When we first moved to San Francisco I was expecting something similar to New York City in a big city: small apartment living, heavy reliance on public transportation, concrete jungle all around. But I was pleasantly surprised to find out how beautiful, active and outdoors this big city was. Any morning of the week you can see dozens of people hoping on bikes for a ride across the bridge, running through fresh Eucalyptus trees in Lands End, or surfing at Ocean beach. It’s this amazing mix of the best of both worlds- people living the busy city life but also being able to stretch their arms and legs amongst breathtakingly beautiful scenery.
Today I’ll be sharing three favorite outdoor activities I love in San Francisco, featuring items from Old Navy’s Active line: Womens compression active pants, active black jacket, semi fitted tank top in hot pink, and active sports bra in turquoise. All of their active line is 40% off right, and I’ve been really impressed with the quality and price of the items sampled!
Photography and styling by Liz Stanley. Modeling by Hanalei Gene and assisted by Devon Cone.
__________________________________________________________________________________
This post was sponsored by Old Navy. Check out Old Navy‘s latest fashion lineup in store or online at oldnavy.com.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Keep reading to see what my 3 favorites outdoor activities are…
Activity 1: Biking through the Presidio and western cliffs
We live just a few blocks from the Presidio so this is a really easy spot for me to hop on a bike and head to. There are numerous trails through the Presido and along 25th ave that end up in really beautiful places, either on the bay or on the ocean cliffs. There can be hills for sure but the views once you get to Golden Gate Bridge are worth it! This trail below starts at the parking lot just northwest of the bridge and along the cliffs down to Baker Beach.
Activity 2: Trail running in Golden Gate Park
We live right across from Golden Gate park and this beautiful Redwood grove below (and we already know how I feel about Redwoods, right?). The whole park is full of dirt paths through coastal trees like Redwoods and Eucalyptus that you can run on (my husband sometimes mountain bikes on them too but technically it’s just for runners). You could start on any trail you find and just keep running until you get to the beach and then back again. Exploring and getting a little lost is part of the fun! There are so many wonderful things to find in Golden Gate Park like the huge field of bison and a couple waterfalls. I haven’t been running lately because of this pregnancy but I really miss it.
Activity 3: Walking across the Golden Gate Bridge
Of course this is one of the most popular things to do in San Francisco but it’s not to be missed. The views are spectacular, and if you can park in one of the southern lots you can find yourself on a beautiful walk through old forts and tunnels to get to the bridge. The walk across the bridge is about a mile each way but it’s really fun to do and a great place to snap some photos of the city. I don’t recommend running or biking across unless you get up early because it can get crowded with tourists. For some really beautiful views, take your car or bike across the bridge and then up to the left through the windy road that heads towards the west. It’s so beautiful and you’ll have bridge views the whole drive.
Hanalei is wearing items from Old Navy’s Active line (on sale right now): Womens compression active pants, active black jacket, semi fitted tank top in hot pink, and active sports bra in turquoise. She’s also wearing a North Face windbreaker and Asics running shoes.