San Francisco, California

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San Francisco, well the place is beautiful. The buildings are impeccable and the sights awesome. Tours are very well managed and although on the expensive side they are well worth it. Staff at restaurants and at most retail stores are very pleasant and will go out of their way to help. The transport system is unmatched in serviceability and efficiency. Weather has been very good. Not much fog which is rare for this time of year. Usually there's fog everywhere. The winds near the piers are very strong so it’s handy to take a wind breaker even if the weather is nice.

That’s the good stuff. But like Los Angeles the place is let down by the number of homeless and mentally challenged that are left on the streets to fend for themselves. Don't get me wrong, we are not living in fairy land where every place we visit should be perfect and there are no needy etc. But San Francisco is supposed to be one of the richest cities in the world and everywhere you look downtown you see so many homeless begging for money. Walking down most streets you’re overcome by the strong and distinctive smell of marijuana. It’s a major blight on what is such a beautiful city.

The Queen Anne houses west of downtown are beautiful. They're worth between $1.2 million and $40 million. They are truly gorgeous. So of course we have done all the touristy things. We visited Alcatraz (the infamous prison which held Al Capone) went on a wine tour to the beautiful wineries of Napa Valley, travelled by cable car through the city, visited the huge Golden Gate Bridge and hung out near the famous Fisherman’s Pier. We have enjoyed our time here. Although SF is expensive we have stuck to our budget and just come out even. A hint to those who might want to travel here in the future. Don't buy day passes for the public transport system. Just pay the $2 per 1.5 - 2 hours, it works out cheaper. Also with the tours that haven't got lunch included. Buy something cheap the night before and pack a backpack full of goodies. The places they stop at are very expensive and although there is choice, they are all over priced.

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