California, a state I had never been to until the first week of July! It was everything I dreamed of and more, the weather was perfect, the people were kind, the sites were beautiful and the company was even better! I was able to go to a conference located in San Francisco for my sorority Delta Zeta, since I have graduated I have been able to transition into an advisor for the Gamma Chi chapter at Ball State. Below is my San Francisco travel guide, check it out and let me of any places you must visit when you go!
San Francisco Travel Guide - Where to Stay
• We stayed at Hyatt Regency - San Francisco Airport, which is about 15 miles from Pier 39 and about 20 miles from the Golden Gate Bridge. It was such a nice hotel, but if I go back again I would stay at the Hyatt Regency in the city! I would rather be closer to the city than the airport, although being close to the airport was nice for our early morning flight! Our room was spacious and nice, we had a view into the atrium at the hotel, which was cool - they also have ocean views which are so neat and beautiful! The staff was kind and helpful, it was a wonderful experience and I highly recommend them! They also have a free airport shuttle which is so nice and a really nice convention center!
San Francisco Travel Guide - What to Do
• Visit Pier 39. This is a big tourist attraction, but it is so much fun! There are so many different piers that have different attractions. They have shops, places to eat and fun attractions - like a boat tour under the Golden Gate Bridge, boat trips to Alcatraz, farmers market and so much more! You could spend a whole day here!
• Visit Ghirardelli Square. This is a square where Ghirardelli used to produce their chocolate. It has now been turned into a square with shops, attractions and places to eat. One of my favorite boutiques that we visited was Gigi + Rose, they had some of my favorite brands and some new ones that I had never heard of before! You can also catch the cable car here, which was such a fun experience!
• Visit the city of San Francisco. More specifically Market Street, this is where they have shops, like Nordstrom and Sephora, I know these are places that we have at home, but they are HUGE here and it's so fun to shop! They have street vendors that are selling handmade jewelry and shops that are not located in Indiana! You can also catch the cable car here, it is where they do the turn around which is cool to watch!
• Visit AT&T Park. This is where the San Francisco Giants play! We went to a game on Saturday and it was so much fun! It was nice to have a break from walking around and it was cool to see the bay from the park! The tickets were cheap and we had the best time! We set in the top section, which allowed us to see out into the ocean! Such a fun experience! They are known for their garlic fries, so make sure to try them when you go!
• Visit the Golden Gate Bridge. This is something that is a must see! I was so nervous to go, because I am so scared of heights, but it was so cool and fun! It is only a little over a mile, so we walked it, and I would recommend doing this rather than riding a bike! When you ride a bike you are on the side of the bridge that doesn't show much but the ocean!
San Francisco Travel Guide - Where to Eat and Drink
• Blue Mermaid - this is located by Pier 39. The inside was so cute and the food was good! They have the best chowder in San Francisco in the biggest bread bowls! They had a great food selection and outdoor seating!
• In-N-Out - well duh! We ate here like three times and it was just as good as I remember! They have the best shakes and burgers! Super fast for when you are on the go! I also learned that they have a secret menu - which is so cool!
• Home Skillet - they have brunch and it is so good! They do not have alcohol, but it still was so good! They had the best pancakes and french toast ever, and there was not wait! We tried to go to Dotties True Blue Cafe because they have bottomless mimosas, but their line was so long! If you are looking for mimosas I would recommend going here, we had so many people suggest this to us and they were on the Food Network!
• 3Sixty Bistro - this was located in our hotel and is where we got most of our meals since we were there for a conference! They had good food and great customer service! One of my favorites was the fillet and salami - it melted in your mouth!
We did all of this in just two days, we were there for five and the rest of the three were spent at our conference! I can only imagine the things you could do with a full week! One thing I wish we would have done was go on a tour inside Alcatraz, it seems so cool and full of so much history! Overall we had a blast, I am so thankful I was able to go with some great girlies!
XOXO,
Shelby Marie
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