Summer 2020
As a Gulf Coast girl, it is hard for me to admit that “west coast = best coast”, but over the past 3 years at Stanford, I have fallen in love with the rugged Northern California coastline. The sublime landscape and the abundance of activities (surfing, sailing, hiking) makes up for the, sometimes, frigid water temperatures. Living in SF this summer, I had the opportunity to take advantage of the Bay Area, and from my adventures I have a compiled a list of favorite places, activities, and eats. Hope you enjoy!
Wine Country Tasting and Camping
Northern California's reputation for winemaking is legendary so it was top on my Summer in San Fran Bucket List! Researching a get-away, I learned that Spanish Missionaries brought vines with them in the 1700s in order to produce wine for communion. Since that time, Sonoma and Napa Valleys have grown and now are home to thousands of wineries— many family-owned and multi- generational as well as big, multinational producers. We chose to visit Sonoma Vally because it's just a short drive up from the city, and because it offered camping along the Russian River something else on my bucket list. We stopped first at Dry Creek Vineyard which is a boutique, family-run vineyard located in a dry creek bed. Known for their Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel grape varietals, it is also the official wine of sailors! Despite COVID restrictions, we enjoyed a lovely tasting in the shade of their farmhouse garden and left with a few bottles of our favorite--their 2019 DCV3 Estate Sauvignon Blanc. Our next stop was the Francis Ford Coppola Family Vineyard, which was much larger and had a restaurant with views overlooking their vineyards. We enjoyed their Sofia wine with dinner and this, along with the relaxing water sound of the Russian River made for a blissful sleep under the stars.
Dipsea Trail
On our way home from our wine / camping adventure (see above), we decided to hike the very popular Dipsea Trail. The Dipsea is famous in the Bay Area for its beauty and challenge and for the Dipasea Race which is oldest cross-country trail race in the country (held since 1905). It’s fair to say that we were a little unprepared for the 9 mile hike. We struggled to find the trailhead (which starts with 3 flights of stairs in Mill Valley) and got lost along the way, at one pointing stopping to argue over whether we needed to cross a creek (fyi you do). Despite these setbacks, we had a great time traversing through the Muir Woods, over Mount Tamalpais, to the end of the trail in Stinson Beach. We rewarded ourselves with a big lunch at the Parkside Café. I ordered an apple and gruyere grilled cheese and Andrew a seafood platter; both were big hits. Somehow we made it back to our car via a combination of a bus ride/off-road exploring and it was truly a perfect end to a perfect weekend in NorCal.
The Penninsula The Peninsula is the narrow land strip that separates San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean reaching from San Francisco down into the high-tech region of Silicon Valley. The Peninsula has two coasts—one on the San Francisco Bay, the other on the Pacific Ocean. Half Moon Bay is a crescent shaped four-mile stretch of wide, sandy beach and dramatic bluffs on the Pacific side. The beach is great for surfing and though I am a much more accomplished sailor than surfer, I enjoy surfing and for my 21st birthday bought a pink surfboard! From San Francisco, it's a beautiful drive on the 280 and though it was 4th of July weekend there were very few people on the beach; it felt a world away from the COVID news cycle and all of the accompanying anxiety. We stopped in Palo Alto on our way home as well as several other times later in the summer. Each time I was back on campus, It made me sad to see everything so empty and lifeless due to COVID. Despite the circumstances, we made the most of it with Sweetgreen picnics, a graduation photos session on the Quad, dinner on University and Cal Ave (now pedestrian only streets thanks to COVID), hiking the Dish, exploring Edgewood park, and eating at the Alpine Inn.
Big Sur / Carmel
Having camped North of San Fran in Sonoma Valley, we decided to try camping South in Big Sur. Unfortunately due to COVID all of Big Sur was closed for camping so we instead reserved a spot in a Bed and Breakfast in Carmel and planned a weekend of travel on the Monterey Peninsula on the central California coast. I am partial to the Monterey Peninsula so this may have been my favorite of our excursions. There are no better views than driving along the Pacific Coast Highway: Bixby Creek Bridge, the elephant seals of San Simeon, and the twists and turns of the narrow PCH. We started our weekend with a hike in Moleras State Park called the 8-mile Beach, Bluff, Ridge Trail. It is aptly named— as we had views of the Pacific Ocean and Santa Lucia Mountains the entire time. From there we made our way to Carmel-by-the-sea to the Briarwood Inn. We explored Ocean Ave, saw the Mission where Fra. Junípero Serra is buried, and enjoyed appetizers at Carmel Belle, a local food hall which had a great goat cheese dip before our Italian dinner at Cantinetta Luca (both delicious). The next day it was a typical overcast morning produced by marine layer clouds and we walked along Carmel Beach before heading back home to San Francisco for our work week.
San Francisco
Home-Sweet-Home. While it definitely has its problems (namely homelessness and high rent), I love San Fran. Being near the water sets my mind and body at ease. I love the iconic views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the hikes right in the middle of the city, and the three story townhouses reminding me of my Full House childhood obsession! I’m grateful that I got to spend the summer in the city, and I can’t wait to move to SF next year after graduation. Below are some of my SF favorites and pictures that tell the story way better than I can!
Hikes / Walks:
Running across the Golden Gate Bridge – This is one of my favorite running spots because it is flat unlike the rest of the city and the views of the bay are incomparable.
Running in the Marina District - Another favorite running spot, this is also a great place to watch city-front sailing, and probably my favorite spot in all of SF
Land’s End Hike– To hike this trail we always begin with a walk down to the Sutro Baths, and each time they are different depending on the tide. My favorite part of this hike is Eagle Point Lookout (a halfway pointl) which overlooks a secret beach, hidden labyrinth, and the GG Bridge.
Marin Headlands – At the top of the Rodeo Beach Coastal Trail Loop hike we had a great view of the Point Bonita Lighthouse and Pacific Ocean. We inadvertently went off trail at some point and ended up having to scale up the side of the rock headland which made for quite the challenging hike!
Presidio – I love this area with its tall trees, gravel trails, and lots of hills. It is so beautiful that you forget you're in the city. I also love walking past the old, brick Presidio Houses with traditional architecture which housed officers and their families when the Presidio was a military base.
Palace of Fine Arts Loop – Walking from the Presidio, through the Marina District, to the Palace of Fine Arts, and then back up to the Presidio is a great loop for a walk. The Palace and surrounding area was the site of the 1915 World’s Fair (Panama – Pacific International Exposition) and was once covered in buildings of similar architectural style. The Palace is one of the only surviving structures from the Exposition.
Lovers' Lane – Located right in the middle of Pac Heights at the entrance of the Presidio, this footpath was established in the 18th century as a shortcut used by Spanish soldiers and missionaries to get from the Presidio to nearby Mission Dolores. This picturesque path includes a flight of stairs which is a great place for a stair workout.
Activities:
Shopping at the Farmers Market – the Farmer’s Market in the Ferry Building was a regular Saturday morning activity and a chance to peruse fresh farm products, prepared foods, artisan crafts, ceramics and more. It is one of the top farmers markets to visit and the biggest I’ve seen.
Playing tennis at Alice Marble Tennis Courts in Russian Hill — our regular Monday matches from this court offered great views of the Bay.
Cruising around SF Bay – racing or cruising on both sail and power boats, early morning or at sunset... I'll take San Francisco Bay any time and by any boat!
Food:
Over the Moon (Marina District) – The best ice cream sandwiches; they make their ice cream fresh daily (creamy and has a great consistency). My personal favorite is their cookies and cream ice cream between two cookies and cream cookies!
Loving Cup (Cow Hollow, Polk Gulch) – Being an ice cream enthusiast, I was skeptical of frozen yogurt, but I love their chocolate fro-yo with oreos and peanut butter.
Tartine (Mission) – This bakery is probably on every list of SF recommendations so the line can be long but the fresh pastries are worth it. I loved eating, walking down Vallejo Street, through Mission Dolores Park, and around the Castro District.
Absinth (Hayes Valley) - Very chic, very French, and very good food. Their cheese board and apple French toast are at the very top of my brunch list.
ZA Pizza (Nob Hill) – I was hesitant to go in for a while because it looks like a dive, but a slice of cheese pizza walking home from our weekly game of tennis is the best!
The Dorian (Marina District) – The food and cocktails here are fun & different. Shared plates & Frosé with Nerds on top were my regular order.
Bi-Rite Market (Mission District) – Another SF hotspot. I love the local feel – flowers out front and groceries from restaurants all around the city. We picked up some homemade pasta which was a game changer for our dinner later that night.
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