The ‘city by the bay’ is one of the most culturally diverse cities in America. The diversity is what lends to the overwhelming charm and beauty of this tiny six-mile square piece of land that sits nearly surrounded on all sides by water. A individual could walk, drive or ride a bus, train or trolley all day and never run out of issues to do. In fact if you walk you can entertain yourself for the day without spending a dime.
There are of course numerous landmarks not to be missed, The Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Gate Park, Fishermans Warf, Union Square, Coit Tower, Lombard Street just to name a few. But what makes San Francisco so much enjoyable and so exciting are the people. Street performers can be seen nearly anywhere in the city. Some are very talented and some are just attempting to make a buck. But in the end they all want your cash so pace yourself.
Fisherman’s wharf alone could take up half your day. If you begin at Pier 39 you’ll get some of the best performances of juggling, comedy, singing and so on. and it might even be on a real stage. Pier 39 is a tourist shoppers paradise in a beautiful setting right on the water. There are a few decent restaurants right here and some sweet shops with candy, ice cream and crepes, although they’ll set you back a bit.
Walking west along the sidewalk you’ll see sunbathing sea lions and views of Alcatraz the well-known prison which housed such criminals as ‘the Birdman of Alcatraz’, Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly in the 30’s and 40’s. You can also get a view of Angel Island and the Golden Gate Bridge.
As you get into the heart of Fisherman’s Wharf you see open air cooking stations with fresh crab becoming tossed into massive boiling pots. It’s a bit disturbing if you don’t think of them as food. Other than that although the atmosphere is enjoyable and energetic. Anybody who is going to San Francisco will end up here so anticipate big crowds at all times.
If you’re into architecture just walk the streets of the city and you will be amazed at the selection and styles of buildings. Numerous of the old Victorian mansions on Knob Hill had been destroyed in the 1906 earthquake but some of the less costly Victorians in the western and southern parts of the city survived. Haight-Ashbury nonetheless has numerous of the stunning homes in a brilliant array of colors. At 710-720 Steiner Street, across from Alamo Square you can see one of the most photographed sets of Victorians known as ‘the painted ladies’. Even though their colors are more subdued compared with their Haight counterparts, their location and stunning background views leave you in awe.
Lombard Street is most well-known for its stretch in between Hyde Street and Leavenworth Street. Back in the day of horse drawn carriages and early automobiles the steepness of the street made it impossible to go either up or down. So in the 1920’s the city had it paved in brick in a zigzag pattern to make the decent feasible, it is one way only. It is a beautifully landscaped street lined with stunning houses. Known to most as the ‘crookedest street’.
A trip to San Francisco wouldn’t be complete with out a trip to Chinatown, not too far from Union Square it’s like stepping into an additional country, like perhaps China! It has an impressive Chinese styled arch that almost says ‘it’s official you have left San Francisco’ that leads you into the sights sounds and wonders of Chinatown.
As you would envision there are a plethora of shops where you can buy the coolest, most unusual vacation trinkets. Sadly every shop will have the same factor just in a different color. But the entire scene is just fun. You can even buy Chinese weapons such as Ninja stars and swords. Be brave and pop into 1 of the authentic Chinese eateries and try some thing you’ve never heard of. Don’t miss the entire ducks hanging in the windows. Chinatown completely shuts down at night but you can get a various perspective of the nations oldest Chinese community by joining the SF Chinatown Ghost Tour.
The heart of San Francisco’s upscale shopping is in Union Square, exactly where you will find Bulgari, Saks Fifth Avenue, Louis Vuitton, Gump’s, Marc Jacobs, Gucci and more. Amongst all the high-finish retailers you can also find such favorites as Victoria’s Secret, Niketown, Lush, and William Sonoma.
If shopping isn’t your factor there are many fantastic restaurants and bars (Lefty O’Douls is a favorite with fantastic old fashion food in a cafeteria/piano bar setting), and there is some thing going on in the square at almost any time of the year. In the winter there is usually an ice skating rink and of course a beautifully decorated Christmas tree. Many of the stores decorate their windows at Christmas time, most notably is the Macy’s windows, which are adorned with scenes involving adoptable animals. The St. Francis hotel also has a giant gingerbread castle in its lobby along with a dozen uniquely decorated trees.
Golden Gate Park is 1,017 acres, 175 acres bigger than Central Park in New York City. It is three miles lengthy and 1/two mile wide.
The park is house to a number of interesting attractions that would take much more than a day to see them all. 1 is the Academy of Sciences which has an aquarium, planetarium, natural history museum, 3D theater, lecture hall, two restaurants, gift shop, and relaxing adjacent garden and aviary.
The Conservatory of Flowers, is only $3.00 to get into with a student I.D. The white dome building itself is awe-inspiring but with two,000 plants and numerous waterfalls inside the Conservatory it is well worth the $three.00.
The de Young Museum is an interesting building to appear at and houses thousands of artifacts and art from all more than the globe.
The Botanical Garden is a symphony of plants, flowers, and trees from around the globe stretching more than 55 acres. This is a great way to invest a sunny day in San Francisco.
The Japanese Tea Garden, Buffalo Paddock, Beach and Park Chalet, or boating on Stow Lake can round out a fantastic day at Golden Gate Park.
Golden Gate Bridge is 8,981ft lengthy or 3 km, so crossing it on foot is quite a challenge, but there is a sidewalk that will take you from 1 side to the other. The bridge is designed to sway with the wind so on extremely windy days it is quite an encounter. The Golden Gate Bridge is located at the Presidio Park and can effortlessly be reached by bus or car. The most pleasant way to reach the bridge nevertheless is by walking either from the Marina District to the east or from Baker Beach to the west of the bridge. Each routes will lead you via a park, and especially the route along the east is extremely popular. Mile-lengthy Baker Beach lies at the foot of the rugged cliffs on the western shoreline of the Presidio.
It’s a clean beach with a gorgeous view of the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s known as a nude beach but you seldom see any nudes there. It is also one of the places in San Francisco where you can have your dog off leash. Crissy Field is another fantastic beach exactly where dogs can run free. The two beaches are on either side of the bridge.
When the sun is out a day in San Francisco is gorgeous, even though don’t expect temperatures to ever be extremely warm. Of course a lot of the time the city is under a beautiful layer of fog, which of course is component of its charm.
San Francisco - So A lot to Do! 