This past weekend, Kevin and I did a quick San Francisco getaway to see the holiday decorations and do some research for upcoming posts. We only live about an hour from The City (as we call it), but we rarely make it up there for more than a few hours at a time for meetings or to see friends. This time, we decided to book a hotel, spend the night, and take the extra time explore on our own. We dropped off our dog, Posey, at grandma’s house in the East Bay and headed over the Bay Bridge to San Francisco.
Here are some photos of San Francisco dressed up for the holidays.
First stop was the Ferry Building, a former 19th-century ferry terminal turned gourmet food market. It’s one of my favorite places in the city (I’ve written about it before) so we wound up eating there twice on our short stay.
The food hall was decked out with holiday garland and lights and the vendors were full of creative holiday gift ideas. It was packed with people doing their last minute gift shopping.
A jumbo Christmas tree at Pier 39, Fisherman’s Wharf.
Buena Vista Cafe, home of the Irish Coffee (steaming hot coffee + Irish whiskey)–it’s no surprise the place was packed on a cold and rainy Sunday afternoon!
Another lovely Chrismas Tree at Ghiradelli Square.
We stopped in to taste a flight of wines from San Francisco-made Bluxome Street Wine. They just opened a new tasting room in Ghiradelli Square and it was a great place to come in and warm up.
A boxed beer Christmas tree at San Francisco’s Anchor Steam Brewery.
Grace Cathedral, a French Gothic-inspired Episcopal cathedral on Nob Hill. They were in between Sunday services when we popped in and one of the parishioners came over to gave me a little bag of Christmas candy.
We waited in line for this, but it was worth it–the Fairmont San Francisco’s annual Holiday celebration.
The centerpiece is their Giant Gingerbread House, a two-story fantasy castle made of home-made gingerbread, marshmallow peeps, and candy canes!
The smell inside the house was amazing–irresistible if you have a sweet tooth. You could see candy pieces that had been picked off by visitors who didn’t have much self-control.
They even had a small “dog-sized” gingerbread house, apparently a reminder that the Fairmont SF is dog-friendly.
We then headed right across the street to see the lobby decor at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins. I had read that they had some stunning displays up in their rooftop restaurant “Top of the Mark”, but the lines to the elevator were long so we holed up in the lobby and enjoyed the cider and Christmas cookies they put out for their holiday visitors. As the rain started to soak through, the warm cider was extra-welcome.
Holiday shoppers at the bedazzled Union Square Macy’s store.
Union Square’s giant tree reflecting in the rain. This was right about when it started to pour, when our jeans were unbearably wet, and we finally decided to call it quits.
Our home for the night–Hotel Vitale, a boutique hotel on the San Francisco waterfront with lovely views of the city’s iconic Ferry Building and the Bay Bridge. It’s one of my favorite areas of the city, scenic, conveniently located to some of the city’s top sights so it’s great for a first-time visitor to San Francisco–or a local escape.
The lobby was decked out for the holidays in lovely blue, white, and gold decor.
Beyond the holiday lights, we did some popular (and “touristy”) things we had never done and explored the city as a first-time visitor would. I realize I take living here for granted, and it was good to see the city with fresh eyes. I’ll be writing a lot more about San Francisco in 2016, stay tuned!
Thanks to Hotel Vitale for hosting our stay. Opinions and photos are my own.
glad you were able to soak in all the holiday decor of the festivities. i’m heading over to anchor next weekend ~ can’t wait! 🙂 hope to see you soon, friends!
Yes, thank you for the tip! I had never heard about the Fairmont’s display, then I read about the annual Gingerbread House War between them and the Westin: http://www.sanfrancisco.travel/article/best-holiday-gingerbread-houses-and-around-san-francisco (I actually though the competition was with the Mark Hopkins and that’s why we stopped in there–at least we found warm treats 🙂
Glad you are going to see Anchor, it was a fun to tour their old building. Such a different vibe than shiny new breweries.
I hope to see you soon! We’ll plan a trip up soon to hang out with everyone we didn’t call this time 🙂
The Gingerbread House is amazing! I went a few years ago. It makes me feel like I’m in a fairy tale!
Agreed! Or maybe Candy Land. Or Willy Wonka’s magical world 🙂
Sounds wonderful! Merry (late) Christmas!!!
I loved living in San Francisco <3 it's beautiful year round, imo!!! But at Christmas/winter holidays it is stunning! And the only problem I'd have is where to buy my Christmas Chocolate at, so many good ones in San Fran now <3 Though first on my list when I make it back to San Fran, is Dandelion Chocolate & Charles Chocolates especially for their handmade hand-piped all natural macarons 🙂
p.s. check out Urban Hiker SF @ http://www.urbanhikersf.com/ 😀
Merry late Christmas to you too, Janice! I think we’ll make this holiday trip an annual tradition. Charles Chocolates macarons, eh? I’ll have to go by there next time I’m in the city.
By the way, did you hear about this Mast Brothers chocolate news? http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2015/12/mast-brothers-chocolate-scandal The bean to bar chocolate shop we buy from here in Palo Alto shared the news. We actually learned about Mast Brothers when we visited them on a NYC tour a few years back. Big deal if what they are saying is true.
Sounds like a wonderful San Fran swoon tradition!
Regarding Charles Chocolates macarons, check ahead of time to make sure they have them in. That being said, their chocolate bars/confections are delish too!
And yup, I heard about the Mast scandal! and it seems to be true :-O
On a creamy delish note, have you discovered Petit Pot, based in South San Francisco? They are so good. They make Pot de Creme in reusable glass jars. I’ve had all 4 of their flavors, with my fave being their Dark Chocolate. They’re mainly sold in Whole Foods and some Coops, I believe including Rainbow Grocers.
They’re @ http://www.petitpot.com/ -> check them, I think you’ll like them 🙂 I discovered their creamy goodness at Davis Food Coop 😉
I have not heard of them, but I was actually thinking about doing a story about local Silicon Valley-based craft food producers for my Silicon Valley travel site (I count SSF as Silicon Valley–it’s in San Mateo County 🙂 I’ll reach out to these guys and pick up a few to try, I see they are at my local WF. Thanks Janice!
Great article with awesome pictures. do visit places more often for researches which will benefit readers :). can’t wait to read that post
wish you a very happy new year
Happy New Year to you, Ahmed!
Hello! I am thinking of retracing your steps this weekend, looking for some holiday cheer in SF! I want to explore the Fishermen’s warf/Pier39 area first and then head down to Union Square for more festivities+our hotel is there as well. Question: did you drive or walk? Where did you park? Any recommendations for lunch places?