San Francisco

While I was home in the Bay Area for the holidays I got the opportunity to head up to San Francisco, a city that I’ve spent quite a lot of time in and which always holds something new to discover and enjoy.

Part 1 - Hayes Valley

I flew into SFO where my family picked me up and we headed up to the Hayes Valley neighborhood, which is located central to the city, close to downtown. I had been through this area a couple times but never gotten the chance to really explore, so being able to stay in the area gave me a good idea of the neighborhood.

We checked into our hotel and relaxed for a bit. The view out the bay windows onto the street below was so picturesque.

We decided to get out and go for a walk before our dinner reservation. After heading west and climbing up the steep San Francisco hills, we reached Alamo Square, a park with an incredible view of the city.

The row of houses pictured here are called “The Painted Ladies” — an iconic SF landmark and one of my favorite places in the city. The glow from the setting sun and the full moon in the blue sky was so beautiful.

We walked back down to the Hayes Valley area, stopping in a few shops and enjoying the people bustling around the streets and park. The busy energy, adorable stores and decor of this neighborhood pleasantly surprised me and I thought it was a place I could see myself living if I ever moved to SF.

We took an Uber to L’Mida, a Moroccan restaurant with an absolutely delicious menu and a great atmosphere. I highly recommend giving this spot a try, especially if you find yourself already wandering around the Presidio district.

After dinner we walked down to the Palace of Fine Arts where we attended a showing of “Potted Potter”, a comedy event that runs through all seven Harry Potter books in just over an hour. I wasn’t sure what to expect but it was a really enjoyable show! Before heading back to the hotel we stopped at Salt and Straw back in Hayes Valley.

We woke up bright and early the next morning and headed to the San Francisco State University campus. My younger brother is graduating high school this year and wanted to take a tour of the school. It was a beautiful sunny day out and afterwards we embarked on the drive down to our home in Santa Cruz.

Part 2 - Downtown SF

After Christmas my friend Isaac and I decided to do an overnight in SF. We took the scenic coastal route (Highway 1 ) up from Santa Cruz. There are so many cute little towns and cliffside stops to make on this drive, although it does take longer than Highway 101 which is inland.

Our first stop was at the Ferry Building, where we enjoyed some delicious tea and lunch at the Imperial Tea Court. The building was all dressed up for the holidays and felt so festive. I love coming to the Ferry Building during any season, there are always plenty of shops and people milling about.

After lunch we walked over to the SF MOMA (Museum of Modern Art). Anyone age 18 or younger can enter for free, and if you are 19-24 years of age, you can get a discounted price for $23. Regular tickets are $30.

The exhibits were really interesting — a lot of pieces I recognized from previous trips to the museum and also from the NY MOMA.

We headed to our hotel in the Theater district next. We booked a room at The Line, which opened in 2022, is super chic. I loved the rooftop bar, 360 views of the city and design of the spaces. The bed was so comfortable and they left us some plush robes as well. I loved the mini bar and espresso machine too!

For dinner we went to a super cute Italian restaurant nearby, Mathilde Bistro. I ordered a seafood pasta dish and we split a bottle of red wine and escargot.

After dinner we stopped back at the hotel and changed for our night out. We took an Uber to Temple Nightclub SF in the Financial District. There were a couple levels and the music was pretty decent. My favorite part was the graphics on the ceiling.

The next morning we took the coastal route back down to Santa Cruz, enjoying the views and the December sunshine.

Both of these mini trips were short but I packed in seeing a lot! It was the perfect combination between visiting places I had been to in the past and exploring new areas and spots. San Francisco is a city I have been visiting since I was quite young and it holds a special spot in my heart.