San Francisco – Review & Recommendations

San Francisco – Review & Recommendations

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San Francisco is beautiful, although being very modern it has the feel of a lovingly cared for antique! I spent 5 days recently in SF and enjoyed the sites and sounds and tastes of the city – The neighbourhood surrounding Union Square was very safe as was most areas I visited and felt at ease at the many tourist attractions.

San Francisco has many landmarks that are impossible to visit in just one day. The populous city holds some of the most interesting historical events, such as the gold rush, the war with the spaniards and the mystery around the escape from Alcatraz.

It’s a very diverse place—The people and the environment. If you want to explore the city, stay downtown and if you want a more relaxed environment the SF Suburbs are only a short drive away.

San Francisco is a beautiful city – a FANTASTIC city with beautiful sights, so much history, excellent pizza and french toast (not together obvs) and is so culturally enriched.

One thing I did notice about SFO is that the city has a calm/sleepy feel on Monday’s and Tuesday’s which was quite nice.

The weather in San Francisco was beautiful when I visited and had been told that, that was pretty much how the weather is in SFO all year round.

If sunny San Fran is on your travel list I have a few tips and recommendations;

The Golden Gate Bridge

A beautiful bridge with stunning scenic views! As well as viewing the bridge there are many paths to walk or bike around or across the bridge. There is also a Cafe to grab a coffee which is really convenient.

You can read my full review of TGGB here.

Fishermans Wharf

Originally Fisherman’s Wharf was the dock where the Italian fishermen brought their daily catch to be sold on the waterfront. This was the best place to get fresh seafood, right out of the bay. The wharf area has a festive atmosphere that is rather contagious and I had a brilliant time exploring the shops and piers and taking in the stunning scenery and ocean air.

Clam Chowder

The Fisherman’s Wharf area is full of restaurant’s serving San Franciso’s famous ‘Clam Chowder’ which is like a thick soup served in a sourdough bread bowl. The chowder looked half decent so I tried it – I think I would have enjoyed crab or tomato chowder more, so if you’re not a fan of clams I’d recommend either of those. I’d never had clams or chowder before so I didn’t know what the fishiness levels would be like but for me it was a bit much. Probably one of those foods to try once to just to say you did.

Cable Cars

The San Francisco Cable Car system is the last working system of its kind in the world and this transport system is what gives San Francisco it’s unique antique feel. From Union Square to Fisherman’s Wharf, cable cars offer a thrilling way to move with the City.  A ride on San Francisco’s cable cars may be the most iconic and memorable of my entire trip! Defo recommend you try it at least once! The current fare for a one way journey as of February 2022 is $8.00

Ghirardelli Square

This place is pretty cool and trendy.

The layout of the square is very open and you can see stunning views of the park and ocean from the upper floor. If you’re in the area near the National Maritime Park, Ghirardelli Square is well worth a visit.

Pier 39

The multilevel Pier 39 complex located along Fisherman’s Wharf is home to shops, restaurants, street performers, and a video arcade. Its waterfront setting on the San Francisco Bay provided me with panoramic bay views, fresh sea air, and gorgeous views of Alcatraz and The Golden Gate Bridge.

This is the closest spot to grab food and drinks whilst on your way to and from Pier 33 (Alcatraz tour bookings/ferry) I would highly recommend visiting the Biscoff stall for a luxury Biscoff latte! #yum

Alcatraz Island

Also known as ‘The Rock’ – Alcatraz Island is the site of the isolated and abandoned federal prison that housed notorious inmates such as Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly.

If you’re into history and mystery you’ll defo want to explore Alcatraz and you can do that from Pier 33 ( a short walk from Pier 39). You can make same day bookings that include ferry transfer to and from the island for $41.00 – prices are correct as of January 2022 – To read my full review with more photo’s than necessary click here.

In-N-Out Burger

I had never been to an In-N-Out burger before so thought I would give it a try. The food was pretty good for fast food, the menu is simple which means quick decisions and no seriously long queues – the service here is brilliant, staff are polite and friendly and you don’t feel like you are being rushed.

The ‘Double Double‘ was sooo good! The burger spread in the burger was so tasty I had to get a few sachets for my fries.

In-N-Out Burger has restaurant’s across the whole of the US not just in San Francisco so whatever part of America you decide to visit, I guarantee the Double Double meal will satisfy your fast food needs. I actually now prefer this over a McDonalds Big Mac.

Union Square

A beautiful square with lots of seating for chilling out and people watching. Plenty of sun, space, seats, and generally a super clean area. Centrally located with excellent public transport links including the cable cars.

Surrounded by high end stores such as Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co, Union Square is home to the largest Macy’s store on the West Coast. The architecture structure and history of Union Square is worth reading about if you like history.

Grab yourself a coffee and watch the city go by (I did, many times) there are so many different people from all walks of life that pass through here, it’s a great spot for meeting new people and networking (if you like that kind of thing)

I hope this helps any San Fran Sun Seekers! For more information on my experience here please send me a Dm on Instagram @sammiswinton

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Stay safe, do a Dora – explore & take care,

Sammi xx

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