Booking last-minute tickets to San Francisco was one of the best decisions my boyfriend and I made to celebrate the start of the new year. The trip was full of great food, long walks, sightseeing, football, and plenty of Uber rides.
We initially planned to attend the 49ers vs. Seahawks game at Levi’s Stadium and figured we might as well make a New Year’s Eve weekend out of it. Surprisingly, the cost of game tickets (second row in the end zone) plus flights ended up being less than what it would have cost to see a Seahawks home game. Goes to show who the winning team really is.
As the type of person who likes to arrive early and maximize the day, I booked a 5:50 a.m. flight out of Seattle to land in San Francisco at 8:00 a.m. Waking up at 3:30 a.m. was rough, especially since my boyfriend can sleep anywhere, anytime. Still, we both managed to nap on the flight. After landing we took an Uber to our downtown hotel, the Galleria Park Hotel, an upscale property in the Financial District that turned out to be perfectly located for exploring.
Our room was ready by 9 a.m., so we took another short nap before putting on our comfortable shoes and heading out to explore.
Jane on Fillmore was first on my list, and it didn’t disappoint. I had sourdough avocado toast with an egg, topped with pickled shallots and jalapeños, while my boyfriend enjoyed a dragonfruit smoothie bowl. It was the perfect start to the day.
We spent the morning walking and admiring San Francisco’s architecture and unique quiet energy. Compared to the hustle of Seattle, New York, Los Angeles, or Boston, San Francisco felt noticeably calmer. Dogs were everywhere—on the streets, in stores, and across parks—so much so that I briefly considered cancelling my return flight and moving there.
We walked to Fort Point for a clear, unobstructed view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Fortunately, there was no fog that day, so the view was picture-perfect—an emotional highlight of the trip for me. We then made an impromptu stop at Boudin Bakery, where the TV happened to be showing the Husky game. We tried their sourdough pepperoni pizza (sans cheese) and loved it.
From there we headed toward the Wharf and visited Lombard Street, famous for its crooked, steep stretch. The hills lived up to the reputation—climbing them was a workout, and the traffic along the street was heavy, especially for the holiday.
We walked many blocks toward our dinner reservation at Gracias Madre before grabbing an Uber the rest of the way. I’d wanted to try Gracias Madre since a previous trip to LA, but the dinner was a bit of a letdown. The restaurant serves vegan, organic Mexican food, which is great, but the meal felt heavy and bland overall—except for the black beans, which were excellent. I ordered mole enchiladas and wasn’t particularly impressed, though the chips and pico de gallo were tasty.
Because it was New Year’s Eve, we had an early dinner around 4:30 p.m., then returned to the hotel for a nap to recharge for the night. By 8:30 p.m. we were hungry again and headed to Union Square. The square was bustling with ice skaters, tourists, and people taking photos. We slipped into Daily Grill, shared several sides, and then went back to the hotel for a movie in bed—only to fall asleep about 30 minutes before midnight.
On New Year’s Day we caught an early Caltrain at 8:15 a.m. to San Jose for the Seahawks/49ers game. The train was full of fellow fans and dropped us near the stadium, where tailgating included cornhole, chips, and great company with family friends who’d traveled to the game as well. We watched warm-ups and even got to sneak into first-row seats in the end zone briefly, high-fiving players as they ran onto the field. Our actual seats were in the fourth row on the opposite end zone—still fantastic—and the Seahawks won.
After the game we grabbed pizza and Ubered back to the city for a relaxing evening at the hotel.
Our final full day in San Francisco was dedicated to food. I worked out at the hotel early, then we headed to Plow—my favorite breakfast spot of the trip. Plow uses locally sourced ingredients; I had a gluten-free almond flour pancake, two sunny-side-up eggs, and Plow potatoes—absolutely delicious.
We shopped, walked, and grabbed green juices before crossing town to Seed + Salt for their famous chocolate chip and almond butter cookies. Meeting Rachel from Clearly Kombucha was a highlight—I’ve been a fan for years, so it was great to meet someone behind the brand.
Dinner that night was at Blue Barn, a great spot for soups, salads, and sandwiches. I had tomato basil bisque and a wild king salmon salad. Before returning to the hotel, I hunted down Bread SRSLY to buy locally made gluten-free sourdough loaves—successfully bringing two loaves home. We ended the night sharing Seed + Salt cookies in bed, knowing we had an early flight the next morning.
On Wednesday we checked out of the hotel and took an Uber to the airport for our flight home to Washington. The plane landed on a snow-covered runway in 30°F weather.
I can’t wait to return to San Francisco to rent bikes and ride across the Golden Gate to Sausalito, visit Alcatraz, and eat even more sourdough and delicious food.
Places to eat/drink:
– Plow (for the almond flour pancake and Plow potatoes)
– Jane on Fillmore (avocado toast)
– Blue Barn (soups, salads, sandwiches)
– Seed + Salt (cookies)
– Boudin Bakery (sourdough)
– The Mill (highly recommended, didn’t make it this trip)
– Project Juice
– Pressed Juicery