San Fran Adventures

San Francisco is known for its steep hills, its fog and its bridge. The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most spectacular bridges in the world, it finished being built on May 27 1937, is 8,981 feet long and 746 feet high. I experienced the magnificent sail-in under the bridge for the first time whilst on the Sun Princess Cruise ship. It was truly stunning. We couldn't actually see it for ages as it was so misty. That is the thing about this orangey reddy bridge, whether you are seeing it poking up above the fog, or on the clearest day, for the first time or for the seventh, through your porthole or on open deck, every time is spell binding.

I have seen the Bridge from various lookout points and spent some visits doing a few of these ideas I've added below..

• Visit Fort Point - a fortress built in 1861, straddled by the bridge, offers guided and self guided tours, offers a lot of history and interesting views of the bridge.
• Relax at Marin Headlands - the bridge and city skyline views from here are incredible, especially in the evening.
• Buy Gifts at the Bridge Pavillion - offers a perfect array of Golden Gate Merchandise and gives a a great insight into the history of the bridge and city. 
• Eat at the Round House Cafe - a circular 1938 art deco building, offering all the classics and the traditional clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls. 
• Chill on Baker Beach - a mile long, on the shore of the Pacific Ocean to the northwest of the city, the view of the bridge from this beach is stunning. Maybe avoid swimming though - the sea is perishing !
• See the Walt Disney Family Museum - located inland in Proserio, south of the bridge.
• Visit Alcatraz - located in the middle of the bay, there is a famous prison on the island which closed in 1963 but tours visit at various times during the day. 

I once spent the day in SF on a Hop-on Hop-off Bus. It was either the City-Sightseeing company or the Big Bus company. I can't remember which one! Basically, it was a big red bus, with an open top and we bought tickets and jumped on it just outside the port. It took us around the city to all the famous landmarks and we were able to 'hop on and hop off' whenever we wanted. It was an ideal way to travel around and see everything. We actually took that bus over the Golden Gate Bridge, and the experience of sitting on the top with the wind going crazy was brilliant. We had lunch in the little village of Sausalito and took the ferry back towards Pier 39, which is also very much worth a visit for some mini doughnuts and to watch the sealions sunbathing.  

Another day I visited, we travelled around in ubers and walked A LOT ! I would totally recommend that though, as it meant we could be as spontaneous as we wanted. Walking the hills of SF was really enjoyable and I felt like I was seeing it in more detail. But be warned SF isn't famous for its hills for no reason, some roads are very steep! A road that should definitely get a visit is the famous Lombard Street. Just watch the cars driving down the windy road, it certainly is entertaining. 

I have also spent a day using the cable cars to travel around. It is such a fun experience and I suggest you try hanging off the side. The queue was very long to buy tickets and get on, so we took it in turns to line up and visit the Buena Vista Cafe at the same time. My favourite thing to do in SF is visit the Buena Vista Cafe for one (or two) of their famous Irish Coffees. I am not actually a big coffee drinker anymore, and I am not a big fan of dairy at all, but I love my Irish whiskey, and the drink that is created is amazing!! Oh and try the sweet potato fries too... 

Another of my favourites has to be the district Haight Ashbury. The name comes from the cross section of the two roads, Haight and the other (believe it or not!) Ashbury. The neighbourhood is famous for its history and being the origin of Hippie counterculture. Full of little vintage clothes shops, interesting (mostly organic) cafes, nostalgic shops, poets sitting with their type writers, colourful architecture with art on nearly every building...(and the Ben & Jerrys icecream cafe where we tried vegan icecream for the first time !) it really is worth a visit. 

Bucket List Tick...