When in San-Fran

As much as we love New York and the East Coast, we never miss an opportunity to travel to the West Coast. So, recently when one of my friends visited me from London, we planned a girls trip to San Francisco, Ari was allowed to join, of course! ;) 

GETTING THERE

We flew from NYC to SFO via Alaska Airlines. Ari travels as my emotional support and is allowed to fly with me in the cabin. If you'd like to read more about this, I have a detailed blog post here. Our flight from New York to San Francisco turned out to be a long one. It took us more than 12 hours to reach SF. To cut a long story short, there were problems with one of the engines on the plane (super scary!) so we landed halfway through in Kansas City. We spent more than 3 hours at the airport until they arranged another plane for us. Luckily we could take Ari outside the airport for a walk and were also able to feed him. I always carry at least a portion of his food in my cabin bag for emergencies like these. When we finally re-boarded the plane, so many co-passengers commented on what a good boy Ari had been all this while, patiently waiting at the airport. I was so proud of my little trooper :) We finally reached SF at around 6:00pm in the evening instead of 12:00pm in the afternoon. Having lost a whole day, we had only two full days to explore the city. Had to make the most of it!

ACCOMODATION - STAYPINEAPPLE 

Our stay was sponsored by Staypineapple Hotel. We have stayed in quite a few dog friendly hotels and B&B's before. But, none of the places have been as dog friendly as Staypineapple. There is a difference between allowing dogs and being dog friendly. Staypineapple is definitely the later.

Every small detail in our room had been thought through - dog bed, dog bowls for food and water, poop bag dispenser, few treats were all waiting for us in the room upon arrival. Not only was the room super comfortable, it was also filled with cool quirky details, which I personally love! Makes it very grammable too ;)

The hotel lobby was gorgeous and so was the bar. We loved their signature Pineapple Express drink, which was served in a pineapple shaped glass. Staff was super friendly and greeted Ari with treats every time he left and entered the hotel. He was so spoilt!

The hotel is also very centrally located, a walk or short uber ride away from most attractions. All in all, we did not want to leave! We will definitely be trying out their other locations in the future. 

Day 1

We started the day with breakfast at Mazarine Coffee. Dogs are allowed on the patio. Their chai lattes and avocado toast were delish! We then headed to Mission District, a cool hipster neighborhood popular with young crowds. We found quirky little cafes, colorful walls, graffiti, some vintage cars, cute little houses and lots of Bougainvillea. All in all Mission District has a fun vibe with lots of gramming ops. 

Ari seemed to be bored after a couple of hours of walking so we took him to a place that would cheer him up. We went to the dog friendly Ocean beach. Ari absolutely loved running on the sand and greeting other dogs. After spending a couple of hours at the beach, we took an uber to Marshall's beach to get views of Golden Gate Bridge. Dog are restricted in certain areas here. Ari was super exhausted after that, so we called it a day and got some Mexican takeout to enjoy in our room. 

DAY 2

We started the day with brunch at Honey Honey. Their crepes and orange juice are one of the best I have had! They have a patio where dogs are allowed. After brunch, we walked around China Town. The architecture and colors were so vibrant, a must see. We then headed to the famous Lombard Street. Ari had a great workout climbing up the steep winding street. Loved the charming houses on the sides of the street. 

We took an uber to Crissy Field, a must do with your dog. They can run around in the open field with views of Golden Gate Bridge or you can even enjoy a little picnic with them. We took the walking trail from Crissy Field up to Golden Gate Bridge. The views of the bridge along the way were amazing. Dogs are not allowed on the bridge, so we just walked around and got some shots. 

From here we headed to Alamo Square to see The Painted Ladies. We fell in love with this neighborhood. Not only did we see so many dogs at Alamo Square Park, but the architecture and streets reminded us of London. We saw at least 3-4 vintage cars in the short time that we were there. If we were to move to SF, we would definitely consider living in or around this neighborhood. The famous TV show Full house house is also in Alamo Square. We had had a long day of exploring and Ari was super tired too, so we took an uber back to our hotel. We spent the evening in the hotel and chilled at the bar.

DAY 3

We had a couple of hours before our flight, we walked around Nob Hill, another charming neighborhood with cute house and gorgeous views of the city from some of the streets. We saw quite a few trams as well. Although we did take a photo on one of the trams, we never really rode on one. Dogs are allowed on them during off-peak hours, but from what I read, they are required to be muzzled. 

All in all, San Francisco is a great dog friendly city definitely worth visiting. Two days were not enough to actually experience the different neighborhoods and vibe of the city. I would recommend a minimum of 4-5 days to properly explore the city. We would definitely be going back :)

Whats your favorite place that you have traveled to with your dog? Comment below. xx

Photos by: Margarita Karenko