San Francisco seems to be a city that is popular on many people’s lists of must-see places. What’s not to love about San Francisco? It’s a great mix of culture, history, cuisine, activities, and so much more. San Francisco isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but it is open to everyone.

San Francisco technically started as a settlement in 1835. After becoming the base for the Gold Rush in 1849, San Francisco started booming with business. On April 18th, 1906, San Francisco suffered a great earthquake. It was estimated to be a 7.9 and hit in the earlier hours of the morning. It was very intense and could be felt through much of Northern California. Fires also quickly broke out and lasted for days in the city. 3,000 people died as a result of the tragedy and reportedly 80% of San Francisco was destroyed. It was the greatest loss by a natural disaster in California history. The city did rebuild fairly quickly. San Francisco continued to thrive throughout the 20th century. San Francisco is also known as being very LGBTQ+ friendly. The US Military actively sought out and dishonorably discharged homosexual servicemen and women, processing them out in San Francisco. 9,000 men and women were discharged from 1941-1945, and many LGTBQ+ people began moving to San Francisco in the 60s, and through the 80s. In the late 1960s, SF was most known for the hippie movement. Currently, San Francisco is one of the most expensive places to live, and that is not an exaggeration.

Now that you know a bit about the history of San Francisco, you might be wondering what there is to do there now. That is where I come in. I have been to San Francisco a few times in my life. I have not been since 2011, though. I have been for business and for pleasure. I have had friends and family that have lived in San Francisco. The last time I was there, I was there mostly for business. My husband and I are starting a gaming production company at some point but we got to go to the GDC - Game Developers Conference ‘11 as well as a video game awards ceremony. This conference allowed me to stay in a part of SF that I had not, and possibly would not have stayed in on my own. This sounds amazing, I am sure. However, I ended up getting strep throat and pneumonia during the conference and missing a good portion of the last day of the conference and the day we planned on having fun, because I stayed in the hotel room with a very high fever. They tell you to never fly when you’re sick but I was miserable and just wanted to get home. Needless to say I didn’t get much sightseeing in on that trip because the days and most of the nights were spent at the actual conference itself. What I can tell you is that walking the SF streets, and the train ride to the airport are excruciating when you are as miserable as I was. I loaded myself up with over the counter medicine and made it home. However, I was not able to get many pictures on that trip, so the pictures included in this blog are slightly outdated and from a pretty old camera. Nonetheless, I enhanced them a bit to try to reflect how amazing some of these places really are.

The times I had been to San Francisco as a tourist though, I made sure to pack a lot in. I didn’t get everything in that I wanted to but Alcatraz has just always been the most important excursion for me in SF. I got a pretty good taste of the city before going back in ‘11. I definitely know that I am due for another visit in the near future.

San Francisco is very big in Pop Culture and is featured in many movies and TV shows, as well as having many songs named after it over the years. Some places like the house from Mrs. Doubtfire (pictured below), the house from Full House, and other sites are available to see and photograph.

The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the seven wonders of the world. It was constructed in 1933. It stands 746 feet high. It is 8.981 feet long. Walking across this bridge is definitely worth the steps.

Golden Gate park is a nice place if you want to spend a little time outdoors. It is 1,017 acres. It does hold events occasionally as well.

If you are a history buff, I recommend your first and most important stop being Alcatraz. You have to take a quick ferry to get out there as I am sure you are aware Alcatraz sits on an island by itself. That is what Alcatraz is all about really. The island was built for a lighthouse originally, then became a military fortification, then a military prison, and from 1934-1963 it was a federal prison, then in 1969 it was occupied by Native Americans until sometime in 1971 who were part of a wave of Native American Activism that took place throughout the 70s. In 1972 Alcatraz became part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and officially became a National Historic Landmark in 1986 and is open for tours today. I have always had a little interest in morbid history like Al Capone and prisons, as well as some cemeteries and landmarks like this and others. I know I am not the only one because Alcatraz actually brings in over one million people annually. This is a tour I would happily do again. Alcatraz has had many famous prisoners such as Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly, Franklin Stroud “the Birdman of Alcatraz”, Mickey Cohen, and many more. The design is made to feel anything but comfortable, as the windows let in the cold breeze off of the ocean, and the humidity of sitting on an island makes it feel that much colder. Being surrounded by concrete certainly doesn’t offer any warmth. It is very interesting to experience what it must have been like to be a prisoner there. I am not sure I would like to be left alone there after dark either. “Creepy” doesn’t even begin to paint the picture. It is a must-see in my opinion as a history-buff.

Perhaps you want to wind down after a visit to Alcatraz, or maybe you just have a sweet tooth that needs tending to, Ghirardelli Square can be found in San Francisco. Try all the latest chocolates they have to offer. Sit in the square and enjoy a relaxing place tucked away a bit off of the busy San Francisco streets while enjoying a nice chocolate treat. Buy some chocolate to take home if you feel the urge, but I wouldn’t recommend buying a lot of chocolate from there (just a chocolate treat) as you may be able to find it cheaper anywhere else. Whatever you do, the chocolate lover in you will thank you.

The Stinking Rose is a must for any garlic lover. I, myself, being a lot Italian, love garlic. Here you can enjoy a nice dinner and follow it up with the famous garlic ice cream. Yes. You did read that right. Garlic ice cream. The Stinking Rose has two locations. Beverly Hills and San Francisco. You can tell your friends back home that you got to try something that they probably have not tried. They may look at you funny but it’s worth it to have a story to tell. This may not be the ideal date night for obvious reasons, but then again, maybe it’s the perfect date night.

Fisherman’s Wharf is a great place for a stroll. You can shop imports and souvenirs here, dine at some delicious places, and take some great photographs. It is certainly a must when in San Francisco.

Pier 39 is also a must in SF. It has a video arcade, aquarium, rides, restaurants, and of course you can catch the sunbathing sea lions here. Take my advice and bring a little Vaseline or something to deaden your sense of smell for a bit of time while checking out the sea lions. The pier can get pretty smelly. It is definitely worth the smell though.

Take a cable car tour of the city. Trolleys, also known as cable cars, are iconically San Francisco. Make sure if you hear the ding ding that you are not on the tracks or really even close to them though. The cable car tours are a lot of fun and a great way to see the city. Technically the cable cars are not trolleys these days, but are easily mistaken.

If you are driving, you can drive on Lombard Street. You can get good pictures of Lombard even if you are not driving but this street is not for the faint of heart. There is one block that goes downhill and has 8 hairpin turns on it. It is very steep. Personally, I recommend walking down it instead though.

Coit Tower offers 360 degree views.

BEACHES: Baker Beach, Rodeo Beach, Pacifica State Beach, Marshall’s Beach, China Beach, San Francisco

Packing List: Type A or B power adapter, jacket, walking shoes, sunglasses, sunscreen safe for coral reef, USD for cash, camera and accessories

Do: Buy tickets to Alcatraz early online, Come ready to walk, Train your body before going if you plan on doing any walking, as this city has many hills and ensuring you can walk around without needing to take transportation everywhere will save you money

Don’t: Litter, Go to the Tenderloin as it is dangerous, Park your car on a hill without turning your tires into the curb, pulling the handbrake, and making sure your car is in park (SF Law), Dress tropically, Swim in the San Francisco Bay because it is cold, Call it San Fran or Frisco (there is a debate about Frisco)

Transportation: Cable car system, Taxis, Lyft, Uber, Buses (Muni), BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) Trains, Ferries