It was my first time in San Francisco. I have been to the US a couple of times but I’ve always stayed in LA (and sometimes visited my uncle and aunt in Montana).
Our host in Salinas where we stayed for a couple of days is my dad’s (get ready for it) grade school, high school, college classmate and work colleague. Yeah. Kinda clingy sila sa isa’t isa. My tito is Toots’ baptism godfather too. It’s so cool.
They booked us to stay for 3 nights in Monterey and somewhere near the downtown of San Francisco so that we can go around SFO easier. My tito’s kids who are Toots’ kinakapatid are two very nice and pretty power women who definitely know how to have fun. Favorite sila ni Anika. Like Anika wants to hang out with them all the time. Feeling niya tropa sila. Hehe. I love them.
Anyway, on our first weekend there, they took us around downtown San Francisco.
UNION SQUARE
From the hotel, we drove and parked at Union Square. Best to start your day super early if you only have one day to explore downtown San Francisco.
Union Square is a public plaza where you can do a lot of shopping, find nice hotels and theaters. If I were to go back, I would eat at the Cheesecake Factory at the top floor of Macy’s. Dun ako magmamasid ng Union Square.
SAN FRANCISCO CABLE CAR
We walked for a bit to the first station of the San Francisco Cable Car.
I was so excited to ride it! Sa movies ko lang ito nakikita, guys! Remember Princess Diaries? Diba they had a scene there where they got hit by a cable car because hindi umaandar yung car nina Julie Andrews and Anne Hathaway? Ito yun!
If you were watching my IG stories then, you would have seen how they “turn the cable car around” so it can go to the other way. They do it manually, mind you. Anyway, there was a line because parang it was the first stop of the cable car. We took the Powell/Hyde line that took us up and over Nob Hill with a final stop in Fisherman’s Wharf.
When it was finally our turn to ride, we ran to the side where mas maganda ang view. You can choose to sit or to make sabit. Yeah. You know, sabit like how they do it in jeepneys. Hahaha. Ang arte ko amp!
You can only choose one though all throughout the trip. You can’t sabit then sit later on because people will be coming and riding in every stop. They will get your seat so sabit ka na forever (or until they go down their stop). On our way to the Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39, we sat na lang muna. After a few stops, hindi makatiis ang Anika, she stood up and sumabit. Kahit na I was nervous, I let her. It was an experience. It’s not everyday you get to hang on a running SFO cable car!
With our lovely hostess – Tin and Camille
FISHERMAN’S WHARF AND PIER 39
At the end of our stop was Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39.
Fisherman’s Wharf is one of the most popular tourist area here. From Google:
Fisherman’s Wharf, on the northern waterfront, is one of the city’s busiest tourist areas. Souvenir shops and stalls selling crab and clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls appear at every turn, as do postcard views of the bay, Golden Gate and Alcatraz. There’s also a colony of sea lions to see and historic ships to tour. At Ghirardelli Square, boutiques and eateries reside in the famed former chocolate factory.
Fisherman’s Wharf is one the most visited attraction in San Francisco. Pier 39 is one of the attractions in Fisherman’s Wharf. There. Nalito kasi ako ng slight when I was researching where to go before we left for the US.
The weather was beautiful. It was sunny but cool. But when you’re near the water na, lumalamig na ng bahagya. Anika has a high tolerance sa cold weather. So if you see her in photos na naka-jacket, that means super lamig na talaga for normal lamigin people like me. Lol.
While walking to Pier 39 which was at the edge of Fisherman’s Wharf, I stopped by a drug store to get ointment for my singaw. Mahal. Mga more than Php 1,000 yung small tube of Abreeva. But it was effective. While we were in Pier 39, Tin bought Anika the Dragonfruit drink in Starbucks.
I actually do not have any idea why Anika has always wanted to try the Dragon fruit drink of Starbucks. Mga 2 years na niya ako kinukulit if may Dragon fruit drink sa SB dito sa Pinas. Wala naman. Feeling ko sa Tiktok or Youtube niya yun nakita. Finally after 2 years of waiting, ayan, she was able to try na that drink. She loved it! I tasted it and in fairness, it was so refreshing. Lasang ummm, dragon fruit. Hahaha! Masarap na matamis na medyo sour pero overall, it’s a drink that you would want to order on a hot day.
Pier 39 was a super cute place. Para siyang Sta. Monica Pier pero mas siksik with restaurants, shops, food stalls and kung ano ano pang kids’ activities.
Anika bought this make your own bear from Build-A-Bear. When Anika told me that she wanted one, I checked the price. Nanlaki mata ko. Anklaseng bear ito?! Hindi naman nagsasalita. Hindi naman nagluluto or naglilinis ng bahay. Bakit ganun yung price?! Anyway, osha. May dalang sariling pocket money ang bagets kaya game. Kaya naman pala mahal kasi may ceremony pa when you make your own bear.
You pick the skin of the bear and get a heart token. The lady by the stuffing machine made Anika make a wish with the heart token tightly inside her hand and on her heart and then put the heart token inside the bear and stuffed it. Ang cute ng routine. And then Anika bought Harry Potter clothes for the bear. Akala ko tapos na. Hindi pa pala. We had to apply for a birth certificate of the bear. Buti pa yung bear may birth certificate. Hahaha! Anika named her bear and then we paid for it na.
Minsan nalilito ako kung dalaga na ba anak ko or baby pa eh. Ang galing magmake up sa sarili. On point ang mascara sa eyelashes niya everytime we go out pero may dala dalang bear that she slept with all throughout our trip in the US. Di bale, at whatever age, she will always be a baby to me.
Most of the restaurants there are seafood restaurants. Masarap daw their clam chowder. Don’t worry, yun lang ang kinain ko dahil ang sakit nga ng singaw ko.
This was my outfit of the day.
Top: H&M; Jeans: STRADIVARIUS; Shoes: KEDS; Sunglasses: DIOR
Walang kwenta yang jacket ko na yan sa lamig. Pang japorms lang talaga. Cannot be for temperature below 16 degrees Celsius.
If you have more time, there are more attractions there to see. Some of the main attractions are Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, Musée Mécanique, and Ripley’s Believe it or Not!. You can also check out the restored 19th- and 20th-century ships line the waterfront at the Hyde Street Pier, which is now the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park.
We walked further near the water. Palamig ng palamig.
ALCATRAZ
You can see Alcatraz behind us.
If we had more time, I would have insisted to go to an Alcatraz tour. Also kasi, medyo kinuripot ako sa $104 price per ticket for the Alcatraz Behind the Scenes Tour. They have cheaper ones like the day or night tour at around $50-$60 a ticket pero kung pupunta ako, dun na ako sa all out tour.
By the way, from the official website of Alcatraz:
Alcatraz Island is a 25-acre island located 1 ¼ mile from San Francisco. The Island was designated in1933 by the Federal Bureau of Prisons to be a maximum security prison, called Alcatraz. Alcatraz was an infamous prison that housed notorious and dangerous criminals such as Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly, and Robert Franklin Stroud, better know as the “Birdman of Alcatraz.
Interesting, right? Imagine a penitentiary located on an island in the middle of the San Francisco Bay. It operated for almost 30 years and has become one of America’s infamous prisons. Next time talaga, papasukin ko na ito.
GHIRARDELLI SQUARE
After a delicious lunch (according to them because clam chowder is life nga lang ako that time), we walked towards the Ghirardelli Square, also located in the Fisherman’s Wharf area.
From Google:
The stately brick buildings in San Francisco’s impressive 1895 Ghirardelli Square, the original site of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory (previously a woolen mill), are now the home of a stylish collection of shops and restaurants, plus the luxe Fairmont Heritage Place hotel. One of the most pleasant places to stroll and shop in the city, it also has the distinction of being the first successful adaptive reuse project of its kind in the country.
It was a beautiful old structure. Anika said (because they went upstairs to us the rest rooms) that there were a lot of shops and restaurants inside the building.
We went straight to the Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop.
I ordered the simple ice cream and some chocolates while my friend Tin ordered one of their best selling sundaes.
Masarap, men. Tiniis ko yung lamig para lang sa ice cream na ito. Their World Famous Hot Fudge Sundae costs $13.95. Yan yung nasa taas na photo. 900 calories daw yan. That’s the thing with restaurants in the US. Lagi may nakaindicate na corresponding calories kaya mapapa-second thoughts ka din to order. But this one’s worth the calories, I tell you. Alam niyo yung matamis pero hindi makati sa throat? Ito yun. I’m craving tuloy!
Next time I go here, I will explore the whole building complex. I will check out the stores and eat at the restaurants there.
On our way back to Union Square, we rode again the Cable Car. Ako naman ang sumabit for the experience.
PAINTED LADIES
After going back to Union Square to get our car, we drove to see the Painted Ladies.
Seeing the Painted Ladies has been in my travel wish list for the longest time. Siguro it’s the engineer in me. I like looking at nice houses. It finally came true and I was with Anika which makes it more special!
From Wikipedia:
Painted ladies are Victorian and Edwardian houses and buildings repainted, starting in the 1960s, in three or more colors that embellish or enhance their architectural details. One of the best-known groups of “Painted Ladies” is the row of Victorian houses at 710–720 Steiner Street, across from Alamo Square park, in San Francisco. It is sometimes known as “Postcard Row”; they are also known as the Seven Sisters. The houses were built between 1892 and 1896 by developer Matthew Kavanaugh, who lived next door in the 1892 mansion at 722 Steiner Street.
There was a grass hill in front of this row of Painted Ladies. I saw a lot of people hanging out there because shaded yung area overlooking the houses. Ganda. Sarap tumambay. Ninamnam ko ng mga 2 minutes. And then I walked along in front of the houses. People actually live there. Ang weird lang siguro when you’re living there. Literally, no privacy. I saw that the curtains and blinds were drawn down in these houses. Hindi mo makita yung loob.
But still these houses were really beautiful. I had a nice time just looking at them and imagining how they were built and finished. Ang daming curves and details!
Next time I go there, we’ll go on a picnic on that grass hill and stay longer. Kwentuhan. Relax relax. And then I would walk around the block to see more of these Victorian houses.
PALACE OF FINE ARTS
After that, we went to the Palace of Fine Arts. Isa pa ito. I keep on seeing this in photos and sa movies.
From Wikipedia:
The Palace of Fine Arts is a monumental structure located in the Marina District of San Francisco, California, originally constructed for the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition to exhibit works of art. Completely rebuilt from 1964 to 1974, it is the only structure from the exposition that survives on site.
The most prominent building of the complex, a 162-foot-high (49-meter) open rotunda, is enclosed by a lagoon on one side and adjoins a large, curved exhibition center on the other side, separated from the lagoon by colonnades. As of 2019, the exhibition center (one of San Francisco’s largest single-story buildings) is used as a venue for events such as weddings or trade fairs.
We walked inside. There were so many graduating students and beautiful teenagers going to the prom who were having their pictorial at the Palace of the Fine Arts. Ganda naman kasi guys ito as backdrop. It was so cold there though kaya bilib ako dun sa mga nandun na nakastrapless gowns and short spaghetti strapped dresses. As in konting konti lang talaga ang suot nila and sobrang daming skin ang exposed. I was amazed how they were able to handle the coldness. Keber sila sa lamig. The structure at the middle (rotunda) was beautiful. Grabe ang echo and super lamig. Nagfufunnel yung wind sa loob.
TWIN PEAKS
Next we went to Twin Peaks. It had the nicest view of downtown San Francisco. Dala ka lang ng effective na jacket, pwede ka magmuni-muni dun.
From this website:
The Twin Peaks are the only hills in San Francisco not to have been built over and remain in their original state. The Spaniards called them “Los pechos de la Chola” or the Breasts of the Indian Maiden. Even on warm days, strong, cool breezes blow in from the Pacific, especially in the late afternoon.
The Golden Gate bridge was finished in May 1937 and it took them to 4 years to finish the construction. At its time of completion, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world spanning a little more than 3 kilometers. It’s an iconic structure of SFO. The bridge is color orange. Maganda ang contrast niya with the blue waters and when the late afternoon sun hits it, you will be at awe sa ganda.
You can drive through the bridge coming from San Francisco all the way to Sausalito. You can also walk or bike on the East and West sidewalk.
These two photos were taken in a place near the Palace of Fine Arts. We were waiting for Lolo Papa and our other uncles and aunts because they came from a lunch with their longtime friends.
LOMBARD STREET
Our last stop was Lombard street.
From Wikipedia:
Lombard Street is an east–west street in San Francisco, California that is famous for a steep, one-block section with eight hairpn turns. Stretching from The Presdio east to The Embarcadero (with a gap on Telegraph Hill), most of the street’s western segment is a major thoroughfare designated as part of U.S. Route 101. The famous one-block section, claimed to be “the crookedest street in the world”, is located along the eastern segment in the Russian Hill neighborhood. It is a major tourist attraction, receiving around two million visitors per year and up to 17,000 per day on busy summer weekends, as of 2015.
This was one of the places I really wanted to see in SFO. Curious na curious ako. Nung dumaan kami here, it was a really crooked street. Parang yung bituka ng manok na road going to Bicol when you drive down south. Ang difference lang is prettier itong Lombard Street haha. Ganda ng plants around it eh.
That’s how our one day tour of downtown San Francisco went.
For you guys, I suggest you allot 2 days for all these places. Hatiin niyo sa dalawang araw. This will give you more time to explore each place for longer period of time. Yung namnam talaga, di ba? Leisure walking, labas pasok sa stores, try all the food na madaan niyo and have time to rest.
You can also look for that specific place na maganda na backdrop mo yung Golden Gate Bridge. Hahanapin ko yun next time. I know how it looks like pero I don’t know where it is. Kamote hahaha! I wanna go to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area too. Also, I want to take Anika to the Exploratorium. Para siyang Mind Museum natin dito sa BGC pero mas high tech and mas malaki.
Next time, there will always be a next time San Francisco <3