My family’s visit gave me the opportunity to show off San Francisco through my own eyes. Since three out of my four family visitors had been to the City by the Bay before, I was able to pluck out some of the spots worth visiting beyond Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39 (though we did hit both of those on Friday night).
After our long trip back from Carmel, we rewarded ourselves by setting a later alarm. It wasn’t too hard to convince my family to get out of bed for some shopping, though. We began the day at the Fillmore Street shops, where my favorite store in California is tucked away on a corner.
Nest is an eclectic home decor and accessories shop that I knew I had to drag my family to. Ever since stumbling upon it on a walk to the nearby Alta Plaza Park, I’ve found every excuse I could to make my way over to Fillmore. Nest features an irresistible array of vintage books, colorful textiles, and worldly knickknacks.
Before heading out to explore the rest of the street’s boutiques, we stopped for brunch at The Snug, right across the street from Nest. Even when I don’t feel like carrying shopping bags around, I think Fillmore is a worthwhile visit to stroll down. The shopping here offers similar stores to Chestnut Street or Union Square, but feels a little more quaint (plus, the line at the Fillmore Boba Guys is much shorter than the location closest to me).
Having some company allowed me to check one last thing off my San Francisco bucket list – the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. I’d noticed the gorgeous greenhouse architecture last time I was in the park and couldn’t wait to stop in. Outfitted with multiple rooms of lush greenery from around the world, this is the perfect spot to snap a botanical Instagram pic or practice your jungle animal noises (ask me about my parakeet).
Of course, I couldn’t let my family leave without seeing the Golden Gate Bridge, so I had to take them to see it before heading back to North Beach for dinner near our hotel. We popped over to Crissy Field so that they could soak in the salty waves, sip on some Warming Hut hot chocolate, and meet some locals…er…seagulls. It was the perfect sunset view to end a perfect weekend, and my last in the city!
SHOP ELLIE’S LOOK
Top: Aerie (similar) // Sweater: Anthropologie // Jeans: Madewell // Boots: Eddie Bauer // Scarf: Madewell
SHOP ANNABELLE’S LOOK
T-shirt: J. Crew // Pants: Anthropologie (similar, similar) // Belt: Lucky Brand // Shoes: Converse // Sunglasses: Zara (similar)
It’s where I left MY HEART!