There are a million things to do in San Francisco. My girlfriends and I planned our annual Girls Getaway for Monterey and Carmel, but tacked on a couple of extra days to spend in San Francisco. We made the most of our short time there and proved that it is possible to pack a quintessential San Francisco getaway into 48 hours.
Lombard Street, deemed the crookedest street in San Francisco (maybe the U.S. and the world) is eight ziggedy-zaggedy turns in one block on a slope that would make a great challenge for an X-treme downhill skier. Driving down the 600 ft. red brick road is similar to riding a roller coaster (without the loops) at 5 mph and it will all be over in two minutes. Set the GPS to 1099 Lombard Street and give it a shot.
If you’re going to San Francisco you absolutely HAVE to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. We parked in a lot near the Golden Gate Bridge Visitor Plaza on the southeast end of the bridge. You can take pictures at the beautiful vista point before walking over the 1.5 mile art deco style bridge. Some tips: wear layers, it can be warm or it can be cool from the wind; pull your hair back if you have long hair - WINDEEE; bring a camera - you’ll take a hundred pictures; take your time and enjoy the views.
Take a walk on Pier 39, known for it’s fresh seafood restaurants, shops, and (my favorite) sea lions who camp out on K-dock. We spent a couple of hours strolling the pier, noshing on clam chowder (in a sourdough bread bowl of course), browsing the specialty shops, and giggling at the sea lions battling one another for “king of the hill” as they sunbathed on the dock. You will also see street performers and musicians scattered around Pier 39 and a fresh fruit market (we picked up fresh California cherries to snack on).
After doing my homework on awesome places to have small plates and drinks in San Francisco, we were hell bent on visiting the Tonga Room at the Fairmont (no matter how tired we were). There was no way we were going to pass up a Polynesian themed tiki bar with a live action rain and tropical thunder storm and drinks served in a coconut. Add to that a live band playing catchy music on a floating stage. After all, Anthony Bourdain liked it so we knew we would too! 
SF is a great city for boutique hotels. They’re cozy, and many include breakfast and a wine and cheese hour. We stayed near Nob Hill at the White Swan Inn. Loved the vintage elevator, cozy rooms with a fireplace, and personal touch.
Obviously, one of the highlights of San Francisco is Golden Gate Park. It’s over a thousand acres so we chose to see it via Segway on the morning of Day 2. After taking 30 minutes to teach us how to drive a Segway, our tour guide led us on a two hour journey through the magnificent park. We made a short stop at a food truck for lunch, then switched over to hiking mode and ventured out to Muir Woods, about 20 minutes north of the city.
The giant redwoods at Muir Woods are overwhelming, to say the least. Hiking trails range from very easy to more difficult. No matter which trail you choose, you’re hiking among old growth coast redwoods, nearly 300 feet tall and 500-800 years old and they are spectacular!
We finished our hike in enough time to shower, change, and have a little wine and cheese before trekking out to Fisherman’s Wharf to catch our Night Tour of Alcatraz - another must-see! We headed out on the 6:30 PM ferry, arrived on the island twenty-some minutes later, and had a VERY interesting (and eerie) tour of the Cellhouse.
Wrapping up our SF mini visit, we had drinks and small plates at The View Lounge at the Mariott Marquis to get an exquisite view of the city. Early the next morning? A flight back to Chicago to relax from our vacay!
