Alright today I’m sharing the San Francisco: Best of Off the Beaten Path!
Despite being thrown off my track by Pack Up and Go, yes, my “best friend” requested that they email me clues to throw me off my mission to figure out where we were going. I still eventually figured out it was San Francisco. Once I had this knowledge, I got busy, because truth be told I’ve been to San Francisco multiple times. In fact, Rebecca and I had been there together a only a few years ago. (You can see my Pack Up and Go review here!)
This meant we could really set this trip up as an epic San Francisco: best of off the beaten path adventure. Nothing touristy. No seals, no walking across the golden gate, no Alcatraz. Rather our goal was to experience the tastes and sights that the locals do, venture down everyday sidewalks and enjoy the city for what its not known for.
Before I get started though, I should clarify that by “off the beaten path” I do not mean not crowded. Several of the places we went to had waits and lines out the door, the difference is the crowds were locals, not tourists.
I’ll start with off the beaten path San Francisco coffee shops, because any good day should start with these.
Off the Beaten Path Coffee:
Philz –
Recommended by my sister in law, who is a San Fran local, Philz coffee did not disappoint. Philz has many locations and is a completely unique coffee experience because they actually grind beans individually for each cup of coffee they make. They have their own bean roaster in Oakland, CA and have over 20 blends.
They will also add sweetness and cream to your preference. And to top it all, they use spices like cardamom and fresh mint leaves for some of the flavors. The baristas add TLC to each cup that is on another level than other coffee shops. To be totally honest, I’ve been having Philz coffee withdrawals since I returned home.
Home-
Seriously the prettiest latte I’ve ever drank is the birthday cake latte from home. Their cookie monster latte is pretty cute too, but really it was the rainbow foam in the birthday cake latte that brought us here.
If San Francisco were a latte, it’d be this one. Home has good toast snacks as well, but they definitely weren’t cheap!
Trouble coffee-
This is the one San Francisco thing that we repeated, and for a good reason too. Trouble coffee has the best mochas – which are not sweet, but very chocolate-ly (think dark chocolate) and cinnamon toast that I’ve ever tasted. Aside from my Granny’s of course.
Oh Trouble coffee, I miss you!
Pinhole coffee-
Due to time restraints we didn’t make it here, so it remains on my list. But it’d be unfair not to share it with you. As one of the most instragramed places in San Francisco and with 4.5 stars on Yelp, I have no doubt its worth a stop in.
Off the Beaten Path Sights:
16th Avenue Mosaic Steps:
The view from the top of these stairs is just as breath taking as from the bottom. From the top you can see the entire city, out to the beach and including the Golden Gate.
Then, from the bottom you can see all the beautiful mosaic steps. They were worth a trip to this area of town.
An added bonus is that there is a Home coffee shop just a few blocks away!
Golden Gate Park:
Everyone who lives in San Francisco can be found running here on Saturday morning.
And I know why. Its lush, its gorgeous, it feels forever away from the city, and yet its right there in the middle of everything. We did a small and wonderful hike around this park, but theres so much more one could explore.
Lands End Hike:
This hike leads to gorgeous views of the bay, the Golden gate bridge and best of all there is a labyrinth you can walk. Truly, the views (and maybe the elevation) left us breathless.
Off the Beaten Path Activities:
Seward Street Slides:
These are slides for grown ups (or at least grown kids) made of cement. They have open hours, so check before you come. That being said, these slides are a definite San Fran must. We had so much fun grabbing card board and sliding down. However, we learned the hard way that if you don’t watch your elbows you can end up with some nasty blisters and bruises.
Sunset Catamaran Cruise:
OK so this is arguably somewhat touristy. But I’m adding the catamaran cruise because it has the best views of the Golden Gate and cityscape in general. The company we went with did not have a talking tour, but rather played music as we sailed under the Golden Gate, snapped a million pictures and maybe spilled some wine. So overall, it felt more laid back than touristy.
Wrapping it Up:
San Francisco is such a glorious city infused with both God’s art of natural beauty and peoples art with various mediums and many colors. I wish we would’ve had at least a week to keep exploring the best off the beaten path things. But we live in the real world with day jobs, so we had just over 48 hours to indulge in all of this. We so enjoyed our time there and cannot wait to visit again.
Until next time y’all, Cheers!
Pictures are courtesy of my very talented friend Rebecca.