If you are looking for a true "Haight Ashbury" vacation, The Red Victorian has got to be a part of it. Leaving the Red Victorian, a block and a half to your right, is the famous corner. An almost equal distance to your left is the beautiful Golden Gate Park. We spent many afternoons on Hippie Hill in Golden Gate Park, I don't know of a more peaceful place, definitely my favorite spot. As for the Red Victorian itself, I can't think of a better way to immerse yourself in the local culture. The gated entrance to the building is right on the main beat of Haight, the building is historic, and the smells of food cooking in the fully stocked kitchen are embedded in the building itself. We stayed in The Sunshine Room on the second floor, we found a second staircase in the hall that led us almost directly to our room. The room had a private toilet, sink and shower, the window view was from the back of the building, and you could see the fog against the hillside in the mornings. We especially liked the fact that there was a door next to our room that led to a fire escape, a perfect spot for that last (and first) smoke of the day. We are disappointed that our schedule in San Francisco kept us so busy that we never got to sit down for the communal dinner. But we were able to take advantage of the kitchen, every morning I would make our coffee there, we had breakfast there, and on the way through we stop in for a piece of fresh fruit. Everything that you could possibly imagine needing for a meal was in that kitchen, boxes of bananas and avocados sat in the kitchen, dozens of eggs in the refrigerators, drinks of all kinds. The kitchen is open and available 24/7 and if you didn't want to eat in any of the local restaurants you could eat every meal at The Red Vic. I borrowed one of the many drink coolers from the kitchen for the week that we were there so we could have a cold beer waiting in our room at the end of the days, but there is also a private refrigerator that you can leave personal items in that are not to be shared. We had the best vacation of our lives and hope that we are lucky enough to return one day. If we do, we will stay at The Red Vic.
What can I say, I left my heart in San Francisco, but more specifically, I left my heart at The Red Victorian, Haight Street, and Hippie Hill.