This article describes a short excursion from the road on days 4 and 5 during our West Coast Road Trip. San Francisco brought us a nice break from the road after three incredible days and more than 1,000 miles of west coast. None of us had been to San Francisco before, and we found ourselves right in the thick of things at Fisherman's Wharf.
San Francisco is a city we found to be the halfway point of our trip. Although I'd never had any desire to visit San Francisco, I thought that would be a good time to take a break from the road and experience a great American city.
The entire family fell in love with San Francisco. There was so much to see and do, more than we could ever fit into two days. The people were nice, the weather was schizophrenic, and we felt safe. The heart of Fisherman's Wharf, where our hotel was, sounded like a good place to stay to allow us to see a lot in a short amount of time.
Yes, the room and parking were a bit more expensive, but it was worth it. We couldn't have been happier with the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel. The staff was nice and greatly helpful, and the hotel was within walking distance of many great sights near the Wharf.
The highlight of our stay in San Francisco was having 48-hour tickets to the open-top sightseeing bus tour. Those tickets were the gateway to get the most out of the city in a short amount of time. At $35 for an adult ticket and about half that price for a child, you can see a lot of San Francisco while someone else does the driving. It was a great bargain.
There were about 22 stops on the tour. We could get off at one stop, explore that area for a while, then hop on the next bus to continue the tour when we were ready.
The buses arrived every 20-30 minutes. The open-top feature of the buses was one of the best parts, allowing you to not only see San Francisco, but smell, hear, and feel it. And by feel it, let me just say I didn't know it was possible to get a sunburn and freeze to death at the same time.
There were certain points of interest along the tour that really stood out to us.
1. Of course, Fisherman's Wharf was our starting point and there was plenty to see there: lots of food, shopping, unique street artists and all around action. Ferries to Alcatraz departed from the Wharf every so often.
2. Haight-Ashbury Area - The hippie vibe around here is still thriving with art, shops, and great signs
3. Civic Center Area - Home to Symphony Hall, City Hall, the Opera House, a library and more
4. Painted Ladies - These famous row houses are in need a paint job if you ask me
5. Union Square - Serious designer shopping, restaurants, galleries, and exceptional people watching.
6. Chinatown - Food and shops, shops, shops
7. Golden Gate Bridge - We crossed it twice on each tour; bring a coat!
8. Golden Gate Park - Huge! The location for a Japanese Tea Garden, the de Young Museum, Music Concourse and Botanical Gardens
9. Palace of Fine Arts - A theater with a beautiful rotunda
10. Pier 33 - We saw plenty of Alcatraz ferries and other views on Pier 33's scenic historical walking route
11. Pier 39 - Aquarium on the Bay, sea lions, attractions and shopping
12. Alamo Square Park - Large park with the city skyline in the distance
13. Little Italy - Near the beautiful Saints Peter and Paul Church, home to many (of course) Italian restaurants
By the end of our two days in San Francisco, we were ready for another visit. It would be worth taking a more in-depth look at the city and the points of interest described above. We also had to save Alcatraz for our next trip because the tour people made a mistake with our reservations; apparently, I booked them too early and their computer forgot about it. So make sure to confirm reservations if you want to see Alcatraz; you'll never see so many people eager to go to prison. We still had plenty to see and do in San Francisco, and can't wait to see it again.
Craig Shillam is an artist and blogger living in the Pacific Northwest. If you would like to read more about this great west coast road trip and see some great photos of the whole trip, please go to CashArtBlog. To see original landscape and still life paintings (some from the trip) please go to CraigShillam.com.
Taylor Shillam has attended the University of Idaho where she excelled in writing and journalism, and is a veteran of the Disney College Program.
ليست هناك تعليقات:
إرسال تعليق