The Best of 2016, San Francisco Edition

Pretty much everything going to sh*t notwithstanding, there were some things we actually liked this year.

Like driving the PCH and finding all the best hotels along the way. Or glamping above the Pacific. Or getting a list of David Barzelay’s favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurants in S.F.

Here are all the best things we covered in 2016.

Times were tough.

But you made our year a bit brighter. So thank you, for that — and here’s to your health and happiness in the New Year.

We traveled the length of the state (because it’s the best), stopping at all the best hotels along the Pacific Coast Highway. Then we went glamping above the Pacific (pictured) and hot-tubbing at Pigeon Point. We made the most of the every weekend. This, we’re keeping for 2017.

Pound for pound of Meyer lemons, we have the best dining scene in the country. We’ve already talked about the year’s best new restaurants. We’ve also got everybody else beat in our historical bona fides (pictured — and a miracle, given the events of 111 years ago) and tomorrowland innovations (read: crowd-funded cows and free-drink punch cards).

We dressed warmly. Because, you know, it gets chilly. We stocked our closets with Aether’s motorcycle jacket and some very elastic pants. Oh, and hey, here’s another jacket. And another one (pictured). And another one.

We explored the outdoors, because why else would you live here? We hiked Mount Diablo (pictured). We set off on the best trail run in the Bay. We went rock climbing and had wine. We paddled out to Tomales Point (pictured at top). We went out to Sykes Hot Springs (before the fire) and we toured the city by electric bike.

We went to the experts. We talked to chefs about their favorite meals in town (you know, from guys that Michelin likes, like David Barzelay, pictured, and Srijith Gopinathan). We talked to startup guys about the books that changed their lives (like the founders of ClassDojo, MasterClass and Shinola).

And if we learned anything this year, it’s to hold the people we love as close as possible. It’s not easy, though. First step down the path (to better sex, by the by): learning to love intimacy. It’s work, but it’s possible.