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Published: August 20th 2017
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After several trips throughout Asia, it was nice to be able to look forward to going the other direction to America. Two weeks from San Fran down to L.A with plenty of family time from start to finish.
San Francisco is well known for it Golden Gate bridge, Alcatraz and steep hills. The first day we did a first in our travels and that was to take a hop on and hop off sightseeing bus which was actually not too bad as we were able to get around the city quite easily seeing as it is quite big. The bus went over the Golden Gate bridge which was covered in fog which is actually a common thing, also very windy but that was quite a fun experience, almost like taking a level roller-coaster, hold on to your hats! .
The city is quite big but there are lots of transport to get around from hiring bikes, small go cart like vehicles, buses and old school trams which still need levers to stop and go. We somehow managed to not pay the $7 ticket fair and enjoyed hanging off the side.
One of our favourite places was the suburb
of Haight and Ashbury with it's alternative shops and colourful characters.
The other places we visited was Fishermans Wharf, the painted ladies, the windy Lombard street and Coit tower which had nice 360 degree views plus the city itself of course. We learned after the first day that San Francisco can be quite windy and cold, so we had to make sure we had some spare warm clothes just in case.
The next day we hopped on the ferry to Alcatraz which was really interesting especially as the audio tour is included. Imagine being in that prison and everyday seeing the city so close yet so far and, when the wind was in the right direction, hearing sounds of a a free life, that in itself is a form of torture. There was even an ex prisoner there who was promoting a book. It is a popular attraction so booking a few days in advance is recommended.
Our next stop was to cruise down the coast towards Los Angeles and luckily just before we headed south, we were able to see the Golden Gate Bridge in it's entirety and yes, it's pretty impressive.
Our first stop
down along the coast was Moss Landing where we saw lazy otters floating on their backs in the water as well as several water spouts of whales dotted around the horizon. We made our way to Monterey for the night where seals relax around the marina and restaurants lure you in with free tastes of clam chowder. We also visited the rich and glamorous area of Carmel by the Sea.
Unfortunately the day before were were due to head along the coastal road there was a sizeable landslide which blocked the route south which forced us to take the inland route to the Elephant seal colony near San Simeon and Hurst castle. The colony was quite amazing as hundreds of fat lazy elephant seals lie along the beach. The smell hits you at the start but you get used to it. All you can see in to the distance is the constant flicking of sand in to the air and the burp like sounds of grumpy seals challenging their comrades for space.
Our last stop off before Santa Barbra and the City of Angels was San Luis Obisopo. We were fortunate to be arrive on the day where
they had a market along the main street with all kinds of different stalls.
Our first handful of days in California was going well and there was still lots to come.
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