It's so nice to be back in the Bay Area and more importantly spending time with family after so many years. This trip was long overdue and I was lucky enough to see some sights and spend time with my baby cousin. I love San Francisco and Oakland. If given the opportunity, I would go back in a heartbeat. The week we spent was a whirlwind of traveling and I would love to come back to San Francisco and spend more time and really get to know the city better. It's nice to go and live as a local and get lost in a city for a couple days. During this trip however, I definitely indulged in some common sights and scenes of San Francisco but it was well worth being a tourist. Here's a detailed list of the places that I traveled to in the Bay Area as well as some tips when visiting! Don't forget to check out my vlog of the trip on YouTube, as well!

Japanese Tea Garden

Located within Golden Gate Park, parking is not terribly difficult to find on weekdays. Make sure to visit before 10am on Monday, Wednesday or Friday for free admission into the garden. Otherwise tickets cost $9 at the door. This garden is filled with cute corners to get lost in. Sip on some tea and indulge in some snacks while relaxing in in the tea house. There are lots of different architecture to see and admire in this garden, too. I recommend a visit in March or April to witness the cherry blossoms!

Address: 75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr, San Francisco, CA CA 94118

Website: http://japaneseteagardensf.com/

Fisherman's Wharf

Due to the rain, I didn't linger at the wharf too long. Some notable attractions do include the Maritime Museum and the market area. Last time I visited I had some of that great clam chowder in the famous sourdough bread bowl at Boudin Bakery. It's very popular and extremely delicious. There was no evidence remaining after I began eating.

Address: 37.808491, -122.415478

Website: http://www.visitfishermanswharf.com

Address: Boudin - 160 Jefferson St, San Francisco, CA 94133

Website: https://boudinbakery.com/

Farmhouse Thai Kitchen

This Thai food is definitely more of a fusion than your traditional place. I loved the flavors and it's always great to get a wide variety of veggies in my Tom Kha soup. Their samosas were an interesting take on traditional ones and came with a coconut curry dip. I actually highly prefer these samosas over the original ones thanks to the flaky crust and pillowy filling. I loved the Hat Yai Fried Chicken as it was a mix of Malaysian, Southern chicken and Thai with some inspiration reminiscent roti canai. The food was mildly spiced but there are chili flakes to help kick it up a notch.

Address: 710 Florida St, San Francisco, CA 94110

Website: http://farmhousesf.com/

Mission Dolores Park & Twin Peaks

With the inclement weather, we skipped these stops. I highly recommend visiting them if you have some time to kick back and relax when the weather is nice.

Address: Dolores St & 19th St, San Francisco, CA 94114

Website: http://sfrecpark.org/destination/mission-dolores-park/

Address: 501 Twin Peaks Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94114

Website: http://sfrecpark.org/destination/twin-peaks/

The Painted Ladies & Alamo Square

Whatever happened to predictability? I love Full House and this was a nice stop for a photo-op. I went to the Painted ladies on Steiner & Hayes Street. Alamo Square is just on the opposite end of the street, too!

Address: Steiner St & Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94117

Website: http://sfrecpark.org/destination/alamo-square/

Dosa by Dosa

Tucked away in Oakland, I loved this place. Its more of a fast casual dining atmosphere complete with a bar and some funky art near the bathrooms. The highlight is definitely the butter chicken dosa or Tamil lamb dosa. These fillings are uncommon and they are very flavorful and well spiced. If you aren't familiar with dosas they are like an Indian crepe that is typically filled with spicy potatoes or cheese. It comes with sambar, which is a savory tomato based soup and chutney. I loved the mango habanero chutney that they served because it was actually spicy. It is also tomato based and complimented the food well.

Address: 2301 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612

Website: https://www.dosabydosa.com/

Humphrey Slocombe Ice Cream

Located in the Hive in Oakland, this is a perfect stop to follow a spicy meal. I thought that there could only be so many flavors of ice cream but I was wrong. This place has some of the most unique flavors I've seen thus far. From Togarashi Tea to a flavor called Secret Breakfast, it's worth trying a couple of different flavors before settling on one. The menu is seasonal so be on the lookout for some dazzling new concoctions.

Flavors I tried:

Secret Breakfast - Caramel, Bourbon and Corn Flakes

Glenlivet (Hot Toddy Sundae) - Single Malt Scotch Whiskey base

Togarashi Tea - Oolong Tea base with Seven Spice

Browned Butter - No explanation needed. Like a richer and more savory vanilla

Honey Thyme - Honey base with Thyme essence

Address: 2335 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612

Website: http://www.humphryslocombe.com/

The Hive & Drake's Dealership Beer Garden

This area is filled with creative spaces, an organic tea shop and of course, Humphrey Slocombe. Drake's is the cutest beer garden. The space was transformed from a Dodge dealership repair shop into a social gathering hot-spot. I passed by but my cousin is two so we didn't go in that evening. I'd love to come back and hangout and I think it's a perfect place to go for a casual date or even to hang out with friends or family over the age of 21.

Address: 2335 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612

Website: http://hiveoakland.com/

Website: https://drinkdrakes.com/

I hope this guide gave you some insight and ideas of places to visit. I know this barely scratched the surface as there are plenty of neighborhoods and areas I left out (i.e Chinatown, City Hall, Presideo Park, the Mission District & more). Nonetheless, these are some great options if you are trying to shake things up or want to explore some lesser known options. Stay tuned for a travel guide on Day Two in San Francisco as well as Los Angeles, Big Sur, San Diego, Tijuana and more!

Love,

Christine Celine