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A Little Flower Grows

Catholic Lifestyle Blog

Top 6 Highlights of the San Francisco Bay Area

May 8, 2020

My husband and I spent our first 7 months of marriage living in Northern California, just outside of San Francisco. Now, I’m a lifelong Michigan girl (and an honorary Florida girl of 4.5 years), and living in California was definitely never on my radar. So when my hubby accepted a job offer there in May 2018, during our engagement, I’m ashamed to say, I threw quite a fit about it (sorry, husband).

But fast forward to December 2018, only 3 days after our wedding, hubby and I flew ourselves (and allllll my stuff) out to NorCal, where hubs had already been living since August.

By this time, I had come to terms with uprooting myself and moving to a completely new place that was so far away. (I guess I had no choice, right?)

And thus commenced our 7 month Cali adventure. We actually didn’t think it would be so short-lived — we were anticipating living there for at least a couple years. But unbeknownst to us, God had plans to move us right back to my hometown in July 2019 (who’da thunk it).

Looking back, we’re so grateful for the time we spent in NorCal. We had no friends or family there — in fact we had nothing but work, our tiny 700 square-foot apartment, and us. It sounds a little sad when I put it that way, but honestly? It was a time for us to be with each other — which is so important as brand new newlyweds.

And we had some super fun adventures along the way, which I’d love to share with you. Here are our top 6 highlights from the San Francisco Bay Area.


1. Marin Headlands

We were lucky enough to live just 20 minutes away from this beautiful park with great hiking trails and stunning views, especially of the Golden Gate Bridge. No admission fee and it’s totally worth the daunting drive up the side of a cliff.


2. Fisherman’s Wharf

It can be such a classic San Francisco tourist trap, but we always had so much fun there and it became one of our go-to spots for date night. We especially enjoyed the delicious restaurants, the Aquarium of the Bay, playing in the arcade on Pier 39, and spotting the seals.


3. St. Dominic’s Cathedral

Hands-down the most incredible Triduum I have ever experienced, right here at this Dominican parish in the heart of San Fran. It’s absolutely beautiful (inside and outside), it’s orthodox, and its liturgies are just breathtaking. We spent our first Easter as a married couple here!


4. San Rafael

We lived in San Rafael near the main downtown strip (we could walk there in 5 minutes). I’m pretty sure we tried basically every restaurant and checked out every shop. Our top recs would be Lundy’s for brunch, Sushi to Dai For for sushi, Amici’s for Italian, and Double Rainbow Cafe for ice cream.


5. Muir Woods

We went there on the freakin’ hottest day ever (seriously — it was over 100 degrees out), but the redwoods are absolutely striking and they’re so tall that they provided some excellent shade! Standing inside a tree was a pretty cool perk, too.


6. Stinson Beach

Hubby isn’t much of a beach bum, but I’m always down for a beach trip (must be the honorary Florida girl in me). Even though the water was freezing and the steep, winding drive there made hubby carsick, it was totally worth it for the beautiful views and sunshine.


Have you ever been to the San Francisco area? Let me know below in the comments!

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Categories: travel, Life, marriage

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Comments

  1. Lea says

    May 8, 2020 at 8:23 pm

    It’s fun to see pics from your time in California…but so grateful and glad you’re home.💕

    Reply
  2. Nancy Millar. Grammy says

    May 9, 2020 at 3:07 pm

    Stephanie I am so pleased you’re blogging again. Love the title, “ A little flower grows. “
    So much has happened in your life since your Sincerely Stephanie blog. Especially that kind, handsome Marcus. You two make a wonderful team and a lovely couple.
    As your experiences and adventures evolve; share, share, share.

    Reply
  3. Laia says

    May 15, 2020 at 12:01 pm

    I can’t wait to visit San Francisco! I’ve been to the US once and loved NYC but my dream is the route 66 one day! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • stephaniepeter128@gmail.com says

      May 17, 2020 at 1:15 pm

      I’d love to do Route 66 one day too! And I’d absolutely recommend the San Francisco area next time you’re in the US!

      Reply
  4. Melissa Bryan says

    May 15, 2020 at 12:56 pm

    How amazing! I am so happy that you all got to enjoy that time together in NorCal. I haven’t been but look forward to going when the travel bans are lifted. Blessings on your marriage!

    Reply
    • stephaniepeter128@gmail.com says

      May 17, 2020 at 1:14 pm

      Thank you so much, Melissa! We really treasured the time we had together out there. And I’d totally recommend traveling there when you can!

      Reply
  5. Grace Fredericks says

    May 15, 2020 at 1:31 pm

    These pictures are great, you guys are a cute couple.

    Reply
    • stephaniepeter128@gmail.com says

      May 17, 2020 at 1:13 pm

      Aw, thank you so much, Grace!

      Reply
  6. Under Flowery Sky says

    May 15, 2020 at 2:23 pm

    Wow stunning photos of the bridge, everything looks so nice- restaurants, woods.
    It’s great to know San Francisco more from the local point of view. Thanks

    Reply
    • stephaniepeter128@gmail.com says

      May 17, 2020 at 1:13 pm

      So glad you enjoyed reading! It really is stunning out there.

      Reply
  7. Trina says

    May 15, 2020 at 9:22 pm

    Would love to make it to some of these places one day. I’ve never been that far north in Cali.

    Reply
    • stephaniepeter128@gmail.com says

      May 17, 2020 at 1:12 pm

      I’d absolutely recommend it! I had actually never been to Cali at all before I moved there. I’d love to go back and visit again one day.

      Reply
  8. Fadima Mooneira says

    May 16, 2020 at 8:43 am

    Oh wow…….. I miss San Francisco. I haven’t visited there for a really really really long time.

    Reply
    • stephaniepeter128@gmail.com says

      May 17, 2020 at 1:11 pm

      I miss it too! Such a beautiful area of the country.

      Reply
  9. Sonia says

    May 16, 2020 at 1:43 pm

    Thoroughly enjoyed reading about your moves and all the background information to the last one. I like your style of writing. I’m a teacher by profession too. Wish you all the best and thanks for your support on my blog too.

    Reply
    • stephaniepeter128@gmail.com says

      May 17, 2020 at 1:10 pm

      Thanks so much, Sonia! I wish you all the best as well!

      Reply

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About Me

Hi, I'm Stephanie!

Catholic wife, mama of two, and homemaker. Michigan native, thrift shopper, and tea drinker. Embracing and striving for authentic womanhood as God designed. Welcome to my little corner of the internet, where I share from my heart about wife life, mama life, and Catholic life. Pour a cup of tea and stay awhile!

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Catholic wife, mama of 2, and homemaker. Embracing authentic femininity as God designed.

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Fellow homemakers & mamas, we are not “just” homemakers or “just” stay-at-home moms. We have the most important job in the world: caring for our children & our homes, forming little souls, shaping the next generation, and most importantly, raising future saints. 

It is a privilege and a blessing to have such a job, one that God designed women for in a unique way. May God always give us the we need to do it well. 💕
New mamas, I know how hard the transition can be w New mamas, I know how hard the transition can be when you bring a new baby home. When you feel like you can’t get anything done anymore. Between feeding, changing, and holding the baby, oftentimes there’s no time (or energy) for anything else. And while caring for your baby is of course a worthy job, it doesn’t change the fact that there are things you need or want to do. 

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What are your best tips for keeping up with tasks after a baby? Let me know in the comments!
One of my favorite quotes about motherhood comes f One of my favorite quotes about motherhood comes from my favorite saint (and the namesake of my little babe featured in this video), St. Thérèse the Little Flower: “The loveliest masterpiece of the heart of God is the heart of a mother.” Her own mother is also a canonized saint, St. Zélie—so I know Thérèse spoke from firsthand experience! How beautiful that the love in our own motherly hearts is a reflection of God’s love for us! Let’s strive to live up to that reflection, and to follow St. Zélie’s example in our own motherhood and raise wonderful saints.
Hi, I’m Stephanie 👋🏻 Welcome if you’re n Hi, I’m Stephanie 👋🏻 Welcome if you’re new here, or welcome again if you’ve followed me before! I’m revamping & relaunching this account, as well as my blog (A Little Flower Grows) with a whole new sense of inspiration and mission ✨

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Yesterday’s Memorial Day cake, baked by yours tr Yesterday’s Memorial Day cake, baked by yours truly 🇺🇸 Speaking of baking, did you catch last week’s blog post about my top 8 essential baking supplies?! Hop on over to read my list - from one beginner baker to another - of baking supplies that every beginner needs! Link in bio👩🏻‍🍳
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