San Francisco Treats

As much as I’d love to give you a beautiful guide to sightseeing San Francisco, it’s been a really long time since I made a point to visit the tourist traps here. For me, San Francisco is all about the beautiful buildings, bridges and views. Is it weird that I think bridges are beautiful? I have a soft spot for symmetrical rows and patterns- give me a bridge at sunset and you knock out the better part of my list of favorite things. I think it’s a toss up which American bridge is more famous- Brooklyn or Golden Gate, but you’re crazy if you think I don’t peep them both whenever I’m in the vicinity.

I actually booked the Sacramento house sit because I couldn’t find a San Francisco one with timing that worked for me. I knew before I even arrived that I would need to pop over to San Francisco to visit the bridge, walk around the Palace of Fine Arts, and check out the Walt Disney Family Museum in the Presidio. I had limited time for my visit, so I wound up making two to stalk some buildings. Still not enough time, San Francisco really is a treat to savor.

Even if you don’t have a specific wish list of things to see and do in San Francisco- the tourist attractions are famous for a reason. Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown, Alcatraz, SF MOMA, Lombard Street, Mission District, Haight Ashbury… you can’t go wrong. The shopping and food scenes here are unbelievable. This is like my tenth visit to San Francisco, so I haven’t put any of that stuff on my list in a very long time. The Tonga Room is the one touristy favorite that I am VERY onboard to visit regularly. It was closed this trip, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you that you have to go to a tiki bar where it rains inside and you can get the best poke tostada of your life.

Remember that time I broke my stupid toes taking a jumping photo in Tacoma? I wore a walking boot for the better part of a month before I was walking around normally again. For my first day of real sightseeing without a boot, I planned a half day visit to San Francisco. I didn’t have much time before having to head back to Sacramento- but I decided to visit the bridge, try on some shoes, and see what I could see . Leave it to me to wear my favorite shoes and nearly kick them into the bay for my first jumping photo back in the game. I use the trigger on my apple watch to take these pictures, and it pulls a burst of ten photos. I couldn’t stop laughing when I opened the series and saw my shoes flying away. You can read the whole story (and see said photos) on my shoe blog. Luckily I had a second set in the car, so I managed a mulligan on that photo opp. I don’t think I’ll ever look at the bridge again without laughing myself silly. There are plenty of excellent view points- Golden Gate Park, the viewing turn offs on either end, Fort Baker, and Sausalito are my favorite spots to grab a glimpse.

I try to check out different vantage points every time I visit San Francisco. This time I just drove to Stinson Beach, blasted through Mill Valley and around Highway 1. It was a crazy foggy morning, so I was not successful on bridge viewing, but the drive was one of my favorite parts of the day. If you have the time, a detour on Highway 1 is ALWAYS a good idea.

My affection for San Francisco started with My Aunt Nam. We have a special bond, she’s 13 years older and has always felt more like a big sister than an aunt to me. We grew up together in Michigan, she lived in Austin near us twice, but she ran off on an epic adventure when I was in high school. She took a soul sabbatical and decided to join the Peace Corps. She was packed and ready for her assignment, but took a backpacking trip through Europe before her scheduled departure. In a random hostel in Prague she met my now Uncle Jackson. They hit it off and since her plans we relatively flexible, she returned to the states, grabbed her boxes and moved to San Francisco to see where things might lead with him. Visiting them provided several opportunities to fall in love with this city and see how their love was growing. Now they have three beautiful teenaged daughters and one of my favorite model marriages. Sure their love story inspires me, but she walked away from a life that wasn’t working for her, planned a new one, and then opened her heart for a detour that her mind probably told her was a little crazy, and that is what I’m most moved by. Despite my general dislike of weddings, I was thrilled to be in theirs. They took their wedding photos at the Palace of Fine Arts and I hadn’t been back since that day almost 20 years ago. My appreciation for architecture and public parks have grown exponentially since then, and this one is so very special to me. I always stop and smile at their wedding photos when I visit them, and I couldn’t help but reflect on her and that journey as I tooled around the bay on my own soul sabbatical. Don’t be mistaken, I’m not out here on the road hoping to find Prince Charming, but I do think somewhere along the way I’ll find something that ignites a passion I can see myself building a future around. I get my best ideas when I drive, explore, and chat with new people. Big ideas and interesting businesses are already floating to the top, so I think it’s working.

I don’t know that I’ll ever want to go back to a corporate marketing job, but I will always be a branding and marketing nerd. People who can build empires on their artistic visions and properly communicate their brands to the masses are fascinating to me. Walt Disney is a master class in a lot of things, and the Walt Disney Family Museum at the Presidio is absolutely worth a visit for fans of Disney and big dreamers in alike. There is a visiting exhibit about Disney and World War II, but the main show is an excellent walk through Walt’s life, dream, and the evolution of the Disney brand. The curation of educational materials, family artifacts, original sketches/letters/plans are stunning. I thoroughly enjoyed it and could have spent many many hours reading every sign and soaking in the brilliance and grit of this magical kingdom Walt built.

If you haven’t noticed, I’m also an architecture nerd. I can’t draw a straight line with a ruler or a prayer and math is never ever going to be on my list of strong suits. Clearly becoming an architect was not a viable career path for me, but if I could make one of stalking beautiful buildings, you can 100% sign me up. San Francisco is a full of the most beautiful buildings. I’m a fan of the Franks: Gehry and Lloyd Wright, so if I’m somewhere near one of their projects, I’m making a pilgrimage. I don’t even have to go inside (as evidenced by my Stanford trip) but I’m always going to try. There are a bunch of FLW #Wrightsites in the Bay Area, but only one in San Francisco proper.

Union Square is an excellent place to shop, but there is one very special storefront to visit. The VC Morris Giftshop is now a high-end appointment only men’s boutique. It took me forever to find parking only to walk up and realize no one was letting me in to see the prototype for my beloved Guggenheim Museum. I still think it was worth it to press my face to the glass and check out those gorgeous swirls. Isn’t it dreamy?

Across the bridge towards Berkley you have The Buehler House, which gave me huge Ferris Bueller vibes with the vintage convertible and a home Cameron would have been comfortable resting his head. Berkley was actually a really cute little visit. The campus is beautiful, and there are plenty of fun things to see, do, and eat.

Across the bridge to San Rafael, you have the epic retro time capsule Marin County Civic Center. If it were a casino in Atlantic City, I’d probably hate it. As a quirky government building, I find it fascinating. The spire reminds me of the Anderton Court shops in LA. I walked around the lobby but couldnt find any open doors on the upper floors. There is a scenic overlook sign that is easy to miss, but be sure to pop up there. The views took my breath way and made my eyes sting with tears. I was SO excited to get an aerial view of this bizarre but beautiful space. I actually peeped a Banh Mi shop across the street and excitedly made my way over for a snack before driving back to Sacramento. Turns out they stop serving their namesake at 3pm, so I ate a bowl of decent pho on the patio in hundred degree heat. Not my first choice, but you can’t beat the view, and it was honestly perfectly on brand for me. The Civic Center is sort of an ugly beautiful; no one is going to describe this building as their dream aesthetic, but something about it is just so interesting and beguiling. At least I think so.

You’ve probably noticed my affinity for Victorian houses. While vastly different from the sculputural Gehrys and diverse FLW styles, I feel like the patterns and textures appeal to fans of both. Aside from Mackinac Island, I can’t recall a more dense population of Victorian mansions anywhere else in the country. You have the Winchester Mystery House in nearby San Jose, but Alamo Square is home to Postcard Row, the iconic block of painted ladies that I always associate with San Francisco. It’s mecca for a fan of gingerbread trim and leaded glass. Tool around this entire neighborhood, its filled with excellent murals and charming homes. My favorite is the beautiful house on Steiner used in Mrs. Doubtfire. I’m not the only one with an affinity for this house, there are usually flowers and notes left as tributes to Robin. (He also has a tunnel named in his honor just passed the Golden Gate Bridge.) If you were a TGIF fan, you should pop over to the Full House exterior. The new homeowners have given it a drastic paint job to help deter tourist visits, but the sign demanding respect is a sure indication that you’re in the right place. The WB Studio tour is the best way to see the white house with a red door you remember from your youth. They built a new facade for the reboot, and you’ll be swimming in nostalgia visiting the Growing Pains’ Seaver house nearby.

Needless to say, there is never enough time in San Francisco. I’m sure I’ll be checking for bay area house sits for the duration of this soul sabbatical. I could see myself living there, and I’d sure like to practice a bit :) I have no idea when I’ll find the time to go back and backlog blog trips I’ve taken in the past couple of years, but my trip to LA last fall was an entire Victorian and Frank Lloyd Wright stalk-athon. I’ll be sure to link them up if I can ever get it together.