VT Football, Friends, and San Francisco
Father-and-son football trip to the Bay Area – October 8–11, 2026
PIer 39 offers a visual sample of San Francisco
The primary purpose of this trip was to attend the Virginia Tech vs. Cal football game in Berkeley. My son and I have made it a tradition to attend one Virginia Tech away game each year. Three years ago we traveled to Miami, last year we went to Atlanta for the Virginia Tech-South Carolina game, and this year California offered the best combination of a Virginia Tech football weekend and a memorable travel destination.
Two of my closest college friends, who now live in Southern California, joined us for the weekend. Both had lived in the Bay Area decades ago, and my previous visit to San Francisco was during the years they lived there, roughly from the late 1980s through the mid-1990s.
The city was not unfamiliar to me, but visiting at age 65 was a different experience than exploring it in my late twenties with a film camera slung over my shoulder. The hills seemed steeper, the walks a little longer, and there was considerably more thought given to where the next restroom might be.
3rd Year of The Annual Away-Game Tradition
In front of the camera instead of behind it
Now that is convenient
Photographers Allowed
Before traveling, I researched the major sights and how we would get around the city. The plan was to take BART from SFO into San Francisco and rely heavily on Uber for the rest of the trip, with the exception of one bus ride that did not go quite as expected.
Photography was not the primary purpose of this trip, but I still spent a considerable amount of time deciding what gear to bring and how much of the itinerary should be devoted to photography. Everything needed to fit into my travel backpack. I brought the Nikon Z8 paired with the Tamron 35-150mm lens, along with a smaller camera fitted with the 40mm f/2 lens for walking around at night. Knowing I would be carrying everything with me while exploring the city on Sunday, I was determined to pack only what I was likely to use.
My friends and I arrived on Thursday and stayed in Pacific Heights. Most of the day was spent close to the Airbnb. We walked down to the Marina District waterfront, watched aircraft practicing for the upcoming Fleet Week air show, and enjoyed a couple of meals before my son arrived later that evening .
A Full Friday of Sightseeing
View from Coit Tower
The Painted Ladies
Friday was our primary sightseeing day. After breakfast, we visited Pier 39 and Coit Tower, which offered what was probably my favorite view of the city during the trip. From there, we continued to Golden Gate Park before stopping for lunch in the Haight-Ashbury district. Later in the afternoon, we visited the Painted Ladies and then walked back to Pacific Heights. Dinner was at the nearby Shake Shack, an easy walk from the Airbnb.
Game day with college friends
Saturday was the reason we had chosen San Francisco as this year's destination. We took an Uber to Berkeley, ate breakfast, and spent the morning tailgating with fellow Hokie fans before the game. A couple of hours before kickoff, we stopped for a group photo in front of the Cal Bear statue near the stadium.
One of the best parts of the weekend was spending time with friends I have known since college. Their company added another layer to the trip, connecting memories from our Virginia Tech days with a new generation. They also managed to offer a little fatherly advice and shared carefully selected college stories that a 28-year-old could appreciate.
Virginia Tech at Cal
Hokies in front of the Cal bear
In the stands during the game
It was a beautiful day for football, and we had excellent seats. Unfortunately, Virginia Tech was both outcoached and outplayed. The loss put a slight damper on the afternoon, but spending the day with my son and longtime friends still made both the game and the trip worthwhile.
After the game, we took BART back to the Powell Street area. Fleet Week had disrupted the cable car schedule, so that part of the evening's plan never materialized. There was some discussion about making our way to the Golden Gate Bridge, but by then everyone was hungry and ready for dinner. We found a nearby restaurant and eventually returned to the Airbnb. By mutual agreement, a trip to the bridge was no longer in the cards. My son had never seen the Golden Gate Bridge up close, but as he pointed out, he had already seen it from the Airbnb.
Fleet Week over San Francisco Bay
My son left early Sunday morning. My friends and I had breakfast and then made our way to Fisherman's Wharf to watch the Fleet Week air show. They needed to leave for SFO around 1:00 p.m., while my flight was not scheduled to depart until midnight. After they left, I remained near the wharf for a couple more hours and seriously considered making the hour-and-a-half walk to the Golden Gate Bridge so I could photograph it from Baker Beach.
After walking for about an hour with my backpack, I realized that another hour on foot was probably not the best plan. At least the walk had carried me away from the congestion and Uber surge pricing near the wharf. I stopped for lunch and then took an Uber the rest of the way to Baker Beach.
Baker Beach was a pleasant destination, however; I realized I could have taken all the photographs I wanted in about an hour. The problem was that I still had roughly five hours to fill before heading to the airport. About ten minutes after arriving, I reminded myself to be careful about getting too close to the surf if I wanted to keep my shoes and feet dry. At that exact moment, a wave surged forward and soaked both. Apparently one lesson was not enough, because it happened a second time about 15 minutes later. It didn't happen a third time, but the damage had already been done.
Faced with the choice between spending five hours at the airport or continuing to explore on foot, I decided to keep walking and taking pictures. Over the next few hours, I made the best of the time, photographing the beach, the surrounding trails, and the Golden Gate Bridge from a variety of vantage points. I followed the trail toward the bridge, stopped at several observation areas, crossed to the other side, and photographed the bridge in the evening light. By then I was tired, my feet were wet, and I was finally ready to head to the airport, even though I still had more than three hours before I needed to be there.
Golden Gate Bridge in the evening light
An Uber from the Golden Gate Bridge area to SFO was showing more than $100 because of surge pricing. Since I had plenty of time, I decided to take a bus toward the Daly City BART station and continue to the airport by train. About twenty minutes into the ride, however, the route did not appear to be heading toward the station. Based on what I learned later, transit routes were likely being adjusted because of Fleet Week activities.
I got off the bus, checked Google Maps, considered my options, and eventually called an Uber. From that location, the ride cost about $50, so the detour ended up saving some money while using up a little extra time. I made it to SFO, cleared TSA, ate dinner, and spent several hours waiting before finally boarding my flight back to RDU.
After returning home, I spent some time reflecting on the trip. One realization was that my idealized itineraries do not always hold up well against reality. On a trip like this, one or two memorable destinations followed by a relaxing dinner at a good restaurant would probably be more enjoyable than trying to check off every major tourist attraction in a day and a half.
After recovering from the trip, I was reminded that weekends like this are not really about maximizing sightseeing or photography opportunities. Spending time with my son and reconnecting with longtime friends was worth the planning, logistics, expense, and tired feet. I saw a good portion of San Francisco, added another Virginia Tech road game to our tradition, and spent time with friends I do not see nearly often enough. The current plan is Louisville next year. Now we just need to figure out how to come home with a win.