Dear Hannah

50 things to do in San Francisco

50 things to do in San Francisco

Sunday - August 3, 2014

Dear Hannah,

Here are some of our favourite things to do in SF. NB: You’ll need to borrow a bike.

1. Get an ice-cream at Humphrey Slocombe, and eat it while you stroll the Balmy Alley murals.

2. Get coffee from Bluebottle, Ritual, Four Barrel and Sightglass. Decide which you like best (I wrote them in order from my most to least favourite). If you can only pick one, get Bluebottle coffee, then sit on the couch inside Heath Ceramics.

3. Eat waffles at Linea Cafe. Get there early and sit outside.

4. For your classic baked goods, go to Tartine. Get the chocolate croissant.

5. For your experimentals, go to Craftsmen and Wolves. Get just about everything, but the cheesecake will not let you down.

6. For a third pastry option, track down a place that sells the Neighbor Bakery wares (like Cafe Sophie). The blackberry and pistachio croissant is a good one. You might also try Knead patisserie, especially the pomme d’amour.

7. From Craftsmen, walk next door to Dandelion Chocolate. Sample generously. Buy a bar as a gift for someone. Get a hot chocolate to-go.

8. See if you can time the lights on Valencia from 25th to 18th — there’s a special feeling you get when it’s all going green.

9. Make time for Ike’s Place. Everything’s good, but the ‘Menage a Trois’ with Voodoo chips is a personal favourite.

10. Next door to Ike’s is brunch for another day at California Kitchen. Go for the deep-fried French-toast and millionaire’s bacon. You won’t need to eat for a few hours afterwards.

11. If the line’s too long, try Starbelly one block up. Everything’s good there.

12. Get a cookie at Hot Cookie and take in the sights and sounds of the Castro.

13. Get a Green Machine at Duboce Park Cafe and walk up the hill to Buena Vista Park.

14. Walk out the other side of Buena Vista Park and go to the top of Corona Heights.

15. Bonus Points: Come off Corona Heights and find the Vulcan St stairs.

16. Get a sundae at Bi-Rite and walk through Dolores Park. (Bi-Rite ice-cream is Coldplay, Humphrey Slocombe is The Smiths).

17. Grab some greek yoghurt from Souvla in Hayes Valley.

18. Take the wiggle and find your way to Alamo Square Park. It will remind you of Mrs. Doubtfire.

19. On Divisadero, find The Mill and have coffee and Josey’s toast.

20. Take the N to the ocean and compare the Mill’s toast with the cinnamon toast at Trouble Cafe.

21. Traverse Golden Gate Park. Don’t miss passing by Stowe Lake or the Conservatory of Flowers.

22. You can fuel up on Bi-Rite sandwiches back at Divisadero.

23. Make a dinner booking at Nopa or Nopalito while you’re in the area.

24. Find the mosaic stairs off 16th & Moraga. Take in the views from Gradview Park at the top of the stairs.

25. Eyeball Mt Sutro. Find the stairwell to the top on Warren Drive. Meander through trails, up and over until Twin Peaks is within view.

26. Climb both peaks — Eureka and Noe.

27. Eyeball Mt Davidson from Noe Peak. You’ll see the outline of a giant cross. Take the trailhead at Rockdale Dr. to the top of Mt Davidson.

28. Your final hill challenge is to make it to the top of Bernal. When the road ends at the gate, follow it around to the left and alongside the fence for extra views.

29. Anywhere along the way, stop at Philz for an “Ambrosia done Philz Way”. It’s not really coffee so much as a sweet milky drink, but it’s a little bit San Francisco.

30. I like the chilaquiles at San Jalisco on Van Ness. It’s not flash, but it’s real.

31. La Taqueria won’t let you down for tacos. Don’t let people convince you that burritos are good.

32. For a schmancy meal, you can’t pass up Heirloom Cafe or Flour & Water.

33. Beretta is nearby too for pizza, truffle toast and lamb chops.

34. Compare Beretta’s pizza with Ragazza’s. Wait across the road at The Page for good times.

35. Monk’s Kettle is the spot for burgers and Pliny the Elder. Especially Pliny the Elder.

36. You don’t need to go downtown but if you find yourself there, the best spot to sit and think is the Martin Luther King Waterfall.

37. Take the Filbert St Stairs from Levi’s Plaza park up to Coit Tower and take the Greenwich St stairs down.

38. If you find yourself in Fisherman’s Wharf, you’ve done something wrong. Ride from the Ferry Building along the Embarcadero towards Giants Stadium.

39. Ride around the back of Giants Stadium and look in on the spectacle.

40. Mission Bay is quiet, but if you hang in long enough, there’s ice-cream and BBQ awaiting you in Dogpatch.

41. If your legs ache from all the walking and riding, take a Lyft to Archimedes Banya. Don’t mind the armed guard at the front door, you’re safe inside.

42. If you’re feeling brave, swim in the morning at Aquatic Cove.

43. Start there, and make your way all along Crissy Field.

44. Going up, take the Lyon St Stairs.

45. On your way, wave to the Palace of Fine Arts and take a photo with Yoda at Lucasfilms HQ.

46. Take Lovers Lane, preferably downhill.

47. Head to Hopper’s Hands. You don’t need to cross the bridge to fully appreciate it.

48. Up and through the Presidio, find your way through Batteries to Bluffs.

49. Land’s End Trail is not easily forgotten.

50. At the end, you can take Sutro Baths over past the windy Pacific Ocean and into Golden Gate park. Head to the Academy of Sciences. Butterflies await you.