Yes, I did it again. Well, let’s say I tried it again, because this whole vlogging thing still feels super awkward. But I always enjoy watching other people’s vlogs, so it’s time for me to get on board, stop feeling so self-conscious, and start talking to my phone on a selfie stick.
Last week was my second time in San Francisco. I had to be in San Jose for work, so I flew in a couple of days early to spend the weekend in San Francisco.
Even though there are a million things you can do, I actually ended up doing a lot of the same things as last time: eating at the Ferry Building, cycling across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito (and then taking the ferry back), drinking coffee in The Mission…
My new favorite travel app: Detour
But while I was walking around those same areas, I did actually learn a lot more about them. And that was because of this new app Detour that I happen to discover when I was reading online about things to do in San Francisco.
I love exploring a city on foot. But there’s only so much you can learn about a city by reading a travel guide. That’s why tours with a local are often great. But then you have to find one, sign up for a tour and be at a specific time and place to meet them. Not ideal when I don’t have much time and don’t know exactly what my day is going to look like.
So what Detour does is it offers ten walking tours in different neighborhoods, on your phone. It’s pre-recorded, but because of GPS they know exactly where you are, what walking directions to give you and what story to tell you when. After the first five minutes I wished I had more time so I could do them all. They’re fantastic.
I did two of them, ‘Beyond the Painted Ladies’ and ‘Haight-Ashbury’ (with actor Peter Coyote as your tour guide). Both take about an hour, and I learned so much about the history and the people, interesting things that happened in certain houses that you otherwise would have never known. Or they tell you to go into a building that doesn’t seem to look that interesting, to find a hidden gem on the inside. I loved it!
San Francisco is the first city with these tours, but they’re launching other cities around the world soon.
Okay, so now here it is: my San Francisco travel vlog. Enjoy (better in HD!)
