We first came to San Francisco almost 2 decades ago on a fine summer day. Mind you, walking at the SF Embarcardero in July meant wearing a North Face fleece jacket and a beanie… but we fell in love with Karl the Fog, and the hint of sunshine peeking through the Golden Gate Bridge. It didn’t take long before we made San Francisco our permanent home, where our kids now revere it with the same passion as we still do.
We can write an entire book on what to do in San Francisco, with its irresistible weather year-round and plethora of activities for every season. This doesn’t even include tourist spots like Alcatraz or Fisherman’s Wharf, which we only visit if a guest insists. So what we have for you here are some of our favorite local experiences that we enjoy as a family lucky enough to call San Francisco home.
Chillin' at Crissy Field
Chillin’ is definitely the word when it comes to Crissy Field Beach. It’s not the place to don a bikini, although we’ve seen some brave souls try, but it’s always best to come prepared with layers of clothing along with your picnic mat and basket. We can’t count the times when we headed for the beach with the sun shining brightly, then head back to our car wrapped in blankets. But we still keep coming back, because nothing beats the view of the Golden Gate Bridge and Sausalito while sipping Napa wine and nibbling on Sonoma cheese. Count your lucky stars when you’re here in October, when the annual Fleet Week rolls in. The views become even more spectacular with the Blue Angels painting the sky.
Blue Angels hovering over the Golden Gate Bridge
Skip Fisherman's wharf and head to the Embarcadero
The view is much nicer. The crowds are a little saner. The food is infinitely better. We never get tired of walking along the Embarcadero and enjoying views of Treasure Island and Bay Bridge, which is equally spectacular at night when it’s illuminated. We also love the food selection at the Ferry Building, which houses our favorite Blue Bottle coffee, unique ice cream concoctions at Humphry Slocombe, Miette macarons, and Recchiuti truffles.
San Francisco Embarcadero
Chasing magnolias at Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park is beautiful all year round, but it manages to outdo itself at springtime, when the magnolias and cherry blossoms are in full bloom at the San Francisco Botanical Garden (free for residents). Once in a while, we also take a detour at California Academy of Sciences, where the kids enjoy the underground coral reef while the hubby naps inside the planetarium (c’mon — you’ve done that too, right?!).
Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
Catch a wave at Ocean Beach
The waves are a-plenty at Ocean Beach, and it’s dotted with black figures on surfboards waiting for the next big wave. It’s too cold for our liking most days, but it’s perfect for kite-flying and frisbees. The kids also love walking up to Cliff House to see the army of sea lions basking in the sun.
Ocean Beach, San Francisco
Take me out to the ball game
In the city that never stops believin’ in Orange October, a visit to AT&T Park is a must. It’s arguably the ballpark with the best view (especially at sunset) and the best food (Porcini doughnuts from Rich Table!). It’s the perfect excuse for cotton candy, and the kids can release all their energy on the big Coca-Cola slide.
AT&T Ball Park, San Francisco
Hit the Sweet Spot and grab a latte
Chantal Guillon macarons, Miette shortbread cookies, Christopher Elbow chocolates, Smitten ice cream, Tartine lemon meringue, Mr. Holmes cruffins… and the list goes on. Also, it’s the home of Blue Bottle, Philz, Ritual, Four Barrel, and a slew of hip cafes too cool for your cuppa joe. After a week of bussing kids to school, we’ll take a handful of treats with our latte! Best spots: Hayes Valley and the Mission District.
Ritual Coffee, Hayes Valley
Go to a farmer's market or do something 'Off the Grid'
Or both! There are several farmers’ markets across the Bay Area throughout the week, but if you want to hit two birds with one stone, head over to an ‘Off the Grid’ (OTG) weekend event. They round up the best food trucks so there’s enough selection for the big kids and the little kids, and it’s in a perfect location for a picnic (ie. Presidio, Fort Mason, Treasure Island). Some local purveyors and farmers are also at these events so you can grab your veggies and fruits on the go!
Off the Grid Presidio, San Francisco
Festival Central
Regardless of the season, there’s a special event, festival, art walk or pop-up fair almost every weekend. Many of them are either free or minimal entry fee. SF Funcheap is the site we use to stay-up-to-date with these events. One of our fave annual events is the Chinese New Year Parade in Chinatown— the kids are troopers when braving the crowds just to get a glimpse of the Golden Dragon.
Chinese New Year in San Francisco
Get Fancy
Hire a sitter and snag a reservation at one of the many Michelin-starred restaurants in San Francisco. We always make it a point to celebrate special occasions (as if we needed an excuse!) at one of these celebrated chefs fine dining spots in our culinary mecca.
Quince (3 Michelin Stars), San Francisco
Venture out of the Bay
There is still more to see and do in San Francisco, but there’s also a whole slew of places to visit just across the bridge. We’ll detail it more in a future post on East Bay and Sonoma County, but we’ll leave you with a pic of one of our fave spots, Marin Headlands— it’s home to the Marine Mammal Center (where the kids see a real hospital for aquatic animals), a Nike Missile site that’s still maintained by military veterans, and of course, sweeping views of the Bay from the fort and Point Bonita lighthouse.
Point Bonita, Marin Headlands, Golden Gate Parks and Recreation
Travel Recommendations
Destination: San Francisco, California, U.S.A.
STAY:
Our kids love to swim, so we once in a while, we play tourists in our city and stay in a hotel with an indoor pool. Here are our favorites:
- Comfortable – Hotel Nikko (Union Square)
- Historic – Palace Hotel (Market St)
- Splurge – St. Regis (SOMA district)
- Budget – Doubletree by Hilton (outside of San Francisco, close to SF Airport)
I can write a novel about this, but if I had to be short and sweet–
- $ – Pakwan, SOMA Streat Food Truck Park !
- $$ – Souvla, Chotto, Mau
- $$$ – Gary Danko, Monsieur Benjamin, Statebird Provisions, Coqueta
- $$$$ – Atelier Crenn, Quince, Coi
- Sweet stops – Chantal Guillon, Miette, Christopher Elbow, Tartine
- Cross the Golden Gate Bridge
- Catch the farmer’s market at the Ferry Building in the Embarcadero
- Grab coffee from the original Blue Bottle location at a Hayes Valley garage (and grab a macaron at Chantal Guillon while you’re at it!)
- Ride a bike and chase magnolias at Golden Gate Park (spring)
- Watch the Blue Angels hover over the Bay from Crissy Field (fall)
- Watch the SF Giants at AT&T Ballpark
- Ice-skating at Union Square (winter)
- Catch a show: musical, opera, ballet, indie, murder mystery, drag — SF’s got you covered!
- It’s a foodie haven — eat your heart out!
- There’s a festival or special event almost every week — lots of them free, although some may be PG-13+ (Bay to Breakers, Naked Bike Ride!)
- Catch the sunset at Ocean Beach
- Trendy boutiques at Hayes Valley and Marina
- Specialty tea, egg tarts & moon cakes at Chinatown
- Luxury boutiques at Maiden Lane, Union Square
We're Ron, Dawne, Dylan and Reese -- a family of four Puerto Rico transplants from California. Every day and every journey is a learning opportunity for us, whether it's on an exotic trip to the Galapagos or a regular trip to the grocery store. We believe in collecting memories, not things and constantly feed our insatiable wanderlust. Join us in our world-schooling adventures here, on
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