California Series #2: San Francisco

It seems as though these past couple weeks have been a blur of craziness since I got back from Minnesota! Matt has been busy at the clinic and I have been working the usual long shifts and commuting nearly 1.5 hours each way. In addition to the must-dos like working, we also spent a weekend in San Francisco, moved into our new apartment, and took a backpacking trip to Big Basin Redwoods State Park (which we’ll post about soon!). Overall it has been an amazing couple of weeks – but insanely busy.

One thing that both Matt and I both agree on is the way we spend our free time. We love to keep busy and be intentional with our time together, because it seems to be few and far between with our schedules these days. Getting out of the house and focusing on each other and our interests seems to make all the difference! We get the chance to be together, catch up, reconnect, and keep our relationship strong as we explore and make memories. We always feel re-energized and ready to tackle the week after being intentional with our time together!

Checking in

During our trip here in California we have been staying in San Mateo, which is just a short drive to San Francisco. Being so close to the city has given us the chance to visit and explore it several times so far. After doing most of the touristy things during our visit this last spring, there were just a few things that we still wanted to do. So we decided to booked a hotel in Union Square for a little "staycation" – one touristy thing we had yet explore!

We chose to stay at the Westin St. Francis in Union Square for our little getaway in San Francisco. The hotel was the perfect spot for us and what we wanted to see; just a few steps out and literally you are in Union Square. Our intention for the weekend was a relaxed wandering, stopping wherever we felt was interesting as we strolled along. Since we had already visited San Francisco with a more specific itinerary, we wanted this weekend to be relaxed and unstructured.

Brunch in the city

On Saturday morning, we took an Uber into the city and checked into our hotel before catching brunch at a southern soul food spot called Farmerbrown. The restaurant had a rustic vibe with farmhouse style dishware and décor. It was relaxed and casual, a perfect way for us to start our day. On Saturdays and Sundays they host an extensive brunch buffet. We opted to stick with two a la carte dishes and save room for later. Everything was great and we would definitely recommend visiting if you enjoy soul food!

Free museum visit

After brunch we stopped at Equator Coffee for a cup and went out to explore the area a bit. We walked around and took in the architecture unique to San Francisco – narrow townhome –style buildings with bright colors and intricate details as well as the modern touch the city has received from the influx of business and technology over the past decades. A small art museum called Yerba Buena Center for the Arts near the Museum of Modern art caught our attention. They were offering free admission so we figured why not check it out! We really enjoyed the exhibits throughout the museum, most of which focused on the struggle of the inner city and the environmental stress our race places on the earth. One of my favorite parts of the museum was a wall of questions that visitors could answer by writing on a note card and placing their response below the posted question. These questions were about life, faith, our nation, struggles – some serious and others light-hearted. It was interesting to see the responses different people wrote.

Chinatown

After heading back to the hotel to regroup, we decided to do a bit of shopping in Union Square before heading to check out Chinatown and grab some dinner. We walked through Chinatown for a couple of hours until we found a restaurant that caught our interest. I have heard from several people who say sometimes it can be difficult to find a good place to eat in Chinatown, especially with all the options and the language barrier. We ended up using google and yelp to narrow down our choices. After picking a few we found interesting, we walked by them to read the menus before deciding on the winner. This strategy worked out perfect for us!

Sunday stroll

On Sunday we spent the day walking (surprised at all?) and swung by a couple more things we wanted to see, Lombard Street and the Lyon Street Steps, before heading back home so I could sleep (night shift problems). It was a quick weekend trip but we were happy to do and see plenty!

Both Matt and I enjoyed staying in San Francisco, the energy of it, the constant buzz that makes you feel even more cozy to be snuggled up and have a little piece of it to yourself. We both love the city and everything it has to offer (and most within walking distance!) Maybe someday we’ll end up living in the city… just have to wait and see!