Secret Must-Visit Spots in San Francisco that You May Not Know About

Toronto women love to travel. Whether for work or for vacation, we enjoy seeing new places. With Silicon Valley a hotbed of cutting edge technology and progress, as well as beautiful weather, Northern California makes for one of the favourite destination spots. While NAPA Valley is much lauded for honeymoons and retreats, main San Francisco itself is full of some hidden gems that we are highlighting here, just for you.

Secret Tiled Staircase

There is an artsy hidden staircase on 16^th Avenue that leads to some of the best views of San Francisco. 163 steps of mosaic tiles, this colorful staircase in the Sunset district of San Francisco has stunning views of the city, as well as a garden design. The site is actually a waypoint on San Francisco’s famous butterfly-bolstering Green Hairstreak Corridor. Completed in 2005, the landmark was made by artists Collette Crutcher and Eileen Barr with the help of many neighborhood volunteers. The project was inspired by the Selarón staircase in Rio de Janeiro.

Cotton Candy Dessert

The Slanted Door restaurant in San Francisco is known for decadent, Asian fusion cuisine, but one hidden gem there is most definitely their Confection plate or essentially their Cotton Candy gourmet dessert. We tried the Strawberry Lemonade Cotton Candy dessert and it was truly the piece de resistance to what was a fantastic dining experience. The size makes for a dramatic and impressive presentation, but is a very easy dessert for 2-3 people to share and a happy note on which to end a meal.

BiRite Ice Creamery

Hidden in the Mission District of San Francisco is BiRite Ice Creamery, that you really can only spot for the long lines around the block! One taste of the iconic salted caramel homemade ice cream and it’s no wonder people say it’s “worth the wait and the extra weight!” The service is impeccable and there are plenty of flavor options, although we most recommend the addictive salted caramel. Sold by the scoop, the ice cream can also be bought by the pint, and groups of 4-5 college students were spotted sharing a pint old school style. If you don’t want to wait, the Ice Creamery offers a quick soft serve window, but the really divine stuff requires lining up!

About T. U. Dawood

T U Dawood is a freelance journalist as well as the former Canadian representative to the YNS, the youth wing of the Associated Press. She is a specialist on entrepreneurship and is on a mission to educate girls in need throughout the world. Check out her Educate a Girl charity.