If You're Going to San Francisco

Highlight: walking around the frenzy that is Fisherman’s Wharf. Low point: getting pooped on by a frenzied bird at Fisherman’s Wharf. It’s still one of my favorite spots in San Francisco though, even though it’s a tourist mecca. Fun for people-watching.

We centered our last morning around a comfort food brunch at Home restaurant, so we walked all around the cafe’s Marina district. It’s a cute neighborhood to wander in with seemingly endless streets full of shopping and eating opportunities.

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We spent equal time walking and riding cable cars. I love the cable cars because they’re an escape from walking up the hills packaged as a historic experience. At , a trolley ride is not cheap, but the day pass is a great deal, provided you ride them more than twice ( per day). At certain stops it was difficult to find a cable car with room for passengers and we had to wait for several to pass before being allowed on.

We also rode a city bus, which was convenient and less crowded than the cable cars. Our transportation day pass covered the bus ride as well.

We left San Francisco by car via Route 1 South, which is an incredible coastal drive everyone should take at least once. No one, however, should leave after 4pm with hours to go, because driving the road at night is a harrowing experience. I can handle a sheer cliff to my right and nowhere to exit. The real problem was that every time I started to feel comfortable in the horror movie darkness, I passed another well-intentioned sign reading "Pavement Ends" or "Rockslide Ahead." Driving largely at night also meant we missed out on what I’m sure are stunning views, such as Big Sur.

Dinner at the Nob Hill Café is a lot like dinner at your own favorite neighborhood haunt, except on a picturesque street in the City by the Bay. It’s warm and inviting, the Italian food is delicious, and the tables are full of locals since the restaurant is tucked away. It’s a nice excuse to go a little off the beaten path into a residential neighborhood.

We had a party of eight and had to wait, but with an outside table, bottles of wine, and an attentive server, even the wait was pleasant. A group taking a night tour of the city went by while we were sitting outside, so we even got a history lesson.

We had an equally good time once we progressed inside to the cozy dining room. Everyone loved their meals, especially the pastas. The warm vibe encouraged us to stay awhile, the perfect break between trekking around the city all day and heading out to the bars afterwards.

Since I’d visited San Francisco once before, I was excited to leave the city for awhile and drive north to Muir Woods. After the excursion, I think it’s an essential part of even a first-timer’s trip to San Francisco.

I get excited just thinking about the drive. As my friend Kate begrudgingly drove across the Golden Gate Bridge, the three of us passengers craned our necks in every conceivable way to take in the views. There is no way to describe the beauty of the scenes, and these panoramas continued for every one of the 12 miles up to Muir Woods. The cityscape, the island of Alcatraz, the bay, the mountains, the valleys… the beauty is overwhelming.

The drive took about 45 minutes because of the twists on the two-lane roads. Anything that prolonged the views was fine with me.

I’d never seen redwoods before. I’d sung about them ("From the redwood forests…") and certainly read about them, but seeing them in person was still humbling. We paid the small entrance fee and walked around for a couple of hours absorbing the sheer size and beauty of these trees. The woods feel nicely isolated, and we could hear nature sounds through the crowds.

We didn’t expand on our trip with a more challenging hike through the forest, although you can. I would have liked to spend more time in the area, but we had to bring a friend straight to the airport. Still, every minute and mile to Muir Woods was well worth it.