One Day in San Francisco

First time for me, but Mike hadn’t been back to San Francisco in decades — his last visit was a summer trip with Sarah long ago. Back then, he spent half the time driving in circles just looking for parking near the main sights during peak-season.

Crossing the Bay Bridge

This time, we skipped the hassle and did it the easy way- a Big Bus Tour, hop-on hop-off style- so we could explore wherever we liked without worrying about traffic or parking. The complimentary audio commentary turned out to be a nice bonus — we actually learned a lot about the city’s history along the way.

Golden Gate Bridge

Riding across the bridge on the top deck of the bus felt like the perfect “San Francisco moment.” It’s often hidden in fog, but not today — the sky was clear and breezy, and the views were spectacular both ways.

Fun fact: I always thought the bridge was red. Nope — its official color is International Orange. Did you know that?

Palace of Fine Arts

This spot surprised me the most. The architecture and gardens were gorgeous — they call it a San Francisco icon, but somehow I’d never even heard of it before. It felt like stumbling onto a secret.

Palace of Fine Arts

Mike in front of the colonnades

We actually missed our bus stop here and had to walk back— Mike got a little grumpy about the extra steps, but honestly, it was worth it. Sometimes getting lost is just part of the fun in a big city. It happens to us a lot, to be honest.

Pier 39 & Bay Cruise to Alcatraz

We hopped off at Pier 39 for a quick stroll, then took a one-hour Bay cruise out toward Alcatraz. As the boat pulled away, the very vocal California sea lions were barking like they were singing “If you’re going to San Francisco…” — the perfect soundtrack for the day.

City view from cruise

Sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge gave us a whole new view, so different from riding on it that morning. Seagulls wheeled overhead while other tourists waved from boats returning to the docks. But as we neared Alcatraz, the mood changed — the paint-peeling Warden’s House, the worn New Industries Building, and the tired gray walls gave me an eerie chill. The island felt cold and mysterious drifting past its dark history, while behind it the city skyline sparkled in the sun.

The bay views were fantastic — but wow, it was really windy out on the water!

Chinatown

We found a tiny, no-frills restaurant in Chinatown — we knew it would be good because there was a line out the door. We squeezed in and ordered dim sum: shrimp, shrimp & chive dumplings, turnip pancakes, and lotus-wrapped sticky rice. It hit the spot!

Dim sum was big!

Five-way intersection, Market Street and Taylor Street

City Hall

Entering Haight-Ashbury

Have you ever stepped into a city for the first time and felt like you’d been there before? That strange déjà vu? San Francisco was like that for me. Growing up Gen X in South Korea, I heard old pop songs about this city on the radio, and I saw it in countless Hollywood movies and K-dramas through my twenties. I thought I knew San Francisco from afar — but seeing it for myself was something else entirely.

My new memory of San Francisco? Riding on the top deck of the bus, sea lions barking at Pier 39, the cold wind whipping across the bay, the sweet smell of chocolate, and the taste of dim sum dipped in soy sauce.

Sometimes the real thing is even better than the one you carried in your head for years. For me, San Francisco is proof of that.