San Francisco? You Got It Dude!

Hello everybody! I have a very awesome post to share with you all today. I would like to share my trip to San Francisco, California that I took over this past Memorial Day weekend with my family! I had an amazing time experiencing all things San Fran and I lived my dream of being in Full House (an American TV show that takes place here). I only had a couple of days to explore as much of the beautiful city as I could; we had great weather and it was surprisingly colder than Chicago! 

I have a travel journal type post so I won't be giving a full paragraph for everything but, I will explain some of the pictures along the way; the things I did, saw, ate, etc. I hope you enjoy this little adventure that I went on and it inspires you all to go visit San Francisco yourselves! 

Day 1: The Ferry Building/Market & Alcatraz

So on the first day we arrived, our hotel was next to this big clock tower, known as the Ferry Building. I don't know a whole lot about the history of it but, I do know that it's pretty much an indoor dining hall and market that welcomes ferries to dock behind it that come from other parts of San Francisco Bay.

Immediately as you walk out of our hotel was this huge market. You could buy food, produce, jewelry, leather made goods, crafts, games, handmade stuff like those cheese platters made out of wine bottles shown above to the left! It was really cool looking at all of the things that the local artists make in that city. I bought a copper ring and a cool copper necklace to go with it! 

There were really big palm trees everywhere you looked! Something you don't see at all in Chicago.

Due to San Francisco's steepness and "hill-age" , cable cars and trolleys are a great way of transportation. Unfortunately, we had no point of going on one because our hotel was so close to everything we were going to see.

When we walked into the Ferry Building, I was overwhelmed with scents...and a ton of people may I add. I was starving because I just got off a four hour flight and I happened to stroll past this Asian restaurant, which I forgot the name, that had a little table with steamed buns and spring rolls. Can I just say, I had three of these steamed buns, and my gosh were they amazing. Little clouds of amazingness in every single bite. I had BBQ pork, sausage, and red bean! 

From the Ferry Building, you can see the Bay Bridge. It's not the Golden Gate Bridge but, it's bigger and most used by San Franciscans! At night, they have amazing light shows on the bridge and it's beautiful!

The Transamerica Building is the tallest skyscraper in San Francisco. It's basically just the Transamerica life insurance cooperation building and it's really cool to look at.

Before it closed down in 1963 to become a National Park, Alcatraz was one of the most infamous penitentiaries in the United States. It began as a fortification and a lighthouse and when the US bought it, it planned to use it as a prison. It housed the most notorious criminals like Al Capone.

We rode a 30 minute ferry ride over to the island that is about a mile from the city! Imagine having serial killers that close to your apartment or condo. It is pretty creepy to think about but, this was one of the most secure prisons in America during it's prime. We were able to explore most of the prison and we took a night tour which made it a bit more cooler (and creepier). 

Day 2: Fisherman's Wharf, Golden Gate, Painted Ladies

Day two consisted of a more in-depth exploration of the city! I began my day with a bagel and a breakfast sandwich. We were off to see all the sites that the city offered. 

We planned to take a double decker tour bus to see all that we wanted to see of the city. Sure it's a but touristy to take a double decker but, I was a tourist! 

 There were tons of murals and mosaics along the streets. It was very cool to experience all the different cultures and communities around the city! It was so pretty. 

 Oh, and I saw this Beatles inspired van that I just couldn't NOT take a picture of. LOL. 

Here is the gate to San Francisco's China Town! It's a bit like Chicago's but, I think it's a little bit bigger. We didn't have enough time to explore this one though. However, it was really cool to look at!

 One of the stops we wanted to make was at Fisherman's Wharf. It's basically a big pier filled with restaurants, shops, markets, entertainment and rides. It's pretty similar to Navy Pier in Chicago! 

One of the best things that California is known for is their peaches and strawberries. So, of course we had to pick some up for the road! They were very delicious and juicy!

We also had to stop and say hi to all of the cute sea lions that reside on the docks at Fisherman's Wharf. They reminded us of our dog we left back at home; so cute!

One of our meals was at this Mexican restaurant on the second floor of Fisherman's Wharf. It was a really nice place to get some yummy chicken tacos and a virgin peach Mojito while we enjoyed our strawberries we got with some dipping chocolate! 

Alas, we made it to the Golden Gate Bridge. Thankfully, these shots were taken right before a huge cloud of fog came in. We actually saw this bridge about four times on the tour bus so this wasn't the first time we had seen it this trip. It was a surreal experience every time we did, though. 

 Day 3 (Memorial Day): Coit Tower & Muir Woods

Our last day in San Francisco was our very active day. A 17,000 step day according to my FitBit! Our first hike was to the famous Coit Tower. It is shaped like a fire hose and you have to climb like 400 stairs to get to it but, the view was worth every step! If you all are Full House fans, this tower is where Uncle Jesse went looking for his dog, Comet, that was up on the balcony of the tower! 

For lunch, we stopped in a little market for paninis and sandwiches. My mom also spotted this lemon white chocolate which was divine. D-I-V-I-N-E. Totally worth the three dollars we paid for this little thing. 

Then, our last stop was to go hike Muir Woods Redwood preserve. Redwoods are the tallest trees in the world growing at a maximum height of 250 feet and a width of about 30! It's like nature's skyscrapers, our tour guide called it. We had the sweetest, British, tour guide of all time. She was so kind and seemed to really love her job. That made me love and appreciate everything San Francisco had to offer. The great people, views, and places!

The trees felt very damp and sponge-like. The forest smelled so fresh and crisp compared to the smelly city below us! 

Those three days went by so fast and it's sad that I am already back home! I miss the beautiful city so much! I wish I could go back as soon as possible. I had quite the adventure and experienced everything I could. I realized that travelling is something that I am really passionate about and would love to continue throughout my life. I hope this inspired some of you to get out of your comfort zone and try new things and go to new places! I had a great visit to San Fran. 

My schedule's a bit off because I'm still on vacation mode. I should be back to normal next week. Today is my oldest sister's 21st birthday! Happy birthday Melissa! 

Xoxo, Nat