When I traveled to San Francisco, I visited all the most Instagrammable spots and fell in love with the city.
To San Francisco,
It’s not you, it’s me. That’s the line I would use to describe how I felt leaving a city I fell in love with.
This spring break trip was a blind date of sorts. I didn’t know much about the city besides hills, cable cars, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Full House references. But I was looking for an escape to the city, and the West Coast seemed to be a fit.
When I booked my flight to San Francisco, I wanted more than a getaway. I wanted the city as a lover. I was looking to make another memory in my life of weekends in campers, Easter egg hunts on the beach, and flights to friends.
My freshman year of high school, I formed a relationship with traveling that has been unbreakable since.
Breaking up is never easy. But I hate having to break up with each city I have come to love. I would rather book a one-way flight, never needing to pack up my bags and return “home.” After traveling to somewhere new, I feel like my home isn’t actually my home. I end up feeling like a stranger in my daily life. This feeling of not being home lasts until the next time I find an excuse to dust off my suitcase and get away. I find more comfort in the cafes of new cities, getting lost because I turned down the wrong street, and waking up to a day full of strangers.
If there’s anyone to blame for my love-love relationship with traveling, it’s my parents. Weekends were meant for camping, winter breaks for trips to the beach. It was with my family that I looked across the aisle on my first airplane to Las Vegas with a feeling of excitement. Even though I had begged my parents for months for another trip to Florida, ditching the beach for the city felt spontaneous.
It was my parents who dropped me off with a bus full of strangers headed to Washington, D.C. One of those strangers I befriended, and a year later I flew to visit them in a small Colorado town, another place that broke my heart when I had to leave.
Since my first flight with my parents, I have flown three other times by myself. With boarding passes to Denver, San Francisco, and Austin, Texas, I’ve found a heart for adventure.
From the time my driver in Austin told me not to go downtown by myself, to when my Greyhound bus constantly got delayed in Texas, and even the time at 5 a.m. when my best friend and I got kicked out of an Uber because the driver refused to drive across the city, each trip brought its ups and downs, as any relationship does.
But there’s good, too, as in seeing a friend after 366 days, hugging them while you cry. It’s wandering your way into the Blanton Museum of Art on a free day and eating pizza in a San Francisco hostel while you watch the documentary MILK.
Falling in love with cities has broken my heart (and my bank account), but I think you should buy a plane ticket and go on a blind date. You might find love, the best cappuccino, and even the best Uber driver in all of San Francisco.
With one Pinterest search of San Francisco, you will find The Golden Gate Bridge, the Painted Ladies, and of course Lombardi Street. As soon as I booked my flight, I found myself looking through hundreds of images on Instagram of the most aesthetic places to visit. While you can leave your heart in San Francisco, you’re sure to gain a few likes along the way by following my Insta-worthy map.
SFMOMA
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
After waking up at 3 a.m. for an early-morning flight to San Francisco, the SFMOMA was the best place to wander. An art museum was the perfect way to go on a first date with the city. From Salvador Dali to The Living Wall made up of beautiful greenery, the art museum has something for everyone to appreciate. There’s also a cafe, so that was a plus.
Caption Idea: “I got it from my MOMA”
Instagram Aesthetic: 9
The Golden Gate Bridge
Did you even go to San Francisco if you didn’t see the Golden Gate Bridge? When my Uber driver told us the bridge wouldn’t be visible because of the fog, my heart sank. But let’s be honest—I didn’t go to the city to miss seeing this iconic landmark. After spending what seemed like forever taking pictures of the bridge and attempting to walk across, I opted to try the cappuccino at a nearby cafe. The cappuccino wasn’t the best in San Francisco, but what happened after a few sips was an Instagram miracle. The fog cleared and the bright red bridge was not only the set of Beautiful Boy, but also the set to my new Instagram aesthetic.
Caption Idea: In a golden state of mind
Instagram Aesthetic: Iconic
The Original Painted Ladies
Everywhere you look, Everywhere you look. If you’ve watched Full House, you must make this a stop in your trip to San Francisco. As soon as I got out of my Uber, I couldn’t help but sing the theme song. The park itself is beautiful and full of other tourists wanting to admire the houses. I recommend bringing lunch and having a picnic. Walk through the neighborhood to explore the architecture. The surrounding streets are full of pink painted walls, leading to liquor stores and record shops that give off the perfect hipster vibe.
Caption Idea: Full House duh
Instagram Aesthetic: 8.5
Chinatown
San Francisco is the birthplace of the fortune cookie. The only thing I have ever liked about fortune cookies was the fortunes and Freaky Friday references I could make with them. But after walking over a mile across the city and finding our way into a small alley, fortune cookies tasted like pure gold. Chinatown is full of something to see on every corner and plenty of places to eat. For 50 cents, you can take pictures inside the fortune cookie factory, and for $1.50, you can put your own fortunes in the cookies. Even if you accidentally smash your cookies in your carry-on while traveling back home, you still have the cutest box.
Caption idea: First I get the fortune cookie, then I do the things
Instagram Aesthetic: 8.9
Mr. Holmes Bakery
Let’s take a minute to talk about the “cruffin.” The cruffin is exactly what it sounds like: a croissant and muffin. This sweet treat changes weekly and is a perfect way to start your morning in the city. The shop itself was made for taking photos in, complete with a neon sign, Instagrammable baked goods, and a decorated floor. Getting baked in San Francisco has never been easier.
Caption Idea: Don’t tell my parents
Instagram Aesthetic: 10
The Castro
The Castro district is basically the layer of rainbow sprinkles on top of the cupcake that is San Francisco. Rainbow crosswalks, Qualitea, Drag Queens, and Hot Cookies all come together to make the Castro a colorful adventure. Walking around the Castro, I couldn’t help but have a smile on my face.
Caption Idea: Somewhere over the rainbow
Instagram Aesthetic: 8
The Caffeine Crawl of San Francisco
One thing San Francisco doesn’t lack is coffee shops. The abundance of coffee shops provides a perfect opportunity to get some energy while walking the hills. While you’re at it, you have the opportunity to understand some locals a little better. Ask the baristas what their favorite drink is, and you might just find something you like. Cappuccinos and brightly colored espressos make for some great filler photos on your feed. My favorite part of any trip has been sitting in coffee shops and eavesdropping on chatty baristas. You might find out about the best events or the coolest things to do in the city.
Cafes: Reveille, Peet’s Coffee, Qualitea, and Linea Caffe
Captions: A girl on a mission in the mission, or that’s the qualiTEA sis
