The San Francisco Bay Area is a popular and iconic travel destination. That goes without saying. But I said it already, no take backs.
One of most famous sights is the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s an orange-colored suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate strait. This bridge is often shrouded in fog making it difficult to see. I’ve visited twice, 10 years apart, and neither time did I get a clear view of the bridge. I’m not entirely convinced it’s even real. (Kidding).
Elusive bridge aside, San Francisco and the Bay Area are fantastic places to visit. There is a plethora of sights to see, things to do, food to eat, and places to explore to satisfy even the most intense wanderlust.
There’s something for everyone with nature and wildlife reserves, world-class entertainment, trendy restaurants and hip boutiques, and more.
We visited together in the summer of 2023 and had an amazing time. During this trip, which you can read about here, our focus was primarily on San Francisco and San Mateo. However, we have plans to return and explore more of the Bay Area in the future.
Why Travel the San Francisco Bay Area
If you are unfamiliar with the San Francisco Bay Area or want to know more, keep reading! Similarly, if you are like Luke with your random factoids and Wikipedia knowledge, this is the post for you. (I’ve added some fun facts and tidbits from us to keep it more interesting).
If you want to read more about our three-day experience in the summer of 2023, including a few misadventures and honest opinions, this is the post for you: Travel Stories from San Francisco: A Married Couple’s Memoir.
If you’d prefer something more straightforward, we have a Top 10 Things to Do in San Francisco list here: San Francisco: The Most Amazing Things To Do In The City.
Overview
The San Francisco Bay Area, also known as the Bay Area, is a populous metropolitan area in northern California. It is known around the world for its natural beauty and striking landscape, progressive politics, prominent universities, technology companies, wineries, and wealth.
The area includes nine bordering counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, Sonoma, and San Francisco. The major cities being San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland. We visited both San Francisco and San Mateo in 2023.
Population-wise, it is one of the largest and most diverse urban areas in California, the United States, and the world. Approximately three-fifths of the population are Hispanic, Asian, African American, or Pacific Islander.
Environmental Highlights
The area is one of California’s most ecologically sensitive habitats. The diverse array of natural ecosystems includes grasslands, wetlands, coastal scrub, dunes, woodlands, and waterways. Some of the beauty and complexity of the landscapes can be attributed to millions of years of tectonic plate movements and earthquakes with six major earthquake faults in the Bay Area. These diverse and abundant ecosystems are some of the biggest attractions to the area.
Redwoods
Redwood trees are one of the tallest and largest trees in the world. San Francisco has a prominent supply of redwoods in many protected forests. Several of these forests are an easy half day or less drive away. The Redwood National and State Parks are home to the tallest redwoods in Northern California. Likewise, Big Basin Redwoods State Park has a large line of ancient coastal redwoods.
Redwood trees can also be seen closer to the city. Some of the best places include Dr. Aurelia Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park and Muir Woods National Monument. Even within the city there are small groves of redwoods within Golden Gate Park.
Wildlife
These diverse environments are also home to several animals including: fish, birds, mammals, amphibians, invertebrates, and several endangered species. The best time of the year for seeing wildlife is usually early spring. This is when lush grass, wildflowers, and trees are sprouting and flourishing and waterways are flowing. The best places to see wildlife are Point Reyes National Seashore, Tomales Bay State Park, and Sunol Regional Wilderness.
Within the city Pier 39 is home to a community of sea lions. Golden Gate Park is home to many different mammals. It’s also possible to go whale and dolphin watching in the San Francisco Bay.
Notable Attractions
The area is also famous for its waterfront towns, laid-back beaches, and delicious wines. Some of the more well-known coastal towns in the area include Santa Cruz, Half Moon Bay, Monterey, and Sausalito. The nearby towns all have much to offer including stunning beaches, rugged coastlines, ocean cliffs, walking trails, and more.
Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz is a quintessential hippy/surfer/tourist town if that’s even a thing. It’s best known for the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, an amusement park offering a variety of arcade games, family-friendly rides, and deep-fried foods sitting on a mile-long stretch of sandy beach. You’ll also find a community of sea lions living on the Santa Cruz Wharf.
Half Moon May
Half Moon Bay is only 45 minutes from San Francisco city. It serves as a perfect destination for a day trip or weekend getaway. The cult class movie Birdemic was filmed in Half Moon Bay and San Mateo. This “fun fact” was forced upon me during our 2023 trip during a viewing of the movie. If you’re not familiar with the movie, consider yourselves lucky.
Wine Country
The Bay Area is home to some of the world’s leading wine areas, namely Napa Valley and Sonoma. Both are strong competitors to the Okanagan Valley, my hometown wine country. There are more than 400 wineries in the Napa Valley region. The region is known for its world-class wine, beautiful countryside, and Mediterranean climate creating gorgeous weather year-round.
Sonoma Valley, known as the birthplace of wine in California, is another world-renowned wine destination. Both have stellar reputations but slight differences. Napa can be seen as more luxe and upscale, whereas Sonoma is more laid-back and rustic.
Entertainment & The Arts
As if it didn’t have enough going for it already, the Bay Area has seven professional sports teams. This includes the newly founded Bay Football Club, a professional women’s soccer team. The best-known sports team in our household is likely the San Francisco 49ers, as Sunday football has become a ritual for us the past few years.
Universities
The Bay Area also contains numerous higher education institutions. Among those are the prestigious universities of Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley. I visited Berkeley in 2013 during my first visit to the Bay Area and remember being amazed by the lush greenery and emphasis on sustainability. The trip to Stanford in 2023 was equally as impressive. The grounds were immaculate, vast, and diverse from historic buildings to state-of-the-art facilities to sculpture gardens and fountains, and more. There is also ample space for sporting activities including a running track, football stadium, golf course, and equestrian center.
Culture
San Francisco is also a cultural center for music, theater, and the arts. There are international film festivals, music festivals, symphony orchestras, ballet performances, museums, art galleries, and more. The art scene is thriving with a rich history of tradition and artistic expression. Some of the largest museums in the United States are in San Francisco. Popular ones to visit include the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Fine Arts Museums, de Young in Golden Gate Park, and the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park.
Street Art
If you’ve followed us for a while you know we can’t resist street art. It is one of our favorite things to seek out in each place we visit. We love the vivid colors, unique styles and methods, and the artistic interpretations of social and historical commentary. San Francisco has over 1,000 murals and other artworks scattered throughout the city. Murals can be found adorning walls, buildings, alleyways, roads, patios, electrical boxes, and more. If there’s a surface to be painted, it more than likely will be. The city’s street art is a reflection of its unique blend of cultures, socio-political movements, historical landmarks, events, and figures. It’s a testament to the city inhabitant’s intense creativity and spirit of resilience.
The Mission District Murals
The largest collection of murals is in the Mission District, the birthplace of San Francisco’s mural scene. It’s also the oldest neighborhood in the city. The area is known as the Latinx Cultural District for its rich Latin American heritage that has served as the neighborhood’s foundation for generations. Wandering the streets immediately transported us back to South America in sight, sound, and smell. It’s an eclectic, vibrant, bustling area rich in culture, history and artistry.
Weather
The weather is mild and variable, depending on what area you are visiting. San Francisco city is a bit more consistent temperature-wise throughout the year. The biggest differences are the amount of sunshine versus rain and fog. That being said, there can be swings in temperature and weather within the same day. It’s important to bring layers and be prepared for all seasons, no matter the time of year you are visiting.
We experienced days in San Mateo and Palo Alto that were sweltering but the following day in San Francisco was cool and crisp. I was warm and comfortable in San Mateo but freezing and wearing a toque and wishing I had mittens in San Francisco. On the other hand, Luke was in shorts and a t-shirt in typical “vacation style” the entire trip.
Fun Facts
Karl the Fog
According to some parts of the internet, the fog is so well-known in the city that it has a nickname. “Karl the Fog” has become a beloved part of the city’s culture. Locals take pride in their foggy weather and the unique character it brings to the city. Karl has its own Instagram and X (Twitter), as well as a coffee company inspired by it.
Nicknames
Several nicknames abound for the city of San Francisco. “SF” is one we often use, a simple abbreviation that is easily recognizable. Tourists use “San Fran” but it is not a favorite of locals. “Fog City” and “City of Fog” are two I had not heard before but make sense given the weather. Historically, the name “The Golden City” was used because of its association with the California Gold Rush of the mid-19th century.
Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park is larger than Central Park in New York City. It comes in at 4.1 km² (or 1,017 acres) compared to Central Park’s 3.41 km² (842.6 acres).
Blue Jeans
Businessman Levi Strauss and tailor Jacob Davis invented the Blue jeans in San Francisco. They received the patent for denim work pants reinforced with metal rivets on May 20, 1873. The pants were created as a response to a need for stronger workwear.
Have we convinced you to visit the Bay Area? Is there anything you want us to know about San Francisco? Let us know in the comments section below!
