Gabbi Hall
I grew up just north of San Francisco in Marin County, California. My parents worked in the city, and I spent quite of bit of time there as a kid. But, by high school, I had moved to Tahoe, and before long, San Francisco was a thing of my past. So, now that I’m back on the West Coast, it’s only natural that I’d adventure back for a girls’ trip to San Francisco.
When I had some PTO to kill, my friend Whitney and I headed for a short weekend trip to San Francisco on a reasonable budget.
How to Get to San Francisco
From Reno, there are a few ways to get to San Francisco—car, plane or bus. A plane is convenient from RNO, but it’s expensive. A car is convenient for only a 4-hour drive, but it’s expensive to park in San Francisco and you risk having to sit in traffic for hours.
This third option, the bus, is the most interesting because it’s so reasonably priced. The FlixBus picks people up at the Silver Legacy in downtown Reno and drops them off right in downtown San Francisco. So, not only is it convenient, but a basic ticket is $20 round trip, making it a very economical option for a girls’ trip to San Francisco.
Now, I won’t lie and say it’s the most glamorous form of travel, but honestly, being on a bus isn’t much less convenient than sitting in an airplane seat. Just download some podcasts and music. Take a seat and sit back. You’ll be in San Francisco in no time.
Where to Stay on Your Girls Trip to San Francisco
Downtown San Francisco is not an inexpensive place to stay—especially if you want to stay somewhere decent in the heart of the action. While I was hunting for a hotel room, I looked at HotelTonight to see if I could find a deal. If you’re not familiar, HotelTonight offers discount hotel rooms at the last minutes and sometimes you can find amazing deals.
However, that’s not how I ended up getting our hotel room. Instead, I went to AAA (I am a member) and searched their hotel booking site. I had never done that before, but I managed to find a great deal on a hotel room at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel in Union Square for $129 a night. It was a small room on the 20th floor with sweeping views of the city. Considering most rooms I saw while booking were well over $200 a night—often over $300 a night—so I feel like we got a steal. Plus, the Kimpton hotel has a complimentary happy hour in the Starlight Lounge on the 21st floor starting at 5 pm, which is a pretty great perk before a night out.
Location-wise, the Sir Francis Drake Hotel is awesome because you have easy access to things like the iconic San Francisco trolley. You’re walking distance to the Ferry Building, waterfront and so much more.
Where to Eat on Your Girls Trip to San Francisco
Philz Coffee
Whitney was determined to go to Philz Coffee. As a coffee aficionado, it’s one of her favorite places—if not her favorite place—for getting coffee. This iconic San Francisco coffee shop had long lines EVERY time I walked by and now I see why.
They do pour over coffee like my favorite Reno spot, Reno Coffee Co., and make a morning mojito that is both caffeinating and refreshing. This is the perfect place to fuel up when you’re walking around the city.
Frog Hollow Farm-to-Table Café
I’m the first to admit the avocado toast here is pricey, but I think it’s worth the price. It’s served on a slice of garlic bread and the avocado is perfectly ripe. You can sit behind the Ferry Building on the patio, enjoy an iced coffee and avocado toast with a view of the Bay Bridge. It’s a great way to start a day on your girls’ trip to San Francisco before you walk to Pier 39 and enjoy the ocean views.
Park Tavern
We went to the Park Tavern based on a recommendation from the concierge at our hotel, and I’m so glad we did. Located in the North Beach neighborhood, it’s like high-end American bar food, and it’s not to be underestimated.
We split a bottle of rose and ordered the PT Fries as an appetizer, which is served with a soft egg and caviar to dip them in. Trust me, just order them. They are so good. For dinner, we both ordered the burger which is served with bacon and cheddar and a side of horseradish mayo. Holy crap, you guys. I LOVE the horseradish mayo—for the burger and the side of fries.
Maritime Wine Trading Collective
We randomly stopped in here after dinner at Park Tavern. The Maritime Wine Trading Collective was low-key, modern and had lots of options especially in terms of wine flights. I had the rosé flight ($16) and my friend had the south of the equator flight with red wines ($18), and it was the perfect place to end the night.
The Cliff House
We made a reservation for Saturday lunch at The Cliff House and were seated at 11:30 am—perfect timing because we were starving after walking a couple miles from Baker Beach to get there.
I had a glass of champagne and my friend had an Irish Coffee which she said was quite good. We started things off with the crab cakes appetizer which I would DEFINITELY recommend. It’s two crab cakes and they are too die for.
Then, I ordered the shrimp scampi + scallops on couscous. It was rich without being heavy. Flavorful but still allowed the seafood’s natural flavor to shine through. You need to order this dish! Whitney had the bacon crushed salmon, which is graciously shared a bite of. It was also phenomenal and a good serving size for a salmon dish.
Fair warning, this is on the pricier side, but worth it for the food and views–especially if you want to splurge during your girls’ trip to San Francisco.
Things to Do in San Francisco
Museum of Ice Cream San Francisco
Here’s the deal with the MOIC: You have to be in it for the spectacle. It’s not an art museum. It’s not the Exploratorium. The audience is children and people who want Instagram photos. You have to go in with that expectation. If you do, you’ll enjoy it.
Show up to the Museum of Ice Cream about 5 min before your time slot. You’ll get in line to enter the space before you take an (optional) slide to enter the museum. You’ll get an ice cream sandwich (YAY snacks!) and be introduced to the experience by the tour guide. There’s plenty of time to snap photos and every angle is “instagrammable.”
My friend and I went in with a mindset of taking it for what it is: fun photos and a sugar high. For the ticket price ($38), I enjoyed it. Doesn’t hurt to include during your trip to S.F.
Baker Beach & China Beach
These two beaches offer views of the Golden Gate Bridge off the beaten path from downtown San Francisco. On the day we went, Whitney and I couldn’t see the bridge because of the fog, but it’s still pleasant to walk along the beach. Baker Beach definitely offers more space. China Beach is smaller and more secluded, but definitely a gorgeous quiet spot. I think it’d be awesome on a sunny day.
Pier 39
Sure, it’s a cliched tourist activity, but it’s fun to go see the sea lions lounging, walk by the carousel and be in the sunshine. I won’t say much on this, but it was fun to walk by on our way around the city.
When in doubt, my best advice is to walk around the city. I believe walking is the best way to see any city and San Francisco is no exception. You’ll discover new neighborhoods, get a flavor of the city and burn all the calories that you’ll inevitably eat.
Have you been to San Francisco? What travel tips can you share? I’m looking for things to do on my next adventure.
Until my next trip, here goes nothing.
