I had a bigger trip on the books that ended up getting pushed, but the time was already blocked on my calendar and I figured I should take advantage of it. I was ready for a little breaky break. So staycation it is. I’ve done many versions of this before including one back in the deep pandemic days when it came with a whole lot of social distancing, but the bones of the idea still hold up.
Here’s the thing about a staycation: it’s genuinely hard to feel away when you’re sitting in your own space. So I leaned on a kickoff that got me out of the apartment entirely, a girls’ weekend up in Napa. I won’t rehash the whole thing here since I already wrote it up, but going somewhere else first turned out to be exactly the right way to start a week off.
Back Monday, and I kept my regular exercise plan, so gym in the morning. The afternoon went to SFMOMA, where I have a membership and there was a new Matisse show, Femme au chapeau: A Modern Scandal, I’d been wanting to catch. I did a slow lap, then paused for a glass of something sparkling and a little dessert on the Sculpture Garden, which is just a lovely spot to sit. Wandered through the Reimagined: The Fisher Collection at 10 on the way out too, reorganized and reimagined since I last spent real time with it.
Tuesday I’d designated my pajama day. One day where I go nowhere and do nothing, that’s the entire assignment. I’ll admit I got pulled into a few things and it wasn’t quite the full void I’d pictured, but still a nice soft middle to the week. Plus you know some tv.
Wednesday, after a morning workout, I took advantage of one of the SF walking tours. I’d been wanting some time in the park anyway, so I paired it with the Japanese Tea Garden and got to hear a lot more about the garden than I’d ever picked up wandering it on my own. From there a stroll around 9th and Irving, a fish taco at Pacific Catch during happy hour, and I called it a day.
Thursday I met a friend for a walk along the Marina Green (there are so many of these pretty stretches in this city) and then we posted up in her backyard to actually catch up.
Friday another friend and I took the ferry over to Angel Island for a little hike walk. There are basically two ways to do it: the over-the-top route, or the perimeter trail. We went perimeter, which has a few museum stops along the way which gave some interesting context to how the island was used as the “Ellis Island of the West.” I’m honestly not sure I’d ever set foot on Angel Island before, so this was equal parts checking it off the list and finally getting a feel for the place. We’d packed snacks for a sort of pseudo picnic, which was the move, since the cafe out there closes early. We’d hoped to sit and wait for the ferry back with a glass of wine but alas, another day (apparently in summer they do bands on the weekends, noted for next time). Took the ferry back and made up for the missed glass at Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant.
Saturday I wanted a down day, and the Hayes Valley farmers market had just started up for the season, so that was honestly the whole agenda. Walk the market, that’s it. Plus you know some strawberries and whatnot. The market seems to be a hit, it’s a dozen plus booths covering about half of the already closed block of Hayes at Octavia.
Sunday I aimed for the Asian Art Museum, which is free the first Sunday of the month (there was an added fee for the exhibit I wanted to see, Chiharu Shiota: Two Home Countries, worth it). I did the special exhibit and then walked the full museum. It was a gorgeous day, the weather all week really did its part, and they had a DJ out on the patio, exactly the kind of little bonus that makes you feel like the city is throwing in something extra.
A whole week in my own backyard and I somehow still didn’t get to a fraction of what’s out there. But I did find that I had a good mix of activities, some downtime, and yes a smidge of work most days. What are your faves in the city?
