I layover in San Francisco at least three times a month. I bid for the layovers that fall on the weekends and spend the day taking a class or two at a dance studio that I love, working at a cafe nearby or running errands at Target. For being away from home, it is easily one of my most productive layovers.
It wasn’t until this past weekend did I realize how little exploring I’ve done in SF and here’s why. When you go to a city often, it’s easy to be complacent when it comes to venturing out. I present the reasoning process to you of a flight attendant:
1. You don’t explore right away for fear of not having something to do the next time you visit, and if you do all of the things, you will become a bored slam-clicker on your layovers.
2. You fall into “there’s always next time” syndrome.
3. You have plans to fly out leisurely, but that time us yet to come…
4. You’re tired and sleep > everything else.
While laying over in Seattle two weekends ago, I met up with one of my longtime friends, Andrea. In chatting, she mentioned that she would be in SF the following weekend visiting a friend from college, the same time as my layover. It was too perfect! We made plans to hang out and explore.
After a super delayed flight from NY, by the time I woke up it was around noon and time to head out. Andrea and Allie were just finishing up breakfast, so we planned to meet down by Fisherman’s Wharf. Even though it was a very overcast and cold start to the day, that didn’t stop the crowds of people. (Not to mention it was Memorial Day Weekend.) I met Andrea and Allie on Historic Pier 45 where they were checking out the SS Jeremiah O’Brien and the USS Pampanito. In the distance I could see Alcatraz and closer to the shore, seals swimming along in the water. As we made a rough plan for the afternoon, the sun started to breakthrough. Our afternoon was off to a great start.
Next, we walked over to Boudin Bakery, the home of a San Francisco classic: sourdough bread. Tours were unavailable for the day (due to a private event) so we opted to just walk around. And since the kitchen is enclosed by glass and visible to the public, it wasn’t a total loss. We walked down to the street level where we could see one of the bakers making a batch of the fun (sometimes extremely elaborate) sourdough animals that Boudin is known for. The pride on the bakers face for her work and our reaction said it all.
Even though it was super crowded (very organized and not at all aggressive), we couldn’t leave without trying some of their famous bread. Andrea did the honors and picked out two for us all to try. With some butter in hand, we found a table to dine. As I write this, I regret not buying a loaf to bring home. It was delicious.
Before leaving Fisherman’s Wharf, we stopped at one of the seafood stalls for some fried calamari. I was kind of uncertain as to what to expect for such a touristy location, but it far exceeded my low expectations. It was actually very good in quality and taste. I was greedy already full, but kept at it until the very last piece.
From Fisherman’s Wharf, we made our way West to our next stop, Ghiradelli Square. On our way there, we saw an idle trolley where we spotted people taking pictures, so naturally we followed suit. It was so much fun to get that quintessential San Francisco shot without the risk of falling out of said trolley and getting hit by a car. (Don’t ask me how my mind wandered that far, or why I typed it, or why I left it in this post.)
We arrived at Ghiradelli Square and left almost immediately; it couldn’t scream tourist trap any louder. We spent a total of 5 minutes there before leaving and heading down to the beach area by the San Francisco Maritime Museum. This was more like it. It was mid-afternoon and with the sun out and temperature a bit warmer, it was the perfect place to chill out for a bit and soak up the sun.
It was time for our last visit of the day: the Golden Gate Bridge. A short Uber ride later from the museum, through The Presidio (absolutely breathtaking) and we arrived to the entrance of Crissy Field. We hiked down a little way from where we were to the water where we were now in full view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Ever since I was little (y’know, watching Full House), I dreamed of seeing the Golden Gate Bridge in person so it was definitely a “pinch me” moment. Us girls had a full on photoshoot, and met another traveler with her adorable dog who also joined in on the fun.
Before we went back to the hotel to get ready for dinner, we stopped at Kara’s Cupcakes, as recommended by Allie. When we were leaving Boudin, Allie asked if I liked cupcakes. I told her yes, but that it had to be a really good because my calories are valuable and I have eaten a lot of trash cupcakes in my life. *cough Magnolia cough*. Let me tell you, these cupcakes did not disappoint. They were perfect. I never knew a cupcake could taste this good. Frosting thats not too sweet, a cake that’s not dry and actual cream cheese frosting for the red velvet cupcake?!?!?! Did I shed a tear? I wanted to. They were seriously heavenly.
For dinner, a quick Yelp search lead us to Shalimar, an Indian/ Pakistani restaurant within walking distance of the hotel. At first glance, this place looks ordinary. The seating is very old school, decor unassuming. If I have learned anything in my travels, this is usually the set up for some good eating. The smell of the tandoori had me drooling almost immediately and I couldn’t wait to eat. We ordered palak paneer, paneer masala, tandoori chicken, naan and of course rice. The only thing we didn’t enjoy was the palak paneer because it was extremely spicy. Thankfully, we had some deliciously refreshing mango lassi on hand to take away the discomfort of the spice.
We finished the night at Cityscape, a lounge/bar located on the top floor of the Hilton in Union Square. We had a tiny wait (Saturday night and MDW) but it was worth it. Floor to ceiling windows gave the most gorgeous panoramic views of the city, and since it was a clear night, the views were absolutely stunning. Even though I couldn’t drink, I had a very delicious mocktail that consisted of cranberry and apple juice as well as nutmeg. It was the perfect way to recap the day and enjoy the night out.
By the time I got to bed, I couldn’t fall asleep from the excitement of the day. (I swear that 4am wakeup call came up faster than usual.) It was such a great day of exploring. But if I learned anything, it’s that I just skimmed the surface of what San Francisco has to offer. Until the next layover…
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