My family and I spent ten days in sunny California this summer, and it was unforgettable! We began in San Diego, continued on to Anaheim/LA, and then headed to the final destination of our adventure...
San Francisco!
This was extra exciting, because it was a first for all of us. None of us had ever been to San Francisco before, not even the grown ups, and it was all we hoped it would be and more! We had heard mixed reviews about this popular city, which caused us to be a little guarded with tempered expectations about what we would experience. Thankfully, we held what others told us with a loose grip, and it was confirmed that we are wise to take what other people say (for worse or for better) with a grain of salt, because our time in San Francisco was absolute magic!
We stayed at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco in the Embarcadero area of the city, which offered us incredible views of the SF Bay and the Bay Bridge. It was, also, a great location in terms of walkability, too. The only thing we were disappointed in was the abbreviated hours offered in the Regency Club, especially since club access was something we were looking forward to as a way to stretch our vacation budget. But even with the limited club access, we would still stay there again!
We walk along the Bay over and over again, and we really loved Fisherman's Wharf. We walked there on our first day, and that was the first of many times we visited that fun, memorable area. The sea lions at Pier 39 were as iconic and entertaining as I'd envisioned they would be, too! Truly, there wasn't any place we walked that we weren't instantly charmed by. My eyes pricked with tears *the instant* I saw the Golden Gate Bridge come into view! What a memory.
On our first full day in the city, we ate breakfast early and then walked two miles miles to begin a bucket list experience: biking the Golden Gate Bridge! We rented our bikes through Blazing Saddles Bicycles, and spent the next nine hours biking to and from Sausalito, CA via the beautiful red bridge that everyone knows and loves. What a feeling! It was a gorgeous trek, and it was moderately difficult for us, too. Bethany rode tandem with TJ on the way there and with me on the way back, and Braxton biked the whole thing all by himself -- both of which made us so proud as their parents. We love that they find joy in adventuring like this with their mom & dad!
To celebrate such a great and grueling experience, we treated ourselves to ice cream at the San Francisco Chocolate Store back at Fisherman's Wharf after dropping our bikes back off. The way to gobbled those cones up!!
One our last full day of the city, we checked off the last few "must do" things on our list. This included the Painted Ladies (hello to all my 90s sitcom dreams!!), the house that was used as the Full House house (eeeeek!), and crossing the bridge via car for an afternoon adventure at Muir Woods! We hiked around 3.5 miles beneath the stunning Redwood trees in Muir Woods, and it was breath-taking. Now that we've seen a glimpse of those towering beauties, we all want to see more. If you ever have the opportunity to visit this magical place, I hope you do it!
Also, pro tip: don't count on Uber to get you back to the city from Muir Woods. We learned this the hard way and were graciously blessed by a park employee who helped us avoid a $150 taxi bill and get to a place where we had cell phone service. What a story, LOL! What we should have done was pre-purchased shuttle tickets to and from Muir Woods months in advance, so I recommend that for that for visitors who don't rent a car.
Our last night in the city was bittersweet, but we were ready. Ten full days on the west coast was one of dreams, and we lived every day to the fullest! We loved each stop we made, and I think we'll be reliving these days for a long, long time.
The next day, we woke up slow, ate breakfast, walked down to the bay a final time, and then caught an afternoon flight to LAX. There were no Southwest flights from SFO back to our home airport, so we opted for a single night back in LAX after leaving San Francisco and an early flight the next morning. We didn't leave the hotel (the Hyatt Regency LAX) that last night except for a mile-long walk for a farewell dinner at In-n-Out, and then it was time to head home.
Our trip highlights were:
• San Diego Zoo
• La Jolla
• Mission Beach
• Angel Stadium
• In-n-Out Burger
• Disneyland
• Disney California Adventure
• Hollywood Sign
• Downtown LA
• Hollywood Walk of Fame
• Beverly Hills
• Rodeo Drive
• Santa Monica Pier
• Pier 39 in San Francisco
• Fisherman’s Wharf
• Golden Gate Bridge
• Painted Ladies
• Muir Woods
This summer was definitely one for the books, and this adventure through Cali was the perfect ending. So thankful for all the wonderful memories we made. Next time we visit this beautiful state, I’ve got my heart set on Yosemite or (and?) Big Sur.
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