With 1,017 acres to explore, my favorite stop is the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers. If you’re visiting San Francisco and internally cursing the gods for the bad weather, the conservatory should be at the top of your list.
San Francisco has a lot to offer – hikes that end in spectacular views of the bay, mimosa brunches that render you swaggering up and down the hills – but when the sun refuses to shine and the fog lingers like a brunch hangover, you need an emergency go-to. Golden Gate Park is a San Francisco staple that has far more to do then many realize, even on a gloomy day. With 1,017 acres to explore, my favorite stop is the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers. If you’re visiting San Francisco and internally cursing the gods for the bad weather, the conservatory should be at the top of your list.
Filled with bright flowers and heavily flowing oxygen, you’ll be enjoying this Vitamin D alternative in no time. Wander through the various rooms – from the potted plants boasting orchids with more diversity then the downtown city bus, to the lowland tropics holding one of the world’s oldest Philodendron trees (100 years old!).
Make fun of me all you want for recommending the souvenir shop, but make sure to leave time to look around. There are necklaces that hold tiny succulents kept alive by dipping in water, hanging sea urchins with succulent tentacles, and vintage posters from the conservatory’s past exhibits: all worthwhile browsing. I walked out with a few wooden postcards and called it a day. The fog can’t ruin a day in San Francisco, not for a second.
