San Francisco Day 2

^Ritual Coffee in the AM.

Day 2! Stop into some thrift shops in the mission, no seriously stop in.  I’ve been trying to find 80’s style shield sunglasses, and the hunt continues.  Get your morning boost at Ritual Coffee by trying their ‘cup of the day’.  Then make your way to Dolores Park and walk to the corner of 20^th and Church Street, which boasts one of the nicest views in all of San Francisco.  Check it out at night to see the whole city lit up!  There are a lot of homeless people and crazies in the park.  As awful as it is, SF is a decent place to be homeless given its mild climate (You know what I mean if you’ve ever seen a homeless person on the streets of NY on a cold night).  After talking with Dan about this, he told me that there are some cities that will buy homeless people a one way bus ticket to San Fran to “solve” their problem.  On a lighter note, if you don’t mind ice cream in the morning, walk down the hill to the infamous Bi-Rite Creamery for your selection of homemade ice cream.  Simply the best.

^Looking at the city from Dolores Park at night.

Time for dim sum! After you’re buzzing from the sugar, caffeine, and urban beauty, take the Muni (J train) downtown to Montgomery Street and head to City View for brunch or lunch.  You can eat until your heart is content for about $20/person.

^Bring good company, like Hannah!

Walk off lunch for a little bit by walking through the business district or checking out a rooftop or two. You may need another recharge and beware you may be feeling a little jittery if you’re not used to consuming this much caffeine, but there is no better way to experience the city.  You’ll see everything in 20/20 if you head to Sweetheart Café for some bubble tea. There is always something exciting happening in Union Square Park, and plus it’s really close to one of my new favorite brands, Uniqlo!

^Bubble tea at Sweetheart Cafe.

^Cool graffiti in Chinatown.

It’s probably approaching late afternoon, and if it is wintertime, the sun will set relatively early.  So head to the Marriott Marquis to watch the sunset on the 39^th floor.  You will have views of the entire city and even some great shots of the bayside.  TheView Lounge has no entrance fee, but they will slam you with drink and food prices – stick to a beer for an economic option.  Kick back and enjoy that view, it has been a long day.

^View of the sunset from The View Lounge.

Dinner and a movie?  Back in the mission, The Crepe House was a fantastic little restaurant to have dinner or lunch at.  With free Wi-Fi and a nice little parklet out front to enjoy the weather, you can bring your laptop and watch Game of Thrones while you eat (if you can stomach it.)

After dinner, venture out on a Mission pub-crawl.  To name a few options, you can check out Dr. Teeth (shuffleboard), Doc’s Clock (connect four, Pac-Man, and fun little signs all over), and Amnesia (I went on 60’s night. That’s right, we broke it down 60’s style, “’Cuz baby there ain’t no mountain high enough.”)

^Dinner and a movie at the The Crepe House.  This scrumptious little morsel is called the Miami Heat.

^Taken at Doc's Clock.  SF has a great sense of humor.

It's definitely time for late night eats, so fortunately for you, Taqueria Cancun is not too far out of the way.  Stop in for some bomb quesadillas.   And get some sleep, you’ve got another action packed day planned for tomorrow!

^Late night quesadillas here will put you to bed.

San Francisco Day 1

If you started day one of your journey by cracking your iPhone screen like I did, look no further than Ed at iPhone Repair SF, and he'll have you in and out in less than an hour for $100. Although side note, it has now been about a month and his screen has gotten scratched pretty badly and I woke up yesterday with another cracked screen.

Once your phone is working again, start out in the Mission.  This guide will work really well if you have a hip friend to stay with that lives in the Mission, like Dan.  Dan just finished his third masters degree and is teaching history and English over in Oakland, and learning Spanish as he talks to his students’ parents every night, so we appreciate that.

Dan (on the left with the beard), his friends and me at Local Mission Eatery, where the locals actually eat.  We had butter scotch for dessert, which came with hot, spiced, condensed milk to pour over top! Butter beer, just like in the Leaky Cauldron in Harry Potter.

This area of San Francisco (SF) is as hipster as it gets.  In fact, it is so hipster, that it is hard to tell if someone is homeless or just really stylish.  Maybe dress down a bit - I was probably screaming east coast with my collared shirt and pea coat. So work your way up Valencia Street and have lunch at the Taqueria of your choice, where the super burritos make Chipotle look like child’s play.  After lunch, refuel at Four Barrel café where they roast their own beans, and cracked out baristas make you the best cup of Ethiopian coffee you’ve ever had.

Make a right onto Market Street and work your way up along SF’s‘tenderloin.’  Welcome to the hood life.  Here you’ll see at least a dozen guys giving each other a pound and exchanging some bud, while another two or three guys are rolling up and sparking a fatty.  Pot smoke emanates from everywhere in this city and the police don’t seem to mind.

^People lining up for custard tarts outside of Golden Gate Bakery.

Turning left on Grant Street, you will start making your way toward Chinatown and up SF’s notorious hills.  And be sure to stop by Golden Gate Bakery for some custard tarts.  It’s worth the wait!  Chinatown here is a lot like Hong Kong.  In fact, SF feels a lot like Hong Kong.  Coit Tower is comparable to Victoria Hill overlooking the business district and water.  Like Hong Kong, great places to go hiking and beautiful beaches surround SF.  And both places have gorgeous villas on top of the hills overlooking a city just waiting to be explored.

^Awesome macchiato at Blue Bottle Coffee.

If you timed your journey just right, it will be approaching sunset as you continue working your way up the hill toward Coit Tower.  You’ll pass a few awesome bars and some live music on Grant Street after Chinatown.  After taking it all in, head down the steps to the Embarcadero and look up at the business district all lit up to your right and the Golden Gate Bridge to your left.  Take in that salty breeze.  Ahhh. You’ve been walking for a while, so recharge by having a macchiato at Blue Bottle Coffee in the Ferry Building before you head back on the ultra convenient BART.  Snapchat a few friends and watch the skateboarders tear it up.  It certainly made me want to throw on a pair Nike SBs and lay down a variable flip.  If you’re feeling froggy, leap.