30 Hours in San Francisco – Fun and Back home before you know it
Sometimes the best trips are the ones you don’t overthink.
On a whim, we booked a quick trip to San Francisco to catch a New York Mets vs. San Francisco Giants game—and somehow turned just 30 hours into a full-blown adventure.
Here’s exactly how it all went down.
Watch the full experience here:
🥂 Delta Sky Club – Thanks Amex Platinum!
While we normally fly United Airlines, we found a great deal with Delta Air Lines. Thanks to our American Express Platinum Card, we got access to the Delta Sky Club. This is one of the many perks of the Platinum, which gives us four visits per year to this particular airline club.
Check out Matt’s favorite Travel Credit Cards here! (NOT READY YET!)
There were plenty of seating options, including tables and chairs, couches, booths, and bar seating. We chose to sit outside at the bar to watch the planes coming and going. Very cool atmosphere, but be warned, it is LOUD!
Inside you’ll find a buffet style layout with hot and cold food options, salads, sandwiches and wraps, plus some treats to satisfy your sweet tooth. To drinkyou’ll find a fountain soda machine, and one of those crazy coffee makers that makes lattes, espresso, cappuccino, and a regular coffee if you prefer. There is water available as well as in the United lounge, placed sporadically throughout the lounge.
We enjoyed some bites to eat alongside a glass of wine. A perfect way to settle down before it was time to board.
✈️ Travel Chaos (That Almost Canceled the Trip)
What started as a smooth airport experience quickly turned into stress when our flight was suddenly canceled—while we were still inside the Delta Sky Club.
Ironically, that’s what saved us.
Instead of dealing with long gate lines or waiting on hold on the phone to speak to a representative, we were able to get help much faster. The wait on the phone was 90 minutes, I can’t imagine what the situation looked like down at the gate, but we waited just 15 minutes to speak to the representative located inside the Delta Club—and after a brief panic, our original flight was reinstated.
However, we were already pulled off that flight to transfer us to a different flight, ironically with United. But the representative helping us worked her magic and got us back on our flight in our original seats.
👉 Travel tip: Lounge access (like through the American Express Platinum Card) can be a game changer during disruptions.
Once we arrived at the gate for the new departure time, we had to wait a bit. As we received notice of the original cancellation, so did the airline staff. They had to wait on those who were transferred to other flights or sent home to make their way back. This included the pilots as well.
Once we boarded the plane, the staff started to get everything going. We waited, and waited some more. They finally announced that one pilot had arrived, but the other was on his way, as he was moved to another flight on the other side of the airport, and was now running through the airport to get to our flight! When the second pilot finally arrived a few people on the plane cheered!
We were finally taking off, a few hours later, when we should have been making ourselves comfortable in San Francisco already, but regardless, we were finally on our way!
🏨 hotel
We stayed at the Hyatt Place Downtown San Francisco. This is a prime location for those visiting the city to attend an event at Oracle Park. It’s just 450 feet away from the stadium.
Our room was a standard Queen, with a nice clean bathroom, a couch and coffee table plus a desk and a decent sized closet. For a two night stay that is just what we needed. BONUS, the room, like our flight, was paid for with travel credit card points. We’ll be getting into that in more detail in another post.
🚶♂️ a morning stroll to Pier 39
We left our hotel the next morning and got a glimpse of Oracle Park, we’ll see more of that later.
After a short train ride, we ended up at Embarcadero Plaza and the Ferry Building area.
Walking along the Embarcadero is one of the easiest ways to take in the city—views of the bay, street performers, and constant energy. On this day, there was a farmers’ market setting up as we walked through the area. After a failed attempt to board the trolley (there were literally people hanging off of it as it departed), we chose to walk to our next location.
No visit to San Francisco feels complete without a stop at Pier 39.
Located along the waterfront, Pier 39 is a lively hub filled with shops, restaurants, street performers, and some of the best views of the bay. On a clear day, you can even spot landmarks like Alcatraz Island and the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance.
It definitely leans touristy—but in a fun, easy-to-enjoy way. Whether you’re grabbing a quick bite, watching performers, or just taking in the atmosphere, it’s a great place to wander, especially if you’re short on time.
Of course, the biggest draw here is the famous sea lions (more on them below), but even beyond that, Pier 39 works well as a quick stop along the Embarcadero.
👉 Tip: It can get crowded, especially on weekends, so earlier in the day tends to be a bit more relaxed.
🦭 The Pier 39 Sea Lions
One of the highlights of our trip was the sea lions at Pier 39.
After the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, these sea lions began showing up on the docks—and never really left. What started as a small group has turned into a full-blown colony, with hundreds of them lounging, barking, and occasionally fighting for the best spot on the floating platforms.
You’ll usually hear them before you see them.
The noise, the movement, and the sheer number of sea lions make this one of the most unique (and entertaining) stops along the Embarcadero. It’s free to visit, easy to access, and doesn’t take much time—making it a perfect quick stop, even on a short trip like ours.
We get into more about the sea lions here: [Sea Lions Post – internal link]
👉 Good to Know: The number of sea lions changes throughout the year, but late summer tends to be one of the busiest times.
🚗 Riding in a Self-Driving Car (Waymo)
One of the most unique things we did on this trip was ride in a fully autonomous car with Waymo.
No driver. No steering wheel interaction. Just you, the road, and a car doing everything on its own.
Here’s a little sneak peek of our Waymo ride experience!
👉 We break down the full experience here: Waymo in San Francisco: What It’s Like Riding a Driverless Car
🧄 Lunch at The Stinking Rose
Our Waymo dropped us off at one of the most unique restaurants in the city:
The Stinking Rose
This place fully embraces garlic—like, in everything. It’s bold, a little over-the-top, and definitely memorable.
👉 Full review here: [Stinking Rose Post – internal link]
🍺 Brewery Stops with Friends
After lunch, we took an Uber to meet up with our friends Kyle and EJ at Bottleneck Brewing Company. Located on the San Francisco Peninsula, the brewery has a relaxed, local feel that made it an easy place to sit back, catch up, and try a few different beers after a busy day in the city. We especially enjoyed the arcade on site. It ended up being a nice change of pace before heading back into San Francisco for the evening.
Kyle and EJ dropped us off at the hotel to change quick before the game, we then met them at nearby 21st Amendment Brewery. We’ve been buying their beer ever since we first visited the brewery back in 2014. This visit; however, was a little bittersweet, as a few weeks later, they announced their closure.
But there’s some good news for 21st Amendment fans. Evil Genius Beer Company has acquired the brand, recipes, and California production facility of 21st Amendment, meaning favorites like “Hell or High Watermelon” and “Brew Free! or Die IPA” will be back on shelves. The plan is to keep the spirit of 21st Amendment Brewery alive while continuing its national distribution.
⚾ Giants Game at Oracle Park
We wrapped up the day at Oracle Park.
If you’re going to a game here:
👉 Get the garlic fries. No debate.
We were especially excited to see our former host son, Joey Lucchesi, on the mound. He lived with us during his time with the Lake Elsinore Storm before going on to pitch for the Padres and Mets—and now the Giants. Even though he was on the opposing team, we were still cheering for him… I even took my Mets hat off for that inning.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Mets brought in Edwin Díaz to close it out and secure the win.
❤️ A Meaningful Moment at Oracle Park
Visiting the Giants at home as a Mets fan is especially meaningful for Matt. As some of you may know, before relocating to San Francisco in 1958, the franchise was known as the New York Giants from 1885 to 1957. Matt’s uncle, who he was very close to growing up, was a Giants fan. When the Mets were formed, he became a fan from day one, which is how Matt became one.
I captured this moment of Matt taking in the atmosphere of the park after two teams his late uncle loved had just played each other.
🧳 Final Thoughts: Is 30 Hours in San Francisco Enough?
Honestly? Yes… but barely.
This trip proved you don’t need a full week to experience San Francisco—but having a plan (and a little flexibility) makes all the difference.
