• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life

  • Home
    • My Disclosure Policy
    • My Privacy Policy
    • Contact Me
  • Advertise
  • The SWCL Shop
  • Duty Stations
  • My Writings
  • Military Life
    • Movies & TV
    • Disneyland
    • Books
  • So Your Spouse Just Deployed??? Click Here!!!
  • Fort Campbell
You are here: Home / Duty Stations / Living in San Francisco, California

Living in San Francisco, California

July 8, 2016 by Guest Writer Leave a Comment

Happy to have this guest post by The Coastie Couple on San Francisco, California. Please visit my Duty station guest post page for posts on other locations or more information about how you can write a guest post about where you have been stationed.

Living in San Francisco, California

When we initially moved to the west coast, I didn’t know what to expect. I knew things would be different but I didn’t realize how different they would be. There was a bit of sticker and culture shock in the beginning, but I’ve learned to accept the differences and to appreciate the area for what it has to offer. And it has a lot to offer!

living in san francisco

When people talk about San Francisco, what they fail to mention is how big the city is and that there’s a huge surrounding area that’s worth seeing as well. My husband was stationed near San Francisco (you can see the skyline across the water) and we actually chose to live a little further inland in Concord because the prices are much cheaper and the area is less urban. If you’re looking to live in the area, I highly recommend looking beyond the city. If you’re coming to visit, I’d highly recommend staying in the city because everything will be easily accessible that way.

There is absolutely no way I could share everything about San Francisco in one post. In the two years that I’ve lived here, I haven’t even had the chance to see everything that there is to see (and we spend almost every weekend exploring something). That being said, I’m going to highlight a few of our favorite places in this post. I encourage you to do some research before you come out here – there’s so much to do!

Before you head into the city, I recommend learning how to use the BART system. These trains are similar to the subway system of New York which makes them convenient for getting around. They can be a bit tricky for newcomers though. I recommend utilizing your favorite map app to figure out which one will take you where.

living in san franciscoThe Piers:

Pier 39 is one of the most famous attractions for the area. This is the pier where the sea lions like to hang out. It’s also filled with restaurants and shopping. It’s a fun area to explore and you might even stumble across a cool street performer if you’re there on the right day! Pier 39 isn’t the only pier though. In fact, if you get off the BART at the Embarcadero station, you’ll have the opportunity to walk along the piers where you’ll find the ferry station, boats to Alcatraz, and the Exploratorium.

The Exploratorium is a neat attraction that I would highly recommend to visitors – young and old alike. If you have kids, it’s a great place to enjoy as a family. The hands on science exhibits and many things to tinker with will keep the family entertained for hours. Don’t have kids? Catch them on Thursday night for their adults only night! This was the option we chose since it’s just the two of us. It was a great time with cash bars and all of the same exhibits minus the kids.  My husband and I had a blast exploring the museum.

living in san francisco

Fisherman’s Wharf:

This is definitely a tourist attraction but I wouldn’t rule it out. I’m a strong believer that tourist attractions are worth checking out in addition to the cool local finds of an area. I do have to caution you though – you’ll need a bit of patience when you visit. The crowds can get a bit frustrating and overwhelming. On the up side, you’ll get a lot of steps on your step counter!

While you’re at the Fisherman’s Wharf, I recommend eating at Boudin Bakery, which is known for their sourdough bread (they even make it in all sorts of shapes!). They have a simple café on the first floor with bread bowls that are an awesome choice for lunch. They are relatively moderately priced as well (at least for California – remember that sticker shock I mentioned?).

The Wharf is also a great place for picking up cheap souvenirs for all of your family and friends. You can find postcards, tshirts, and keychains on every corner. If you’re a craft beer fan, I recommend checking out Jack’s Cannery at the end of the Wharf. Then, trek up the hill to Ghirardelli Square where you’ll find unique stores and free chocolate at the Ghirardelli Store. If it’s Christmas time, you’ll also find an impressive tree.

living in san franciscoUnion Square:

If you’re into shopping, this is the place for you. The streets are lined with shops and restaurants galore. It’s a very diverse shopping area with bargain stores mixed amongst the more high-end retail stores. It’s definitely a good chance to exercise your legs and pocketbook. If you come in the winter, you’ll notice a massive tree in the center near Macy’s along with an ice skating rink. This is definitely a favorite among locals and tourists alike.

Golden Gate Park:

Remember when I mentioned that the city is huge? Golden Gate Park is a prime example of how big the city is. It’s a large park filled with attractions and hiking trails in the middle of the city. It is home to the California Academy of Sciences, which is a great place for kids and adults alike. It’s sort of a natural history museum meets science museum. It’s filled with lots of cool exhibits and they even rotate them out based on the time of year.

Golden Gate Park has a lot to offer beyond the museum. We spent an entire day simply exploring the trails and taking in all that it had to offer. In fact, if you walk all the way to the end of the park, you’ll find yourself staring at the Pacific Ocean. I also recommend checking out the Beach Chalet restaurant that’s located on the edge of the park. Be prepared to spend an entire day if you head down to this park.

I haven’t even touched on half of the attractions in the area and yet I’m out of time.  Feel free to follow us on our blog or social media where we’re often posting about our adventures and sharing snippets from our lives!


The Coastie CoupleThe Coastie Couple is a husband-wife duo that shares honest accounts of their adventures from coast to coast on their blog, The Coastie Couple. He’s in the military and she’s a teacher. They both love to travel, create, and experiment in the kitchen. These are the adventures they share on their blog.

Blog: http://www.thecoastiecouple.com Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/coastiecouple Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/coastiecouple

 

Last Updated on July 17, 2020 by Writer

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Print

Filed Under: Duty Stations, Guest Post, Military Life Tagged With: california

Previous Post: « What You Should Never Say To A Military Spouse
Next Post: Thriving vs Surviving During A Deployment »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Top Posts!!!

  • To the Burned Out Military Spouse Mama
  • 14 Tips to Help You Survive Basic Training When Your Spouse Joins the Military
  • 10 Things To Know About Being Stationed At Fort Campbell
  • Why Military Spouses Can't Just Put Down Their Smart Phone
  • A Military Dad
  • What You Need to Know About Being Stationed at Fort Leonard Wood

About Soldier’s Wife, Crazy Life

Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life

Welcome to Soldier’s Wife, Crazy Life! I am so glad you are here.

My name is Julie and I have been a military spouse for 16 years!

My husband of 19 years has served in the active-duty Army and now the Army National Guard. We have lived in Germany & Tennessee during our time as a military family.

We have three boys and have been through four deployments together.

I hope that you can find support for your own deployments, PCS moves, or anything else military life brings you 🙂

~Contact Me~
Military Life Products
Favorite Books!

Sign up for your FREE Guide to the First 30 Days of Deployment!


Thank you!

Check your email for confirmation! 

.
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Footer

Archives

Copyright © 2022 Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life on the Foodie Pro Theme

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT