Girls Trip with a Side of Cardio: Weekending in San Francisco

Growing up, no one ever really sits you down and explains that your dream to share a cul-de-sac with your besties isn't the most realistic. Yet it still feels possible that we would eventually live close enough to one another to share afternoon walks and morning coffee runs. In reality, it can be a lot of work to find a day when your schedules align - and when that day finally comes after months of coordinating, it's usually necessary to plan an entire weekend together to truly ensure you'll have enough time to cover all of the major life updates...right?

Friday Flights:

Although my nursing schedule usually provides me with a few solid days off, not all of my friends work 12-hour shifts at the bedside 3 days a week. So, if you’re like me, you've got to remember the value of your friend's PTO and schedule that Friday night flight out of Los Angeles. That's just a basic rule of friendship! Although the LAX airport is everyone's least favorite place to start a weekend getaway, it's often the most convenient location for everyone. We easily found parking at the South Bay Airport Lot (purchased ahead of time, of course), and shuttled over to the terminal before catching a quick, 45-minute flight to San Francisco. Landing later that evening, I left the travels up to my more map-savvy friend as she navigated us not only out of the airport, but onto a train, then a bus, and finally into the lobby of our hotel. 

Surprisingly, the BART system was fairly straightforward - even to someone like me who uses Google Maps every morning on her way to the same hospital she's worked at for three years (oh, so if a road is closed I'm magically expected to know how to navigate the entire surrounding area? I don't think so). The initial outlet from the subway was the only somewhat sketchy part of our trip, and it made me wish pepper spray wouldn’t get confiscated by TSA. However, we were also walking with a large group of travelers out onto the main, well-lit area, and soon found ourselves directly in front of Civic Center Plaza.

Checking in to Comfort Inn, we were asked if we needed to also pay for parking. When we answered “No”, the receptionist said, "Good idea, it’s very expensive here” which might not be the best way to market your hotel's amenities...BUT, it definitely made us feel better that we avoided the rental car hassle and had instead downloaded the Clipper app that had gotten us safely to our home for the next couple of nights.

Saturday Sights:

The next morning, we slept in and opened our windows to a beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Bright red and only slightly covered by the fog, it felt vastly different from the neighborhoods of L.A. We grabbed a few snacks from the breakfast bar and made our way up some relatively mild San Francisco hills to get to Union Street Coffee Roastery, where we enjoyed fresh baked goods and delicious lattes with some friends from tOSU (Go Bucks!).

With a full day ahead of us, it was once again time to consult the map and locate our bus stop. Well, for my friend at least (I'm just along for the ride at this point). We passed indoor/outdoor markets, restaurants, and more than a few Pilates studios as we made our way to the corner, catching our bus and riding directly to the entrance of the Golden Gate Bridge. 

For what felt like miles, we walked and walked, cars and bikes zooming past us. I felt like we weren’t even halfway when we finally shed our winter coats and turned around, still taking in the awe of the iconic structure on our walk back. A busy morning transitioned quickly into the afternoon as we moseyed around Golden Gate Park, enjoying the breeze, fresh air, and bright sunshine.

Turns out, none of the gardens were free (or cheap enough to tempt our budgets), but the exteriors were already stunning. We decided that on our next visit, we would spend more time enjoying the music, fountains, and conservatories of Golden Gate Park. For now, it was time to treat our hunger and dehydration.

Quickly, we decided on The Cheese Steak Shop. It was honestly sent from heaven above - peppers, jalapenos, fries and a drink (not to mention air conditioning and chairs) really gave us the strength we needed to journey onwards in our day of sightseeing.

I realize San Francisco is known for being one of the hilliest cities in the world, but when the homes are this cute it really helps the chest pain and shortness of breath feel less like a heart attack, and more like an adventure.

We continued onwards and upwards, finally arriving to Alamo Square. Once again, we agreed with our receptionist and felt very fortunate that we had not tried to drive in this city. It was easy to navigate (for my friend - again, just following her at this point) and much more entertaining without the stress of parking. In no time at all, we found a shady spot to kick up our feet and enjoy the view of the infamous Painted Ladies.

"Everywhere you look, everywhere you go

There's a heart (there's a heart), a hand to hold onto..."

Ah, anyone else feeling nostalgic for Uncle Jesse by now?

---

Refreshed and rehydrated after a couple hours at the hotel, we battled the steepest climb yet to get a glimpse of the Mrs. Doubtfire house, hoping no one would open the door and yell at us to leave their home in peace. Fortunately, we weren't the only tourists there, and there weren't any trespassing signs so...I figured it was safe to snap a few pics. I feel bad that these people probably keep their blinds closed all day, but it really was a beautiful area to take an evening stroll.

Stumbling down the steep sidewalk, we started looking around for a place to eat and found ourselves instead following a line of sand from the walkway to Del Mar - a bar and nightclub that we were arriving at a little too early in the evening. But hey, we're on vacation (sort of).

Taking in the loud music, we put our toes in the sand and ordered pre-dinner drinks, complete with bendy straws, whipped cream, and a cherry. So obviously you know it was delicious.

Speaking of which: a woman-owned and operated restaurant? Sign me up. We took another short walk over to United Dumplings, and it did NOT disappoint.

The Korean BBQ Beef Dumplings and Pork Pot Stickers were packed with flavor! We probably could've sat there for a few more hours just to get hungry enough to try something else. Instead, we decided to call it a night. I mean we had managed to squeeze in a ton of time together, so much delicious food, and beautiful bucket list-worthy sights! The only thing that was missing…?

A little ice cream, of course!

Sunday Stories

The next morning began early as we made our way towards Fisherman’s Wharf to catch a ferry to Alcatraz Island. Smooth and sunny, we crossed the glittering water and arrived at a surprisingly smelly destination. Covered in birds (and their poop) we embarked on an educational journey that, once again, showed me how little my American History courses taught me in high school. I definitely thought Alcatraz had only been used as a prison, and I'm sure that seems like the most gripping part of its history. Strangely enough, it seems we're all a little intrigued by historical crimes and prison breaks. But as we made our way through the cells, workrooms, and gardens, I learned an entirely different, albeit brief, history.

I felt more than a little ashamed to realize I knew nothing of the occupation of Alcatraz by "Indians of All Tribes" from 1969-1971. Clearly, I have more reading to do, but this day was well-spent as we walked the halls and courtyards, reading about something even more interesting than the escape attempts of criminals from the island.

Still, the island's use as a federal penitentiary is a historic part of its story, and we found ourselves roaming the cells and reading about inmates too. We really could’ve spent so much time on that island, learning about its history and understanding how and why it still stands today. But, guided again by our hunger and pending heatstroke, we drifted back to the mainland and grabbed some Thai food at New Thai Elephant for a late lunch.

The day continued with yet another historic activity: touring the beautiful Haas-Lilienthal House. 

This Victorian home was constructed in the late 1800s and survived earthquakes and fires before being deemed a National Treasure in 2012. Its rooms were elegantly decorated in distinct styles with dark, rich wood and marble fireplaces. The original furniture, gas and electric chandeliers, and family photos held so much history that the tour flew by, making us wish we had scheduled more historic house tours while in SF (we enjoy old lady activities, sue us).

Squeezing in as many tourist attractions as possible, we ended the night in Ghiradelli Square, grabbing dinner, drinks, and plenty of chocolate.

By the time we arrived to the Square, most of the boutiques were closed for the evening. Still, we managed to squeeze in some perfume and home decor shopping before wrapping up our night.

Monday Melancholies

I suppose a true "weekend" wouldn’t involve taking any time off, but who doesn’t love using PTO on a Monday? We took our time checking out of the hotel before grabbing a coffee and bagel sandwich at Star Bagels. All too soon, we were back on the bus with our tiny suitcases, ready to ride the metro straight into the San Francisco Airport. I couldn't believe it, the trip was over and it would probably be a few months before our schedules aligned again. Where should we go next time? Vegas? Phoenix? Denver? One thing's for sure: wherever we go, we'll have more than a few sights to see, and plenty of time for major life updates.

Until next time, SF.