Back in the fall of 2018 Mitch and I took our first California adventure together for my dear friend, Haley’s, wedding. Haley, and her now husband Ash, live in San Diego and are the definition of outdoors-y adventure seekers. They got married in the perfect location of Yosemite.
We decided to make a vacation of this and spent almost a week in San Francisco exploring, then we drove out to stay in Groveland to attend the weekend wedding. So I’ve brought back my favorite finds to share!
I decided to make a custom Google Map of our adventures for where we were staying in either city, places we wanted to check out and other necessities or stops we needed along the trip (such as grocery stores, airports, BART stations near us, etc.). Check it out if you plan on going, it’s super convenient!
We stayed in an Airbnb with the classic Victorian home look in the Mission District; a predominantly flat area (compared to the usual hills). It’s an artsy and hispanic neighborhood filled with street art, such as the Lilac Mural Project, which we loved.
We made our way around the city and stopped at the usual “hot spots” like the Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Gate Park, The Painted Ladies, Ghirardelli Square, Fisherman’s Wharf and more.
San Francisco Boutiques
We hit up multiple neighborhoods, some of our faves were Cow Hollow, Alamo Square and The Castro. Here’s a peak into just some of the fun boutiques we discovered throughout San Francisco.
Cow Hollow
Anomie
This was by far my favorite boutique. Anomie was filled with curated women’s clothes, fun and empowering tees and wares, bright colors, my fave skincare products and a shop dog. The owner was there and was so pleasant – we chatted about our trip and gave us some recommendations as well.
Mission District
Baggu
If you haven’t heard of Baggu, I’m sure you’ve seen them around. They’re a San Francisco-based company focusing on making fun, portable, reusable bags, plus some other nice purses, duffles and the like. I’ve been a fan of them for awhile now. I can find their products in just about any fun shop around Chicago and when I’m traveling. It was cool to see their actual storefront in their hometown, just down the street from our Airbnb too.
Black and Gold
This was a fun vintage shop that had nice, high quality items that seemed to be a mix of new and old. They had mostly furniture to offer and some super nice decor. If I lived in San Francisco, I know I’d find a piece or two there to furnish my place.
Needles & Pens
Needles & Pens is another artist lover’s favorite. Filled with journals, art prints, jewelry and accessories. Another cute stop with something for everyone. This is a great stop to find a nice affordable gift for someone.
Dog Eared Books
Dog Eared is all about the used books – hence the name, although I think they had some new books too. We made a quick stop in so Mitch could get a quick whiff of that “old book” smell he loves.
Aggregate Supply
If you’re looking for some nice men’s clothes, stop into Aggregate Supply. Good quality, nice range of styles, but still “trendy.”
Outer Sunset
General Store
Oh, General Store, what a d r e a m. This shop has been saved from many Instagram feeds for quite some time, so I had to make the stop. There’s actually two of them, which I didn’t realize until we got there. One is the more general gift shop version. The other is just down the street (~6 blocks), is smaller and focused on home goods.
The organic architecture, neutral tones and thoughtful items will have you instantly fall in love. We even found a cute little outdoor garden area in one and snuck a min or two of just sitting and relaxing.
Heads up though, the area the shops are in is a little dreary and residential, so you have to make an intentional trip to these stores. There wasn’t really a lot of action going on or even small restaurants around. We were pretty much alone walking through a beach-y neighborhood.
Gift shop focused General Store on Judah St)
Home goods focused General Store on Irving St
Black Bird Books
Can’t have a trip with Mitch without stopping at a bookstore or t. We loved Black Bird Books as it was not only a mix of new and uswoed books, but they had some cute trinkets and home goodies too, which keeps me interested.
Alamo Square
Rare Device
This is a must stop for the art lover, or if you just like bright and fun colors. Whether you like art prints, creating art or gifting something artsy-like for friends or kids you will find something here. Plus, it’s right near Alamo Square Park too, so take a gander at the Painted Ladies and then go down the hill and visit this gem. Plus, they have a cutie little shop dog too!
The Perish Trust
If I don’t stop at a place that sells crystal gems, incense and some other “wooey” things does the trip even count? The Perish Trust checked the box for these and more with their kitchen goods.
Heathy Dining Options in San Francisco
I was quite surprised at how great the food scene was in San Francisco. Perhaps it was because the food in San Jose was fairly lack luster, I lumped SF into that mix. I was so wrong. We ate so much delicious food and there were tons of healthy or special diet options. The below is just a sampling of some of the places we checked out.
- Kitava – Mission District – for paleo, grain free and even AIP eats
- Beloved Cafe – Mission District – for organic and vegan sandwiches, smoothies, salads and tea
- Limón Rotisserie – Mission District – for Peruvian fair and the best half roasted chicken that’s ever blessed my tongue
- Urban Putt – Mission District – for pizza, gluten free empanadas, jambalaya, ciders and the best mini golf I’ve experienced in my life
- Project Juice – The Castro – for raw goods, juice, smoothies and paleo waffles
- The Cavalier – Mid-Market – for kicked up British fair (a great place to eat before a theatre show, which is what we did)
- Juice Shop – Cow Hollow – for a quick walk-up fresh pressed juice
- Urban Remedy – Cow Hollow – for organic and local pre-made meals, salads and juices
- Boba Guys – multiple locations – for delicious bubble tea
- The Laundry Coffee – Mission District
- Flywheel Coffee Roaster – Haight-Ashbury
Man, that was a lot! And the trip felt like a lot too. It was a healthy mix of “go go go” and “wander/explore” modes. If you’re interested in more of what we did or some of the places mentioned above, check out my Story Highlight on Instagram.