Have you ever fancied playing tourist for a day or weekend in your city? It’s always a lot of fun. No need to wait for out-of-town guests to enjoy taking in the sights, especially if you live in or near a beautiful city – and San Francisco is no exception.
Clift San Francisco
So we decided to book a room at the Clift, a luxury boutique hotel nestled on Geary Street just steps from bustling Union Square – one of our favorite areas in SF. The hotel is conveniently located within easy walking distance to many wonderful restaurants, shops, bars, art galleries – and the Powell Street cable car line.
The Clift’s whimsical lobby features an eclectic collection of furniture, including this massive chair (pictured below). After checking in, I couldn’t resist climbing up on it to pose for a picture – and if you’re curious to see an unusual bit of artwork, crawl under the chair and look up at the underside of the seat… seriously 🙂
Take some time to enjoy the moment – relax in front of the hotel lobby’s cozy fireplace. Check out our picture and video below:
You know what we liked best about staying at the Clift? Our super comfy bed (with a down duvet) in a Zen-like setting – we both slept like a baby!
Our spacious Jr Suite even had a special little alcove with sitting area – perfect for putting on make-up while getting ready for a day of sightseeing.
Ferry Plaza Farmers Market
After getting our morning coffee fix (it’s complimentary in the Clift’s lobby area), we decided to head over to the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market – it’s one of SF’s hottest places to be on a Saturday morning. This popular foodie destination is located in front of the Ferry Building, along the Embarcadero (at the foot of Market Street). The area is jam-packed with food vendors and stalls where you can buy everything from artisan breads, cheeses and jams to organic produce, olive oils and fresh flowers. Enjoy sampling tastes from around the world as you stroll along the outdoor market. This area is also filled with fabulous restaurants and cafes.
Streetcar along the Embarcadero Waterfront
Next, we took one of the restored antique streetcars along the Embarcadero’s scenic route to Pier 39. It’s an excellent value and you get a wonderful view along the way.
Pier 39 and Sea Lions
Pier 39 is San Francisco’s top attraction. It’s a fun place to walk, shop, people-watch – and of course check out the city’s famous sea lions. On that particular day, they weren’t hard to find… we just followed the sounds of the alpha males playing on the docks – boy, were they loud! To our delight, they put on quite a show for the crowds of people gathered along the railings.
Fisherman’s Wharf
From Pier 39, we walked to Fisherman’s Wharf. What better place to people-watch and play tourist for the day! Check out the Boudin Bakery and Museum – and watch through the large picture window as they make San Francisco’s famous sourdough bread. We always get a kick out of browsing the stalls along Fisherman’s Wharf and watching the vendors crack live crabs.
Ghirardelli Square
Next stop, Ghirardelli Square for an afternoon treat – a yummy hot fudge ice-cream sundae at the world-famous Ghirardelli Chocolate Shop and Ice-Cream Parlor.
North Beach
For dinner, we opted for a casual al fresco setting in one of our favorite SF neighborhoods – North Beach. We managed to grab a table outside Tony’s restaurant – it’s a great place to hang out and people-watch. And their championship award-winning pizzas are amazing!
Clift’s Redwood Room Bar
After a long day of sightseeing, we took an Uber back to the hotel for a nightcap at the Clift’s legendary Redwood Room, rated one of the best bars in the nation. The stunning Art Deco room features a beautiful long Murano glass bar – as you can see from our pictures below, it’s breathtaking!
After a day of sightseeing, eating and drinking, we couldn’t wait to get back to our hotel room to relax in our comfy bed… sheer bliss! 😃