Day 16: San Francisco

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Day 16

Early start for us today as we need to allow time to get into the city before we can start our bus tour, leaving from Union Square. There are plenty of bus tours to choose from and you can pick them up in many places around town.

We are using the BART to get to Union Square and I would definitely not say it is conveniently located to the hotel, especially when you do not know your way around. The town itself probably isn't somewhere you would want to spend much time unless you are at university there or visiting someone who is. There are a lot of coffee shops and restaurants but the vibe is definitely young students.

To get to Union Square we get the BART from Downtown Berkeley and make our way to Powell Street. We sit in the sun on the steps of Union Square facing Macy's and wait on our bus to arrive. Due to the fact we had to travel a while to get here the buses are already busy and getting seats together is a mission. My advice is, given the money you have paid to do this you might as well spend most of the day on the open top bus enjoying the weather and seeing the great sights. We always do one full lap first and decide places we want to visit that day and this year I realised that most other people have the same idea. We have done San Francisco twice before so have seen all the main tourist attractions and so just choose to do our favourites.

San Francisco is almost always sunny with fog around the bay and covering the bridge but it is also always chilly! Do not come here without a cardigan or light jumper or hoodie. Chances are you won't need it during the day but definitely stick it in a backpack just in case and the weather definitely changes as the day goes on.

This particular day is really foggy and the top of the bridge is completely covered but it is still an amazing sight and hard to fathom the height and length of it. The drive over the bridge is cruelly cold and ridiculously windy - you have been warned! The bus stops in a car park just over the bridge, heading towards Sausalito, in Marin County. If you wish to get off and see the bridge, walk it, take pictures here is as good a place as any. If you don't want to you still get pretty great pictures from the top of the bus as it stops to let people on and off. Golden Gate Park is a great place to walk around and enjoy views of the skyline. Crissy Field is also a lovely place to stop with great views of the bay and bridge. The bus takes in the Financial District where you will find the famous Transamerica building - aka The Pyramid along with plenty of other skyscrapers. You should definitely spend some time at the Wharf. Great entertainment, atmosphere, food and plenty to do here. Chinatown is a fascinating area and worth a walk around exploring the sights. Within the famous Chinatown Gate lies the oldest Chinatown in North America with the largest Chinese community outside Asia. Back at Union Square there are a lot of great shops there and in the surrounding area. The dragon gate was installed in 1969 as a gift from the Government of The Republic of China. From Union Square, walking down hill towards Powell Street BART are more great shops, coffee shops and shopping centres and definitely worth walking around. Union Square itself has many high end stores to choose from and is a fashionable area (Mulberry, Tiffany's etc). Inside the Macy's store, on the top floor, is another Cheesecake Factory. If you're going to eat in any of their many restaurants here is the place to try it! The outside balcony gives a birdseye view of the bustling city below and beyond and it gorgeous at night. Driving through the city on the bus tour you will notice a lot of graffiti - I'm not a massive fan of graffiti but here (for the most part) it is really good art by talented artists and really brightens up the streets.

Other places you must see: San Francisco has a lot to offer people visiting and you can spend days exploring and getting lost here. It really is a great city and one of my favourites in California and America in general. You cannot visit the city and not get a boat across to The Rock - Alcatraz. Definitely a highlight of any holiday it really is a great way to spend a few hours. The boat across is very windy but amazing views looking back over the skyline and ahead to the prison. Just to the right is another island - Treasure Island, another cool place to visit with great views. It is an artificial island with not a lot to do but still a lovely vista point. Alcatraz tours leave regularly and are always busy due to its popularly but the prison itself is a fun opportunity. Once on the island you are given headphones, in multiple languages, and it acts as a guide to get around, filling you with facts and the great history of the building as you go. At one point you are given the opportunity to go inside a cell and feel what it was really like to be on the other side. Standing outside in the recreational area you can look back towards the city and really understand first hand why escaping from Alcatraz was unrealistic. A definite must do!

Walking along Fisherman's Wharf is never boring and there is so much happening from the ferry terminal right down to the museum. Pier 39 is where you will find tours to Alcatraz, right next to the Exploratorium and Aquarium. Walking along the Wharf you will find plenty of ice-cream shops and great seafood restaurants. Definitely recommend trying seafood in San Francisco as it is fresh, local and delicious. Views across the bay from the Wharf take in the boats and the sea lions who have made Pier 39 their home. A Farmer's Market is held at Ferry Building twice a week.

Lombard Street is great to walk down or up and a unique experience. We got a taxi from the wharf to it just to see what it was like to drive down the bends and turns - scary!

Just like Chinatown, San Francisco also has Little Italy which is a nice walk with good food on offer and nice views of the city from a different perspective.

Market Street - This street is famous in San Francisco and runs from the pier through the city to the Twin Peaks neighbourhood. It has a lot of good shops, restaurants and cafes along it and it very popular and busy.

Twin Peaks - These peaks are two hills with high elevation and are almost the highest points in SF. Their height means that they give a great view over the city.

Coit Tower - Situated in Telegraph Hill neighbourhood this tower is a white concrete column that can be seen from many places throughout the city. There is an observation deck and tickets can be purchased on site. From the top of this famous skyline building you get 360 degree views of the city and bay. There are guided tours available however slightly unnecessary.

Alamo Square - This residential area is home to the famous Painted Ladies. Alamo Square Park is situated on top of a hill and looks over downtown SF. San Francisco is a steeply hilly city which has to be seen to be believed but provides great views. During summer the park is popular to picnics and sunbathing and has a children's playground and tennis courts. On a good day you can see the Transamerica, Golden Gate, Bay Bridge and City Hall. The Painted Ladies (houses) are here too. These are stunning Victorian and Edwardian houses painted in 3 or more colours. These are also known as 'Postcard Row' and it isn't hard to see why.

Nob Hill and Russian Hill - Nob Hill is a signature neighbourhood in the city and has great hotels and landmarks. It is an upmarket area, with great houses and character. Russian Hill is north of Nob Hill and also has amazing views right across the city. Homes around here are really beautiful and lovely areas to pass through.

Haight & Ashbury - This is a really fun and popular area of SF known for its hippie culture from the 60s to present day. The bohemian streets have great character and home to some fascinating boutiques, book and record stores.

City Hall - This is a really gorgeous building, to drive past on the bus tour but I never really felt the need to get out and explore. The most impressive aspect of the building is the architecture. Firstly, the sheer size of the building is fascinating but my favourite thing about it is the dome on top. Great museums in the area too.

Mrs Doubtfire House - This year when we visited the city was soon after the very sad and untimely death of Robin Williams. He was a big part of our childhood through the movies he made and for the first time ever we were really interested in visiting the Mrs Doubtfire house. Just down the road (Steiner Street) from the Painted Ladies it is full of great memories and easily found. As it is a residential street we found it quite difficult to park but not impossible and was exactly as it is in the movie. Clearly we weren't alone in this idea and outside on the sidewalk and stones were lovely tributes in chalk from fans across the world.

Other ways to get around:
Cycle - If you have the time and are fit and able, most definitely hire a bike and cross the bridge to Sausalito. (more of that in the next blog)
Boat tours - If you've seen the city from land and enjoyed the trip to Alcatraz there are other boat tours, passing under the Golden Gate Bridge and around the marina. There is also a ferry between SF and Sausalito.
Public transport - Aside from the BART and taxis there is the city bus system - Muni and 'F' line trolley.
Cable Cars - Definitely a great experience and a lot of fun! They go near most of the tourist attractions but the wait can be long. It's sort of a ride once for fun then find a more suitable mode of transport. Look online at ticket prices, stops and boarding.

Nightlife - SF has a great nightlife and if you think the city is busy during daylight hours it really comes alive at night! A lot of bars, pubs and clubs to choose from throughout the city. The best thing to do is ask a local when you are buying lunch or a coffee as they will have the best information.

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