San Francisco in a Day

We were up early to make the most of our only full day in San Francisco. The plan was to hop on the Union Square trolley, but when we got to the turnaround station--surprise--the line was closed for maintenance. Well shoot. 

Union Square trolley turnaround

We waited for the replacement bus until something much more intriguing caught our eye: a Waymo self-driving car gliding down the street. On impulse, we pulled up the app. For two people, the cost was about the same as the bus, so why not? A driverless car seemed like the perfect San Francisco adventure.

Waymo - self-driven car service

Waymo turning with view of street

Waymo turning with view of console screen

It was fascinating to watch the console screen in action. Every blue highlight represented something the car was tracking--pedestrians, cyclists, vehicles, even a car door cracking open into the street. The Waymo was hyper-cautious, stopping for jaywalkers and easing up near any potential obstacle. It was the opposite of aggressive city driving, and I felt completely safe. In no time, we arrived--no mishaps, no stress. Highly recommend!

The Crookedest Street in the World

Our ride dropped us off at Hyde and Lombard, home of the famously crooked one-block section of Lombard Street. Built in 1922 to make the hill drivable, it features eight sharp hairpin turns winding between Leavenworth and Hyde. 

Cars making their way down Lombard Street

View from the top of the street

Walking down, you can't see all the twists, thanks to the greenery, but you can certainly imagine them. The architecture lining the street is almost as charming as the street itself. Though I don't think I would appreciate living there, given the tourist traffic.

The start of the road up the hill

From Leavenworth Street, looking up Lombard

Fisherman's Wharf

From Lombard, we strolled over to Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco's historic waterfront neighborhood buzzing with shops, seafood restaurants, and sweeping bay views.

Ferris Wheel on the waterfront

Boat dock

A view of our lunch spot from the outside - Fog Harbor

View from the restaurant

Lunch at Fog Harbor Fish House was excellent. We shared crab cakes, a creamy clam chowder bread bowl, and a shrimp salad. 

Crab Cakes

Clam Chowder Bowl

Shrimp Salad

Next, we wandered the rest of Pier 39 to visit the sea lions. These whiskered locals first showed up in 1990 and never left. In May 2024, over 2,100 sea lions gathered on K-dock--the largest crowd ever recorded there!

Sea lions at K-Dock

The shops at Pier 39

Before leaving the wharf, we ducked into Musée Mécanique -- an antique coin-operated arcade. We followed a woman with a fistful of quarters and got to watch a few machines in action. Some were quirky fun, while others were downright creepy.

Mechanical Lady

Mechanical Thimble Men

Mechanical Amusement Park

Chinatown

Next stop: Chinatown. We hopped off the bus and realized that we were near the one trolley line in operation. Initially we waited for the trolley, but quickly realized there was no chance of getting on, so we abandoned the trolley ride and instead walked to the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory, where fortune cookies are still made by hand.

One trolley that was running today

Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory

My favorite treat? The flat cookie discs before they're folded. They taste even better than the bent ones (don't ask me why) and they travel better. Honestly, if it were up to me, I'd take home a bucket of those plain crispy discs. Which is exactly what we did--well a bag, not a bucket. 

From there we walked to Maison Nico, a little cafe I remembered from a girls' trip last fall. Ira grabbed an espresso, and we picked up a few pastries for later--though I was already pretty full from fortune cookies!

Evening Eats

By now, my feet were protesting. Solution? Another Waymo ride back to our hotel. After a short rest, we checked out the hotel bar--but the pre-mixed cocktails were terrible. Silver lining: the bartender recommended a nearby ramen spot Mensho, instead of the one we had planned. 

Great call.

Vegan Ramen

Tonkatsu Ramen

Raw Waygu Sushi

The wait was minimal and everything was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. Easily the best meal of the day.

Ending the Day

We walked back to the hotel full and happy. Unfortunately, my wasp sting had started to swell, so I spent the evening icing it after a quick internet consult to confirm it wasn't serious. Dumb wasp.

Tomorrow we say goodbye to San Francisco with one last stop at the Golden Gate Bridge before heading back to San Diego.

A dopo!

Comments

  1. AnonymousOctober 8, 2025 at 9:55 AM

    Wow what a big day! When you’re in a waymo is there anyway you could control it or stop it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. DarleneOctober 9, 2025 at 5:04 PM

      There wasn't a way to control it, but the introductory video provided instructions on how to contact a person, should there be any issues.

      Delete

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