Diary of a Lifelong Traveller- San Fransisco

Travel is an essential part of my life that has profoundly shaped my worldview and elevated my understanding of what “inspired living” truly means to me. The experiences I have gained through my journeys have enriched my perspective and creatively inspired me in ways I could never have anticipated. Since I was a little girl, I have been incredibly fortunate to explore many beautiful locations across the globe, most of which have left in me a special inspiration for both design and culinary delights. I find it difficult to recall a time in my life when travel did not play a pivotal role in shaping my identity and and my creative aspirations. The creative inspiration I have gained from travel is unrivalled by almost everything else. You cannot help but be inspired and spiritually changed from walking the steps of masters and teachers from all over the globe. From my spiritual adventures in Hawaii and California to landmarks like New York, London, Rome and beyond, I count travel as being the greatest of my teachers.

My parents, who were inspired travellers long before the current ease of global travel, they instilled in me a deep appreciation for exploring far off destinations and creating irreplaceable memories. Their unwavering passion for travel inspired my own desire to see the world. My parents taught my brother and I that every journey is an opportunity to learn and to grow, they challenged us to embrace the unknown, and they desired that we connected with people from different walks of life. In my early years, my family had a motorhome, a cherished vehicle that became a symbol of our family adventures. Every August, we would embark on a 3 week holiday, rolling down the highway through the breathtaking landscapes of Canada and the United States. Each vacation was filled with laughter, exploration, and the creation of many lasting memories. Some years we made our way through the majestic Rocky Mountains of British Columbia towards Vancouver and the Islands. Other years, we headed south to California with Disneyland often being the final destination.

I LOVED that motorhome and the cozy feeling it created for me. I have always loved family time and you cannot get much closer than a family of four all sharing a motorhome for three weeks. Those summer adventures were not just about the destinations we reached, but also about the journey itself. We would often find ourselves parked at scenic campgrounds, surrounded by nature, where we we enjoyed the simple pleasures of being a family, cooking, listening to music, sitting around the campfire and sharing out time together. On more than one vacation, my mom’s brothers and their family’s would join us for our adventures. We all had identical motorhomes, my parents and my mom’s brothers all purchased the same motorhome units and my cousins and I thought that was very cool. We were quite a sight rolling down the highways and interstates in a line of identical motorhomes, we did catch peoples eye!

I remember the excitement the night before we would be heading out for our vacation. That day, we had packed and loaded our bags into the motorhome, we had stocked the cupboards and drawers full of food, beverages, and special treats that were reserved only for our vacations. Earlier in the week, my Mom would take my brother and I to a place called “The Pop Shoppe” where we were allowed to pick out a whole crate of fancy flavoured soda pop. In our home, soda pop was a weekend treat only and to have fancy flavours like Lime Ricky and Black Cherry was very exciting. We were also allowed to buy a package of mixed individual cereal boxes that had all the sugary flavour choices we were not allowed to have normally. To a younger child, sugary cereal and fancy soda pop made for one heck of a great vacation!

Early in the day that we were leaving, my Mom and Dad would wake my brother and I by playing one of two songs very loudly on the stereo. Willie Nelson’s "On The Road Again” or Cat Stevens “Morning Has Broken” which became motorhome vacation anthems for our family. I couldn’t wait to get on the road, I loved the sense of freedom that came with a road trip, and I still do. My husband Eddie and I love to road trip and often choose driving over flying for the sheer joy of being out on the open road. As a child in the motorhome, my fondest memories are driving days. I loved that we all got to take turns picking out songs to play from the cassette tapes we had packed. My favourite choices were Olivia Newton John, Abba, and Donny and Marie much to my brother’s displeasure.

As we often drove long distances the first two or three days to maximum the time we had at our chosen destination, my brother and I would ask my dad the much dreaded “how much longer until we get there?” question and my dad would use the dashboard as a gauge. Using his right hand, he would reach over and show us how much farther to go by placing is hand on the appropriate part of the dash. The interpretation was simple, the drivers side dashboard was where we began the day, the middle of the dash was half way and, I know you guessed it, the passenger side dashboard was the destination for the evening. I got particularly excited if the sun was beginning to set and we weren’t far enough into the passenger side because I knew we were going to be driving at night, my favourite. For most of the evening, I was allowed to sit up in my Mom’s passenger chair, I would chat with my Dad as we rolled along, feeling especially special to be with him in that moment. There was something extra special about driving at night, the lights of the oncoming vehicles seemed to be a beacon of light saying “drive on, there is so much more waiting for you just up ahead!” Those memories of sitting up front with my dad as we rolled down the highway towards our next adventure will be something I cherish forever.

San Fransisco

My favourite place to go in the motorhome was California, it goes without saying that any child would love the idea of spending time at the most magical place on earth! However, for me, I also loved another stop on our travel agenda, San Fransisco! This beautiful city holds a very special place in my heart, I cherish memories from my childhood there and I have since been a number of times as an adult and my love affair with this city just keeps growing. If you have never been, San Fransisco is a city unlike all others. A very artistic and accepting city, it is very vibrant and alive despite it’s economic challenges. The local residents are a perfect blend of open mindedness and inclusion. This is a city that is not scared to push social boundaries and has been a safe haven for the LBGTQ++ community for many years. Like a mother with her arms wide open, San Fransisco envelopes you in a hug filled good food, amazing entertainment, beautiful vista’s, and a whole lot of fun and sass thrown into the mix!

Downtown San Fransisco has really been hurt economically over the last number of years and has a surprising number of vacant buildings. The city is working hard to regain it’s glamour of years past and is encouraging local restaurants and business to come and be a part of this vibrant city. For a tourist, the lack of big business and a low amount of local employee’s in the downtown core make this an easy city for tourists to get around, the traffic is not terrible and Uber’s and Taxi’s are readily available. San Fransisco wants you to visit, my husband Eddie and I found chatting with the local residents extremely enjoyable and their sense of gratitude for you choosing their city as a vacation destination was always expressed.

However; this city is a foodie’s paradise, every conceivable type of food can be found in San Fransisco’s dazzling array of restaurants and bars. As a child, a two day stop in San Fransisco was something I was always excited for and the number one reason was a visit to a our family’s favourite restaurant in the bay area. Alioto’s on Fisherman’s Wharf was an institution on Fishermans Wharf serving fresh seafood alongside traditional Italian food that was so good and it was right on the water! The views were spectacular and the famous sourdough bread they served was beyond delicious. Eddie and I just went to San Fransisco last summer and I was very sadden to earn that they never reopened after the Covid shutdowns. So many great restaurant’s just didn’t survive the lockdowns which I find so sad. However, we did discover a few gems of our own and some of the local hotspots are seriously busy!

Besides wanting to discover and explore your way through San Fransisco with a warm loaf of sourdough bread in your hand (which I have been tempted to do, it is really so good), the “things to do list” in San Fransisco is too long to list here but believe me, there is something for everyone in this gem of a city. Below is a list of some of the top things you may want to do while in San Fransisco. Full disclosure here, I do not go to Alcatraz anymore and I would share if you are an empath you may want to be careful and bubble yourself well before if you do go. I have been before and it is a very harsh and intense energy but it is well worth the visit. For me, once was enough. I strongly recommend taking a Hop On-Hop Off Bus Tour in any major city I travel to, it is an incredibly affordable way to see the best attractions in the city.

Top Things to Do in San Francisco

Visit Alcatraz Island
Explore the infamous former prison, learn about its history, and enjoy stunning views of the San Francisco skyline.
Drive Across the Golden Gate Bridge
Experience breathtaking views while walking or biking across this iconic landmark, which is a spectacular drive. This a blustery undertaking, the wind is strong in the bay, so if you choose to go on an upper deck of a hop on, hop off bus hold onto your hats and sunglasses!
Explore Golden Gate Park
Discover beautiful gardens, museums, and recreational areas in one of the largest urban parks in the U.S., this park was a major highlight on our recent trip. We spend a long time walking through some of the major attraction in the park and we in awe of the massive trees and lush vegetation.
Ride a Cable Car
Take a ride on San Francisco's historic cable cars for a unique way to see the city's steep hills and charming neighborhoods. These classic cable cars are easily accessible downtown and really offer a fun way to move around the hilly terrain of downtown San Fransisco.
Visit Fisherman’s Wharf
Enjoy fresh seafood, visit the sea lions at Pier 39, and explore the shops and attractions along the waterfront. Although this is a commercial tourist area, it really is a sight to see. There is an abundance of restaurants in the area, some of the name brand chains that are fun to frequent along with a handful of local independent restaurants that are fun to try. Eddie and I chose a quaint Italian bistro with amazing views of the bay and seals.
Try The Amazing Restaurants and Bars
San Fransisco has a vibrant and exceptional food scene. Two restaurants we recommend are:
Tartine Bakery- This is a must! Be prepared and go early in the day, before noon, so you get a good selection of sweet and savoury treats. I will share that the Grilled Cheese is other worldly and well worth a sample if you like that sort of thing. We sampled a large assortment of their baking and we were impressed with every single bite. (Eddie still talks about our visit there to this day!)

Morton’s Steak House- Eddie and I had a fabulous dinner at Morton’s our first night of our trip and the food, drinks and ambience was fabulous. This is an upscale steakhouse, so be prepared to pay but wow, it was delicious! Excellent service as well, we ended up chatting with our waiter for a long time. He gave us some recommendations on what to do when we went to Napa Valley later in the week.
Muir Woods National Monument
If you are looking to take a day trip from San Fransisco there a many different tours and busses you can choose from. From Yosemite National Park where you can see the Giant Sequoias to Napa Valley for wine tasting San Fransisco provides a perfect jumping off point for much of the northern California region. Going on some of these tours is time consuming, Yosemite is almost four hours away so travel time is 8 hours plus time in the woods so its a full day excursion. If you do not want to spend all that time getting to the Sequoias, I recommend the closer Muir Woods. This national park is 35 mins from the bay area and is a perfect recharge from the hustle and bustle of San Fransisco. Both Eddie and I were in AWE of the giant trees and walking through this special land was like falling into a fairy’s garden. My only caution, if you are an insecure driver or hate driving on mountain roads with no guard rail this may not be the trip for you to drive. Their are guided tours up to the site and I would strongly recommend that for unsure drivers. The drive is spectacular but it is steep and windy to get there.
Fioli Historic House and Garden
Another amazing day trip from San Fransisco is to Fioli Historic House and Garden. This is another short 35 min drive to get there from the bay area, do you see a theme here? I love short jaunts that get us out of the big city but allow us to be back in time to enjoy the fabulous restaurants the city has to offer. Fioli was a perfect choice! Fioli, also known as the Bourn-Roth Estate is a country house set on 16 acres of formal gardens surrounded by a 654-acre wooded estate in the hills surrounding Woodside, California. I love to tour old estate homes when we travel, and Fioli certainly did not disappoint us. The house itself is not as grand as some we have toured on other vacations but it was charming and very educational. The tour guides at the estate were amazing and we ended up chatting with a manager of the estate in the ballroom which was being restored. He shared a lot of interesting details about the restoration work, it was fascinating. The grounds were stunning and you are allowed to explore everywhere. There was a indoor cafe and gift shop as well as a wine and cooler stand out near the pool area. They also have a greenhouse where locals can purchase plants and flowers for their gardens, it was beautiful walking through this greenhouse and
desperately wishing Air Canada had a plant storage area on the plane. If you choose to go you must pre-purchase tickets off of their website and include parking. They do host members only events as well as private events so be sure to look at the days they are open to the public.
Levi Stadium
If you are a NFL fan, you are a short 45 minute drive to Levi stadium. Bart, the metro train service from San Fransisco also runs out to the stadium. There is a gift shop open open business hours for those NFL fans that need a T-shirt or hat to commemorate the visit to the Bay area.
Sonoma and Napa Valley
If you are looking to expand your trip to outlying areas of San Fransisco I greatly recommend a weekend excursion to Napa or Sonoma Valley. It is hard to imagine that in a quick two hour drive you are transported to a completely different world, the wine country of California. I absolutely love to travel to Napa, of course I love all the wineries and I do enjoy sampling their beautiful wines however, Napa is much more than that. My favourite destination in Napa is Yountville, a small town filled to the brim with some of the best restaurants I have ever been too. This is a food and wine mecca, Eddie and I stayed at a small boutique hotel on the Sonoma side of the valley and did the drive to Yountville for lunch, dinner, and bakery excursions a number of times over our trip. This is not the cheapest area to vacation is, but to me it is worth it for the quality of the experience. I have toured several Vineyards in the region, Stags Leap and Domaine Carneros my two favourites. It is now almost impossible to visit most of the highly sought after vineyards without reservations or pre purchased tickets. I highly recommend you tack on a day or two to your San Fransisco vacation and take a trip out to Napa Valley. There are many great resources on line to help you plan your trip but great website I used for the most sought after vineyards can be found here https://www.napavalley.com/blog/most-beautiful-wineries-in-napa-valley/

Lombard Street, San Fransisco

Painted Ladies in San Fransisco

Alcatraz, San Fransisco

The Palace of Fine Arts, San Fransisco

Muir Woods National Monument

Napa Valley, California

San Fransisco

Top Things to Do in San Francisco

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