I kicked off 2019 in the best way I could think of, with a spontaneous girls trip to California. This was my fifth time in San Francisco but it felt like I was seeing it for the first time because it was my sisters first time there. When I vacation I like to see and do as much as possible in the time that I have. Luckily for me my mom instilled that same desire into my sister, so she was up for a jam packed itinerary exploring the Bay Area.
Side Note - It wasn’t my intention for this blog to turn into a travel blog. Traveling is one of my biggest joys in life and paired with my love for architecture and photography, it makes for great content. This has become a place for me to share the cities I travel to, and through my lens, how I see them. Take a look below at the photos from the trip and our itinerary for the perfect girls weekend in San Francisco!
Wednesday
We walked around SF’s China Town and fell in love with the cutest boutique KIM + ONO.
This was one of the highlights of our trip. Despite it being a rainy afternoon the decor made us feel like we were somewhere tropical and sunny. Order the Bubble Bath, my new favorite cocktail.
We walked around the shops and of course had to see the napping Sea Lions. We had dinner at Fog Harbor overlooking the ocean. The clam chowder bread bowl is a must when in SF and so delicious.
We finished off our first night with rooftop views from Charmaines.
Thursday
A colorful, bright and airy space for the first brunch of many that weekend.
We started at this historic monument and used the All Trails app to see the city by foot. We walked almost 9 miles through the city, passing through Crissy Field and over the Golden Gate Bridge.
Our walk ended here where we watched the sunset with an unobstructed view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the sun setting over the hills and ocean.
We refueled at The Cavalier for dinner. It’s not always the case that the well designed restaurants I seek out also have amazing food but this spot delivered on both fronts.
Friday
On our first day in SF we stumbled across the Ferry Building Market by accident and fell in love. This was just down the street from our hotel, so we always started the day with coffee and window shopping there.
Infamous for their part in the intro to Full House, we paid homage to one of our favorite TV shows growing up and walked around the adjacent park.
We took a break from being tourists for afternoon tea in the most gorgeous setting.
We visited another one of San Francisco’s most famous tourist attractions known as the “crookedest street in the world.”
Before dinner we stopped for a glass of champagne and the design reminded me of a cafe in Paris.
We had dinner at Villion, located within the Proper Hotel. Seeing this hotel should be at the top of your list when in SF. The hotel was designed by the team at Kelly Wearstler and it is stunning!
Saturday
We spent the afternoon in Marin County’s Sausalito seeing the boat houses and walking around to the different shops. We finished off with lunch at Barrel House Tavern with views of the Bay and downtown.
We got really lucky on our last day with almost 100% sunshine. This made for one of the best sunsets ever, which we watched from the Sutro Bath Ruins.
We stopped in for a drink and to warm up. We watchEd the remainder of the sunset over the ocean at the appropriately named Cliff House.
Our last dinner of the trip we ate at Water Bar with an incredible up-close view of the Bay Bridge. The bridge appears to glitter because of the LED light display and it is magical reflecting off the water.
My sister Kristen and I live by the motto “California is always a good idea” and once again it didn’t disappoint! Special shout out to my little sister and travel companion for an amazing weekend and for taking my photos, I love you!
-Melissa