You know you’ve lived in the Bay Area too long when a rainy weekend hits, and you have absolutely no idea what to do with yourself. Sure, you could do the expected—visit SFMOMA, see a movie, binge-watch Game of Thrones while ordering Caviar every few hours. But life is short, and there’s no need to be so boring. For this rainy week, we’ve rounded up eight more interesting ways to spend your day off from the outdoors.
1. Check out Magowan’s Infinite Mirror Maze
Even for someone who went to college in Iowa and has done her fair share of corn mazes, this shit was hard. And disorienting. And a great way to spend $5. Head down to Pier 39 to navigate your way through a labyrinth of columns and mirrors with enough black lights to make you forget what time of day it is. It might even be fun while you enjoy some, ahem, legal substances. Pair it with lunch at Alioto’s for some clam chowder and a trip to the Aquarium of the Bay, and you’ve got yourself a day.
Pier 39 | www.magowansinfinitemirrormaze.com
2. Grab lunch followed by story time
Museums are great and all, but the true way to steep yourself in San Francisco history is to understand its roots. To see everything from corrupt politicians’ old haunts to notable architecture to literary gold, begin by heading to North Beach to Cafe Zoetrope, housed in a building owned by Francis Ford Coppola. The family claims that several films, including the Godfather II, Godfather III, Apocalypse Now and Dracula were written, edited or sound-mixed in the building, and the cafe apparently serves some of Coppola’s own recipes.
Afterward, make sure to stop by the short-story vending machine. Tap a few buttons, and receive a one-, three- or five-minute short story right in your waiting hands. Pair this stop with a trip to City Lights Bookstore, and you’ve drenched yourself in enough literary history to make your high school English teacher proud.
Cafe Zoetrope, 916 Kearny Street | www.cafezoetrope.com
3. Go on a Ferry Building crawl
If you’re an SF resident, chances are you’re not frequenting the Ferry Building unless a friend comes to visit. But the indoor marketplace offers a perfect way eat and drink your way through the day in pure, locally sourced gluttony.
Start at Blue Bottle for a caffeine-fueled jump-start and Donut Farm to spike your blood sugar. Then, stock up on local honey from Beekind, small-batch chocolate from Dandelion and Marin-grown olive oil from McEvoy Ranch. And if you’re into the “mushrooms are the new superfood” thing, you won’t want to miss Far West Fungi. From there, step into Book Passage to stroll along the shelves and pick up your next great read before grabbing some oysters at Hog Island (and accompanying Acme bread), followed by lunch at famed restaurant the Slanted Door. Finally, cap it all off with an ice cream cone from Humphry Slocombe.
Before you head home, grab a bottle of wine from the Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant and some sausages from the Golden Gate Meat Company to enjoy for dinner while you ponder where exactly your entire month’s paycheck went.
4. Visit a Japanese bathhouse
A massage doesn’t come cheap in San Francisco, so try pampering yourself a little differently with this rainy-day version of treat-yoself day. Drop into the Kabuki Springs & Spa, and visit the communal baths (clothing optional), which include access to a hot pool, a cold pool, a sauna, a steam room and showers all day for $30. This isn’t a place to go and gab with your girlfriends, though — if you’re caught talking, they’ll ring a gong to silence you. Seriously. Reservations are recommended, and days are segregated by gender, so be sure to call or check the website before you go.
Kabuki Springs & Spa, 1750 Geary Boulevard | kabukisprings.com
5. Go for high tea
Since you decided to shed the sweatpants and abandon Vanderpump rules (the hardest thing you’ve done in weeks, clearly), why not pretend you’re fancy for the day? Call up the girlfriends you had to ditch for your solo spa day, and head to San Francisco’s historic Fairmont Hotel for a pricey-but-totally-worth-it high tea. Load up on tea sandwiches, scones and petit fours, and don’t forget to keep your pinky up while you throw your head back and talk about your millions. High tea is available on weekends from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
950 Mason Street | www.fairmont.com/san-francisco
6. Jump around
Pretending you’re still young enough to do flips on a trampoline is good for the soul, even if it’s bad for your body. Hidden away in one of those large former airplane hangars by Crissy Field is House of Air, a trampoline park that can play host to your rainy-day dodgeball tournament. Grab some friends, sign a waiver, and begin to complain about how you wish you’d done this when you were a kid. If you’d prefer to burn some calories in a more structured way, check out their conditioning class at 9:00 a.m. on Saturdays.
7. Learn something new
We could all benefit from putting down our phones and learning something new, and a rainy day is the perfect time to do that. Head to Workshop SF, and dive into everything from candle making to leatherworking to brewing your own kombucha. All classes are taught by local teachers, makers and artists, and range from short two-hour introductions to full-day boot camps. If “workshop” sounds a little too crafty for you, check out other local classes at places like the San Francisco Cooking School, Civic Kitchen and General Assembly.
8. Visit an underrated museum
I know what you’re thinking: “You said these were interesting ideas I would have never thought of!” Yes, I may have said that heading to a museum isn’t a novel idea, but I meant the major museums, like the SFMOMA or the de Young. This city holds so much more than those staples. Case in point: the Tenderloin Museum. Especially if you generally avoid the ’Loin, this complex will open your eyes to the deep and complex history of a neighborhood that needs your support. Others you may not have visited: the stellar Museum of the African Diaspora, the Museum of Craft and Design and the Cartoon Art Museum.
Hey! The Bold Italic recently launched a podcast, This Is Your Life in Silicon Valley. Check out the full season or listen to the episode below featuring Eileen Rinaldi, CEO and founder of Ritual Coffee. More coming soon, so stay tuned!
