Hello friends and fellow travelers. We recently just had dinner with my Uncle and Aunt, who shared that they were going to San Francisco in a couple of months. Of course, I was thinking,“oh, I’ll have to send them my blog.” After I went to look for it, I realized it was a blog that I started and didn’t finish. Which is super disappointing, because it doesn’t describe how I felt about our trip. We absolutely loved San Francisco California. We went in March 2023 and spent four days. We felt like there was so much to do and so little time. We really enjoyed our time there and can’t wait to go back soon. Let’s get talking about some details, so you can plan your next trip to San Francisco!
Transportation
We flew out of Eugene airport to Oakland airport. It was about an hour flight. We decided to fly to Oakland because it was only 100 dollars round trip! It was so worth it to save some money. We decided to not rent a car after we looked up the rental car prices. Rental car prices for a weekend in San Francisco were super expensive. We used Uber, Lyft, the famous trolley car, and walked a lot. We spent approximately 200 dollars on transportation in San Fran, not including our flights. Car rentals were approximately 350 dollars. This is not even including the money we saved on parking!
Where We Stayed
As a travel nurse, I am all about the points and what I can get for free. Sorry not sorry! Even though I am not working as a travel nurse, I still feel the same way about points and free things! When we started travel nursing, we were naive and didn’t sign up for all the hotel point systems. After a few hotel stays, we started noticing how many points we could be earning. We stayed at the Palace Hotel. The Palace Hotel was conveniently located near downtown, a mile from the pier, and reasonably priced. It was cheaper to go on the weekend’s vs the weekdays. The concierge service was always willing to help giving great advice of the best hot spots to see. The palace had a great indoor pool, jacuzzi, brunch, and their espresso martinis were also scrumptious. Edwin at the bar definitely made the best ones! We had a late checkout, so the bellman service held our bags, while we continued to explore the city. It was a nice feature, as we had a 11 am checkout. The hotel also gave us access to the pool and gym locker room before our flight to freshen up and a last-minute flight. This stay also earned us 8700 Marriott points! We used some of our points to book the hotel. It was definitely worth it for this stay, considering the location and the perks!
Top Things to Do in San Francisco
There was just too much to do in so little time. We had a hard time deciding what we wanted to do and what we needed to skip for next time. We were able to see a lot in four days. These are just some of the things we did and saw! This was our bucket list for San Francisco.
Alcatraz Island
Alcatraz is part of the golden gate national recreation area. The island overlooks the San Francisco skyline and the Golden Gate Bridge. We took an audio guided walking tour throughout the island. The audio tour tells stories of American incarceration, justice, and our common humanity. The island was once a military prison and a maximum-security prison. It’s unbelievable to see the living conditions that were considered acceptable.
The Painted Ladies
Along the eastern side of the Alamo square park, is one of the most iconic and most photographed sites in San Francisco. The Painted Ladies are pastel homes standing shoulder to shoulder, also known as, “the postcard row”.
The ‘Full House’ House
The exterior shots of “Full House” were filmed at 1709 Broderick Street in San Franscico.
Mrs. Doubtfire House
Settled on a steep hill (what part of San Francisco isn’t steep?), is the famous apartment building that Mrs. Doubtfire was shot. The house is located at 2640 Steiner Street.
Golden Gate Recreational Area
Golden Gate Recreational area offers great views of the Golden Gate Bridge, along with activities for everyone. There is some awesome hiking and walking trails. We also found a cool swing in Kirby Cove! Located in Golden Gate Recreational area is the Presidio of San Francisco. The Presidio is an incredible area in San Francisco and worth a visit.
Sutro Baths
Just beyond the cliff house in Lands’ End of the Golden Gate Recreational Area are the remains of the Sutro baths. Sutro Baths were a large privately owned public saltwater swimming pool in the 1890s. It’s known for beautiful sunsets. Unfortunately, when we went it was very cloudy, but it was still beautiful.
Presidio of San Francisco
A park and former US Army post located in Golden Gate Recreational Area. Honestly, Presidio has the best view of the Golden Gate Bridge. I would go to the Presidio just for the view of the bridge from there. Some other things to do in the Presidio:
Hit up the beach
Baker Beach, Marshall Beach, and Crissy Field’s East beach are all located in the Presidio.
Hike a trail
There are so many good trails located in the presidio.
Industrial Light and Magic
American motion picture visual effects, computer animation, and stereo conversion digital studio that was founded by George Lucas. George Lucas founded, created and produced Star Wars. ILM has previous costumes (My husband is probably rolling his eyes when he’s reading this) that were used during Star Wars movies.
Outside the ILM building is a cool Yoda fountain.
The Walt Disney family museum
This was a really cool museum we just stumbled on. It had a lot of cool information and history of Disney. My grandfather and grandmother growing up loved Disney and production of Disney, so this was interesting to see.
Fisherman’s wharf
Fisherman’s Wharf is a great spot to enjoy indoor and outdoor dining, unique shops, bay cruises, fun family attractions, and different museums. The wharf is the center of San Fransicos maritime history. Catch a boat to Alcatraz or a sunset cruise! One of my favorite parts of Fisherman’s Wharf is Umbrella Alley. If anyone knows me, they know I LOVE a beautiful local mural. Check out some local murals we saw!
Pier 39
Pier 39 is San Francisco’s home to the huge sea lion friends who sleep on the docks of piers. Honestly, pier 39 is worth a visit just to see these fun mammals! Pier 39 is full entertainment with the street performers, fun shops, and different attractions. Nick and I enjoyed Solve it! Store. It was full of fun puzzles.
Pier 45
Pier 45 is a historic working fishing pier known for its WWII era vessels and antique museum. Musée Mécanique is an old-fashioned spot featuring antique coin arcade games. How are your arm-wrestling skills?
Union Square
Union Square is the area of San Francisco’s upscale shopping surrounding a central plaza.
16 Ave Tiled Steps
The 16th Avenue tiled steps is a community collaboration project that was finished in 2025. The stairs are decorated with beautiful tiles resembling the sea to the sky. At the top of the stairs, you can see the city, ocean, and golden gate bridge!
Mission District
This vibrant neighborhood is known for its culturally diverse area. It has a lot of shops that sell hand crafted items and the is home to some of the best murals in San Fran.
Washington Square
Washington Square is a park located in the North Beach district of San Francisco. It’s conveniently located near restaurants, has open grass for a nice picnic, and overlooks the Saints Peter and Paul Church.
Ferry Building
The ferry building is a terminal for ferries that travel across the San Fran Bay but is also home to nearly 50 local artisan food merchants, restaurants, and small eateries.
Lombard Street
Do you want to see the crookedest street in the world? Go check out Lombard Street! It’s conveniently one of the trolley stops!
California Street
California Street is a famous street in San Fran that oversees Chinatown, skyscrapers, and the golden gate bridge. It has some of the best views of the city
Pro Tip: to get a good picture or the best view of California Street, go to the corner of California Street and Stockton Street. (beware it’s steep!)
Palace of Fine Arts
Greco-Roman palace and architectural attraction that overlooks the Golden Gate Bridge
Ride a Cable Car
Leaving the best for last…you can’t visit San Fran and not ride a cable car!
Places We Ate
Schok Bagels and Lox
You’ve probably seen this bagel shop on Tik Tok or Instagram reels. It’s up and coming and so good! We enjoyed an everything bagel and a poppy bagel!
Address: 1263 Fell Street, San Francisco, CA, 94117
Yelp review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.1/5
TravelingbeebryantRN Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️3.5/5
Flicks_withNick’s Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
Original joes
We were in the mood for some good comfort Italian food. Someone suggested to check out Original Joes and it was a hit! We loved the chicken and veal parm, garlic bread, and of course an espresso martini!
Address: 601 Union Street, San Francisco, CA, 94133
Yelp review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4.5/5
TravelingbeebryantRN Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
Flicks_withNick’s Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.9/5
Sweet Maple
Honestly, if you are going to eat one meal in SF, Sweet Maple should be your choice. Nick will argue that it’s for the million-dollar bacon (Which I’m not gonna lie… was so good and I’m not a bacon girl), but more for the mimosas. The strawberry mimosa was my absolute favorite, but the mango was also very good (tip: ask for no rim). The service was incredible, and the food was incredible.
Address: 2101 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA, 94115.
Yelp review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.6/5
TravelingbeebryantRN Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5/5
Flicks_withNick’s Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.6/5
Kitchen Story
Kitchen Story is owned by the same owners of Sweet Maple. I liked Kitchen Story a lot, but the menu was smaller and very similar to Sweet Maple. The service wasn’t as good as Sweet Maple.
Address: 3499 16th Street, San Francisco, CA, 94114
Yelp review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.4/5
TravelingbeebryantRN Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️3.5/5
Flicks_withNick’s Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.8/5
Ghirardelli Chocolate Experience
Iconic chocolatier selling chocolates. Enjoy a world-famous hot fudge sundae.
Address: 900 North Point Street, San Francisco, CA, 94109
Yelp review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4.5/5
TravelingbeebryantRN Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4.5/5
Flicks_withNick’s Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.1/5
Outfits of the Trip
Now that we’ve talked about where to stay, what to eat, what to drink, and what to do… what’s left. Oh yeah, of course, some of the best outfits of the trip! We traveled to SF in the spring, in March! Check out some of my favorite outfits from the trip!
I hope you enjoy your next SF trip as much as we did! Next on our vacation horizon is a day in Disney and cruise to the Bahamas! I can’t wait to update you all on my thoughts on another royal cruise . Stay up to date with all things travel, nursing, and of course Flicks_withNick’s movie reviews. Give us a follow-on Instagram or subscribe to this blog
TravelingbeebryantRN & Flicks_withNick 
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