If you are planning a weekend in San Francisco, you’ll be wanting to make the most of your precious few days in this popular city. Luckily in today’s interview with a local, we’ll be talking about how to do exactly that. You’ll find plenty of San Francisco travel tips and advice for how to spend your time, where to eat and drink and what not to miss on a weekend in San Francisco!
Today we are chatting to Taiss from Together To Wherever about her hometown San Francisco in California, USA. Together with her husband Rob, they write their blog about expat life in Bali and Thailand as well as their travels further afield in Europe and Asia. They aim to inspire people who work remotely to try living abroad like they have.
What you can expect from this article…
- 1 How to spend a weekend in San Francisco – an interview with a local!
- 1.1 Where are you living?
- 1.2 Tell us about yourself?
- 1.3 What is your favourite thing about San Francisco?
- 1.4 What is your favourite thing to do in San Francisco with a day off?
- 1.5 What in your opinion is the one thing you can’t miss when you visit San Francisco?
- 1.6
- 1.7 Any top tips where to go/ what to do on a rainy day?
- 1.8 Where is your go-to restaurant?
- 1.9 And where do you suggest going for a drink in the evening?
- 1.10 Is there one thing not many people know about San Francisco?
- 1.11 Anything else you think we should know?
How to spend a weekend in San Francisco – an interview with a local!
Where are you living?
San Francisco, California, USA!
Tell us about yourself?
We are a location independent couple who earn a living online. We’ve been online entrepreneurs for about three years now and have travelled to 15 different countries and lived in Thailand and Indonesia for an extended period during these three years. We left our careers in Hospitality and Accounting in order to pursue our dream of running our own businesses online so that we can travel and live in different parts of the world. Though we were both born outside of the U.S., we have grown up in Northern California and call it “home” when we are not trying out other places. We love California because we both love being outdoors and in nature and we find a lot of opportunities for amazing activities like hiking in this Golden State.
What is your favourite thing about San Francisco?
Hands down, my all-time favourite thing about this city is the abundance of authentic foods from all around the world thanks to the mix of cultures and ethnicities living here. You can find almost any type of food in San Francisco and most likely notice it will be just as good, if not, better than having it in its original country.
What is your favourite thing to do in San Francisco with a day off?
Being an outdoorsy couple, we love spending time at Golden Gate Park. Whether having a little picnic or going for a jog, the park is one of our favourite places to go. Sometimes, we even follow it west to the beach, if it’s not too cold!
What in your opinion is the one thing you can’t miss when you visit San Francisco?
Whether you choose to walk it or go by car, my number one recommendation for anyone visiting San Francisco would be to cross the Golden Gate Bridge (preferably from the Marin side). It’s one thing to see it from a great viewpoint or even from a distance in some parts of the city but to gaze up at the red-coloured structure from within it is an exhilarating feeling. You will, of course, need to have someone else drive if you are going by car so that you can focus all of your attention on the amazing views all around. It will be the most unforgettable experience!
For more inspiration, make sure you check out some of the other free things to do in San Francisco!
Any top tips where to go/ what to do on a rainy day?
There are loads of museums in San Francisco worth checking out. One of my favourites would be The California Academy of Sciences. I particularly love the Thursday night events where you can enjoy music and cocktails as part of your admission!
If you are more of a shopper than a museum-goer, Westfield San Francisco Centre will surely impress you with its nine stories!
And for those Instagram junkies, The Museum of Ice cream is a fun one to spend some time at. You just have to make sure to get tickets in advance!
Where is your go-to restaurant?
We love the simplicity and no-frills vibe of Shalimar Indian-Pakistani restaurant. The food is exceptionally tasty! We love ordering the Chicken Tikka Masala, Saag Gosht, and garlic naan. The prices are so cheap but the quality is insane!
And where do you suggest going for a drink in the evening?
Hoy Water Bar is a little gem of a place I recently discovered with a friend. With its cool decor, chill vibe and amazingly unique cocktails, this place had me hooked at first sight! Located in a little neighbourhood tucked away from all the crowds, this is an underrated place to go for a nice drink!
Is there one thing not many people know about San Francisco?
I think a lot of people are usually surprised how “hard” it could be to get around in San Francisco. Though there’s plenty of public transportation, what makes it hard is that the hills can turn a short distance walk into a major workout! You may be used to flat cities like Tokyo, Budapest, or NYC where you can spend the whole day walking around without breaking a sweat. In San Francisco, a 10-minute walk might take you longer and require a lot more energy than you expected thanks to the incline.
Anything else you think we should know?
A little secret of mine for showing visitors a great view of San Francisco is to take them to treasure island just over the Bay Bridge. This is a great viewpoint to take in all of the city!
If you enjoyed this San Francisco City Guide and want to know more about the adventures of Taiss and Rob, why not visit their website www.togethertowherever.com?
If you enjoyed this Interview with a Local, you may enjoy these previous interviews!
Jamaica Tel Aviv Dubai Rio de Janeiro Tenerife Paris Lisbon Washington San Diego
Or perhaps you are travelling with kids? I don’t cover much family-friendly travel but you may like to read this article San Francisco with kids travel guide by Octoberacres.com
As always, I’d love to hear from you? Where was your favourite place in San Francisco or are you planning a trip there soon? Tell us all about it!
If you enjoyed this post, I’d be eternally grateful if you could share it with your family and friends! 🙂
