Back in December, we snuck away for a quick weekend getaway in San Francisco. Normally we stay in an Airbnb when we travel, but since it was such a short trip, and last notice, a hotel was comparable in price. We ended up staying at the Hilton downtown, which was nice to be close to so many things. Plus, the view from our room was incredible.
Even though people talk about how expensive San Francisco is, I think we did a good job of picking affordable food and activities. Here’s what we got up to that weekend and some tips for your next visit.
Pizza at Delarosa
We arrived for our weekend in San Francisco on Friday night. After we landed and checked into our room, we walked around the area and found pizza at Delarosa. There was a short wait to get a table, but it was worth it. The pizza was delicious and it was a great atmosphere to unwind on a Friday night.
After dinner, we stumbled across a winter market, where the closed off some of the streets to cars and set up a cute marketplace. Then we spent the evening walking around downtown.
Golden Gate Bridge + a hike
The next morning, we got up bright an early and headed to Baker Beach to get some early morning photos of the Golden Gate Bridge. If you’re looking to get a view of the bridge, I highly recommend visiting Baker Beach.
I just love the ocean, being near the waves is very calming. I could stand there and stare out at the water all day. There were a lot of dogs out, so I got a few snaps of them enjoying the beach as much as I was. The day we were there, it was a high riptide current day. Not many people on the beach, I expect nicer weekends are busier, but it’s still worth a visit.
After the beach, we walked up the steps to the top of the hill. From there you can take a short hike over to the Golden Gate Bridge itself. It was a nice day out for a walk and the hike was pretty easy.
Seeing the cars on the bridge isn’t quite as glamorous as seeing the bridge from afar. It’s quite busy at all times, but is certainly interesting to watch all of the cars go by.
Wander the Streets
Later that afternoon, as we were waiting to catch a bus back to our hotel, we had some time to just wander the neighborhoods. It’s really fascinating to see the houses on all of the hills throughout the city. Occasionally you’ll get a view of mountains in the background.
Rainy Day Activities: A Market and a Museum
When we woke up on Sunday morning, it was raining. We started out by heading over to Oakland to check out the Museum. It was awesome. There were so many cool exhibits, and a really interesting look at California’s history.
After the museum, we were looking for a place to hang out inside where we could walk around. We ended up at the Ferry Building Marketplace. It’s a Ferry building, turned marketplace full of shops selling goodies, like cheese, ice cream, mushrooms, olive oil, and even an international market. The market is excellent place to find gifts and snacks.
That evening, we ventured over to Chinatown for some amazing soup dumplings. We even had time before leaving the next morning to explore during the daylight.
Overall, we had a great weekend in San Francisco. It was a great getaway from winter in Minneapolis, and a relaxing way to spend time. I would gladly go back and explore the city more.
