And it’s true, whenever I get on a plane to leave San Francisco, I always feel like I’ve left a little something behind. It’s the the kind of city that really gets under your skin, but in the best possible way. And I suppose I’m drawn to it for all sorts of reasons, but mainly because it’s a true coastal city, and being from Vancouver, you know how much we love to be close to the sea. If you’ve never been to San Francisco, it’s definitely a city that needs to be on your list. It’s a very short plane ride for us here in Vancouver, so we frequent it quite often, but if you live on the other side of the country, and you’re wondering if San Francisco deserves the time of day, I’m here to tell you that yes, it certainly does, and more than that, it deserves to have three or four days and nights dedicated to it rather than just a quick weekend. But if you can only leave on a Friday and come back home on the Sunday evening, I can find you plenty of things to do in the mean time that will allow you to see most facets of such a beautiful and eclectic city.

The first thing you’re going to want to do when you start planning your San Franciscan weekender is to check the calendar. There are always tons of things going on like concerts and festivals, but what you really need to be looking out for is Fleet Week. It’s when American military descends upon the city after a recent deployment and floods the cities establishments. It’s really neat to see so many men and women in uniform, however, it drives prices up for things like Hotels and getting into popular restaurants or into popular attractions like Alcatraz can be near impossible. So for those purposes, it’s better if you can avoid that week if at all possible. Last year it was over the Canadian Thanksgiving, and it was chaos which doesn’t make for a relaxing weekender!

Now it’s time to snag yourself some accommodation. When I stay in cities in the States, I generally try to stay in apartments because they’re often less expensive than staying in hotels, and I like having a kitchen. If you have a room with a kitchen, it’s one of the easiest ways to cut down on your food costs, and I hate to burst the bubble, but food in San Francisco was absurdly expensive for the most part. And coming from a Vancouverite who already pays some of the highest food costs in Canada, that’s saying a lot! If you don’t want to stay in an apartment, jump on hotels.com or booking.com and you’re bound to find some great deals!

Avoid taking taxi’s in San Fran if you can. Like most other American cities, they’re really expensive, and if you get stuck in traffic, you could be paying a fortune. Public transit is quick and reliable, and besides, cable cars are fun! There are several cable cars that run through or near a number of the famous neighborhoods like Haight and Ashbury. And make sure you get out of the downtown district, away from Union Square and out into the neighborhoods.

Consider a meander through Golden Gate Park, a delicious latin meal in The Mission, or get yourself a tattoo in the gritty but fabulous Tenderloin District. Make sure you make it to Nob Hill to pour over the exquisite architecture and Chinatown for an authentic Cantonese meal. All I can say, is that you’re probably not going to want to come home! Bon Voyage!

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