San Francisco
Photography
Food
Excursions
Transportation
Have you ever had one of those dreams that you hate to wake up from, but you know that you have to in order to get to life on time? Well, that’s kind of exactly what San Fran is like. It’s a place where dreams and reality have somehow found a way to coexist and manifest itself into the perfect little city nestled by the bay. It’s the type of place where you just feel good to be breathing and alive because you know that with every faint breath you are living to the fullest. We took 24 hours to explore this amazing little city but felt like we could have spent a lifetime there.
This journey begins like most others by stepping off a plane. Now unlike most others, SFO or San Francisco International Airport is a bit of an adventure in itself. Although it does not compare to the chaotic hell of LAX. It is a fast-paced entry that you would not want to interrupt. We would absolutely suggest having some kind of preplanned transportation waiting for you. Although this is the Uber capital of the world there is a chance that you may find yourself waiting a while, because it is one of the main modes of transportation for locals. It is about a 20-minute car ride from downtown. This is where you will quickly discover one of the most uniques features of this city. Its roadways. Up and Down, Side to Side. It’s like a roller coaster without the jerk, with every winding road leading to a hilltop with a vaster, greater view of the city or the ocean.
Photography
Mosaic Stairs
Battery Hill is one of the BEST views of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. On rare occasion when you catch it in the early morning you can literally see it ascending from the clouds. As the morning continues a warm wind sweeps in from the deep southern Pacific Ocean and uncovers its twisted steel showing its beauty.
Battery Spencer
Battery Hill is one of the BEST views of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. On rare occasion when you catch it in the early morning you can literally see it ascending from the clouds. As the morning continues a warm wind sweeps in from the deep southern Pacific Ocean and uncovers its twisted steel showing its beauty.
Lombard Street
If you’re looking for a spot where the rolling rural hills meet the sprawling urban city then Lombard Street is the perfect spot for a photo shoot. It is said to be one of the crookedest streets in the world, and it quickly fills up with daily travelers and tourists, so you must get there early.
Painted Ladies
This spot is an eruption of 90’s nostalgia and simplistic neutral colors that will match any outfit. This classic location from everyone’s favorite childhood show, Full House, boasts the perfect backdrop amongst a pale blue sky, that is if you’re able to snap a pic amongst the passing cars.
Food
In-N-Out
When we think back about to the classic American foods, one item that has always and will always come up is the Cheeseburger. There is no one that does this dish better in the west than In-N-Out. This is a must have when visiting San Francisco. This fantastic burger comes from very humble beginnings. It was founded by Harry Snyder in 1948 as a small 10-foot stand in a local California park. Today there are over 300 locations for this local burger joint with the majority of them in the southwest.
Now there is one thing you might need to know when eating at this local burger joint. First is there is no bad thing on the menu, but the menu only consists of about 4 things. Some type of hamburger, fries, a drink, and a shake. With that being said, they have perfected these 4 items, and your taste buds will thank you no matter what you get. Our favorite thing to get is one of their juicy cheeseburgers with a side of golden crispy fires, and a creamy milkshake for dipping sauce.
Transportation
When it comes to transportation this city offers multiple different options to get around.
1.) Uber/ Lyft is by the far one of the most popular options because it is cheap and readily available at every street corner. These ride sharing forms of transportation also offers a unique perspective of the city because you never know who your pilot will be. Each of those individuals comes with their own back story and views of the hustling, bustling, city they call home. Sometimes they will even give you the best tips and tricks for things to do. And did we mention how cheap it is? You cannot beat the price. They normally vary between $6 and $20 depending on how far you need to go.
2.) Public Transport is another option if you’re looking for a cheap way to move throughout the city. The SFMTA or the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency is the city’s public system. A single fair is around $3, but if you would like to buy an all-day hop on hop off pass it will only set you back around $12. We did not use this as much because the majority of the time we wanted a direct route to our destination. We also found that the bus routes were quite complicated to navigate and that one could easily get lost in such a large city.
3.) The third option is the iconic cable cars that race throughout the city. This was definitely the most exciting form of transportation, but you had to find a seat fast. This form of transportation is quite unique to this city, and you will quickly learn why. As it navigates up and down the winding roads, you can sit back and really begin to appreciate the city and its beautiful views without having to worry about navigating into someone or something. These rides are usually around $7 for a single fair, but an alternative option is to purchase a one-day visitor passport through the SFMTA for $23. This will give you unlimited access to the bus, the cable cars, and other historic street cars.
Excursions
Pier 39
Pier 39 is located at the far Northeast side of the city. This spot is notoriously known for the barking visitors that come to greet the tourists daily. The local sea lions find the docks that float near this pier as a resting spot from the days spent traveling the wide tossing ocean. The first thing you will notice when approaching this spot is the atrocious smell that seems to follow these animals, but you will soon forget about that and become infatuated with watching them fumble around in a bizarre clumsy fashion. It almost seems like they are trying to put on a show for their two-legged guests.
Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is by far one of the most famous pieces of infrastructure in the world. Its cold red steel has seen more years and people then most of our grandparents. It reaches an incredible 746 ft. high and spans a distant of 8,981 ft. Crossing this ginormous structure is no small feat, but totally worth it. On one side you can catch the soaring seagulls as they ride the warm ocean breeze into the city, and on the other side you can find the most beautiful sunset piercing its rays around Alcatraz Island and slowly creeping between the skyscrapers to wake up the rest of the world. A truly breathtaking experience.
Alcatraz
When exploring Alcatraz, you will quickly find yourself melting back into the bleak lives of some of the most famous criminals in history. This tiny rock was once home to the notorious Al Capone who was a well-known mob boss. Although most people remember it for being a prison, that is not what it was originally designed for. It was first used as a lighthouse base, and then a military installation. Today it is one of our nation’s national parks. Unfortunately, this island is not easy to get to, and not cheap to explore. For a day pass tour of the prison, it will set you back around $48. However, some people prefer to explore the spooky ruins at night. For a night pass tour, it will cost around $55.
Fisherman's Wharf
Fisherman’s Wharf began as a local dock where Italian fishermen would sell their catch of the day to local miners. During the 1800’s the population of miners exploded due to the gold rush and the dock quickly became a thriving market. Today it is one of the top tourist destinations for visitors who flock to the city. The wharf is now crawling with small trinket shops and tiny restaurants that decorate the shore of the seaside. There is also a great selection of museums and walk-through shops that will be sure to peak anyone’s interest in one way or another.