LEAVE YOUR HEART IN SAN FRANCISCO
We're fortunate to live in one of the most beautiful cities of the world – San Francisco. This is our home and the city we fell in love in. San Francisco measures 7 miles by 7 miles. The date of our wedding is July 7, which is also 7 by 7. Hence 7X7 has a special significance for us and we hope out of town guests will have some time to explore “The City”. Helpful tip, don’t call it “Frisco” or “San Fran”.
Crissy Field, Chinatown, North Beach, Golden Gate Park, Baker Beach, and Lands End all provide stunning views and have that only-in-San-Francisco feel. Alcatraz is a definite must-see. The Exploratorium & the California Academy of Sciences are family-friendly. Taking in a San Francisco Giants game is special. Other popular outings include cycling over the Golden Gate Bridge (you might add on lunch in Sausalito). Spending a few hours at the SFMOMA admiring one of the largest collections of modern art in the world. There are numerous hop on/hop off bus tours that hit all of the major sites. We usually recommend skipping the two most overt tourist traps – Fisherman’s Wharf and Lombard Street.
Exploring our neighborhood – the Mission District, which is often warm and sunny even when Karl the Fog is out in force, can be a fun way to spend the afternoon. Valencia Street is home to boutiques, cafes, sunshine and lively San Francisco street life. The Mission Dolores is the oldest surviving structure in San Francisco and #6 of the California chain of mission churches, built in 1776.
FOOD & DRINK IN THE CITY
San Francisco is a true foodie city. You could literally spend all of your time eating and drinking and you wouldn’t even come close to hitting a large number of our favorites.
Here is a list of quintessential San Francisco dining experiences: a mission-style burrito at La Cumbre Taqueria, literally anything at Tartine Bakery, Irish Coffee at Buena Vista Café, ice cream at Bi-Rite Creamery, Cioppino at The Tadich Grill, breakfast at the original Pork Store Café in the Haight-Ashbury, standing in the fog waiting for a table at Burma Super Star, and bivalves at Hog Island Oyster Company.
Some of our favorite restaurants include: Al’s Place, Absinthe, Bar Agricole, Boulevard, Burma Love, Commonwealth, The Cavalier, Coqueta, Curry Up Now, Delfina, Dosa, E&O Kitchen, Foreign Cinema, Frances, Garcon, Hawker Fare, Little Star Pizza, Lolo, Mission Beach Café, Mourad, Nomica, Pancho Villa Taqueria, Poesia, Souvla, Super Duper, Suppenkuche, Tacolicious, Tawla, Wayfare Tavern, and Zuni Café.
SONOMA VALLEY FAMILY FUN
We've complied a list of some of the top, family-friendly attractions in the greater Sonoma Valley area.
SONOMA VALLEY WINERIES
The Sonoma wine country is one of our favorite parts of Northern California for wine tasting. Beautiful scenery, wonderful hospitality and perfect spots for a picnic abound. Below are some of our top picks for tasting, organized by region. Some establishments require a reservation so check online to find details for visiting.
Sonoma/Kenwood/Glen Ellen: B Wise Vineyards, Benzinger Family Winery, Chateau St. Jean, Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards, Gundlach Bundschu, Hamel Family Wines, and Landmark Vineyards.
Russian River Valley: Gary Farrell Wines, J Vineyards, Landmark at Hop Kiln, Lynmar Estate, MacRostie Winery, Rodney Strong Vineyards, and Twomey Cellars.
Dry Creek Valley: A. Rafanelli Winery, Bella Vineyards, Dry Creek Vineyards, Lambert Bridge, Mauritson Family Winery, Papapietro Perry, Quivira Vineyards, Ridge at Lytton Springs, and Unti Vineyards.