Almost 3 years ago to the day my husband and I went to San Francisco for the first time as part of our AMAZING Honeymoon. It was somewhere that had always appealed to both of us and were so excited to go and explore this amazing place. We had a huge list of places to visit while we were there so we knew it was going to be a jam packed week, neither of us are great at going on the types of holidays where you spend most of it lying on a beach, we would much rather go exploring and really make the most of seeing everything we can. To us, this was a dream holiday that we were really going to make the most of.
The Hotel
As it was our honeymoon we wanted to splash out a bit on the hotel we stayed in so after lots of research we decided to go with the Hyatt Regency. This is right on the Embarcadero (2 minute walk from the wharf), it’s also only about a 10 minute walk down the wharf to Fisherman’s Wharf and where all the tour boats leave from so it’s the perfect location if you are planning on doing lots of tours and trips. It’s also only a 15 minute walk to the city centre where all the big shops like Tiffany’s & Saks are (perfect for the shopaholics).
Mrs Doubtfire
Being a huge fan of Robin Williams and watching Mrs Doubtfire many, many times as I was growing up, we had to go and see the house they used in this film. It took us bloomin’ ages to get there as we stupidly decided to walk from our hotel down on the Embarcadero but i would really advise just talking a wonder around as we came across so amazing places and things to see, things we would never have found if we hadn’t gone for a wonder.
Our main aim that day had been to walk to the Golden Gate Bridge but really underestimated how far away it was and 2 hours later had not got much closer to it so we gave up on that task and focused on finding the Mrs Doubtfire house instead. This we found reasonably quickly and it was such a strange feeling when we found it. In the movie, they took out the tree that was standing in front of it so we didn’t immediately recognise the house. I felt as though it was one of those things I could tick off my bucket list and was really quite an emotional moment that came as quite a surprise.
China Town
During our adventure walk around San Francisco we also discovered China Town. They had these beautiful decorations up across every avenue. I don’t think it was a special occasion, I believe they have these up most of the time, from what we understood from a local Chinese person. We didn’t go into any of the shops as we were still trying to get to The Golden Gate Bridge at this point so didn’t want to hang around too much but we loved looking in through the windows.
There was such an array of weird and wonderful looking objects and things for sale. It seemed so weird to stumble across this place that looked so out of place in the very modern city centre of San Francisco and just as soon as we came across it, it vanished again. It was things like this that made our walk so interesting and exciting. I never even knew there was a China Town in San Francisco so we would easily have missed the opportunity to see this place.
The Cheesecake Factory
Not far from China Town we came across the city centre with shops like Tiffany’s and Saks. There was one shop in particular I knew I had to find. I’d been told you can’t visit San Francisco without going. So, we trundled around the centre desperately trying to find it. Then, out of the corner of my eye I spotted the sign. The Cheesecake Factory. The one place I’d been dreaming and salivating over since we’d booked the holiday.
These cheesecakes were so heavy, it took 2 staff members to carry them to the fridge. One slice was so big it lasted me for 3 days! Even my husband couldn’t eat all of his in one sitting. This is someone who can eat an entire tub of Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream in one go! I can’t remember which one I went for in the end but it took ages to choose. I kinda think it was the one on the second row with the chocolate drops on the top. It wasn’t all that expensive either. Plus, if you book beforehand, you can get a proper dinner/lunch there. It’s not just cheesecake loveliness!
The Golden Gate Bridge
We gave up on trying to walk from the Embarcadero to the Golden Gate Bridge. 2 hours after setting off we didn’t seem to be getting any closer. I swear it was moving away from us the whole time! It only looked as though it was maybe a mile away at the start. So, we decided to get on a proper tour instead and went to see the bridge in all it’s glory. The bridge was huge, it looked so much bigger up close than I ever thought it would. I would have loved to cycle over the bridge but we just didn’t have time – something to look forward to for next time. Then, after seeing the bridge, we got back on our bus and went on to Sausalito.
Sausalito
Sausalito is a tiny little fishing village just on the there side of the Golden Gate Bridge. It is a fantastic place to visit and so picturesque. It’s one of those little villages thats full of culture. There are loads of little shops – gift shops, antiques shops, ice cream parlours and other really interesting things to see and do.
We probably spent around half a day here and could easily have spent a day wondering from shop to shop, taking in the scenery, walking along the coastline and looking at the stunning views over the bay and across to San Francisco. If you go there early in the morning apparently you can see the clouds rolling in over the hills and over the bridge which is meant to look amazing so if you do go, try and get there early and watch the clouds roll in. It was a beautiful day when we went with hardly any clouds so we didn’t see this unfortunately.
Alcatraz
The boat trip to Alcatraz took around 30 minutes. It doesn’t look nearly that far away from the bay. It got pretty windy and cold, so if you go, take a windproof with you.
When you first get to the island, you get told about the inmates who once lived there and a lot about the island and the prison itself. There is a day and a night tour, both very different experiences. If you want to keep it light, do the day tour. However, if you want to learn about the dark history, do the night tour.
The 360 degree views were to die for. At one end you could see the Golden Gate Bridge. The other you could see the Bay Bridge and San Francisco in all it’s glory. On the far side was Sausalito, peeking out from around the corner.
Muir Woods
Lastly on our list of places to go and visit was Muir Woods. We decided to go on the bus tour which was interesting to say the least!
When we finally arrived there safely (just about) we had 4 hours to go and wonder around the woods. The main walk only takes around 2 hours so we had plenty of time. However, if you don’t fancy doing a 2 hour walk, there are smaller walks you can choose from.
The trees there are incredible and there are lots of photo taking opportunities on the walks in front of the huge bases of these massive trees. If you love being in nature and want to see some incredibly huge trees, you should definitely put this on your list of paces to visit.
We were advised that booking trips before you go is the best thing to do as they can charge a lot more on the day. To book most of our trips we used Viator, it seemed to be the cheapest place and the best place to get lots of deals. Plus, each deal goes into lots of information so you really know what you’re going to get on each tour. We loved all the ones we went on and would definitely use this company again when we go back.
Would We Go Back?
This is one of the best places in the world and I can’t wait to go back. It holds some really special memories for me and my husband but it has so much to offer. The harder you look, the more you will find and the more you willet out of your trip. Go off the beaten track and San Francisco will show you all it’s hidden treasures.
Leave a Reply