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How to Spend 3 Days in San Francisco

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One of the best things about California is the number of different sceneries you can experience in a single day. SoCal may have Disneyland and Hollywood, but NorCal has redwoods and the state capital. San Francisco is a great weekend destination for SoCal residents to escape for a change in scenery and cooler temps!

Why Go?

I think San Francisco is a must-do for any city lover. It has iconic landmarks, fantastic museums, and a rich history. Think of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and cable cars!

Where to Stay?

I normally visit San Francisco to visit friends, but when I went with my family, we stayed at Hotel Nikko which was in a great central location with ample room space. It also had an indoor pool which was a really nice amenity. 

How to Get Around?

San Francisco is walkable but can get pretty hilly. For major attractions, there is normally a form of public transportation for a more economical option. However, if you don’t want to wait for a bus, Uber is the next best option. I wouldn’t recommend a car since the city can get pretty congested and parking is difficult to find (or pricey). 

Day 1

The first day is focused on the most iconic landmark in San Francisco – the Golden Gate Bridge. My favorite way to see it was to sign up for a free walking tour (but make sure to tip your guides!). Taking in the bridge while learning stories about its creation definitely made the visit more meaningful and educational. The tour I took was with San Francisco City Guides, and it was great! We also got to visit the gift shop before the tour and ended up on the bridge when the tour was done to walk a bit on the bridge. My favorite fact that I learned is that one end of the bridge is in the water while the other is on land. For some reason, I just never really paid attention to that! 

Afterwards, I would recommend continuing walking through the Presidio. My personal recommendation would be to walk towards the Walt Disney Family Museum. You’ll get to see a lot of archived artifacts from Walt Disney and his family and go through his life from moving to Hollywood, making movies, enduring studio struggles, and of course, creating Disneyland. My favorite piece was the Oscar bracelet he gave to his wife Lillian after winning for Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. The final room with the big model of Disneyland though is jaw droppingly beautiful and fun to hunt for specific effects that are hidden within. However, if you’re not a Disney adult like I am, you can also aim to go see the Palace of the Fine Arts, hike or bike the trails, or hang out in Crissy Field and enjoy the Golden Gate Bridge beach views.

Day 2

Get ready to explore Chinatown in the morning on the second day! I recommend getting some dim sum for brunch before visiting the Cable Car Museum. It’s a free, short museum (30 minutes if you’re not a big museum person and about an hour to an hour and a half if you are since there are a lot of detailed placards), but it is a fun visit since cable cars are symbolically associated with San Francisco. 

After exploring the history of cable cars, head your way to Pier 39 or the Embarcadero area to board a boat to Alcatraz Island. Unfortunately, I don’t have fun facts for this place since I have yet to visit. It’s constantly on the list, but something else always comes up!

Day 3

For the third day, get ready to explore Golden Gate Park. It’s kind of like Balboa Park in San Diego where in addition to grassy areas, it is surrounded by museums such as the California Academy of Sciences or the deYoung Museum. The California Academy of Sciences is great if you have kids and if you don’t have kids because it has a planetarium AND an aquarium AND a rainforest! They’re also known to house an albino alligator, Claude, who’s pretty cool. The deYoung Museum is an art museum that I have yet to go to, but it looks like they focus on American art as well as international textile arts and costumes, African art, Oceanic art, and arts of the Americas. If museums are not your thing, they also have gardens such as the Conservatory of Flowers, Japanese Tea Garden, and the San Francisco Botanical Garden. 

 

Afterwards, you can take a quick look at the Painted Ladies on your way over to Mission District for murals, dinner, and drinks!

Where to Eat?

You may have noticed I didn’t include places to eat since I always have a growing list of places I want to try. Some of these get long lines so sometimes, the food is the destination. A few on the list…

  • Arsicault Bakery – known for the best croissant in the US
  • Brenda’s French Soul Food – if you’re craving some soul food
  • Garden Creamery – classic flavors and unique Asian-inspired flavors. I’ve actually had this one and can attest that it is delicious and in a great location to other restaurants.
  • Golden Boy Pizza – for when you want pizza
  • House of Prime Rib – it’s in the name! I’ve also been here and can say it’s always busy (you need a reservation like 6 months in advance) but you do get delicious prime rib and fantastic martinis!
  • Swan Oyster Depot – long line and cash only but a pretty iconic spot on social media

Extra Things To Do

If you’re intrigued, Lombard St is a famous windy road but I wouldn’t prioritize it as I rank it similar to the Painted Ladies. An attractive sight and a fun picture to take, but not much to do when you’re there. 

San Francisco is also filled with many other museums, filming locations (any Princess Diaries fans out there?), and LGBTQ+ history so I do recommend doing additional research if any of these subjects sound interesting. I tried to highlight the major attractions in my 3 day itinerary, but of course, edits are always encouraged! 

Final Thoughts

San Francisco definitely has a unique culture made of new tech and a rich history that is worth experiencing. It’s also a place to get great food and visit some iconic landmarks! What’s your favorite fun fact, experience, or memory in San Francisco? Mine is of my friends and family and the memories we made exploring this city together.

Day Trip Inspo: Johnson City, TX

One of my favorite parts when living in Texas was visiting the small towns that make up so much of the state. Each town always had a fun “claim to fame” with a Main Street that had most of the shops and a restaurant that was truly the “best in town” and beyond (for some). Johnson City is one of those towns that is about an hour away from Austin.  

Why Go?

Johnson City has the childhood home of Lyndon B. Johnson, his ranch property, and the Texas White House. Everything I did was free which makes this itinerary a free and educational trip as well!

Where to Stay?

I would recommend staying in Austin and doing this as a one-day trip if you’ve got the time while visiting! My mom was in town for her birthday so we decided to do this trip as a part of her celebration. 

How to Get Around?

Unfortunately, a car would be necessary since the area is expansive and there are multiple areas to visit via car.  

The Itinerary

I recommend leaving around 8:30-9A since the park isn’t open all day long. Your first stop should be the National Park Visitor Center. The staff is wonderful – they can share maps, tour times, closures, updates, and their own recommendations.

For me, they recommended that we start with the exhibits inside of the visitor center (1 on Johnson City map) since I wanted to take a tour of the boyhood home (2 on Johnson City map), which was only available with a staff member. 

 

After that, we drove over to LBJ Ranch. We grabbed a driving permit (free) at the visitor center there and made our way into the park. We got a little lost somehow and ended up going to LBJ’s birthplace (4 on LBJ Ranch map) and the Johnson family cemetery (5 on LBJ Ranch map) rather than the show barn (8 on LBJ Ranch map), but eventually, we made it over there! After hanging out with some of the cattle, we continued the route and made a stop to see the JetStar, a cool aircraft that President Johnson jokingly referred to as “Air Force One-Half.” Lastly, we ended at the Texas White House Complex (7 on LBJ Ranch map) and walked around it since construction was underway inside. 

Final Thoughts 

While not a must-do when visiting Austin, if you’re a fan of Lyndon B. Johnson or American history, I do believe this would be worth the visit. I myself am not a history buff, but I love museums and really enjoyed my time learning about that time in history while also getting some steps outside (seeing the hangar and meeting the animals).

How to Spend 3 Days in NYC

I’ve been lucky to go to NYC twice now, and it’s definitely one of my favorite places on Earth (aside from the rats – I can live without them). There’s so many things to do and when you mix in seasonal offerings and limited time exhibits, it’s definitely a place you can come back to over and over again whether it be revisiting old favorites or trying new things.

Why Go?

I think NYC is a must for any city lover. It has food from almost any cuisine, world class museums, historical monuments, and a multitude of nighttime entertainment. It’s also ever changing and is host to more than a few, very famous global events (think Met Gala, Fashion Week, New Year’s Eve in Time Square).

Where to Stay?

My visits have been mostly focused in Manhattan so I definitely recommend Manhattan for this itinerary. Within Manhattan, I think if you’re staying close to a subway stop, you’d have convenient access to the places on this itinerary. I personally stayed near Hudson Yards, but a place near Times Square, Central Park, or Madison Square Park would also put you in a good location.

How to Get Around?

Luckily, NYC is a fairly easy city to navigate. Not only is it walkable but there’s an easy public transportation system. I have to admit I’ve only used the subway lines but there’s always a stop near the major, popular sites. Recently, when I went in May 2024, you can use your credit card as your metro card so you can take advantage of the weekly max amount. Last but not least, there’s also Uber/Lyft. 

Day 1

The first day is a typical city tourism day. I would start off at Central Park. The Park is actually much, much larger than a typical park with numerous walking paths, beautiful gardens, big sport fields, and even a lake for rowing. You can easily spend an hour, a half day, or even a whole day there. Luckily, since it’s a park in the middle of the city, you have easy access to restaurants and even museums if you want to take a breather from the green space! I personally would spend the morning at the Park, have lunch, and then head over to a nearby museum for the afternoon. 

For a museum, I personally would choose the Met. I have yet to go but it’s so iconic not only because of the Gala but because of the art pieces as well. Other options are the Guggenheim Museum or the American Museum of Natural History. If museums are not your thing, there’s also the Central Park Zoo!

After dinner, I would start the night with a Broadway show. There’s always so many shows to choose from. If you’re going with a bigger group or seeing a popular show, I would definitely book tickets ahead of time. However, if you’re willing to be flexible, I had some good luck getting great deals on last minute tickets at the box office day of or even a few minutes before. After the show, I would head over to Times Square as I think everyone should experience the bustle and the lights of Times Square at least once in their life. There’s also a fantastic Disney Store right in the middle where I had once picked up New York exclusive pins!

Day 2

The second day is all about New York specific tourism sites! I would start off at the 9/11 Museum. There are early morning tours if you want a more quiet experience as it is very popular and can get crowded fairly easily. The museum is very somber so be prepared but it’s also very informative especially to what it was like and what was going on in the city during the attack. I remember where I was during 9/11 but it was educational to see it from a different time/place as California is 3 hours behind. 

After the museum, I would definitely allow for some time to recover. One of my friends was slightly depressed after coming out and that isn’t the best feeling to go exploring with. We got lucky that day that Smorgasburg was outside so we had lunch there from a few booths, but on your way to the second activity, you’ll be walking through the Financial District if you want to research ahead for where you want to have a bite to eat! A couple notable stops in the Financial District include the Charging Bull and Trinity Church (the Cemetery is where Alexander Hamilton and his wife, Elizabeth, are buried).

The second activity for the day is the Statue of Liberty. I haven’t actually been since the last time I went, it was a bit cold already and it would be even colder riding the boat. However, it is on my list of things to do the next time I go back! We just took a sneak peek from Battery Park through the fence. However, as I was linking the website, it looks like reservations are highly recommended especially if you want to visit the Crown or the Pedestal. Note: The best part of the park is the Seaglass Carousel! You sit in colorful opaque fish that rotate around and up and down. It’s $6 (as of Oct 2024) and the ride is actually fairly long. But the best thing is that it’s just such a simple, joyous thing to do especially as the sun hits in and the colors reflect all around you! 

To close out the second day, there are awesome bars to check out. Or, if you’re not feeling up for that kind of adventure, there are plenty of dessert shops, ice cream parlors, or cookie establishments that have late hours! 

Day 3

The third day is going to be filled with my other favorite activities that I’ve done in New York along with a couple of things I still want to do! Feel free to mix and match what sounds interesting to you! 

The first is the New York Library. I love libraries in general, but the New York Library is massive and has a Winnie the Pooh display in the children’s section! It’s honestly delightful to walk around and see some of the different research rooms. There’s also tours and a visitor center for information. Note: Plan to spend a couple hours. When I went, an hour was not enough! The library is also located on 5th Ave so it’ll be a fun stroll afterward looking at all the luxury brand storefronts. 

Another option is the Morgan Library and Museum. We went on a free night which was on a Friday. The “museum” portions that comprise his private collections are a bit random… rich people sure do collect odd things. But the library itself is very beautiful and the rest of the building houses other exhibits that were quite interesting. For instance, we got to see an exhibit on Beatrice Potter and learn about her life and how she got into illustration and writing. The free time is limited but I think it was a nice sample of the place and we got to see everything we wanted to see.

My last recommendation on things I’ve done is the High Line. It’s a nice nature walk in the concrete jungle that’s not Central Park. There’s also art pieces randomly along the path with benches to sit down on to chat with friends or to admire nature. 

Now for things that I have not done but want to! The first is the Empire State Building. While I know a lot of people go for the view from the top, I personally want to know more about the history of the building and send a postcard from there since it literally has its own zip code! The second one is Grand Central Station. In addition to being a pop culture filming location, it’s known for beautiful architecture, shopping, and food. My personal goal is to try the oyster pan roast at the Oyster Bar!

Final Thoughts 

As you can see, it is so easy to pack a full 3 days or more! It’s one of the few places on Earth that I would happily go back to because there is genuinely always something going on, something to eat, or something to see!