How We Spent 3 Days in the Bay Area
When we first started to travel, we wanted to explore new places but also see world class sporting events. We thought, why couldn’t we do both? So we planned this trip to California! Once we spent time in Los Angeles to attend an LA Galaxy match, we then drove up the Pacific Coast Highway and had big plans for San Francisco. Here is how we spent 3 days in the Bay Area including, San Francisco, San Jose, Pacifica and more. Now let’s dive in on how you can too!
Day 1 – San Francisco / Pacifica:
As we made the drive up the coast for our 3 day adventure in the Bay Area, we wanted to make plenty of stops but we also knew that we needed to get to our AirBnB to drop off our stuff so we could go to the USA v Columbia game that night. We had a tight schedule but somehow made it work.
The game was being played at Levi Stadium and we were staying in Pacifica which is about an hour away. While we have never been to Levi Stadium for a football game, we can say there was a bit of traffic for COPA America back in 2016 but we still arrived on time.
After the game at the 49er’s Stadium, we checked out the “World’s Nicest Taco Bell” as Business Insider called it. Yes, this Taco Bell is right on the beach and is a must when staying in the Bay Area. It’s right tin Pacifica and is the perfect spot to watch surfers or just enjoy the atmosphere.
Day 2 – Downtown San Francisco:
The next day of our 3 days in the Bay Area, we started out by driving up to the Golden Gate Bridge. One thing we have learned in our many years of traveling that if there is a “big tourist item” on your itinerary, you need to either do that VERY early in the morning, or late at night. Most crowds arrive around 10:30am and not start to leave until about 6:30pm. The only downside to this when we went to the Golden Gate Bridge was that the smog was very much present. The smog covered most of the bridge and that’s ok.
Next up was Lombard Street in San Francisco. It was very busy and I am not sure there is a good time of day to drive it. We were parked in traffic at basically a 90 degree angle. Slightly terrifying but still very cool. I would still recommend you go but be warned that it might take up a lot of time due to traffic and the streets are very narrow.
After that, we parked the car down by Fisherman’s Wharf and walked around. While here you can check out a variety of things including:
- Ghirardelli Square
- Alcatraz
- Watch the Sea Lions
- Aquarium of the Bay
- Pier 39
- Musical Stairs
- Cable Car
Once we were done exploring Fisherman’s Wharf, we walked over to Union Street as they were hosting their annual festival. We were able to experience local restaurants and breweries all while getting to walk around and look at local businesses. On our way out, we made sure to check out the Painted Ladies before heading back to Pacifica.
Day 3 – San Jose:
Our last day was a full day spent in downtown San Jose. We checked out the San Jose Earthquakes Stadium, Municipal Rose Garden, and San Pedro Square. The airport was right around the corner which made for an easy trip home.
While it was a quick 3 days, we did see a lot and I cannot wait until we can go back and explore more!
