9.17.2012

San Francisco {Part 1}



We're on our 3rd leg of our trip...good ole' San Fran!
{read my other 2 recaps to catch up: Lake Tahoe and Napa Valley}

But, first, before I get into our San Francisco pictures and things we did, let me tell you about the town of Tiburon, where we were lucky enough to stay for 3 days while in the city. 

My girlfriend (and blogger!) Steph and I grew up together...we were on the swim team together, learned how to roller blade and ride bikes together, got grounded here and there together, and then she got really cool and adventurous and moved to NYC, and recently now lives in Tiburon. In fact, her and her boyfriend did the exact same trip I'm blogging about (she gave me the idea) and that is when they decided they wanted to move to San Francisco. So cool, right?

When I say they have an amazing, gorgeous place right on the water in Tiburon, I mean
they have an ah-mazing, gorgeous place right on the water. 

The town of Tiburon is located just north of San Francisco. 
It is accessible by ferry, or by car. We ended up just driving to and from San Francisco each day, and luckily, never hit any traffic so it was only about a 10 minute drive into the city. 






It is also 1 or 2 exits away from Sausalito. 
Both towns are very similar, but we preferred the town of Tiburon. 
Tiburon is filled with high end homes (look up Belvedere and you'll see price tags of up to 40 million dollars!) and upscale restaurants. They have a harbor area where you can get views of the Golden Gate bridge and see all of the sailboats. 

We are so thankful we got to stay at Steph and Brian's place!
Angel Island is located right across their back porch, and often you can spot sea lions and whales from their living room windows. We felt like we got the best of both worlds because we got to stay right outside the city in a nice town, but then also had quick access in and out of the city. It truly gave us a great experience of what living there would be like (um, bliss!), and obviously the views were just stunning.
 It's safe to say we miss it, a lot (thank you again, Steph).

Our first night in the city, we decided to explore Tiburon and have a nice dinner out with Steph and Brian at Sam's Cafe. We enjoyed drinks on their back porch and took in the amazing views. Billy and I couldn't stop talking about how nice their neighborhood was! 

The views from her back porch...



{Me and Steph}




For our first full day in San Fran, we stopped to get some coffee in Tib (each day we stopped at a different coffee shop to try them out!) and then got into the city by 10am, so that we could fit everything we wanted to do in. We booked an Alcatraz tour in advance (tip: you have to book weeks in advance-tickets will be sold out during the week you visit so don't wait to buy tickets!), and we wanted to explore the city before the tour.


Here's a look into our first full day and where we explored...

Chinatown
(the worlds largest Chinatown!)







Lombard Street
(the crookedest street in the world)







Fishermans Wharf & Pier 39














We ate lunch at Boudin's, which I would recommend for some amazing clam chowder in a bread bowl! Yum in the tum.





some random street views...




Then, it was time for our Alcatraz tour. 
Alcatraz is a must do (in our opinion). If you like history and self guided tours, then definitely make time to do it. We loved it! Plus, you get great views of the city from the boat.
















 The tour takes about 2 hours (give or take) and they offer day and night tours.
The night tour would be cool, but since we wanted to eat out for dinner most nights (typical), we decided to do the day tour. 

Now, this is where things get fuzzy. My camera died after the tour and we were literally so tired from exploring the city all day, that we just stopped at a random place for dinner (il Fornaio-which is a chain restaurant, but was DELICIOUS!), made a stop at Ghirardelli Square for 2 of the BEST sundaes we have ever had, and went home in a happy food coma.


Part 2 coming soon...

23 comments

  1. Sounds like a great part of the trip, and how perfect that your friends live right there! :)

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  2. OMG I would have LOVED the Alcatraz tour!!! I am mildly obsessed with anything jail/prison related!!

    Can we talk about the creeper in the pic of you posing in the street??!! Wtf! Someone needs to push him outta the way!

    LOVES YOU! Just now getting caught up on life (ahem...blogs, of course!)

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  3. Get OUT OF HERE, that doesn't even LOOK like America. Absolutely stunning. As if I wasn't already jealous enough after the whole Napa thing.

    What's with the creeper next to you in the middle of the road?

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  4. I've been DYING to go to San Fran!! It looks so beautiful! And I really want to go to Alcatraz! Ever since watching the show "Alcatraz," i've been wanting to go!

    That zig-zag road looks trippyyyyy!

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  5. So beautiful!! Living so close to the water with those city views is perfection! :)

    Clarissa

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  6. Beautiful photos! We're doing the Alcatraz tour as well. Now I'm really excited to get there already- we leave this Friday!

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  7. LOVE the pictures! :) Your trip looked AMAZING!

    xo

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  8. Ahhh love this pictures too, San Fran is so much fun and it looks like y'all had a great time! Also, I have to ask where are those plum skinnies from? The ones you're wearing with the leopard scarf? I have been hunting for a pair!! (Basically I want to live inside your closet, your clothes are darling!) xoxo

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  9. First of all, your pictures are gorgeous! I'm drooling over them (and that's gross)! Second of all - You look adorable on Lombard Street, but that guy is all up in your personal space. Hilar.

    I went to SanFran with my mom when I graduated from HS. A week before I went, I was watching a documentary on how haunted Alcatraz is. And I was a brat and refused to go there for fear of being possessed. 9 years later and I wish I could kick my 18 year old self in the arse! Biggest regret!

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  10. Great pictures! I need to plan a vaca to there soon!

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  11. that guy in your personal space..you need to give him a hip bump outta your picture! and i heard you can no longer go on an alcatraz tour; like of recently! if that is true then you are lucky you got to go. your pictures are gorgeous

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  12. You're making me itch to get to the city!! And what gorgeous weather...you couldn't have asked for a better weekend there!

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  13. Looks like fun. I've seen a lot of those things before and you did a great job of capturing pics and truly showcasing the highlights. I love your wine colored pants. Where from? I am on the hunt for good ones (maybe cords). Your friends place is as amazing as her polka dot sweater!

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  14. SF is the best! So glad you went and got ice cream at Ghirardelli! That is a must every time I go to the City. Beautiful pics!

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  15. Everything about your trip sounds amazing, sign me up!

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  16. Fisherman's wharf and Pier 39 are some of my fav places out there...I need to go back ASAP. Glad you two had a good time!

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  17. Ah love San Fran! Your pics bring me back to when I was there. Such a great city!

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  18. Fisherman's Wharf was my favorite!! Enjoy!!

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  19. I am soooo glad you guys really did get to see and do it all! I will have to make a trip over to Tiburon since I've only been to Sausalito. I can't get over the views from your friend's house. What a lucky duck!!!!

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  20. Hi Katie! I'm loving reading the recaps of your trip. As soon as I read your Tahoe recap, my mind was already springing into planning mode for my husband & I's next vacation. Looking at some of your SF pics, I feel like I'm looking at my own! So funny that we were there only mere days apart! ;)

    I just posted part 1 of my SF vacation recap & I'd love for you to take a look!! Here's the link:
    http://www.herlatenightcravings.blogspot.com/2012/09/san-francisco-vacation-days-1-2.html

    I can't wait for part 2 to see what else you did in the city! And I really can't wait to hear what you thought of Carmel! Our day in Carmel & Pebble Beach (17 Mile Drive) was one of our most favorite days of our entire trip. I can't wait to share it on the blog.

    Hope you have a great Tuesday!

    xo ~
    Mendi @ Her Late Night Cravings

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  21. I've always wanted to go to SF. It just looks so stunning!

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  22. LOVE LOVE LOVE all your outfits. We have the exact same style...and I've been wearing almost all the same things. :) Yesterday I basically wore that same outfit with the burgundy jeans and cheetah scarf, and someone asked to take my picture. :)super cute! love your posts!

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