San Francisco

My travels to the San Francisco took me on a spectacular walk across the massive Golden Gate Bridge, hiking into a redwood forest among some of the tallest trees in the world, to the scenic Fisherman's Wharf for great seafood, and on an exciting open-air cable car ride on steep streets around the city.

GETTING THERE

There are direct flights to San Francisco International Airport SFO from across the USA, Asia, and Europe. Visitors can also fly into Oakland OAK which is just across the bay. Inner city intertwined with innovation in San Francisco. It had shiny metal skyscrapers intermixed with ornate art deco buildings, set along hilly avenues with historic wooden cable cars and driverless cars carrying people from the center of town, to the waterfront.

AMAZING EXCURSIONS

One of the best excursions in San Francisco was free and easy! It was a walk across the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. There was a welcome center on the city side of the bridge, with interesting exhibits and visitor information. From there, I just walked right across the bridge to get panoramic views of the entire bay area. On the other side of the bridge, there were several leisurely hikes through the Marin Headlands, with more excellent bridge vistas and photo spots.

Another fabulous adventure was riding a famous cable car to explore the city. I started in San Francisco's Chinatown neighborhood, one of the oldest in America. The Dragon Gate arch on Grant Avenue opened the vibrant world filled with red paper lanterns, stores stocked with traditional herbs, and shops offering ancient longevity treatments. Stockton Avenue had even more local markets selling unique items, and unusual ingredients. It also had more types of authentic dim sum than I've ever seen before.

Little Italy was at the north end of Chinatown, along Columbus Avenue, it combined old world charm with awesome food! The trendy neighborhood was packed with incredible Italian eateries offering fresh pizza, savory lasagna, and so much more tasty food. The bakeries had delicate homemade pastries, many of which sold out quickly so it was important to arrive early!

I spent two full days meandering from the Embarcadero waterfront area to Fisherman's Wharf because there was so much to see! The Ferry Building was packed with shops and restaurants perfect for foodies to enjoy. Sea Lions gathered at Pier 39, which offered a safe open space for them to lounge around and bark at each other. Fisherman's Wharf was a tourist center with inexpensive souvenirs and delicious seafood restaurants. Ghirardelli Square, home of the famous chocolate company, was noticeable with its large red brick building dating back to the 1800's. In front of the square was the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park, which had a fascinating visitor center with immersive exhibits and relics from the city's history.

It was from this waterfront area I took a harbor cruise offering yet another breathtaking view of the Golden Gate Bridge. I also got an up close view of Alcatraz Island, which was once an isolated prison holding notorious criminals like Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly. Tours inside offered an in depth look at life behind bars.

During my trip to San Francisco, I also visited the heart of the 1960's peace love & happiness hippie movement. The Haight -Ashbury district was where both streets intersected and it was filled with second hand stores, coffee shops, and artistic graffiti, all constant reminders of the area's colorful past.

Across the Bay Bridge to the east was the college town of Berkeley, which had old, well cared for neighborhoods with flower beds and towering pines. It was filled with mom and pop eateries, vintage stores, and small coffee shops. There was a marvelous hike into the hill above Berkeley with sweeping views of the bay and bridges. At the university, I traced J. Robert Oppenheimer's footsteps during his years as a physics professor at the renowned school.

The charming waterfront town of Sausalito sat on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge. It had beautiful marinas and tranquil coves, along with a combination of cozy and upscale restaurants.

Several miles past Sausalito was the Muir Woods National Monument, home to Coastal Redwoods. The giant trees with red tinged bark were some of the tallest trees in the world. There were many hiking trails through the redwoods, but equally wondrous was to just sit in silence, experiencing the majesty, along with the sights, and the sounds of the woods.

While the Golden Gate Bridge was a focal point of my journey to San Francisco, the city and surrounding areas offered so much more - lively neighborhoods with authentic eateries, incredible hikes with panoramic views, and a look back at the history of American innovation and diversity.