Day 17: Last day

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Day 17

Sometimes when it comes to the end of a holiday you are ready to go home and see friends and loved ones and get back into a routine - this definitely isn't one of those days. Waking up knowing tonight I will be on a plane to London Heathrow is seriously depressing.

These past 2 plus weeks have been so great and we have seen and done so much. I know holidays like this aren't for everyone but each to their own! If you have longer and are wanting to spend more time here or anywhere else - do it!

Although we have been to SF a few times we have never actually made it across the bridge because there is so much to do in the city. Our flight doesn't leave until 9pm which gives us the majority of the day here before we need to return the car and check in. Once we leave Berkeley we drive into the city and across the bridge (toll charge) and into Marin County. Sausalito is definitely a highlight of this trip. Parking is quite hard as it is small and busy but we find a public car park and pay for our ticket. We passed a Starbucks on the way in so decide to head their first and use the wifi to look for things to do. We had been hoping to do a cycle across the bridge today but it was quite foggy and we are short on time to really enjoy and appreciate it. The cycle is flat across the bridge (pedestrian one side, cycling the other) and once you cross is it short and flat into Sausalito's main street. We didn't get a chance to explore too much and didn't get any further than the main street of shops and restaurants. We didn't stay in Starbucks and decided to enjoy the last of the sunshine before heading home. Straight across the road were benches and rocks looking right across the bay at the skyline and Alcatraz and Treasure Island too. The weather was a lot warmer over here than in the city despite us sitting at the water. We had read online that this is where Sitting on the Dock of the bay was penned so seemed only right to listen as I sat on the rocks. It was quite busy but it is a small place and it was a lovely day. Admittedly we could have done more and explored more but once we sat at the water we really didn't want to move. The weather and view were beautiful.

After a while we decided to grab some lunch as we had a long travel home ahead of us. We had been told there were great places to eat in Sausalito and there were but we opted for fish and chips from a takeaway just down the street and they were good! On the walk back to the marina we stopped in the shops along the way - art galleries, souvenirs and clothing. A really great place just a short distance from the madness of the city!

Cycling: Although we didn't get to cycle ourselves we had done our research before we left. There are a lot of bike shops on offer but cycling through the city isn't really popular. The cycle to Sausalito however is! If you are hiring a bike to cross into Sausalito pick somewhere close to the bridge for convenience. The ride is mostly flat and looked easy with slow paces from everyone. It is definitely the most popular thing to do in Sausalito. There are also bus tours available crossing the bridge if you don't have a car and don't wish to cycle.
There are a few options: rent in San Fran and cycle to Sausalito and cycle back OR cycle to Sausalito and get the ferry back (probably the most popular). The ferry is free and timetables are available online. I would say the cycle is around 9 miles but the bridge is long!

The drive to the airport is fairly long from here (just under an hour) and traffic can be slow. The airport is just south of SF. If you don't have a car then taxi or BART are the best ways to and from the airport.

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