When I moved from San Francisco to New York, I realized that I never truly appreciated San Francisco for its amazing access to coastal escapes and inland parks. There are so gorgeous many possibilities for day-trips from San Francisco, and all of them have different flavor of activities to offer.

With Thanksgiving and Christmas around the corner, a lot of my friends are heading out to San Francisco for vacation. Even if you’ve only got a long weekend in San Francisco, I highly recommend driving out to the coast or the wine region for a taste of what locals like to do do on the weekends. Here are my 10 favorite day-trips from San Francisco. 

All photo from Death to Stock Photo - they are a unique startup that offers rich imagery for brands. (And they didn't pay me to write that)


Pacifica
A laidback beach town with great hikes and surfs, Pacifica is a hidden gem just 20-minutes away from San Francisco. If you find yourself there, make sure to hike Mori Point, and walk the Pacifica vintage Pier, and then, of course, hike down to the Pacific State Beach. Surfers will want to check out the NorCal Surf Shop where beginners can rent equipment.

Muir Woods
12 miles north of San Francisco is the Muir Woods National Monument, a National Park that’s part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. There’s plenty of hikes in the old growth of redwoods. It’s a great way to spend an afternoon getting lost under canopy of redwoods.

Point Reyes & Tomales Bay
One hour outside of the city is stunning Point Reyes. I’d first heard about Point Reyes because a colleague had gotten married there, and one look at the Point Reyes lighthouse and you’ll know why it’s the perfect backdrop for holy matrimony. Once again, there are plenty of hikes to be had but make sure to also stop by the many diary farms and Tomales Bay Oyster Company, very famous with SF locals for its shellfish.

Monterey and Carmel
Head down south along the coast and you’ll find yourself at Monterey Bay. Once there, you can take the scenic 17-mile drive along the coast and see the quaint town of Carmel-by-the-sea. There’s a lot of boutique shops and galleries in town, and you’re never far from white sandy beaches.

Sausalito 
The best way to get to Sausalito is actually to bike across the Golden Gate Bridge. This town across the bridge has plenty to offer in terms of shopping and dining. Once there, wonder the art galleries and shops around Caledonia street, and browse Heath Ceramics factory store. To get back to San Francisco, you can take a ferry that goes back to Fishermen’s Wharf - this is a very popular option for tourists.



Berkeley
Sometimes I think East Bay doesn’t get enough love. Berkeley, home to the University, is actually a great place for the gourmet tourist. When I was living in San Francisco, my jaunts to Berkeley were all for the purpose of food. Must visit places to eat include The Cheese Collective and Love at First Bite Bakery. Of course, you really can’t go wrong with Asian cuisine in Berkeley either.

Half Moon Bay
Half Moon Bay is always first on my list when I want to take a day trip out of San Francisco. The stretch of beach there is just beautiful and there’s plenty of things to do from hiking to horseback riding. I love to stay at little Bed & Breakfasts along the coast so I can go for a run by the water first thing in the morning.

Napa Valley
For something different from hiking and the beach, you can’t miss Napa Valley. The famous wine region of North California is home to a plethora of wineries offering tastings and tours. My favorite winery is Castello di Amorosa, an authentically-built 13th century tuscan castle and winery.

Sonoma Valley
I think SF locals actually prefer to go to Sonoma Valley for their wine-tasting jaunts. Sonoma is also a major wine-producing region north of San Francisco, with beautiful rolling hills and valleys. Although Sonoma has less offerings in terms of spas and fancy limo treatments, Sonoma is preferred by locals since the area is far less crowded.

Big Sur
Last but certainly not least, my favorite getaway of all - Big Sur. Big Sur is a whopping 85 miles of stunning twists and turns along the coast. It’s a rugged stretch of the Californian coast line, and home to the oft-Instagrammed Bixby Bridge. Really do take your time in Big Sur, although you don't necessarily have to stay there overnight, don't be in a hurry to rush out either - the beauty is really in being in the area and taking the opportunity to enjoy the California lifestyle.

PS: Once again, all photos are Death to Stock Photo - a wonderful stock photo subscription service showed us what to do in Nashville not too long ago. 

With my days in San Francisco coming to an imminent end, I started to look for ways to document my last memories in the city. On my last weekend in town, Isabelle and I decided to go out and take some portraits of each other.

Accompanied by Karl the Fog, us two photographers attempted to make each other the subject in front - not behind - the camera. A commenter on here once said that all photographers are camera shy, and it couldn’t have been truer for me. I’ll easily check off a few hundred shots on location and not come home with a single image of myself.  This is a constant source of frustration for me when traveling, so Isabelle and I agreed to each play model for the other.
In less than 7 days, I’ll be moving out of town. Trading in my cushy job in Silicon Valley for a summer adventure through China, and then settling down in New York City and giving life in the Big Apple a try. When people ask me what I want to do for my last days in San Francisco, my answer is not to hop off to Yosemite valley or drive down to the City of Angeles - all I want to do is spend some more time with my friends in town, load up on carbs, and, attempting for one last time, to nurture some sun-kissed freckles.

I should have known that there would be few sunny days during this time of the year in San Francisco. While the rest of the country is enjoying the beginnings of summer, June in San Francisco is bristling with chilly mornings and foggy evenings. As Isabelle and I hiked in the Presidio, our fingers going numb in the cold, the evening fog hailed down on us. It cloaked the forest, producing an eery feeling that made us glad that we were not there alone. Daylight was giving away into night and I felt a tingling sensation of anxiety wash over me. As we hiked on deeper into the forest,  I only had vague sense of where I was going and very limited visibility of how I would get there.

Still, the Presidio in the fog, like this next chapter of my life, dared me to keep going.

San Francisco, see you later.

Before I moved to San Francisco, I heard a lot about the delicious food that awaited me in the city. Friends told me to prepare myself for the cheap and diverse cuisine full of organic and local ingredients. To check out just exactly what was in store for my tastebuds, I went on the NoPa/Alama Square walking tour with Gourmet Walks where their experts showed me the best foodie spots in San Francisco's North Panhandle neighborhood. Here are some photo highlights from the tour. For more details, read my article on How to Eat Like a Local in San Francisco's North Panhandle, on Untapped Cities.

The first time I ever set foot in San Francisco was in 2006, and everything about it felt like home. It was December but I could still see how beautiful the city was, despite the heavy rain. I remember going to the beach and watching brave surfers ride the waves on those cold mornings. I watched runners jog pass the Pier as I wondered aimlessly around the waterfront. I watched business people in suits, hustling their way through the downtown core. For the first time in years, I tried my hand at tennis. And every night, I slept like a baby to the calming rhythm of the ocean waves.

When I was in San Francisco last month, I spent most of my time on the water with a gorgeous view of the city's skyline. I've missed the water oh so much since moving to Toronto in early July. I miss the smelling the salt in the air. I miss watching children playing on the beach. Toronto is fun in its own right but for me, the ocean will always be home.