San Francisco: 48 Hours in the City by the Bay (without a car) What to do in San Francisco Day Two

So excited to share this third installment of  48 hours in San Francisco.  Hopefully my last two posts about where to stay, the best way to get around town, and day one itinerary have you excited for your trip!  If you just stumbled upon this and haven’t seen those posts, you can find the post on where to stay and transportation here and day one of what to do in San Francisco here.   Now on to day two! 🙂

Do you love brunch?  I do.  It’s my absolute favorite meal and I just can’t get enough of it.  😉  Fortunately, San Francisco is full of great brunch spots and on my last trip John and I stumbled upon an absolutely incredible spot.  I’ve recommended it to several friends and they have all loved it too.  We’re going to start there today. 🙂  Begin your morning at Blackwood.  You can make reservations on Open Table, so it would be wise to do so.  If you don’t there will likely be a wait, so put your name on the list and walk around the fun shopping district along Chestnut Street.  The Thai fusion restaurant won’t disappoint.  Order whatever you want, but be sure to get a side of bacon.  It will be the best bacon you’ve ever had in your life.

After you have what will surely be a filling breakfast, you can walk it off through the streets of the Marina district looking at all of the beautiful homes.  Head towards the waterfront and leisurely walk along the waterfront and park.  When you’re ready for some shopping hop on a streetcar, bus or cable car and head for Union Square.  This fun area boasts some of the best shopping and is just a cool spot o hang out and wander the streets exploring.  Don’t miss the quaint alleys behind many of the shops.  If you’re a crafter or love to sew, be sure to stop in at Britex to be totally awed by their floors and floors of gorgeous fabrics.

Are you ready for some lunch?  Walk down Market Street headed back toward to Financial District and you will stumble on Super Duper Burgers.  To me it’s reminiscent of Shake Shack and I’m sure you’ll love it.  It’s a great family friendly spot if you have the kids with you too.

After lunch head to Chinatown.  The sights, sounds and colors of these few blocks just feel like a celebration.  I love being there around mid to late afternoon to really get a feel for the city.  It is bustling with fresh vegetable and fruit markets, bakeries, and shoppers getting all their shopping done at the end of the day to get home to their families and cook dinner.

There are SO many trinket shops that line these streets it is the perfect place to pick up a few souvenirs.  If the kids are with you, give them each an allowance and let them spend it as they please.  It’s so fun to watch them wrestle with what to get. 😉  After you’ve picked up a few souvenirs, stop in at the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory and watch fortune cookies made by hand.  For a few dollars you can take pictures and try fresh cookies.

For dinner, stick around Chinatown and head to Hunan Home’s for some Chinese food.  If you’re tired, and want to head back to the hotel, call and order take out ahead of time and you can take it back to the hotel with you.

Hope you’ve had a great weekend in San Francisco!  On our next trip we’ll get a little more adventurous and explore more of the city by car.  🙂

Happy Travels!

Tammy