I’m prtill riding that post race high even though I have a serious case of DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). I got a glorious massage last night at Red Door Spa thanks to an old birthday gift from my parents. Hopefully that helps speed up the recovery process. I tried my best to get up and walk every 30 or so minutes while I was on the plane however I think the extended sitting time didn’t help.
This past weekend was my first time in San Francisco. Even I’m surprised it took me so long! My parents have been a few times so were excellent tour guides and indulged my touristy requests. I didn’t get to do everything on my list since it was a quick trip with a half marathon thrown in there, but I definitely got a taste of the Bay Area and can understand why people love it so much.
First things first… THE HILLS
I don’t think you can even capture how steep the incline was!
I heard the race course was hilly but didn’t realize just how hilly the city was as well. We stayed at the Ritz Carlton since it was close to the race start in Union Square. The hotel also happened to be perched on top of one of the many massive hills of San Francisco. I was huffing and puffing every time I walked up the hill to the hotel and we ended up taking a few too many taxis because of the incline. Next time around I’ll probably stay somewhere that’s not on top of a hill 🙂
the tourist essentials
ride the Cable Car
You can’t visit San Francisco for the first time and NOT ride the cable car! It’s not the most cost effective way to get around town seeing as it’s $7 each way per passenger… I’ll argue that it’s certainly the most fun option. We hopped on a cable car close to the Embarcadero Center and enjoyed the ride to Fisherman’s Wharf.
It’s a little bit freaky when you think about the logistics of a vehicle that old and that’s run by hand breaks. I feel like Disney should’ve taken advantage of them when they created California Adventure.
Pro tip: Want the cliche photo hanging out the cable car (ugh, don’t we all!) head to the back of the cable car. It’s less crowded and you’ll be able to take a bunch of photos. Also stick around at the end of the ride for additional photo opps.
Fisherman’s Wharf
I’ll admit, it’s insanely touristy and parts of the area is creepishly like Time Square– Madame Tussauds and a Ripley’s Believe It Or Not. Sadly I couldn’t enjoy any Ghiradelli’s chocolate because I cut out all dairy this month leading up to the marathon. I was more than happy to munch on some fresh sour dough bread though because carbs. You can literally smell the bread from outside and I couldn’t resist a mini loaf.
Pro tip: Check out the seals sun bathing by pier 39. They are such a ridiculous and blubbery animal.
Embarcadero Center
The Embarcadero Center reminded me a lot of Faneuil Hall in Boston– a ton of food places and not a McDonald’s in sight. I had an amazing tuna burger from the San Francisco Fish Company and a green juice from a small market inside the building. Both were amazing.
Pro Tip: It can get insanely crowded during lunch time. Try and snag a table or bench outside where the ferries depart from.
The Farmer’s Market
The Farmer’s Market is located behind the Embarcadero center by where the ferries leave. I was in awe of how many of the stands had free samples– you never see that in New York at the farmer’s market. I had persimmons for the first time and am officially obsessed with them. Where can I find them in NYC?
I also saw an avocado the size of my face. Sadly I did not purchase it.
Pro tip: Buying something? Be sure to bring your own bag! San Francisco actually charges 10 cents for a bag wherever you are.
Ferry ride + Sausalito
We took a late morning ferry over to Sausalito to visit my dad’s friend, take some pictures by the Golden Gate Bridge and go to Terrapin Crossing… a Grateful Dead inspired restaurant. The views were absolutely spectacular and the best part is parking was FREE. You can also take one of the hop on hop off buses over to this same look out point in Sausalito.
Pro tip: A ton of people bike over the Golden Gate bridge to Sausalito making the afternoon ferries back super crowded. Give yourself a little bit of extra time to snag a seat because the line can be lengthy.
Big Bus tour
I’m SO happy we decided to do this tour the day I ran the half marathon. While I felt pretty good overall, my parents were adamant about me not overdoing it and being on my feet all day. Yay marathon taper. This sit down bus tour ended up being the perfect way to spend the day and our tour guide Kristina was absolutely hilarious and at times wildly inappropriate. As a group of New Yorkers we loved her sense of humor. If your feet are tired from walking the hills… or you just ran a half marathon I highly recommend Big Bus Tour in San Francisco. We got to see a ton of neighborhoods all while sitting on our butts.
Pro Tip: It can get really cold and windy– especially when you’re zooming over the Golden Gate Bridge on a double decker bus. Bring an extra layer… and maybe even a hair tie to combat the whipping wind.
City Lights Bookstore
As the daughter of a librarian, bookstores are always a must visit in new cities. The collection of books are eclectic and and homage to the beatnik era. The best part? They’re open until midnight even on Sundays.
Pro tip: The area of North Beach around the bookstore is absolutely adorable. Great area to get dinner then head over here afterwards since it’s open late!
Food & Fitness
Moxie Yoga in Nob Hill
I’m totally gutted that I only got to take 1 fitness class while I was in San Francisco. Moxie Yoga was exactly what I needed Friday morning. I’ve been craving yoga like no other to heal my poor body and it felt especially good to stretch out after a long flight and my first day of walking around San Francisco.
The studio was clean and airy. I was especially won over with the friendliness of fellow classmates. In New York we’re not known to be the friendliest people so I was surprised when a few students struck up a conversation with me after hearing I was in town for the race.
The vinyasa flow was just the way I love it, a little bit sweaty, a little bit fast but also with a ton of stretching. If I lived in SF it would totally be my pre-work yoga class of choice!
Prospect in SoMa
Friday night I went out to dinner at Prospect with a group of bloggers who were also in San Francisco for the race– Evann, Ashley, Kristine, Emily, Anne and Jane (thank you Ashley for organizing!). I had an incredible (dairy-free!) salmon dish over rice. I may or may not have had salmon for all 3 meals on Friday but whatever. I had a great time with the other bloggers and it was so much fun to get together with other people running the race.
New York represent with Ashley & Evann
Emmy’s Spaghetti Shack in Mission District
On Saturday night I met up with my counselor from my birthright trip, Hannah, for dinner. I requested going to a restaurant I could carb load with pasta and Emmy’s was PERFECT. The pasta with marinara sauce hit the spot and I happily munched on plenty of bread throughout dinner. God, I love marathon training.
After dinner we walked around the Mission District which is known to be the slightly hip/ hipster part of town. It reminded me of Williamsburg and therefore I loved it. Next time I’m in SF I need to properly explore this area… and go shopping.
Don Pisto in North Beach
Sunday evening my mom wanted to end up in North Beach for dinner so we could check out City Lights Bookstore. I found this gem thanks to Yelp and we had dinner with my brother’s best friend (who’s also my best friend’s big brother, confusing?) and his girlfriend. I single handedly demolished the guacamole. The tortilla soup was a bit spicy but absolutely delicious– more than enough food for dinner.
Lunch at the Spright HQ
I’m really really obsessed with Spright and frequently share links to their articles. This website is totally redefining what healthy means while also creating incredible content. I’ve been a huge fan since they launched back in March and was so excited when Jackelyn invited me to have lunch with other bloggers + runners at their office. I had been in contact with Jackelyn a while back for something work related so it was so awesome to finally get to meet her in person.
The office has a kitchen (and showers!) so the team cooked us up a homemade meal of zoodles with pesto sauce, salmon, sprouts + mushrooms, sweet potato fries and unpictured but incredibly delicious black bean brownies.
They are honestly one of those companies that I’m so excited to see where they’re heading.
I think it’s safe to say I had a good time in San Francisco both exploring and running 🙂
What are your favorite restaurants and things to do in San Francisco? Gotta start making a list for next year!
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