San Francisco is famous for amazing food, the Golden Gate Bridge and a flourishing and diverse community, while Reno is famous for divorce and gambling. Get out of town and head to San Francisco. Over this weekend, myself and my four friends decided to take the trip up to the Bay and we absolutely loved every moment of it. There are so many reasons to visit, including shopping on Chestnut Street, museums ranging from tech to art to interactive and, of course, the lively and diverse food found all around the city. It is also quite possibly one of the most photogenic cities in the world, so bring your digital cameras and prepare those Instagram posts.
Sept. 19, 2026
10 a.m. Ferry Building Farmers Market
San Francisco’s Ferry Building opened in 1898 as a hub for the mass immigration that took place during the California Gold Rush. Those who moved to San Francisco during this time saw the building as a sort of a West Coast Lady Liberty, welcoming them to a new start. The Ferry Plaza Market was established in the spring of 1993. The market was created to repurpose an obsolete building following the building of the Golden Gate and Bay bridges. Founders used the market as an opportunity to promote local foods and give locals and tourists a vibrant public space to shop, eat, and meet each other. Today, the market operates weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays (10 a.m.–2 p.m.) and a larger market on Saturdays (8 a.m.–2 p.m.) that extends to overlook the bay. There are multiple vendors that come with fresh produce; we saw hundreds of tomatoes this time around. You can find homemade baked goods, flowers, souvenirs and coffee all along the outside of the building. I loved seeing the various types of people, locals and tourists, shopping and appreciating the market. I was also able to sample peaches and tomatoes while we explored, which were amazing, compared to any others I’ve ever had. If I thought I could afford the market in any way I would’ve bought a multitude of fresh produce. Inside, you will find permanent stores and restaurants. Personally, I recommend Red Bay Coffee, where my friends and I all got iced vanilla lattes, which was the best coffee we had the whole trip. This farmers’ market is far from affordable but definitely an amazing spot to walk around and people-watch.
12 p.m. Presidio Tunnel Tops
Obviously, if it’s your first time in San Francisco, you need to see the Golden Gate Bridge. Even if you’ve seen it before, the bridge never fails to take my breath away. Grab the warmest jacket you have and Uber or Waymo to the Presidio Visitor Center. The Presidio Tunnel tops at a 14-acre park built on top of the highway that unites with a retired military base. It also happens to have one of the most beautiful views of the Golden Gate Bridge you can get. The later in the day you go, the more likely you are to actually see the bridge due to the fact that the fog settles very heavily during the day. After you take photos, head to the Presidio Pop Up, located in the middle of the park. Here you will find many options of different food trucks with various types of cuisine. The type of food will change daily: you can find which food trucks, type of cuisine and time they will be there on the Presidio Pop Up Schedule. Everything we ate was worth the money. Definitely the best alternative to a large lunch.
2 p.m. Shopping on Chestnut Street
One of the hippest neighborhoods in the city is located around Chestnut street. Here you will find stores like Brandy Melville and a ton of high-end thrift stores. There are also photo opportunities if you feel like larping as San Francisco locals outside their houses, which we absolutely did. This is a perfect area to decompress, shop and eat if you need a pick-me-up.
3 p.m. Photo Booth Museum by Photomatica
After you’re done shopping, Uber over to the Photo Booth Museum located in San Francisco’s Castro district. This museum has recently gone viral on various social media platforms, for good reason. Admission is free, and there are seven photo strip photo booths available for use. Each photo booth costs $7.50, which I think is insane; however, the no admission fee makes it feel like it is worth it. Due to the fact that this location has gone viral, it is extremely crowded. Expect to wait 10-15 minutes for each photo booth, since the photos take about three minutes to print. However, you can do multiple booths at once, we swapped between booths while others waited for the strips to print, so you really can maximize your time here. I cannot recommend this activity enough. It was so fun and gave us lots of souvenirs that reminded us of the fun we were able to experience during this activity.
5 p.m. Decompress
Between the photo booth museum and dinner, we went back to where we were staying to take naps, look through photos and decompress. If you have extraordinary amounts of energy, I would recommend freshening up and going to grab a drink on Union Street or Chestnut Street. If you’re into sight seeing I would head over to the Palace of Fine Arts or the Painted Ladies which are both iconic San Francisco landmarks.
8 p.m. Dinner at Fog Harbor Fish House
Pier 39 is a pier that has been converted into a fun row of shops and attractions for people of all ages. There are many souvenir gift shops along the pier where you can find something to bring home for everyone. Personally, we got magnets and shot glasses to commemorate our trip. Then, walk down to the end of the pier to see sea lions fight and lay on the floating wooden platforms. My roommate is a heavy animal-lover; I think this was her favorite part of the entire trip. Following your time exploring the pier, head up to Fog Harbor Fish House, which has great views of Alcatraz Island and the Bay. The food is incredible; their focus is on seafood. I got the seasonal miso salmon, the perfect balance of rice and salmon and a wonderful change from the typical college student cuisine we indulge in back home. If fish isn’t your style, they also have steak and chicken options that really account for all types of palettes.
