Thursday in the Haight: Deadhead Time Travel and Tie-Dye Vibes

After a smooth flight into SFO, we were welcomed by the unexpected—and unmistakable—presence of the Grateful Dead in the airport itself - a giant backdrop featured Jerry and the band playing to a sea of fans in a classic outdoor setting from Speedway Meadow, 1967.

We grabbed a cab and made our way to the Stanyan Park Hotel, which hugs the eastern edge of Golden Gate Park. We used the Bounce luggage service to stash our bags affordably, then stepped right into our walking shoes.

From there, we began our self-guided Haight-Ashbury walking tour—starting where Haight dead-ends at the park and walking east toward Masonic so we could hit our first stop: Coffee to the People, a funky and welcoming café where we fueled up with some solid caffeine and Deadhead-friendly energy, meeting local artists on the corner.

Just across the street was Love on Haight, an iconic tie-dye clothing store bursting with color and character. We shopped around in here for a while, and could have stayed quite a bit longer! Funkiest clothing around...

We wandered back in the direction of the park, pausing to admire murals and other artistic remnants of the Summer of Love, passing by The Red Victorian, a former hippie hotel-turned-art space, then stood in front of the famous Grateful Dead House at 710 Ashbury, with a quick nod to the Hells Angels house just across the street. The vibes were strong.

Lunch was at Cha Cha Cha, where we dove into delicious sautéed mushrooms and a veggie paella that was as flavorful as it was filling.

From there, we walked up and down Haight, popping into vintage stores and soaking in the layered history that lives in every doorway. Our final stop was Buena Vista Park, where we climbed high enough for a sweeping view of the city, snapped some great photos, and let the warm sun lull us into a short, peaceful nap in the grass.

With full hearts and happy feet, we returned to the Stanyan to grab our luggage. Elizabeth and Alice scooped us up shortly after and whisked us across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito, where our weekend was only just beginning...Michelle & Todd