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San Francisco
What's it really like?
San Francisco
If it wasn't for its coastal position, the City by the Bay could
easily be the city anywhere. The Victorian architecture in the centre of
town is nothing to marvel over, with its high streets and shopping malls
San Francisco is no more diverse and vibrant than other cities across
the States or, indeed the globe. What sets this compact city apart
from the rest is Fisherman's Wharf, Sausalito, Muir Woods and ofcourse, the magnificent Golden Gate Bridge. Stay in the centre,
shop in the centre but bewitch yourself by the beautiful bay.
Like in most cities San Francisco has a seedy side and begging is a
problem in the centre. Stick to the tourist areas and your stay should
be trouble-free.
Climate: take warm clothing year round as the bay area,
especially on boat trips can be chilly.
Transport: SF is compact and so therefore getting around is
easy in taxis or by cable cars and vintage trams. The hilly
location makes walking across town exhausting, even for the fittest
visitors.
Golden Gate Bridge - There are vantage points on both sides of
the bridge for taking photographs but the best way to appreciate this
magnificent structure to cross it either on foot or a hired bicycle. It
takes about an hour there and back. Dress warmly whatever time of year
you visit.
Union Square - here is Frisco's central shopping and theatre
district bursting with shopping malls, department stores such as Macys
and Bloomingdales, designer shops, restaurants and hotels. Here
is where you can catch cable cars and trams down to the waterfront.
| Fisherman's Wharf - bursting with gift shops
and seafront restaurants, the wharf is also home to the famous sea
lions and ferry trips to Alcatraz. Pier 39 is the board-walked hub
for many of the amenities and attractions with more than a-hundred
outlets set out in the style of a fishing village. Pier 45 is a
floating maritime museum of a WWII submarine. Fisherman's Wharf is
RHG Recommended. |
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Muir Woods - just across the bridge is
another world altogether where the land is
smothered by the incredible beauty of a giant redwood forest with
trees aged up to one-thousand years. There are several well-laid pathways
and trails to wander where visitors can be at one with nature. RHG
Recommended.
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Sausalito - just across the Golden Gate Bridge, Sausalito is about the closet America
gets to emulating a Mediterranean village. This upmarket
community boasts beautiful views of the bay from its promenade and
waterfront restaurants. The town draws day trippers by their hundreds to
soak up the peace and quiet, and the quaintness of small town America.
Alcatraz - The main cell block that housed and contained some of
America's most notorious criminals has been preserved to
provide a behind-the-bars glimpse of what life was like for lifers
and wardens in the infamous maximum security prison. The entrance fee includes
the cost of commentary recorded by ex-cons and staff on a personal headset.
Take the time (about an hour) to follow the fascinating tour which you
can do independently and
then explore the rest of the prison. Ferries sail from Pier 33
approximately every 20 minutes but be warned; these tours need to be
booked weeks in advance.
Lombard Street - take a cable car to the 'crookedest street
in the world' and watch a steady stream of drivers negotiate its twisty sharp
bends down the steep hill. It is possible to walk on the pavement at the side of the
road but we advise those on foot to start at the top!
Coit Tower - a vantage point dedicated to the San Francisco
firefighters who battled to save lives in the 1906 earthquake. The
structure is shaped like the nozzle of a hosepipe and from the
top (up a lift and a short staircase) you can see
360 degrees around the city and the bay.
Cable Cars - these rickety wooden trolley buses still go clang,
clang, clang, ding, ding, ding, at every junction and are a tourist magnet.
People love to cram themselves onboard especially on the outdoor seats for the slow assent and descent ride
from the city centre to the wharf.
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