San Francisco - June 2022

This past week, we had an opportunity to stay at the Lodge at the Presidio, in San Francisco. The Lodge, originally built in 1895-97, is located in the Main Post area of the former San Francisco Presidio. The building served as a US Army barrack. The hotel has 42 rooms and is a great base from which to explore the Presidio grounds.

The 1,500 acre Presidio site was an Army post for over 200 years. It was transferred from the Army to the National Park Service in 1994 and became part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The National Park Service manages the coastal area of the park (20%) and the Presidio Trust manages the interior park areas (80%). About 800 buildings remain from the Presidio, with most of them renovated and leased for present-day use.

A surprise for us was the many walking trails and paths in the park. On our full day at the Presidio, we hiked over nine miles, from the Main Post area, to the former Crissy Field on the bay to Golden Gate Bridge to Pacific Heights and back to the Main Post area. The Palace of Fine Arts is also nearby, about a 15 minute walk from the Lodge at the Presidio.  

There aren't too many dining options within the park. We had dinners at Sessions at the Presidio and the Presidio Social Club and lunch at Cafe RX. There was a Starbucks close to Sessions.  Breakfasts were hosted by the Lodge at the Presidio. Sessions at the Presidio was our favorite dinner experience.

The Walt Disney Family Museum is next door to the Lodge at the Presidio. This three story museum shares stories and artifacts from the life and legacy of Walt Disney. The galleries describe Disney's path from childhood, war time experiences, various businesses, cartoon and film evolution and success and, lastly, his death in 1966.

For those traveling by electric vehicle, there is a ChargePoint EV charger behind the Lodge. This was a convenient location to top off our Polestar 2 before heading home.    

Lodge at the Presidio

 

Walt Disney Family Museum

Palace of Fine Arts