Over fall break, I traveled with my best friends to San Francisco on the University of Utah's Muss Bus to cheer our team on at the Stanford football game. We made the most of our time in two days, trying to fit everything in on a budget. As you know, college kids are basically broke these days, so here are some of my favorite non-costing activities in this city broken down into 2 days of fun!
Day One
Stop 1: Pier 39
Stop here and visit all the little shops and live entertainment. If you are looking for a quick breakfast snack, try the Crêpe Café, a small eatery with outdoor seating that serves sweet & savory crêpes. My personal favorite is the Raspberry and Sour-cream. After a treat, head down the pier to see the local inhabitants, sea lions, or the multitude of street performers.
Stop 2: Fisherman's Wharf
Just a little stroll from Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf offers attractions like the Musée Mécanique, a free museum dedicated to antique arcade games, and Boudin Bakery, famous for its bread shapes. Along the back side of Musée Mécanique, there is a pier that you can walk down and see historic submarines and battleships. Try the fresh seafood, especially the chowder, which is sold at every shop along the way.
Stop 3: Grace Cathedral
Take a short ride up some of the city's most enormous hills; Grace Cathedral is a beautiful landmark. The Gothic architecture accompanies the church's replica of the famous Lorenzo Ghiberti doors in the Italian Baptistery of Florence Cathedral. Definitely worth the visit!
Stop 4: Washington Square
Walking towards Ghirardelli Square, we came across Washington Square in Little Italy. A local directed us to Tony's Pizza Napoletana. Located next to another jaw-dropping church, Tony's is a hopping place. In a rush? One building up is the slice house and you can order to go. Split between 4, the pizza was relatively inexpensive and totally worth it.
Stop 5: Ghirardelli Square
A must-do for a delicious treat. Between the ice cream and the chocolate, it is a dessert junkie's dream. If you're not up for a plate of ice cream order your favorite flavor to go in a cup. Then take it down by the water and watch the golden gate bridge. My favorite time is to go watch the bridge right after sunset. If you time it right you will start to hear music from the multitude of bars and clubs drift toward you as headlights whiz across the darkening bridge.
So as you have probably noticed I have managed to consume a ton of food so far. However, all of these attractions are within walking distance for those brave enough to face the hills of San Fran. If you want to take a load off, a short Uber ride to Grace Cathedral from the wharf only cost us about 8 dollars, and when split between the 4 of us the price was quite reasonable. When walking between the places you will see plenty of San Fran and its culture.
Day Two
We order an uber, and head to Bike and View to rent bikes for the day. Compared to most places it only costs about $25 per person to rent a bike for the entire day. Make sure to order online as most companies will give you a discount, and it can save you anywhere from $5 to $15 dollars. Another thing to ensure your bike has gears, a multi-speed bike is necessary unless you want to have a killer leg day. Prepped with helmets and full water bottles, it's time to head out and discover the city!
Stop 1: Palace of Fine Arts
Don't miss this picturesque site. Check out street performers, like Gary the musician that gives bird feed to attract pigeons. A quick walk through the beautiful gardens that surround the complex is plenty to see the architecture of this famous landmark.
Stop 2: Crissy Field
Ride over to this waterfront park; an ideal site for a picnic. The views of the city and the Golden Gate are amazing. Bonus there is always something going on here to participate in, from beach volleyball to kite flying competitions.
Stop 3: The Golden Gate Bridge
A short bike up a really big hill sits the bridge. Walk across the 8,981-foot suspension bridge, or ride a bike. The bridge is designed with alcoves providing safe stops. Make sure to look both ways before crossing over. Continue heading up 101 to Battery Howe-Wagner for a view of the entire bridge and another killer photo site.
After the bridge, we had to sprint home to make it back in time for the bus to Stanford. The hills were exhausting but we made it back to the bike shop surprisingly faster than anticipated. with this little bit of extra time, we took a quick detour to Alamo Square to see the famous Painted Ladies. By this time we were absolutely ravenous so walked 2 blocks to eat at a small cafe, 4505 Burgers & BBQ. After a day of not eating this food was the most amazing comfort food I've had in a while. The girls all ordered hamburgers which they loved. I got the Cesar salad, and while I liked it I personally don't think that $13 of romaine with some croutons was worth it, but hey that's my opinion.
We got back to the hotel and got ready for the game. Completely exhausted I passed out once I sat down on the bus and woke up in a Stanford parking lot.
Winning the football game against Stanford was a great way to end the trip.
On our 2 day trip, we managed to hit some of San Francisco's most iconic sites while being frugal.
There were plenty of things that were missed but that's for next time.
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