72 Hours in San Francisco – Where to Eat, Sleep, and How Get About – The Simply Luxurious Life®

“San Francisco is without doubt one of the nice cultural plateaus of the world — one of many actually urbane communities in the USA — one of many really cosmopolitan locations and for a lot of, a few years, it all the time has had a heat welcome for human beings from all around the world.”—Duke Ellington

In 2002 I started my profession in instructing – my first job was instructing ninth grade English in a small city on the backside of South Lake Tahoe in northern Nevada. And from time to time, possibly two or three, I imagine it was two, instances I made the 4 hour drive to San Francisco for lengthy weekends. I discovered a small boutique lodge close to Union Sq., walked and drove the hills (turning into more adept with a clutch than ever earlier than) giving my calves an beautiful exercise, loved a scrumptious brunch on the Empress Lodge with my mentor who confirmed a bit extra of town to me on an extended vacation weekend, in addition to drinks on the High of the Mark, however every of my visits was nicely earlier than Google Maps and all the tech sector engulfed Silicon Valley and town by the Bay, so I wasn’t positive actually the place to go and simply visited so far as my ft and my consolation would take me.

Quick ahead sixteen years, and I lastly had the chance to return to San Francisco.

Since earlier than shifting to Bend, it has been on my listing of locations to go to. In spite of everything, it’s in some ways the West Coast’s New York Metropolis. Understandably, every metropolis is uniquely its personal, however having visited Los Angeles, Seattle and lots of instances Portland, Oregon, San Francisco isn’t fairly like every other west coast city vacation spot. In truth, I’ve to agree with Cecil Beaton,“San Francisco is maybe probably the most European of all American cities”. Now, New Orleans actually is a vacation spot distinctive infused with French and Spanish delicacies and historical past, however San Francisco entails extra ease and group than every other main city metropolis I’ve visited, sports activities probably the most delectable meals choices, presents transportation that’s various and simpler than every other American metropolis I’ve traveled, in addition to a temperate local weather that’s by no means too excessive in any season. Once more that is my opinion, however maybe Twiggy is true, “I’m simply mad for San Francisco. It’s like London and Paris stacked on prime of one another”.

However I get forward of myself gushing about San Francisco. I’d prefer to share with you all that we skilled in a mere 72 hours this previous week, supply up some suggestions, and maybe encourage you to both go to or return to the Paris of the West (an previous time period used primarily within the late nineteenth early twentieth century largely due to the three waves of French immigrants arriving in San Francisco starting in 1849 with the Gold Rush, in 1852-53 when Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte III providing a nationwide lottery of journeys to California to rid the nation of his mental opponents, and a 3rd wave of many ladies and kids as in San Francisco’s early days, town was comprised of 90% males. In brief order, in 1852, six thousand of town’s 36,000 residents had been French).  No marvel I really like this metropolis a lot. 🙂

I’ve organized at present’s episode/submit into the three basic components for any journey to any nation/metropolis to be most profitable. Considering of it because the tripod basis of touring with ease: realizing how one can get round to wherever you need to go (transportation), realizing you’ve a cushty and secure place to sleep at evening, and realizing you may be fed to fulfill your urge for food. The place to eat, sleep and get about.

As soon as these three selections are made, reserved and settled, I’m able to loosen up on the itinerary and likewise calm down and sit up for my journey.

Let’s start the 72-hour go to to San Francisco. The excellent news is you don’t need to make your plans too far upfront to nonetheless have an exquisite expertise. Working example, for our journey final week, the journey was determined upon in April. Aircraft tickets and lodge preparations had been made, after which one month previous to the journey, dinner reservations had been made as nicely. The one piece of the three half puzzle was to are inclined to the on-the-ground transportation, which I had researched, and can discuss extra beneath.

~Fisherman’s Wharf – traditional fishermen’s boats docked within the bay.~

When to go to:

“The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer season in San Francisco.”
—Mark Twain

Relying upon the climate you hope to expertise, as certainly one of our Uber drivers who has lived within the metropolis for many years shared with us, don’t are available in June, July and August and anticipate conventional summer season temperatures. Nope. Whereas there may be the uncommon extraordinarily heat day as there was a few weeks in the past, the common excessive in the summertime is low 70s – anticipate the fog to roll out and in all through the day and if you happen to’re by the bay, the wind will rip via within the afternoon.

If you’re in search of the idyllic climate, our driver, after sharing Twain’s quote above, steered coming in September and October. I shortly took observe. The rain will abate in April and never really return till November. Once more, taking the recommendation of the motive force, so readers who dwell within the Bay Space or who’ve lived within the space, please do verify or appropriate.

Additionally, we traveled in the course of the work week. The chance to reach on a Tuesday and return on a Thursday was excellent for the tempo of on a regular basis life. Nothing was too extraordinarily tourist-laden (there was nonetheless an abundance), the evenings had been very quiet on the road as we had a street-side window, and site visitors on the airport and getting about was as could be anticipated in any work day situation – rush-hour, and so on.

Everytime you go to, deliver layers. In the future we each had been kissed by the sunshine greater than we anticipated, however within the night we wanted a jacket. My mom packed her lightweight cashmere scarf, which was excellent. I noticed many individuals with scarves. What did I overlook, of all issues? A shawl. I gained’t overlook once more. It’s a metropolis during which to put on a shawl.

The way to Get Round As soon as You Arrive

• BART – from the SFO airport, the Bay Space Speedy Transit is a really reasonably priced and reliable strategy to attain town. We took BART into town with our baggage with nice ease. It was useful that the road mainly begins on the airport, so you’ve a decide of the place to sit down and may get located along with your baggage earlier than you get into the guts of town at which era the practice turned very full (morning rush hour). The associated fee was $2.50/individual versus a $45+ cab or Uber fare.

~ready for the airport shuttle to take us to the BART airport cease~

• Trolley/Cable Automobile – $2.75/grownup; $1.35/senior – There are solely three strains that the Trolley/Cable Vehicles journey, however they’re straightforward to search out on a transportation map. We relied totally on the trolley all through our journey. You pay in money or should purchase a go on-line. The fare is sweet for 2 hours if you happen to purchase a single go. Every of the various vehicles we rode on had been exceptionally clear, and the drivers very useful.

• Bus — We occurred to experience a bus one night because it was serving the identical line because the trolley automotive we had arrived on. The transportation map makes it straightforward to see the place to get on and the place they cease, and the go you utilize for the trolley/cable vehicles works the identical means.
• Uber/Lyft versus Taxis – We selected to make use of Ubers all the time we had been within the metropolis when a trolley wouldn’t get us the place we wanted to go and it was too far to stroll, however we additionally wished to make to our vacation spot shortly (throughout the Bay Bridge, to the Golden Gate Bridge and to the Richmond neighborhood). I desire to take Uber/Lyft as a result of I do know what my fare might be upfront. Taking six Uber rides throughout our journey, we had been in a automotive in fewer than 10 minutes, the vehicles had been clear, the drivers pleasant if we selected to speak with them, and we arrived swiftly at our vacation spot).

The place to Keep

Whereas my listing gained’t be lengthy on this part, what I can share with you is the place we did keep throughout our journey and why I extremely suggest it. I do know it is not going to match everybody’s funds nor be what everybody would like, however in case you are in search of the next, you may be very pleased with The Argonaut Hotel on Fisherman’s Wharf:

• Situated in North Seashore alongside the Fisherman’s Wharf – ideally situated for straightforward entry to frequent websites: Fisherman’s Wharf, Ghirardelli Sq., a major Trolley Line that can take you all through town, Ferry Constructing (by way of Trolley experience), Lombard road, and Little Italy.
• Consolation – the beds are plush, the rooms are massive, and you’ll reserve a room that can look out onto Fisherman’s Wharf
• Situated in a historic constructing
• The one lodge on Fisherman’s Wharf
• Quiet – granted, we stayed throughout a weeknight, however I couldn’t inform we had been staying in a metropolis. No tall buildings surrounded us, we woke as much as seagulls and even seals saying good day alongside the bay, and the road doesn’t have many vehicles use it because it isn’t a via road to something of significance to locals and even vacationers because the parking heaps are set off the shore.
• Impeccable service – we arrived early – 8:30 am, and whereas we didn’t anticipate our room to be prepared, they discovered one which was, even gave us a free improve and located us earlier than we went out exploring. If the room hadn’t been prepared, they might have saved our baggage.

~Fisherman’s Wharf seen straight out our lodge room window.~

~wallpaper within the lavatory~

 

The place to Eat

As one Uber driver who has lived within the metropolis for 22 years advised us, San Francisco has all the time had a robust meals tradition. Boasting 5000 eating places, no matter kind of delicacies you favor, it is possible for you to to search out it. Whereas he couldn’t assure it might be scrumptious fare at each vacation spot, he did observe that you’ll find many great locations all through town and Bay Space. So let me share with you 4 locations I HIGHLY suggest.

• Tartine – If you’re in search of French bakery buttery goodness, go to Tartine Bakery (the unique bakery that opened about 15 years in the past) and/or Tartine Manufactory (sit down for breakfast and lunch). The 2 places are about 10 brief blocks away from one another.

         

• Pearl 6101 Restaurant – Having been opened for a couple of yr, this Richmond neighborhood situated restaurant opens at 8 am for breakfast and lunch (closing 1t 2pm), and opens for dinner at 5pm, operating till 10 pm. They’ve brunch on Sundays.

~the scrambled egg plate and avocado toast~

• Boulettes Larder + Bouli Bar – Situated within the Ferry Constructing on the far proper nook subsequent to Sur la Desk, this two-part restaurant presents delicious seasonal and regionally sourced meals. Boulettes Larder is the sunshine and brilliant restaurant house that’s open for lunch and breakfast (dinners are solely reserved for particular group events, as I realized later).  BouliBar (the place we dined) is the place they serve lunch and dinner, and the pizza in addition to different gadgets on the menu will please your palette immensely. My gradual baked King Salmon set atop a mattress of millet and greens wearing glowing French dressing was mouth-watering scrumptious. Paired with a glass of rosé – yum.

~the eating room for Boullettes Larder (open to the general public for breakfast and lunch; non-public group dinners within the night)~

~Bouli Bar (open for lunch and dinners for the general public)~

~Pistachio Cake with strawberry ice cream~

• Chez Panisse – Yep, Alice Waters’ famed restaurant in Berkley. A dream of a expertise, of which I’ll share intimately on Wednesday of this week, so do cease by. Reservations are taken just one month upfront on the day you would like you dine, however one month prior. Name on that day, when hours of operation start. Each evening a special menu. Each menu is seasonal and sourced regionally. You may hold your menu. I had mine signed by the waiter. That’s how superior and, maybe in admiration I’m, of this restaurant. It exceeded my expectations. Cease by Wednesday to search out out precisely why.

~the doorway to Chez Panisse in Berkeley~

~the menus – visitors can hold them~

~dessert: Savarin cake with contemporary summer season berries and candied pistachios~

Now it’s time to tailor it what you like

Every certainly one of us who visits San Francisco will come to town for various and particular purpose. As I shared in final Friday’s weekly publication with subscribers, my go to was all in regards to the meals in preparation for The Simply Luxurious Kitchen‘s upcoming second season. And town didn’t disappoint. Nonetheless, there have been a number of different locations we took the time to see and expertise, and I’d prefer to share them beneath in case you too is likely to be curious to examine them out.

• Consignment Clothes, designer choices galore at affordable costs – Goodbyes (two retailers) on Sacramento.

• Luxuriate within the splendid scent of sourdough bread – Boudin at the Wharf (Fisherman’s Wharf)

• The Ferry Building – farmers market Tuesday and Thursday starting at 10 am (small); Saturday at 10 am (massive)
  • The entire retailers contained in the constructing are opened every day (that is additionally the place Bouletttes Larder + BouliBar is situated
  • Frog’s Hollow Bakery is delicious as nicely and situated subsequent to Boulettes Larder
  • So many scrumptious food-inspired companies inside.

• Ghirardelli’s Square — After all, you’ll discover the Ghirardelli’s Chocolate retailers inside this sq., however there are additionally many different retailers, boutiques and eating places. The view of the bay is beautiful, and the park in entrance, as it’s located subsequent to The Argonaut, was some place I loved simply sitting and stress-free after an extended day of exploring.

~Ghirardelli’s Sq. within the background, park within the foreground~

With the 72 hour journey nearing an finish, we determined to hop in an Uber to take us to the airport as we didn’t need to lug our baggage onto BART amongst the crowds, though, it wouldn’t have been unimaginable to do, we had been simply drained. In a swift 30 minute time interval, leaving from our lodge, we had been on the airport able to return to Bend.

Whereas I knew we had soaked up each minute of our journey seeing and exploring and consuming, we additionally had been capable of take a nap every day which for me was completely vital. However even with the naps, I slept deeply and fairly extra at size this previous weekend than I’ve in awhile. What a pleasure this journey was, and I’m grateful it is just a 90 minute flight away. For sure, with much more suggestions from readers, and locations I sit up for visiting once more, I sit up for returning.

“Leaving San Francisco is like saying goodbye to an previous sweetheart.  You need to linger so long as doable.” —Walter Kronkite

You should definitely cease by the weblog later within the week for an in depth submit on Chez Panisse.

 

~None of this journey was sponsored and all was fully deliberate in keeping with my very own curiosities and predilections. Nonetheless, there are some affiliate hyperlinks. 

~SIMILAR POSTS/EPISODES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

~Traveling Alone Well, episode #220

~A Traveler or a Tourist? The Difference

~French Trip Travel Musings (Why Not . . . Make the Effort?), Part Une, episode #215

~French Trip Travel Musings, Part Deux, episode #216

~Where to Stay in France While Traveling: A Variety of Luxurious Options

Petit Plaisir:

~Late Night

~Written and Co-Produced by Mindy Kaling, starring Emma Thompson and Mindy Kaling, John Lithgow, Reid Scott (VEEP)

~Help ladies in Hollywood to advertise multi-dimensional, range in age, ethnicity, life-experience and the various illustration of girls that evokes ladies and younger women to be the hero of their very own lives and others, not the playmate in another person’s story. Study extra about the statistics of women in Hollywood. Whereas the numbers are step by step bettering, they is progress to be made, and after we go see movies that assist what we really applaud and want to see extra of, producers and movie executives comply with the place the cash is.

 

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~All pictures by way of TSLL, any picture with Shannon in them had been taken by my mom (thanks Mother!)