Budget Hotels in San Mateo

Top places you must visit if you have a day in the city

We started from SF at 10 AM. Took 101 till gillroy and then took pacific one. Went through Caramel by the sea, Big Sur. Went to Mooro Bay, stayed at Atascadero.

Yes. You read that correctly. Chocolate tasting. I think anyone who has a serious/strong craving for chocolate should (if they can) make the trip out to Dandelion Chocolates (740 Valencia St.) for some of artisan goods. There are plenty of samples throughout the store. They probably love it more than you do and it is a beautiful thing to witness in person (and in your mouth) a business who has a real passion for what they do such as Dandelion.

Finding a good Mexican restaurant or taqueria in the mission is hard. Not because there is a shortage but because there are so many good authentic places, authentic as being in Mexico. Grab a bite at the city’s quintessential taco joint, Tacos Vallarta (3033 24th St.). Try the delicious carnitas (stewed pork) tacos washed down with a fruity agua fesca. What’s not to love about $1.50 tacos? And, they are open late night. Perfect before calling it a night from a night of drinking.

One of America’s most beautiful cities. Also one of its most progressive and easy-going. It’s home to the famed Golden Gate Bridge and the cable cars that roll along its hilly streets. This city by the bay is definitely my favorite in terms of the cool, kick back, light ‘em up vibe. Not far from the city you can see giant sequoia trees, trees so massive in size they boggle the mind. I always enjoy getting back to San Francisco, but mostly in summer as the city tends to be foggy and damp and cold come winter.

This past Spring, San Francisco became my home for several glorious weeks and it was just enough time to fall in love. Living in a second floor walk up just off the train line in Redwood City, I spent every day exploring. I learned that between the Caltrain, BART and my own two feet there was very little closed to my curiosity. Mornings were spent on the roof of my building, enjoying the sunrise and the fog lift over the coastal range as I sipped my coffee slowly and practiced yoga. I then planned to fill each afternoon with adventure. So I found myself exploring as far south as Big Sur and as far north as Napa Valley and Sonoma, all without consulting a guide book. In Sonoma, I experienced the simple joy of hearty bread, cheese and meat paired with a glass of great wine. In Marin County, I was inspired by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright. Walking the neighborhoods of San Francisco I ate mouth-watering gelato in Dolores Park, shopped for organic clothing in Noe Valley, bought a Tibetan prayer chain in The Castro, did my grocery shopping at the open air markets in The Mission and took photographs of the colorful murals before marveling at the true adrenaline rush of driving a car down an almost vertical street in Nob Hill.