San Francisco: Fog, Ferries, and a Seriously Weird Tuesday
okay, so san francisco. it’s…a lot. i just landed back home, and honestly, my brain feels like it’s still buffering. i’m a freelance photographer, and i was chasing light (and decent *coffee) for a week. it was supposed to be a chill assignment, but san francisco has a way of turning ‘chill’ into ‘mildly chaotic.’
first off, the weather. i just checked and it’s…actively trying to be a moody teenager right now, all gray and sulky. the temperature hovered around seven degrees, but it felt like five, especially with that wind whipping off the bay. apparently, locals just call it ‘summer.’ i’m not convinced.
my airbnb was in the mission district, which was…loud. in a good way, mostly. lots of music, people yelling about tacos (which, by the way, are phenomenal), and a general sense of energy. if you get bored, oakland and berkeley are just a quick bart ride away. my neighbors were…interesting. i think one of them was building a robot? i didn’t ask. honestly, i didn’t want to know.
someone told me that the best clam chowder in the city is at Boudin Bakery, but it’s a total tourist trap. apparently, a local fisherman swore by a tiny place in north beach, but he was also three sheets to the wind, so…grain of salt.
gear-wise, i basically lived in my waterproof jacket and comfortable boots. seriously, the boots are essential. the hills are no joke. here’s a quick rundown of what i lugged around:
camera (duh)
three lenses (because indecision)
waterproof backpack (lifesaver)
portable charger (for when my phone inevitably died)
noise-canceling headphones (for the aforementioned robot-building neighbor)
a really good map (because i’m terrible with directions)
i spent a day wandering around golden gate park, which is massive. like, seriously massive. i got lost approximately seven times. i heard that there’s a hidden garden somewhere in there, but i didn’t find it. i did find a surprisingly aggressive squirrel. it stole my granola bar.
i also took a ferry to alcatraz, which was…creepy. obviously. the audio tour is really well done, though. it’s worth the price of admission, even if you’re not into prisons*. you can book tickets in advance here: https://www.alcatrazcruises.com/.
a barista at a tiny coffee shop warned me about leaving anything valuable in my car, even in seemingly safe neighborhoods. apparently, ‘smash and grabs’ are a thing. she also recommended a place called Sightglass Coffee - best latte i had all week.
food-wise, san francisco is amazing. i ate my weight in sourdough bread and dim sum. i’m not even sorry. check out this yelp page for some recommendations: https://www.yelp.com/sanfrancisco/restaurants. i also stumbled upon a really cool farmers market in the ferry building marketplace. https://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/
overall, san francisco is a weird, wonderful, and slightly exhausting city. i’d go back, but i’d probably pack more granola bars. and maybe a squirrel-repellent device. you can find more travel tips on TripAdvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.com/San_Francisco_California.html
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