Travel - Pocketful of Joules

Traveling Fun: Share your San Francisco Tips!

I’m going to be visiting San Francisco next week and I can’t wait! I’m going for a work conference, but I’ll have a bit of time before and after the event to do some exploring.

I’ve never been to San Francisco, so I’d love your tips!

I’ll be staying at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis and won’t have a car, so I’ll be walking or use Uber to get around. Here’s what I have in mind so far:

Run or Walk the Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is the most famous bridge in the world and is 1.7 miles long. There is a pedestrian walkway, so I’m thinking it would be perfect for a run. For anyone who has been, is it running accessible or should I stick to a leisurely walk so I’m not the butthead jostling people? I’ll have to take an Uber from my hotel to get there, but should be able to run or walk across and back with no issues. Besides stopping for pictures, of course.

Ride a Cable Car
The cable cars run on tracks and have three routes, so I’m going to have to find one and jump on (it’s about $7 a ride). Sure, it’s touristy, but I’m a tourist!

Visit a Ghirardelli Chocolate Shop
Whenever I mention to anyone that I’m going to San Francisco, they immediately tell me to visit a Ghirardelli. Um… chocolate? You don’t have to twist my arm to get me to go! There is one about an 8 minute walk from my hotel at 865 Market Street, so I think I’ll be able to make a stop.

Shopping
I always like to do a little shopping when I visit a new place and I will definitely make some time to shop around in San Francisco. I noticed when googling the map for Ghirardelli that there is also an Anthropologie (880 Market Street) and Nordstrom Rack (901 Market Street) nearby, so I’m sure I’ll have to do a pass-through of my two favorites. I don’t actually need anything right now after my big Boden trip… but I can always window shop. I’d love your suggestions for some fun local shops I should be sure to visit!

Go Thrifting
This is kind of under shopping… but with more ‘thrill of the hunt’ involved. While I’m in San Francisco, I’d love to hit up a few nearby thrift stores. After checking my handy dandy google maps, I think I’ll visit both the SF Out of the Closet Thrift Store (1498 Polk Street) and Goodwill (1589 Mission Street). If you are familiar with the area let me know which ones I should be sure to visit!

Tell me, what should I do in San Francisco?

First OC Trip of the Summer + ALL the Whining

Jack and I spent the weekend in Ocean City with my family and it’s so nice to get away, even for a couple days. The weather was a little chilly on the beach on Saturday, but absolutely perfect on Sunday.

Most of the time, Jack is totally content playing by himself with his beach toys. However, over the weekend with a super late 10pm bedtime and many of his favorite people in one place… well, there was A LOT of whining. Like, so much whining. Maybe even ALL the whining. It was exhausting.

So, I’m wondering… when on vacation, how do you deal with whining, bad behavior and meltdowns? Do you give them a free pass because they’re low on sleep and high on energy? Or do you stick with regular rules and punishments? I’d love to hear what you have to say in the comments!

For me, it’s a little of both. If it’s just general whining, I point out that mommy doesn’t respond to whining. If it’s bad behavior – like splashing when someone says “no” – I pull him out of the situation, get down on his level and have the “no means no” talk for the millionth time. All in all, I’m really lucky that Jack is mostly well behaved, but he certainly gets a little crazy and acts out like any 5 year old!

Here are some pretty pictures with no whining included:

Don’t forget to leave a comment to tell me your thoughts on vacation discipline!

Quick Shop Guide: My Universal Studios Trip Must Haves

My last post on our Universal Studio’s Orlando trip pretty much just covered all the fun we got ourselves into on the trip (find it here). I also wanted to throw together some of those items that made my life so much easier… which brings me to this quick shop guide. This can work for a theme park trip of your own, or really any sort of travel where you will be doing a bunch of walking and don’t want to haul a bunch of crap.

#1 Comfy Shoes
Duh. Right? Obviously if you are going to be running around all day long you are going to need comfortable shoes to get through the day. Everyone has their own comfort level though… so here is what worked for me:

For water ride days: Skechers Reggae Haystack Sport Sandal, $40
I’ve had a pair of Tevas for more than 20 years and was planning to take them with me…but I couldn’t find them when I was packing. So, I made a quick trip to DSW and grabbed this exact pair of ‘sport sandals’ for $40. I was nervous breaking them in on days where I’d be walking 7 – 10 miles, but they were GREAT and super comfortable to wear. They also had a little arch support because the foot bed had a ‘flexible and shock absorbing rubber traction sole’. All in all, I was very happy with both the price point and the comfort of these.

For regular days: Toms Classic Slip-On, $30
I have a bunch of pairs of Toms, so I brought some with me knowing that I’d probably end up ruining them. They actually still looked great at the end of the week, so a big win for Toms! I find Tom’s classic slip-on’s very comfy, but they don’t offer a ton of support if you need it. I like how they look good with skirts, dresses, shorts and jeans and are super lightweight and breathable. If you are new to Toms, I suggest going by Nordstrom Rack and picking a cheap pair instead of buying them full price elsewhere.

#2 A Smaller Purse Situation
Running around the park, I wanted to be as hands-free as possible but still needed to carry around a few things. On water ride days, I left my cellphone in the room (which is why I don’t have any pictures) and used just a fanny pack. On regular days, I used a little cross-body bag that fit my iPhone, chapstick, SPF and my mini wallet. Our travel agent provided us with our lanyards, which we used for our room key, park ticket and express passes.

Fanny Pack: Fitletic Bold Runners Pouch, $27
I bought a fitletic running belt years ago and use it to hold my phone, license and keys when I go out for runs. It’s great because it is waterproof, comfortable and kind of cute. If I were buying one specifically for the theme parks, I would chose a larger version like the one I linked to. It’s $27 and has two pouches to separate your phone from your other stuff. Genius!

Cross-Body Purse: Cross-Body Bag with Tassel from Amazon, $21.95
I bought mine at South Moon Under last fall and use it ALL THE TIME. Mine is no longer in stock, but I found a cool one on Amazon for $22 that comes in 6 different colors.

Mini Wallet: MEKU wallet, $9
In order to pare down my stuff enough to fit it into a fanny pack or mini cross-body bag, I had to take my wallet down to the bare basics. This mini wallet is perfect for traveling and I’ve had it for over a year now. It’s only $9 and totally worth it!

#3 FREE Water All Day, Every Day

Water Bottle: Brita Sport Water Filter Bottle, $7
When you are running around a theme park all day in 90 degree heat, you need to be sure to keep yourself hydrated. Universal Studios sells cups that you can use to refill sodas all day, but we were trying to keep the calories under control. I’d much rather splurge on a marshmallow milkshake than soda all day! You can buy bottled water, but that also adds up when you have three thirsty people walking in the heat. I’ve had this Brita Sport Water Filter bottle for a few years and it’s great. It filters the water for you and also has a hook where you can attach a carabineer (to then hook on your husband’s belt loop…). Everywhere in the park will give you free ice and water, so we kept hydrated for a grand total of $0.

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