Girlie Pop San Francisco Weekend
orginally published October 15, 2024
On October 3, 2024 I hopped on a plane and headed to the diverse city of San Francisco! This was technically my first time visiting. I actually traveled there once to speak at an event about two years ago, but it was a fly in and fly out type of trip. This time I was able to really soak in and explore the city. My friends and I were even able to visit The Princess Diaries locations (my favorite movie).
A couple of things about San Francisco you should know. Normally you do need a sweater, but I ended up visiting during a heat wave. Most days it was very hot. I wish I had one of those travel fans. The city of San Francisco is only about 7 miles long. It’s about as big as Washington, DC. San Fran is a walkable city with a very good and pretty simple- to- follow bus system. Now with that being said everything is uphill. Even when you think you’re walking downhill it feels like you are walking uphill. Make sure when you visit you bring good walking shoes. This is not an exaggeration. There are lots of hills and you will do lots of walking. It is really a good exercise city and it makes sense that everyone was pretty fit.
Here are the places I visited
The Painted Ladies:
This is an iconic San Francisco location. It’s mentioned and viewed on many tv shows and movies. They are a row of beautiful painted houses in a Victorian style. They look similar to row houses in Washington, DC.
Sons and Garden:
This is absolutely a Mallory’s Pink World approved place. It is a very yummy brunch spot with pretty drinks and absolutely gorgeous decor. Read more about it HERE.
Grove High School, The Princess Diaries:
Address: 2601 Lyons
Just an fyi it is actually someone’s house so you can only stand on the sidewalk.
Musee Mecanique, The Princess Diaries:
This is an arcade in a warehouse type musuem. The arcade is free, but the old timey machines take quarters. It was so fun. This place is the scene where the queen and Mia arm wrestled that machine. Let me tell you it was hard. This is also where they do the photobooth. The photobooth is old and the flash comes out of nowhere. It does take about 5 minutes to print.
Mia’s house, The Princess Diaries:
Address: 724 Brazil Avenue
This is also someone’s house. We ran into a sweet lady who was friends with the owners. Everyone we ran into was so kind.
Golden Gate Bridge:
This is also obviously an icon location. We went right as the sun went down. It was so beautiful. It was the perfect way to end the day. We also saw a coyote which excited me because that was my first time.
Golden Gate Park
Conservatory of Flowers
California Academy of Sciences
Now the Golden Gate Park is huge. The area is HUGE. My friend explained it is bigger than Central Park. There are places to just sit and soak in the sun. We saw friends with picnic blankets and paint, families with their kids, and people biking. There is also a roller skate park. The Conservatory of Flowers is in a beautiful greenhouse on the property. Flowers is kind of a misnomer. It was really just plants. The Academy of Sciences is huge. It was the San Francisco version of the Discovery Place for all of the Charlotteans. The museum’s theme was a jungle. You walk up each level and butterflies just fly. Once you get to the top you take an elevator down to the bottom to see an aquarium. It was a beautiful aquarium with many different types of fish and underwater plants. I even learned a little about the fish and plants found only on the west coast.
All in all I had the absolute best Girlie Pop San Francisco! I also want to give a special shoutout to Melanie, Jerry, and baby JT for being the best hosts and tour guides.
Carpe diem,
Mal
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