A Definite – the Golden Gate to San Francisco

20 Tuesday Oct 2015

Posted by Lyn Douglas in Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

Tags

Fisherman's wharf, Golden Gate Bridge, Photography, San Francisco, San Francisco Bay, Sausalito, travel

When I think San Francisco – I think Golden Gate Bridge.

Another must see in San Francisco is the famous Golden Gate Bridge. It is actually very easy to see and probably very difficult to miss. The Golden Gate is a lovely bridge to sail under, drive over and view from anywhere in San Francisco. I am sure it is beautiful in all weather, and at any time of the day

Although it is now about 80 years old it still remains the most visited and photographed bridge in the world. Just one look at it and you can understand why. It is such an amazing sight. You can see the bridge from several different places including walking across the bridge

At the edge of the bridge there are many places where you can take pictures including a cafe with a view of the bridge. Remember to bring a camera to capture the great views and a jacket as it can be pretty brisk or even very windy.

You simply cannot visit San Francisco and not visit the Golden Gate Bridge. We enjoyed crossing it both ways on the Hop on Hop off bus. The day we were on the bridge the traffic was really heavy so I had plenty of time to take many photos of the bridge and the bay.

If you are a bike rider the ideal way to experience it, is to rent a bike in the city somewhere and ride the bike over and back across the bridge. Traffic is now separated; pedestrians walk the bay side, while bicycle riders use the Pacific side of the bridge. Some people ride just one way, go to Sausalito, stopping for lunch, coffee or just a visit, and then return to San Francisco across the bay on the ferry. On the late afternoon ferry that we returned to Fisherman’s Wharf on, there were dozens of folks with their bikes.

There is nothing quite like the views from the Golden Gate Bridge. No matter how you cross – by bike, by vehicle or on foot, it could be one of your top memories of your visit to San Francisco

A Little Taste of Italy in San Francisco

11 Sunday Oct 2015

Posted by Lyn Douglas in Little Italy, San Francisco

≈ 19 Comments

Tags

Fisherman's wharf, Little Italy, North Beach, Photography, San Francisco, travel

It seems that no matter where I am I always must have my little taste of Italy. When I was in San Francisco it was no different. Fortunately, there is a great place in North Beach called Little Italy. So this was on my list of must do’s. Little Italy is on the route that the Hop on Hop Off bus takes so it was easy enough to get to here.

North Beach is a neighborhood in the northeast of San Francisco adjacent to Chinatown, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Russian Hill.

Little Italy is one of the classic areas of San Francisco. There are many great restaurants with excellent food, cafes and gelato shops

Little Italy is a wonderful delicious place to visit. Go there to enjoy some of the finest Italian food. If you’re not hungry when you go, you’ll be while you’re there

You will know when you have arrived in Little Italy as throughout the area the street posts have the colours of the Italian flag – green, white and red stripes on them.

We wandered around, looked in to a few restaurants before choosing a delightful restaurant for a typical Italian meal with Italian wine, of course.

Washington Square Park

North Beach, as San Francisco calls its Little Italy, is a lovely place to wander around, eat great food, relax at a cafe, people watch in Washington Square park which is just across the street from Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church, and just relax and soak up the atmosphere.

Cable Car – A must do while in San Francisco

19 Wednesday Aug 2015

Posted by Lyn Douglas in Cable Cars, San Francisco

≈ 20 Comments

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Cable Cars, California St, Chinatown, Fisherman's wharf, Nob Hill, Photography, San Francisco, travel, Union Square

One of the must do’s on my list while visiting San Francisco was to take a ride on the famous cable car.

Not only did I ride on the cable car but I also got to stand on the duckboard on the outside of the carriage. We had not planned to ride on the outside but were thrilled as the car was too full to sit down on the inside. We realised quite quickly to ride on the outside is very special. Although the cable car does not go fast it is still quite precarious. You must make sure that you hang on to the special poles on the outside of the car and you must pay close attention to the gripman as he will alert you to any potential hazards along the route. Many times he told us to lean in as far as possible as we passed close to other vehicles etc.

This icon of San Francisco is the world’s last manually operated cable car system. Of the twenty-three lines established between 1873 and 1890 only three remain – two routes from downtown near Union Square to Fisherman’s Wharf, and a third route along California Street.

We originally planned to take the cable car up from Union Square however when we arrived there, the line of people waiting was almost unbelievable and we were told there was at least a 2 hour wait. That is too long for me to stand.

We looked up the cable car website and learned that the one travelling up California Street was in fact quite near to where we were staying. So we headed off early the next morning and arrived to be the first there. The one way ticket cost $7 however we bought the all day ticket for $17 which included unlimited travelling on the cable cars plus also the buses. There are several different passes including 3 days, week, etc. Check their website.

Catching the magic views on the way, we travelled up to the top of California Street through Chinatown, passing the lovely houses over Nob Hill and stopping at Van Ness Avenue. After a short stop at the top we then caught the cable car part way down to where we changed over to the car that goes down to Union Street and Fisherman’s Wharf.

What a pleasure, we not only got to ride several cable cars, we did not need to line up for several hours and we stood on the outside.

Cable Cars are a must do while you are in San Francisco. Have fun

Sassy Sausalito

23 Thursday Jul 2015

Posted by Lyn Douglas in Sausalito

≈ 23 Comments

Tags

Ark Houses, ferry, Fisherman's wharf, Golden Gate Bridge, Photography, Pier 1, San Francisco, San Francisco Bay, Sausalito, travel

Early in the morning we took the ferry from pier 1 behind the Ferry Building at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco across the bay to the world-renowned waterfront community of Sausalito.

Half an hour after leaving foggy San Francisco we arrived in bright and sunny Sausalito. The ferry trip over was delightful offering many great photo opportunities along the way, including the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Angel Island, which is the 2^nd largest island in San Francisco bay, and the skyline of San Francisco. The ferry ride costs $22.50 round trip, with concession and children’s fares also available. You can also arrive in Sausalito from San Francisco by bus, bike, car or on the hop on hop off bus.

Arriving in Sausalito was like stepping in to another world. It is absolutely gorgeous and a great escape from the madding crowds of San Francisco.

Once we stepped off the ferry our first stop was to visit the small information booth which is just meters from the ferry terminal. We met a friendly, happy and helpful lady who gave us maps and suggestions for a day stay in Sausalito.

From there, our next stop was for coffee and to take the time to sit and make our plan for the day. We found a little café on the waterfront, Piccolo Café that served up excellent coffee and offered magic views overlooking the bay back towards San Francisco and the bridge.

Sausalito offers many attractions, unique tours, enchanting boutique shops, art studios and galleries and a wide selection of restaurants, outdoor cafés and bistros, many with stunning views back across the bay to the city. We only spent the day here however I am sure you would find endless things to do if you are staying in the area for a few days. There are many tours, cooking classes, winery tours, water sports, and the very popular bike rentals or just sit, eat and drink by the Bay.

Wandering along the foreshores not far from the ferry terminal we came across the very interesting Ark Houses. An Ark House is a house built on pilings over the water. As we were standing there a gentleman with his dog came outside. We soon learned that he had been living in his Ark House for 10 years and in fact was the man who built them many years ago. He invited us to take a look inside. We were very impressed with the spaciousness and of course the location and the view looking out over the bay.

After exploring the area and the shops it did not take long to realise that Sausalito certainly has a taste of Italy. There is a terrific selection of restaurants and cafés for lunch – we chose Angelino restaurant.

Sausalito – a great way to spend a few hours or a few days in a relaxed atmosphere

Some people leave their heart in San Francisco but I could have left mine in Sausalito

City by the Bay – San Francisco

16 Thursday Jul 2015

Posted by Lyn Douglas in San Francisco

≈ 23 Comments

Tags

China Town, City by the Bay, City Hall, Fisherman's wharf, Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

I can tick San Francisco off my “bucket list”. Yes, I have now made it to San Francisco

Once arriving in this exciting city we hit the ground running with very long and full days.

San Francisco is most definitely a beautiful city with so much to offer. Everywhere you look there are sights to take in, magnificent buildings, lovely houses, shops, restaurants and of course, that Bridge.

The weather has been perfect, not hot and cool enough to enjoy what this city has to offer. We have a full program of things to do and see while we are here.

Finding time to write my stories is going to be my enemy at the moment so this is just to say “I made it to SAN FRANCISCO,” and I am delighted.

So many stories and photos to come but here is a little taste.