The most attractive of American cities and regularly voted the best city in the USA, San Francisco is adored because of its colourful history, dramatic setting and its laissez-faire atmosphere. But aside from all this, it's a place I have wanted to visit since the days of Full House. Judge me all you want, but it’s been my dream to have a picnic in the park overlooking the Painted Ladies and the San Francisco city scape. Needless to say, I am pleased to check that one off my list now!
After exploring the city and spending some quality time at the Golden Gate Bridge, it was time to head over to the Ferry Building Marketplace for my Urban Adventure. I was pleased to learn that Intrepid Travel offers three different Urban Adventures in San Francisco which you can view on their website here.
We met up with our tour group outside of the Ferry Building which is where it all began. It was really interesting to learn about the history of San Francisco. Shortly after the Spanish settlers arrived, the discovery of gold soon followed and San Fran was the place the be. At one point, they had 170 ferries arriving every DAY! Eventually this number dropped through the years and in 2003 they completely refurbished what was a broken down building to attract vendors to start using it as a Farmers Market.
And Farmers Market it was! My eyes lit up the moment we arrived. I was in HEAVEN. We did so many tastings with different vendors but what I loved most about it was exclusivity of it all. Our tour was able to get special one-on-one time with vendors who put aside goodie bags just for us!
We tasted the most delicious chocolate from Recchuiti, sampled all types of olive oils from Storehouse, experienced the biggest mushrooms I’ve ever seen from Far West Fungi, and sampled cheeses from Cowgirl Creamery.
After filling our bellies with yummy treats, we headed out to the financial district for a walking tour. Being a photo nerd, I really enjoyed getting a chance to see all the amazing architecture San Francisco has to offer. When it comes to urban spaces, they know what’s up.
We ended our tour at Yerba Beuna Gardens. I was delighted to discover a lovely tea lounge which overlooks a beautiful park. We ended our tour here at this very interesting art piece which upon first glance looks like a permanent structure. However, if you find the right seat directly across from it- the man on the globe slowly sits down as you sit down in your chair.
If you’re ever in San Francisco be sure to sign up for this Urban Adventure! It’s the perfect way to spend an afternoon and learn something new about this amazing city.
Looking to plan your next adventure to San Francisco? Get in touch with a Flight Centre Travel Expert at 1-877-967-5302 who would be happy to help you out. From airfares to car rentals and tours, we're always here to assist you.
