We spent an amazing week visiting the vibrant city of San Francisco. In no particular order, here are 10 recommended highlights.
1. Lombard Street
Stylish, unique, stunning – I fell in love with this crooked street and its beautifully kept houses and gardens. It must annoy the residents to have so many visitors but what a lovely place to live. The drivers queuing to negotiate the hairpin bends certainly thought it was worth a visit too.
2. The Golden Gate Bridge
Sometimes shrouded in mist, sometimes seen in glorious sunlight, this impressive Art Deco structure dominates the bay. We first crossed it on the top deck of a tour bus on a sunny but incredibly windy morning. All the guide books tell you about the microclimate in the Bay Area which can lead to sudden changes in temperature but we braved the cold wind to get fantastic views of the iconic structure, painted in “international orange”.
3. The Painted Ladies
Just a short stop is required to see the pastel Painted Ladies in Alamo Square. Well worth it!
4. Alcatraz
The advice is to book a trip to Alcatraz in advance. In this case they really mean well in advance! We arrived at Pier 33 for our pre-booked tour on July 29th and a sign said: “Next available tour August 23rd”! The weather was misty and the sky was a bit foreboding which seemed quite appropriate for our trip to one of the world’s most infamous prisons. On arriving after a brief 15 minute boat trip, we discovered that a former inmate was there signing copies of his book – a real bonus to meet a genuine “rock” star – his words! The visit is extremely well organised and after watching an informative film explaining the story of the island, you walk up the hill to do the audio tour. This was terrific, one of the best I have ever done. It really brought stories to life and the sounds kept me turning around thinking some of the characters and action were behind me. It was interesting to discover that part of the punishment involved being able to see across the bay and hear the sounds of the city without being able to get there. A visit to Alcatraz is highly recommended!
To find out more about visiting Alcatraz, click here.
5. Sausalito
Just half an hour by ferry across the bay is picturesque Sausalito. Really popular with day trippers and cyclists, it has lovely restaurants, shops and galleries as well as beautiful views back across the bay. We had a delicious seafood lunch at Scoma’s and couldn’t resist buying Christmas decorations in an all-year holiday shop which had something for everyone.
6. SFMOMA
The Museum of Modern Art is well worth a visit. As well as the art the recently expanded building itself is a work of art. The gift shop has a wide range of interesting items to suit all budgets. During our visit three of the highlights were the Soundtracks exhibition, an Edvard Munch special exhibition and British sculpture.
To find out about current events at SFMOMA, click here.
7. Cable car
Well, you’ve just got to do it really. A great way of avoiding those hills! The cable car museum merits a visit too if you want to find out how these cable cars work and see the machinery in action.
8. Bike the Bridge
Rent a bike from one of the many branches of Blazing Saddles and cycle from San Francisco, across the Golden Gate Bridge, to Sausalito. We recommend stopping at the Wave Organ in the Marina district. We’ll have to go again as the tide was out when we got there! The ride is about 8 miles and you get the ferry back to San Francisco. Exhilarating!
To visit the Blazing Saddles website, click here.
9. Fisherman’s Wharf
Really busy but another must-see icon. The views are amazing, there is a huge variety of places to eat, such as Boudin’s or the Hard Rock Café. We spent half an hour in the retro Musée Mécanique, saw the famous sea lions, and tried to avoid the giant seagulls who were also keen to try out the local cafés.
10. Ghirardelli Square
Ghirardelli’s is unmissable for all chocolate lovers! We visited both branches and were spoilt for choice when it came to deciding what to buy. We also discovered other great shops and I indulged in some lovely stationery at Lola of North Beach and souvenirs in Jackson and Polk.
To find out more about Ghirardelli Square, click here.
It was hard to say goodbye to San Francisco with so many more places left to visit, such as Coit Tower, Golden Gate Park, the Mission to name just three. We tried to make the holiday last a bit longer by watching Bullitt, Vertigo and Escape from Alcatraz when we got home but will definitely return!
