San Francisco: Fog, Fortune Cookies, and Feeling Slightly Lost
okay, so. san francisco. where do i even begin? i’m a touring session drummer, which means i’m used to weird places and even weirder people, but this… this was something else. i just checked and it’s drizzling, a proper, persistent kind of drizzle that soaks you to the bone without you even realizing it. hope you like that kind of thing.
I was only in town for a week, laying down tracks for a new indie band - they’re called ‘Static Bloom,’ super cool, check ‘em out https://www.staticbloom.bandcamp.com/ - and honestly, i spent most of it wandering around, trying to figure out where the heck i was. the hills! seriously, the hills are no joke. my ankles are still screaming. i’m pretty sure i burned more calories walking up *Nob Hill than i did eating all the sourdough bread. which, let’s be real, was a lot of sourdough.
I stayed in a tiny Airbnb in the Mission District. It was… charmingly chaotic. The walls were painted this aggressively bright orange, and the showerhead barely produced a trickle, but hey, it was cheap. Someone told me that the Mission is where all the real artists live, and i can kinda see it. There’s this energy there, a buzz of creativity and… well, a lot of street art. I spent a good hour just staring at a mural of a giant octopus playing the drums. Seriously.
Speaking of art, i stumbled upon this little vintage shop in North Beach - “Retrograde Records & Relics” - and nearly lost my mind. It was crammed floor to ceiling with vinyl, old band tees, and weird taxidermy. I ended up buying a mint-condition copy of a Velvet Underground album and a sequined bowling shirt. Don’t judge. You can find it here https://www.yelp.com/biz/retrograde-records-and-relics-san-francisco.
“Heard a drunk guy at a bar say Fisherman’s Wharf is a tourist trap. Said it’s ‘where dreams go to die and seagulls steal your fries.’ Harsh, but… kinda accurate?”
I did hit up Fisherman’s Wharf, purely for research purposes, of course. The sea lions were pretty entertaining, though. And the clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl? Surprisingly good. I also checked out Pier 39 https://www.pier39.com/.
Food-wise, i’m still dreaming about the dim sum in Chinatown. Seriously, go. Just go. I heard that Good Mong Kok Bakery is the place to be, but be prepared to wait in line. It’s worth it. I also had some amazing burritos in the Mission, obviously. And a fortune cookie that told me “a pleasant surprise awaits.” Still waiting on that one.
If you get bored, Oakland and Berkeley are just a short drive away. They’ve got their own vibes, totally worth exploring. I spent an afternoon wandering around Berkeley’s Telegraph Avenue - lots of bookstores and quirky shops.
Okay, quick pro-tips for surviving San Francisco:
*Layers are your friend. Seriously. The weather changes like, every five minutes.
*Wear comfortable shoes. Those hills will destroy you.
*Don’t be afraid to get lost. Some of the best discoveries happen when you’re wandering aimlessly.
*Tip your bartenders. They’ve seen things.
*Check out the local music scene.* There’s always something happening. Check out this site https://sfweekly.com/music/
Overall? San Francisco is… intense. Beautiful, chaotic, expensive, and utterly unforgettable. I’d go back. Probably. After a nap. And maybe a new pair of ankle braces. I’m already missing the fog, though. It’s got this weird, melancholic charm. And the sourdough. Definitely the sourdough.
You might also be interested in:
- https://votoris.com/post/messy-vintage-vibes-in-barcelona
- https://votoris.com/post/berlin-nights-as-a-diy-busker-when-amp-plugs-die-before-the-cold
- https://votoris.com/post/edinburgh-where-my-drumsticks-met-the-mist
- https://votoris.com/post/dust-echoes-in-oaxaca-seriously-what-is-this-place-2
- https://votoris.com/post/grimsby-rain-regret-and-really-bad-coffee