I went to SF in May 2025 to visit my sister who lives there. It was my second trip to the states after 2019, and the first time I was making the journey alone to see her. One of the main reasons was to get to Yosemite and finally check it off the bucket list. But the city ended up giving me plenty to explore on its own.
I had a lot of time to myself and I used every bit of it wandering around the city alone. Walked through Mission and Dolores, took a bike around the waterfront, went looking for art in the neighbourhoods. SF is a city that rewards slow movement. There is something on every block if you are not in a rush.
My sister works at Dandelion Chocolates and one of the things I really wanted to do was visit the factory and shoot some content for them. They liked the kind of stuff I used to put up on my Instagram and were keen to have me document the experience. I got to meet the founders, wander through the whole chocolate making process, and walk away with a lot of chocolate. Easily one of the highlights of the trip.
I ended up buying a lot of things, some of which have become permanent fixtures in my life. Peak Design especially. If you want to see what made the cut, it is all on my gear page.
Alcatraz was one of the more unsettling things I have done. Reading about the three men who attempted the escape, standing in those cells, the whole atmosphere of the place. There is something about it that just sits with you.
I caught two concerts. Hermanos Gutierrez at the Oakland Theater, which was surreal. I have been listening to them for years and hearing that sound live in a room that good was something else. The other was the Chainsmokers, which was a completely different kind of night but equally worth it.
Being a serious coffee person I did a fair amount of cafe hopping. A few favourites: The Coffee Movement, Sightglass, and Scullery. All three are worth your time if you are in the city.
I spent a full day at SFMOMA. Came in expecting to spend a couple of hours and stayed until they asked everyone to leave. The Group f.64 show was a standout, a reminder that photography has a long and serious history in this city. There was also a Kara Walker installation that I kept returning to.
