Matt had a class in Monterey, CA on Monday, so he suggested we spend a long weekend together in San Francisco. I am not going to lie; at the time, my knowledge of San Francisco was limited to Alcatraz and the Rice-A-Roni jingle. I was surprised by the plethora of interesting suggestions we got from friends when we started to research things to do in the Bay area. We were only in town three days, and it did not take long to realize we would only have time to scratch the surface of what San Francisco had to offer. Regardless, we had a blast and still managed to squeeze in lots of cool stuff. Here is a list of our trip highlights.
A Few of My Favorite Things
5) Topography
I live in Florida. Florida is so very flat. My first impressions of San Francisco were dominated by the area’s topography. It may seem like a weird thing to include on my list, but the excessive relief is so San Francisco. It is cool to drive around town and see block after block of sloped streets lined with colorful row houses and sidewalks comprised of hundreds of shallow steps. Atop landmarks like Twin Peaks, Alcatraz, and Telegraph Hill there are gorgeous cityscape views and views of the San Francisco Bay. The downside is long walks are taxing and may take longer than you would expect. Hubs and I walked to a concert at The Fillmore and thought it would be quick because it was only a mile away. We did not realize it was a mile uphill. It was not quick. If you are not interested in a buns-of-steel crash course, then catch an Uber or Lyft, or map out a walking route that avoids hills.
4) Alcatraz
We booked the behind-the-scenes evening tour of Alcatraz because apparently hubs thinks everyday life is not scary enough, but our tour was canceled due to a blackout on the island. Personally, I think people would pay stupid money for a blackout tour of Alcatraz, but I digress. They rescheduled us for a tour the following morning. I did not know much about Alcatraz beyond a few hazy details gleaned from the 90’s movie “The Rock,” and it turns out “The Rock” is not super accurate. Alcatraz is best known as a federal penitentiary; I was surprised to learn this is only a small portion of the island’s history.
There were numerous shipwrecks in the Bay area during the Gold Rush, and the first notable construction on the island was a lighthouse, operational as of 1854. The island then housed a Civil War fort, Fort Alcatraz, and in 1907, Alcatraz officially became a military prison. Alcatraz later became a maximum-security federal penitentiary in 1934, and in 1963, it was shut down due to high operation and maintenance costs. Between 1969 and 1971, Native American activists occupied Alcatraz for 18 months in an effort to raise awareness for the Native American peoples. Alcatraz was designated as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and has been operated by the National Park Service since 1972 .
Personally, I thought it was neat to roam around the island and see how each use left its footprint. I took a photo near the dock, and I think it sums up the history of the island very nicely. The building in the background is the barracks building constructed in the 1860’s during the Civil War and expanded in 1905. Black and white signs like the one in the picture were installed all over the island when it was a federal penitentiary. By the way, if you are most interested in the penitentiary, then there is an excellent self-guided cellhouse audio tour that describes life on the island for inmates, Alcatraz employees, and the employees’ families. Graffiti left by the Native American activists, the red painted letters seen above the sign, can also be found all over the island. Finally, the National Park Service logo can also be seen just above the ranger who gave our brief orientation.
3) Food
Before I came to San Francisco, I thought the food scene was limited to sourdough bread and Rice-a-Roni, the later solely because of the commercials I saw as a kid. In reality, the San Francisco food scene casts a wide net. You can get a great meal on any budget, and you can sample a variety of cuisines. This may be true of any big city, but I love the California twist. Despite my firm belief that I am a “pre-millennial,” I do love avocado toast. We had three awesome meals within two blocks of our hotel. Hubs gravitates towards Asian foods, so we decided to hit Japantown and Chinatown. We got stellar ramen at Marufuku, and luckily our stomachs were still on east coast time so we ate early. There was a line about 15 people deep when we left. We also grabbed dim sum and baked goods at shops in Chinatown; the food was delicious and cheap. I liked to walk the streets in Chinatown and see all the produce, noodles, and other food stuffs.
I suspect the San Francisco food scene has an interesting history, but we did not delve into it too deeply. I did learn the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company originated in San Francisco. Ghirardelli Square, the former factory location in Fisherman’s Wharf, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a tourist destination for dining and shopping. The Cannery located right across the street was built in 1907 by Del Monte and was its major canning facility for 30 years. Now it is another cluster of retail and restaurants. Boudin Bakery has a storefront a few blocks east of The Cannery, and it is famous for its sourdough bread. Sourdough bread originated in San Francisco. Local Gold Rush miners cultivated the perfect yeast starter through sheer dumb luck, and the sour-tasting bread they baked became a regional staple.
2) Musée Mécanique
We made the obligatory stop at Fisherman’s Wharf solely because it was the terminus of the cable car line. Honestly, the cluster of shops and restaurants was not appealing to us. By chance, we happened across the Musée Mécanique as we wandered around the Wharf. The Musée Mécanique is a bizarre and wonderful collection of mechanical games that date from the 1800s to the present. There is no admission fee, and there are several change machines on-site if you wish to play. Mostly we played the antique games in wooden consoles. Some of them were innocently charming, some were decidedly un-PC, and others were indescribably creepy and will provide nightmare fodder for years to come. Quite frankly, I did not have the courage to activate “Laffing Sal.” I DEFINITELY did not make eye contact. Let us just say if I wind up dead, then I know what is responsible. I got a kick out of the
gift shop, an ancient vending machine with a large “GIFT SHOP” sign posted on top that dispenses patches and other random souvenirs. I had not seen this place advertised, and I cannot speak to its popularity among visitors, but this is definitely a fun pit stop if you have any interest in antique machines, video games, or random, neat crap.
1) OK Go at The Fillmore (It is my list, and I will list what I want.)
I told my dad we saw OK Go at The Fillmore, and in an unprecedented fit of coolness, he responded, “The Fillmore is really an R’N’R tabernacle. So many big names started out there. Cool.” He is right. The Fillmore is a super cool venue. They have a coat check, an appropriate bar-to-patron ratio, and a large tub of free apples for some reason. The concert hall size is perfect; it is small enough so there is not a bad viewing spot in the house but large enough to accommodate about 1150 people.
I am glad we got there early because it gave us a chance to walk around inside the building. It is full of high-ceilinged rooms lined with hundreds of posters from past concerts spanning over 50 years. It is interesting to see how the stylized posters have evolved over the decades, and it is equally cool to see posters for so many phenomenal bands; from memory, Led Zeppelin, The Black Crowes, Weezer, Them, G. Love & Special Sauce, Tom Petty, John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, Bullet for My Valentine, The Wallflowers, Moby Grape, and The White Stripes. The Fillmore provides posters for select sold-out shows, and each person was given a slick poster printed on thick, quality paper as we exited. The ticket prices were reasonable, and we got kick ass posters. How cool is that?
I first saw OK Go in 2002 when they opened for They Might Be Giants at Bogart’s in Cincinnati. It was one of the few times I have ever loved an opening band new to me, and we were not the only ones who felt this way. Their CDs sold out before we got to the merch booth. I saw them again in 2015 in Orlando, and I had so much fun I jumped at the chance to see them in San Francisco. Their sold-out show at The Fillmore was wildly entertaining. Anyone would have had a great time even if they knew nothing about OK Go’s music because their shows are so engaging and energetic. Who would not be overjoyed amidst the blast of confetti cannons? Matt said it was by far the best of the concerts I have dragged him to. I know that does not seem like a glowing endorsement, but trust me, it is. I have dragged him to a lot of concerts.
I am not clairvoyant. I do not know if OK Go will ever play The Fillmore again. I do know that history repeats itself, so maybe you will get lucky. Alternatively, go on a few side quests. See OK Go in another city, or see a different show at The Fillmore. It felt amazing to experience this little music history gem, and I am so glad we went.
Travel Tips and Trivia Tidbits
- Learn the Districts – Our hotel had a nice map at the front desk with the Districts labeled. It would have kept me oriented if I had noticed it before we checked out…
- Ridesharing – Uber started in San Francisco, and Uber drivers are ubiquitous. We skipped the car rental and opted to walk or catch an Uber, and it was the right decision for us on this trip.
- Alcatraz Tour Tickets – Buy tickets as soon as you can, 90 days out, because popular times may sell out.
- Cable Car – You will have to wait in line because cable cars depart in 10-minute intervals. The ride offers nice views of Coit Tower and the curvy segment of Lombard Street. If you are happy to snap a picture of these places from a distance, then pick the appropriate line and snap while you ride.
- Haight Street – Our Uber driver routed us down Haight Street on our way to Twin Peaks. If you are in the market for hippie gear, then stop off in the Haight-Ashbury district.
Return Trip Bucket List
- Presidio
- Coit Tower
- San Francisco Bay Trail
- Muir Woods
- Sausalito
- Battery Spencer
- The Castro rainbow crosswalks
- Mission District Burritos/ La Taqueria
- Tartine Bakery
Final Thoughts
This is the first time I have spent any length of time in California apart from the occasional airport layover. I assumed the entire state was sunny and warm year-round, but northern California actually gets cool and overcast. The cool weather was a welcome change. The state is notorious for its high cost of living and crippling traffic, and it did not fail to meet expectations on these accounts. San Francisco was a city of dented bumpers and $40 breakfasts. Regardless, I enjoyed the uniqueness of the city and am glad we visited. San Francisco has a lot of character.
