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5 Must-Haves for a Trip to San Francisco. Live #LifeConnected

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This is a sponsored post from NETGEAR and AT&T. planning-trip-to-san-franciscoSan Francisco is one of my favorite cities. I’ve only been able to visit two or three times, so each visit is a treasured memory. To my way of thinking, it’s a perfect city for a romantic weekend, a girls’ trip, or even a solo vacation.

I’m a person who values experiences over objects. My favorite souvenirs aren’t bought in a shop, unless we are talking about Ghirardelli chocolate. I would rather pay for a boat or ferry ride, a remarkable tour or entrance to a museum, rather than try to find room in my suitcase for a tchotchke.

I don’t even usually take a lot of pictures, since I like to live in the moment and not Instagram everything to death.

Still, I tried to take enough pictures to give you a feel for my recent vacation, and to give you some recommendations I hope will be helpful.

Here are my five must-haves for a trip to San Francisco.

Power Up Your Tech

unite-pro-wifi-hotspot-netgearWhen you travel, ditch the slow and unsecure wifi in your hotel. I think the best tech for travel is a wifi hotspot from NETGEAR and AT&T.

In San Francisco, I tested out the AT&T Unite Pro, a 4G LTE hotspot. I used it in the airport, the hotel, a coffee shop—anywhere I needed wifi. And the Unite Pro has a ton of great features:

    • up to 16-hours of battery life
    • Connects up to 15 devices (imagine in the car on a road trip!)
    • Can power up your phone with BatteryBoost
    • Dual-band wifi to maximize reliability and data speed
    • International compatibility

If you want a device with no contract that lets you pay as you go, another great option is the AT&T Unite for GoPhone. The Unite connects up to ten devices, and has up to ten hours of battery life. You can purchase one on Amazon or at Best Buy or Walmart stores.

Wifi hotspots are the tech devices you didn’t know you needed. You’ll use at the beach, the cabin, that holiday visit to Grandma’s, in the car every day with all the kids, and when you’re waiting for sports practice to end.

And, like a trip to San Francisco, you’ll never know how you lived without it.

To learn more follow Wifi Family on Facebook or on Twitter.

A Wonderful Mealkuletos-san-francisco-union-square

San Francisco has an amazing food culture, with so many of the restaurants featuring regional, seasonal, organic food.

While there, you must have a meal at a quintessential San Francisco restaurant like Kuleto’s. The bread is fresh, the cuisine is Northern Italian with a California twist, and the atmosphere is fine, yet casual.

My dinner was fresh-caught fish on a bed of garlic mashed potatoes. It was a top dining experience enhanced by courteous and knowledgeable wait staff. Save room for the tiramisu!

A Trip to the BallparkGo to a Giants Game (1)

AT&T Park is home of Major League Baseball’s San Francisco Giants. In the South Market neighborhood, this facility was chosen as the 2008 Sports Facility of the Year. It’s also the host of concerts. Pop across the street before an event to Momo’s for a quick cocktail and a bite to eat.

I didn’t get a chance to catch a
ballgame, but I loved the neighborhood and would love to bring my family back to see the Giants. But mostly I liked Momo’s—what a fun place!

A Ride the Trolley to the Waterfronthyde-st-pier-san-francisco

I know it’s tourist-y, but it’s so fun! Catch the trolley early in Union Square and ride to the end near the Hyde Street Pier at Fisherman’s Wharf.

The pier is home to the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park and near lots of shopping. If it’s summer and you are a tourist, you’ll need to buy a sweatshirt. I wore a cardigan, and barely avoided that purchase.

It is surprisingly cool in the Bay Area in the summer. Write that down. Surprisingly cool!

To help warm you up, there are coffee shops everywhere. You can see one Starbucks when you are standing in the door of another Starbucks. Skip the chain coffee and instead…

Have an Irish Coffee

The trolley lets you off right by the Buena Vista, a café credited with being the first to serve Irish coffee in the U.S. Stop in for an amazing breakfast that’s served all day. I had the crab Benedict. Very different from the Maryland-style crab cakes I’m used to, but delicious nevertheless.

the-buena-vista-san-franciscoPair a meal with an Irish coffee, or just have a drink at the bar. When you’re done, you are right by the pier in the Fisherman’s Wharf area. The sea lions are back!

 

Anne Parris

Anne Parris is a managing partner Midlife Boulevard. Her personal blog, Not A Supermom, is your typical mommy blog that her kids say used to be funnier. Anne has a business degree and a dusty résumé from a top accounting firm and a Fortune 500 company, which she reminds herself of every time she is washing underpants. She lives with her family in Virginia and blogs mostly to support her coffee habit.

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Comments

  1. I’d add a visit to one of the world class art museums. People watching at Union Square. Taking in a play (so much theatre!) Browsing indie bookstores. And…and…yeah. It’s a great city.

  5. I would love to visit there one day.I say that about a lot of places just never seem to have the time to take a break.

  6. Okay first off I have to have this wifi!!!! Second I am planning a cross-country trip for my husband and I to San Francisco. We went once in 2004 and I have always wanted to go again. We are taking two weeks and filling it up with different things all across the US. We have done three times before but this time it will be from SC instead of KY. I wanted to pin it to my Pinterest Board for future reference because I want to visit the links and check out that wonderful wifi but I can’t find it and when I tried to follow you on pinterest it said something was wrong. Just thought I would let you know. Thanks so much for sharing this!

  11. I’ve never visited San Francisco, but SO want to go one day! And I so need a hotspot of my own. This would come in handy in so many places!

  12. Perfect timing. I’ll be in San Fran next month.

    Great tips! (especially the Irish coffee!)

  13. My favorite part of San Francisco is the Wharf - after a trolley ride there! There’s so much delish food there and don’t forget Ghirardelli chocolate too!

  18. In 2016, it is my turn to choose where we will go for a 2 month vacation. I am thinking California but don’t have a city in mind yet. Thanks for posting this…. It will help me decide.

  26. The song,I left my heart in San Francisco, sums it up. So much to see and do and eat! Mark Twain was right but if needed, just hop over to Berkley and warm up.“The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” I am intrigued by these products for my own WIFI on the go!

  28. It’s been SO long since I’ve visited San Francisco. The piers were my favorite part, and the food is good too!

  39. SF is on my list of places I really want to visit some day. I’d love to take a trolly ride there, even if it is the touristy thing to do lol.

  40. I grew up the San Francisco Bay Area and many of the things you mentioned- SF Giants Game, Ghiradelli, a great dinner in North Beach, and a walk along the waterfront- are all things I highly recommend to friends who visit! Glad you had a great time!

  46. I would love to go to San Francisco and be able to stay and explore the beautiful city. On a recent trip we landed there but had to get on a train so we couldn’t really explore.

  48. San Francisco is on the other end of the states for me here in MA. I would LOVE to visit and see how different life is there.

  49. We went to San Francisco last summer and I ran the half marathon. That was a great way to see the city! We loved SF!

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