I’m back from our vacation to San Francisco and Sonoma, California. We walked all over San Fran, drank wine, ate way too much food, and had an amazing time! Okay so I didn’t leave my whole heart there, but maybe just a small piece of it…I loved that city, and the food was just unbelievable!
We arrived in San Fran on Saturday, which I knew was the best day to visit the Ferry Building Market, so as soon as we threw our bags down I dragged the husband down to the waterfront (don’t worry, he thanked me later when he got to eat all the great market food;).
The next day we headed over to Alcatraz, and caught our first glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge.
We did the prison audio tour.
And took in the nature on the island.
By Tuesday my feet and shins were killing me from all the crazy San Fran hills (I was in bad need of a tourist ice bath!), so I was happy to be driven around by a bus on a tour I got through Groupon. (Thank you to whoever gave me the great idea of signing up for San Fran Groupons before our trip!)
(The yellow row house pictured in the close-up is the “Full House” house! Is it sad that I think that’s awesome?)
We also took a trip to see the redwoods in Muir woods, which was beautiful!
And finally, we headed to Sonoma!
(Somehow I didn’t take any pictures of us actually tasting the wine. But hey, why have a camera in your hand when you can have a wine glass, right?:)
Whew, okay, that was a lot! Sorry if I put you into picture overload (did you like how I cheated by making a bunch of collages with a thousand pictures in each one?;). I plan to do one more post for the vacation, dedicated to all of the AMAZING food we ate on our trip.
You know you’re excited. Don’t lie.
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If you’ve been to California, what is your favorite city? If you haven’t, which city would you choose to visit first?
-I have only been to LA and San Fran, but I just loved San Fran (sorry, LA). The hubs loves San Diego, too, so I really want to visit sometime!
You Don't Know Until You Tri! 
Yay for the Full House house! I love that you identified it for us 🙂 Your pictures are amazing and you know that I never think you can have too many pictures of anything ha ha ha. I really want to visit San Francisco soon. But I must say I agree with Eric since my favorite CA city so far is San Diego and especially La Jolla! Looks like a fabulous trip!!!
Haha, thanks, Kare! Speaking of pictures…just kidding;). I do really want to visit San Diego, now! But since neither of us had been to San Fran it was higher on the list:).
Oh seeing your pictures made me miss the Bay area so much. I so love San Francisco, it is one of my very favorite places to go. We were blessed to live close by and were able to go there often. Looks like you all had so much fun!
Aw, I miss it already, and I was only there for a few days, so I can’t imagine how you must feel. I wish we did live closer, I would go all the time. Why is it so expensive to fly across the country? boo:(
oooh are you doing the WIA portion for WIAW? hmmm? cause I am most definitely excited!!!! I love all your posts though =) just esp the foodie ones! lol
glad you guys had a blast! ❤
Shh, don’t give it away, Jenn! Just kidding, you’re smart!! Is it cheating to do TWO WIAW San Fran posts? I am going with no;).
I am so jealous! Especially of the Full House house, because seriously, that show was my childhood.
Meeee tooo. Love that show so much. Except I always hated the awkward “father daughter talks” at the end, haha. It also upsets me a little bit that Mr. Tanner (Bob Saget) is a bit of a pervy comedian now:( I would like to stick with my wholesome childhood memories, please!:)
only an athlete makes a reference to taking an ice bath while on vacation 🙂
glad you had a great time!
Haha, I really wanted one!! Seriously, those hills are nuts, and after being tied to my desk writing my thesis for teh past two months, my shins did not know what hit them! Haha:)
ahhhh san fran!!! I love that place. Its near and dear to my heart too! So glad you guys had a great time!
This was our first time visiting, but we absolutely loved it! I hope to go back soon:).
I love San Francisco! It’s so much fun, I’ve been dying to go back. Did you see any whales? I love the sourdough there…please tell me you had some!
We didn’t see any whales:( I DID try sourdough, though. Soooo good! Just like all the other food in San Fran, hehe:)
I love all of your pictures! I’ve actually never been to California, but if I went I think I’d want to go to San Diego (although San Francisco looks fun too!) btw, what is involved in a prison audio tour? I’ve never heard of that!
I had only been to LA, but it was only for a couple of days, so I am still pretty much a CA newbie, which is why it was one of the places on the top of my vacation list:). Oh, sorry if that was confusing…it was just an audio tour (where you wear the headsets and listen to a prerecorded tour explaining what everything is, instead of a live tourguide) of the prison that is on Alcatraz. It’s pretty crazy that all of these hardcore prisoners were held on the island’s prison, right off the coast of San Fran. Al Capone was there for a while, too! It was actually a really interesting tour, and one of my favorite activities we did.
I bet those SF hills got you in ever better shape! I love it there… but not for running or biking…. or swimming in 54 degree weather lol!
You went to Sonoma too? Wow… I’ve love to go there someday. I’m glad you had fun! Did you bring me a treat?
Yeah really…how was the triathlon, there?? The alcatraz tour people kept saying how people couldn’t escape because of the cold water/strong currents…but then they do the triathlon there!!
Yeah it was a really great trip! Uhm….I did bring home some donuts…but my family ate them all already:(
You know I am totally LOVING these posts!! Living vicariously through your more recent trip. 🙂 Don’t you just kind of want to move there now!?
I totally do! I told Eric that if it weren’t so far away from my family on the East Coast, then I would totally be down for moving there!!
Never been to CA, but you should probably check out an adventure to Austin, TX!
Hehe, we DO need to visit Austin;). That is another cool city on the ‘places to visit’ list…it just wasn’t quite as high as San Fran, but now it’s got to be further up there;)
I love all the pictures!!! You are better than me since I haven’t even bothered to post any pictures from my vacation yet. But, it looks like it was so nice there and that you had a good time! I have only been to LA and San Monica, but am going to San Jose in Oct. I hope that I may have time to go to San Fran for a day while I’m there though.
You need to post them soon, because I want to see them!:) It was gorgeous there, and I am really glad we went.
I can’t wait to hear how San Jose is:). If you do have time to go to San Fran, I definitely recommend it.
I meant to add that it’s not a huge city, so you can actually see a fair bit in a day.
I was in love with San Fran for months after I visited last September! I have many of the same pictures as you do lol. My fav. California city however is San Diego. I love the weather and my family lives there so that’s an added bonus!
Oh yes, family definitely would put any city over the top. Man, I really want to visit San Diego, too, now:).
Looks like an amazing trip!! and I loved seeing all the pictures. I’ve never been to San Fran but hope to visit someday. The only places I’ve been to in Cali are San Diego and LA. San Diego wins by a landslide!! As in, there’s really no competition. 🙂
Thanks, Lauren, it was a great trip! I’m glad some people are enjoying my picture overload:) Everyone is making me want to go to San Diego, now:).
happy to have you back!!! glad you had such an awesome time. the pictures are beautiful. looks like you had a great time – i am sooo jealous u went to the full house home!!!
Haha, I’m glad I’m not the only one that enjoyed Full House:). Thank you, we had a great time!
Love the picture collage! Especially the baby penguins (are those penguins??) and full house shot! haha.
CANT WAIT for the food post, though! What wineries did you visit in Sonoma?
I went to SF only for like 24 hours – I definitely want to go back. I used to live in San Diego so I have to say it’s my favorite – heading back there next weekend and again in September!
Oh yeah I meant to say that the babies are actually baby gulls. They’re way cuter as babies, right? Lol.
We actually didn’t do *too* many wineries in Sonoma (I am a lightweight now and can’t make it past two tastings, hahaha). We went to Cline, Jacuzzi, Adobi?, Charles Creek?…I am bad with names and can’t remember them all:/.
Oh wow, that’s so awesome that you are going to San Diego, TWICE, in the next couple of months! Can you pack me in your suitcase?!
I’ve never been to CA, but I want to go–and after reading your post, I want to go even more! I’ve heard amazing things about the redwoods (and the wine–good choice to go for glass over camera 😀 )
Haha, thank you, I am glad you agree with my choice;). I had only been to LA for a couple of days, so going somewhere in CA was still at the top of my list:). I hope you can visit soon!
Sounds like a great trip! I really liked San Francisco when I went there. My company has an office there so I really should be pushing for more business trips! 🙂
Heck yeah, that’s awesome that your work has an office out there!
I love san francisco- when I went wtih the boyfriend we stayed at his uncle’s place right near the ferry building, and got to hit the market there twice. We loved it! I do want to return to go see the redwoods though!
Oh, nice! The ferry building market was one of my favorite places. So much awesome food in one place:). The redwoods are definitely worth a trip back. So beautiful.
I love San Francisco! My favorite city in California is the one I live in, but San Francisco is a close second 🙂 I was just there in March for a day and went to Alcatraz for the first time. It was the highlight of the day! I have a weird fascination with prisons, so it was right up my alley.
Haha, well I don’t know what to think about your fascination with prisons, but rest assured that you were not alone in enjoying that tour. I really liked it, and it was one of the highlights of my trip:).
Your pics are awesome! And everybody that’s visiting SF goes to see the “Full house” house. I’ve been to LA and San Diego and pretty much everywhere in CA, but there’s no city that I love in the US more than SF. (I feel embarrassed that I thought you’re from here, sorry!)
Oh no, don’t feel embarrassed! You didn’t know:). Starting to wish I was from there…;).
I hope you’re having a good week!
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Glad you guys had a wonderful trip!! 🙂
I loved all your pictures, now I really cannot wait for my west coast vacation!
So excited for you! Let me know if you want any suggestions for where to go/eat!:)