OUR TRIP TO SAN FRANCISCO

It’s been 4 years since our last vacation and we felt like it was time that we made a vacation a priority again. With our home renovation constantly moving from one project to another, we realized we’ve been working on the house almost every night for 2 years and it was time for a break!

We took 6 days off to hang out in San Francisco and another 4 days afterwards to just hang out at home with no agenda. Honestly, we were just as excited for the 4 days off at home as we were for the trip to San Francisco. So rejuvenating!

So for those of you who are curious how our trip went and what all we did, well keep reading! 🙂

DAY 1

We landed in San Francisco and immediately became tourists. We tried to blend in as much as possible but it’s hard to not look like a tourist when you’re visiting all the touristy sites with a camera in hand. 🙂

The first stop was at the painted ladies (aka The Full House street) The park across the street was so pretty with all the open grass and the tall redwood trees. The painted ladies were of course fun to look at as well. But can I be honest with you? I wasn’t sure which house was the one used for Full House. Ha! I think it’s the yellow house in the middle. (It’s been a while since I watched the show)

We were also surprised to see that most of the houses we saw in the San Francisco area were very similar to the photo above. Most all houses that we saw were connected with literally zero yard. It was all super unique architecture and as snug as it could be. It would take some getting used to if you prefer a quiet and private setting.

DAY 2

The second day was entirely spent in the mountains. We took a long drive through the redwoods (which are absolutely stunning) to several beaches. It was a cloudy and foggy day which honestly added to the beauty of the land in my opinion. After checking out the beaches we took a hike in the same mountain that our Airbnb sat on. We were super lucky to find a quaint neighborhood called Mill Valley in the mountains you see in the photo above. All the houses were tucked in the trees and virtually impossible to see from the road. (My favorite kind of housing situation!)

We hiked from our Airbnb to the top of the mountain and snapped a few photos along the way. It was crazy to see the redwood trees up close and really get a feel for how tall they are. I think both of us would say that hiking in these mountains was our favorite part of the trip!

DAY 3 & 4

Day 3 & 4 were spent walking through the Botanical Garden, Japanese Tea Garden, checking out the Golden Gate Bridge, and soaking up some ocean views. The gardens were absolutely stunning and allowed us to casually stroll through the paths.

We also took a short drive up a mountain to view the Golden Gate Bridge. This mountain was so cool because when we faced one direction we saw the endless ocean and when we turned around we saw the stately Golden Gate Bridge. I just remember that day we kept saying “holy crap this is so cool!”

DAY 5

On the last full day in San Francisco we visited Alcatraz island and prison. It was seriously one of the coolest experiences. We took a ferry boat ride over to the island and got a full tour.

If you’re not familiar with Alcatraz, it’s a small island with a prison that once held the worst criminals in the nation. Prison guards, wardens, workers, and their families lived on the island and maintained the land. This place is one of the most visited historical sites in the nation and after checking out the island, I understand why.

After getting off the boat, we walked up several hills to get a better view of the prison. Inside the prison was a large room with several hundred cells stacked on top of each other. Each prisoner was to abide by the prison handbook which had strict rules and harsh statements such as: “You are entitled to food, clothing, shelter, and medical attention. Anything else is a privilege.”

There are a handful of other building that sit on the island as well including what once was a post office, school, the morgue, the wardens house, and several duplexes where families and children lived.

The whole prison and the land it sat on had such an eerie feel. And to make it even more eerie, a thick layer of fog settled on the island making it feel like we were in a horror movie. A creepy place but seriously so fascinating.

On the ferry boat ride back we enjoyed the foggy ocean view and watched the boats pass by.

This trip was so fun and actually really relaxing. We walked more (mostly uphill) than we have in a long time so we definitely got sore. But we loved the culture change, the sites, and the people! I hope we get the chance to go back someday soon!