Travel

🌁 Things We Love (aka Must-Dos in SF)

• Take a Ferry (Anywhere!)
  Go to Angel Island for a mellow hike with epic views. Alcatraz is cool too, if a little touristy. Or just hang out at the Ferry Building and graze on oysters and local snacks.

• Walk the Golden Gate Bridge
  A classic for a reason. Bundle up — it gets windy up there!

• Crissy Field + Tunnel Tops Park
  Great views, great vibes. Walk along the bay, picnic on the grass, or let the kids roam at Presidio Tunnel Tops — one of the best new parks in the city.

• Walt Disney Family Museum (Presidio)
  Surprisingly delightful, even if you're not a Disney adult. Interactive, moving, and inspiring — with beautiful views and exhibits for all ages.

• Bike Golden Gate Park
  Grab a Lyft Bike (Hope recommends the electric ones) to ride from the Panhandle to Ocean Beach, stopping to soak in public art, towering trees, the de Young sculpture garden, or the bison paddock.

• California Academy of Sciences
  Aquarium, rainforest dome, natural history museum, and planetarium all under one living roof. Fun for the whole family!

• SF MoMA (Hope’s Favorite)
  Gorgeous, bright, and surprisingly kid-friendly. Don’t miss the living wall, Calder mobiles, and the rooftop sculpture garden with good coffee and great views. There’s a beaded curtain that kids (and Hope) love!

• Ocean Beach
  Park near Noriega & 48th Ave. Grab breakfast at Devil’s Teeth Bakery (our first date 💛) and breathe in that salty Pacific air.

• Baker Beach
  Fewer tourists, more locals. Stunning sunset views of the Golden Gate Bridge. FYI: the north end is unofficially clothing-optional.

• Sunset Dunes
  SF’s newest park! Great for picnics and kids to run around.

• Exploratorium
  Science museum for everyone. The adults have just as much fun as the kids.

• House of Air (Crissy Field)
  A trampoline park inside an old airplane hangar — what more could you want?

• Ride a Cable Car
  It’s cheesy, but fun. Pro tip: Board at Van Ness, not Powell — shorter lines.

• Lower Haight > Upper Haight
  Grab a beer at Toronado, then meander your way up to Haight & Ashbury for thrifting, history, and people-watching.

• North Beach + Chinatown Food Crawl
  Take a guided food tour or DIY it — dim sum, Italian bakeries, fresh fortune cookies, and some of the city’s best dive bars await.

• SF Zoo
  Surprisingly good — especially the five-star playground if you’ve got kids in tow.

🏙️ Things to Maybe Skip — or Approach Thoughtfully

• The Marina
  We just… can't. Picture white wine spritzers on a yacht with people named Chad. It’s a very San Franciscan thing to hate the Marina.

• Pier 39
  Tourist trap central. But if you must go: check out Players Sports Grill & Arcade — a classic arcade with a surprisingly fun vibe. There’s a secret-ish restaurant tucked behind it with great views of the bay.

• The Tenderloin
  The Tenderloin gets a bad rap — and while it struggles due to systemic failures, it’s also home to a beautiful and resilient community.
  If you go, check out the Compton Cafeteria Riot Reenactment (a tribute to one of the earliest known LGBTQ+ uprisings, predating Stonewall), and grab a soy Reuben at Morty’s Delicatessen — it’s one of the best sandwiches in SF.

🍀 Beyond the City (California Adventures)

• Muir Woods
  Reserve ahead and walk among the ancient redwoods just over the Golden Gate Bridge.

• Highway 1 Road Trip
  Go north along the coast and stop at the Marshall Store in Tomales Bay for fresh oysters by the water. It’s peaceful, beautiful, and very chill.

• Hope’s Parents’ House
  Located in Irish Beach. (Might not be open to the public… but a dream nonetheless!)

• Sea Ranch
  Quiet, architectural magic on the Sonoma coast. Don’t miss the Sea Ranch Chapel — it looks like something out of a fairytale.

• Yosemite National Park
  Are you super outdoorsy? This is your place. Waterfalls, granite cliffs, epic trails, stargazing — but book early!

• Highway 395 + Route 168 to Deep Springs
  Our favorite stretch of road (aside from Hwy 1) is Highway 395 south of Bishop, then east on the 168 into Deep Springs Valley, near the oldest trees on Earth (the bristlecone pines). Vast, sacred-feeling, and wildly quiet.

• Monterey Bay Aquarium
  Pricey, but magical. Sea otters, jellyfish, giant tanks — what more could you want?

• Calico Ghost Town
  Something weird and wonderful from Hope’s past — offbeat, kitschy, and fun if you're into roadside Americana.

• Lake Tahoe & Emerald Bay
  Always stunning, but Emerald Bay somehow has warmer water and even better views. Highly recommend.

• Southern California Escapades

  • Joshua Tree: Otherworldly desert vibes, perfect for stargazing and weird rock formations.

  • Barstow Airport: Hot tip — if you're flying into LA, avoid the chaos and use Barstow.

  • Venice Beach: Best place to jump in the ocean and get your weird-on.

  • LEGOLAND > Disneyland: You heard us. Especially if you’re going with kids.

🧭 Final Thoughts

We love our city. We love our state. And we love sharing it with people we care about.

Let the fog roll in, let the hills test your quads, and let your heart open to the weird magic of California.

Enjoy! 💛