Last week I went to San Francisco for the very first time with my grandparents and my cousin, Macie. I recorded the trip for DOWNTOWN, so read on to see how my first San Francisco trip went!

Day One:

Our flight left at six in the morning, so we were out the door by three, and in San Francisco just a few hours later. Our first stop after the hotel was Pier 39 for my sister’s favorite: clam chowder in a bread bowl. The weather was gorgeous, and after lunch we walked along the pier, looked for seals, and stopped by Ghirardelli to pick up some chocolate for the trip. And we couldn’t help but buy a giant sourdough crab from Boudin Bakery on our way back to the hotel. 

Day Two: 

Day two was a busy one! We started the day at Philz Coffee for coffee and bagels (I had a Rose Cold Brew for the first time) and it was a delicious start. Then we headed on over to Alamo Square Park to see the Painted Ladies and say hello to all of the dogs running around the park!

My uncle used to live in San Francisco, so we couldn’t miss stopping by his old house and walking through the neighborhood, Haight-Ashbury, before lunch. We ended up at Brioche Bakery and Cafe, a little bistro on Columbus Avenue. The food and the coffee were amazing! If you ever stop by, try the Prosciutto sandwich!

And it wouldn’t be a vacation for me without a trip to the bookstore. City Lights Booksellers and Publishers was founded in 1953 and is still incredibly popular to this day; there was a line out the door just five minutes after they opened! I picked up a copy of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, a book I’ve been wanting to read for quite a while, and spent a long time wandering through the shelves.

We went to dinner at The Stinking Rose, a place that so many people told me I couldn’t miss while in San Francisco. The short rib ravioli was the best I’ve ever had, and the garlic ice-cream was amazing!

Day Three:

With so many food allergies in my family, we knew we had to find a gluten-free and vegan bakery before we left the city, and we did! We started our third day at Wholesome Bakery and had cupcakes and some more rose coffee for breakfast before going to walk around the Palace of Fine Arts before finally making our way over to Crissy Field to walk along the beach and see the Golden Gate Bridge! There were so many dogs running around on the beach!

Before going to the Nespresso and Moleskin stores in Union Square, we grabbed crepes at the pier, and they were delicious!

We ended the night at Fog Harbor at Pier 39 for seafood and an amazing view. I had lobster, and it was some of the best I’ve ever tasted!

We left early the next day, and I already can’t wait to go back!