrounding Area
What to see and do
- Dragon’s Gate
- Explore China Town
- Visit the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory
- Cable Car Museum
- Ride a cable car
What/where to eat
- Hang Ah Dim Sum Tea House (dumplings, egg rolls & other dim sum)
- Z & Y Restaurant
- Sam Wo restaurant
- Chinese sweet & savory baked goods at Eastern Bakery
- Blue Bottle Coffee
- Tony's Pizza Napoletana
Golden Gate Bridge and Fisherman’s Wharf/Marina District
What to see and do
- Lombard Street (the one-block section of the street with eight hairpin turns)
- Rent bikes and ride to and across the Golden Gate Bridge (Stop at Fort Point)
- Explore Presidio Park and the waterfront/Wharf on bike
What/where to Eat
- Causwells
- Chubby Noodle
- Lucca’s Delicatessen
- Blue Barn
- Interval at Long Now - Bar Cafe Museum
Mission and Castro Area
What to see and do
- Vulcan Street Stairs
- Ride the adult concrete slides at Seward mini park
- Picnic in Dolores Park
- Watch a movie at the Castro Theater
What/where to Eat
- Al’s Place
- La Taqueria
- Hot Cookie
- Bi-Rite Creamery
- Cholo Soy
- Beretta
Haight-Ashbury/Cole Valley
What to see and do
- Wander Haight Street Shops
- Rent Bikes and Explore Golden Gate Park
- Visit the hidden Garden Steps
- Climb the 16th Avenue Tiled Steps
What/where to Eat
- Yummy Yummy
- Zazie
- Nopalito
Lands End & Outer Richmond
What to see and do
- Lands End Labyrinth & Eagles Point
- View Golden Gate Bridge from the Legion of Honor
- USS San Francisco & Holocaust Memorials
- Check out the Sutro Baths
What/where to eat
- Shanghai Dumpling King
- The Patio at Marla Bakery
- Han II Kwan
Filmore District/Theater/Music
What to see and do
- See a live show at The Filmore
- See a live show at The Great American Music Hall
- Nourse theater
- Painted Ladies (for a photo)
What/where to Eat
- Zuni Café
- Fat Angel Food and Libation
- State Bird Provisions
- Souvla
Places Mapped
Here is a map of some of the locations mentioned above along with many others. (Yes, I took the time to add all of these.)