A San Francisco Treat

San Francisco is a picturesque city with many nooks and crannies to see. Seeing the Golden Gate Bridge for the first time and taking the trek across it on foot, taking the ferry to the infamous Alcatraz Island and standing in the same cell as Al Capone, strolling through Fisherman’s Wharf and eating their famous chowder in a sourdough bowl, riding the cable car, eating in Chinatown, sampling Ghirardelli Chocolate, hanging with the seals at Pier 39, shopping in Union Square, driving down crooked hill, and much, much more. This city offers great restuarants to great shopping. Electronics and camera equipment can be purchased for the same price or better as on the Internet. You can stroll through the city and look at all the different architecture of the buildings and homes or just take a walk along the San Francisco Bay and enjoy the magnificent views of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Quick Tips:

Purchase tickets ahead of time for Alcatraz. It does sell out. You can ride the trolly and it is very inexpensive. I would not take a tour to the Golden Gate Bridge. The tour does not give you much time so you cannot walk the span of the bridge. I would go on my own and make sure you take pictures from both sides. The best weather is in the spring and fall. The summer and winter months can be very damp and foggy.

Best Way To Get Around:

I did rent a car but you can take the trolly and it is very inexpensive. The trolly runs throughout the city to most major sites and it only cost .50 per person and 50 cents per child. If taking the trolly might be a bit overwhelming, take the city sightseeing tour. This is a hop on hop off double decker bus that runs to most major sites from Fisherman's Wharf to downtown. It cost per person for up to 3 days. I stayed in the Fisherman's Wharf area and many sites are in within walking distance. They are: Fisherman's Wharf (shops and restaurants), Pier 39, Ghirardelli Square, The Cannery, The Cable Car Powell and Mason Line, and a few blocks away is the Powell and Hyde Line.

Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39, and Ghirardelli Square are all located on the San Francisco Bay and are in walking distance of each other. Fisherman’s Wharf is dotted with restaurants, electronic stores, and T-shirt shops—your usual tourist trap, but you will still visit it anyway.

I was very disappointed in the restaurants. They are over priced and, coming from the East Coast, I do not like the West Coast seafood. They are famous for their Dungeness crabs. Compared to good old Maryland crabs, Dungeness have no flavor. The Bay Area is known for its famous chowder in a sourdough bowl. I stopped at a street vendor thinking it would be cheaper than eating it in the restaurant, but I was wrong. A bowl of chowder ran $9; it was comparable to Boston’s chowder but way over priced. Prices in restaurants for lunch and dinner are no different. The restaurants really do not have a lunch menu. Plan on spending between $50 and $90 for lunch or dinner for two.

If you want to shop, I thought this was a great place to by souvenirs. T-shirt shops everywhere and all for a great price. Like electronics, this is the place. I purchased a lens for my camera for the same price or better than on the Internet.

Pier 39 is one of the most visited places in the country; it is up there with Disney. Why, I am not sure. Walking from the main part of the wharf down to Pier 39, the street is filled with street artists and performers. This part is quite entertaining. Pier 39 is not much more than the piers on the boardwalk in South Jersey—your usual shops with restaurants. The best and only thing about visiting the pier is the sea lions. For some reason they hang out by the hundreds. Bleachers are available if you plan on watching them for a period of time.

Gharardelli Square and the Cannery once were working factories. Gharardelli Chocolate Factory was converted into shops, condos, and restaurants. In November 1964, Ghirardelli Square opened and is considered the first successful adaptive reuse project in the country. Ghirardelli Square was granted National Historic Register status in 1982. The Cannery was once a Del Monte factory. This historic building, dating back to 1907 and located on the waterfront, was since converted to restaurants, shops, and condos. Unlike the main part of Fisherman’s Wharf, this area offers unique shops and boutiques. From here, walk across to the Aquatic Park. You will get a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge. But this area is known for better things. In the frigid cold waters of the bay, you will see swimmers. I was here in January and I could not believe the amount of people swimming in these waters just like a warm summer day.

Getting here: Depending on what part of the city you are staying, both cable car turn arounds are located here. The trolleys run in the area.

The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most recognized bridges in the world. Painted in its famous orange color, this icon is seen from the Fisherman’s Wharf area. The bridge connects San Francisco and Marin County along highway 101. This was once the largest suspension bridge in the world. The steel girders were built in my hometown. Bethlehem Steel is listed on the construction plaque on the bridge.

I entered the visitor center from the San Francisco side. The bridge is even more impressive up close. Make sure you bring a jacket if you plan on walking the span of the bridge. It is 1 mile long and it gets very windy especially at mid span. You have a great view looking out both ways, one way the Pacific Ocean and the other the spectacular view of the city, Alcatraz and Angle Island. The bridge is notorious for suicides. The eerie thing about walking the bridge is all the suicide and help signs located along the span. Thirty four suicides were reported for 2006. After walking the bridge pull out of the parking lot and make a left and view the bridge from below. You get another prospective.

Take the drive across, the toll is only $4 round trip. There is another viewing point from this side.

I would not suggest taking a tour. My first visit I drove out on my own and the second time I took a tour and you only have 10 minutes to see the bridge. This does not give you time to walk the span of the bridge. Another way to see the bridge and is very popular is renting a bike and riding across. All over the wharf area are places to rent bikes.

A San Francisco trip would not be complete if you did not visit The Golden Gate Bridge. This is a must see site. You will never get tired of looking at this. The bridge has an all new look when the fog rolls in. This bridge is a photographers dream to photograph. I could not get enough shots of it.

Everywhere you look, you see a familiar sight? I was never here before. I guess I watch too much TV and the movies. From the Streets of San Francisco, to Full House, Mrs. Doubtfire , Dirty Harry, Pacific Heights, The Rock, and The Love Bug, everywhere you look in San Fran is out of a TV show or a movie. I think I covered it all.

I stayed down in the wharf so I was only a block away from the Powell and Mason Line, the renowned Cable Car. I felt like I was in the Rice A Roni commercial. For only $11 per day, you can ride all day on both lines. My ride began going up through North Beach, the Italian neighborhood then through Nob Hill, the upper crust neighborhood and then my final designation I got off at the Powell and Mason turnaround near Union Square. This area is known for its shopping. All major department stores are here. You can shop till you drop. I got back on the same line to head to the Famous Lombard St. The ride back is even better. You have a magnificent view of the bay area. I got off at Lombard to climb the steep hill to the famous Crooked Hill. What a hike. I found out I did it the wrong way. A little piece of advice, take Powell and Hyde Line and get off at Lombard and you are at the top of Crooked Hill so you walk down instead of up. I then picked up the Powell and Hyde Park line I got off near Ghirardelli Square. This area has unique shops and restaurants. Only a few blocks away I walked down to Aquatic Park and watched the crazy swimmers swim in the frigid waters. Here you get a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge. I needed a break so I walked back to my hotel and waited till my husband got back from work and we were on our way to see the sites by car. This time we drove down Crooked Hill, headed out the Victorian Houses you see in Full House. This is quite a trip, we had a GPS navigator system and it came in very handy. This is not on any tour route. These houses are across from Alamo Square.

From there we headed on Highway 80 and cross the famous Bay Bridge. I was a little weary taking this bridge. I still have visions of the upper deck collapsing on to the lower deck. This bridge has two types of bridges. The first part is a suspension bridge and was not damaged during the earthquake. The second part is not and that is why it collapsed. A new suspension bridge is in construction. We headed back to town and ended our day eating in a restaurant overlooking the bridge we just crossed.

The next day, I was on my own again so I booked a tour ahead of time. For only $20 (purchase on the Internet in advance for only $17) this double decker bus takes you to all the major sites in the city and it is good for 3 days. It is a hop on hop off tour and pointing out all the famous buildings and points of interest. I saw the Clock Tower at the Farmers Market that turned 4 inches when one of the earthquakes hit. I passed the building in Earthquake, The Pyramid Building, City Hall, Coit Tower, China Town Gate, the house in Mrs. Doubtfire, and much more. I have a short attention span and could not keep up with all the information. This is a great way to see most of the major attractions and you do not even need to get off the bus. I would suggest sitting on the upper level so you have unobstructed views for picture taking.

The second tour I booked while my husband is working, it the Golden Gate Bridge Tour. Again this was on a double decker bus. This 90 minute tour takes you through Pacific Heights, Precidio, the Marina area and final the destination the Golden Gate Bridge. The only thing I did not like about this tour is you only have 10 minutes at the bridge. This does not give you much time to explore. I was glad earlier in the week my husband and I drove out to the bridge to explore on our own.

Precidio is an historic site that was once an Army Post. Once General's homes are now being restored to very expensive condos and homes.

The Marina area is completely rebuilt from the earthquake. This area was one of the hardest hit neighborhoods because most of the houses are built on land fill but does not effect the pricing of homes. Houses cost one million plus. Out of my price range.

Pacific Height is an upscale area with streets dotted with expensive homes. Most homes have a panoramic view of the bay area including Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. Many many movies were filmed here and of course Pacific Heights.

Alcatraz, the infamous federal penitentiary, housed some of the most notorious criminals of our time. During its 29 years as a prison, Al Capone, Bird Man of Alcatraz, George Machine Gun Kelly, and Arthur Doc Baker were some of the most famous prisoners. This decaying structure was the first operating lighthouse on the west coast and served as a fortress. In 1933 Alcatraz became what it is most known for today, a maximum security prison. Today it is part of the National Park Service and this is why it is still standing today, SAVE THE ROCK.

It is best to purchase tickets ahead of time, they sell out fast. The ferry leaves from pier 33 at 9:30am and runs until either 6:30pm in the summer or 4:30pm the rest of the year. The ride takes about 1/2 hour. I would suggest taking the morning ferry so you are not rushed. Most tickets include the audio tour that is given by former inmates and runs about 50 minutes. The tape tells you blow by blow stories of their experiences. The former inmates reminisce about the cell blocks (Broadway, CD Street) the attempted escapes, the day the marines came to take back Alcatraz. I thought it was well put together.

Take time to explore the grounds. As you enter on the pier you are greeted by a park ranger that advise you of important information about the prison and special movies and tours that are shown that day. As you walk up to the main cell house you will pass the water tower and the military barracks. Keep going and you will run into the lighthouse. Once inside the main building, an audio cassette is given to you and your tour begins. You will cover every part of the main building, including the main cell block, dinner hall, Warden’s office, visitation room, and administration office. The dinning room was considered one of the most dangerous areas. You could only imagine having 200 or more inmates all together in one room with utensils!!

Once you are finished with the audio tour, take a walk outside. You have magnificent views of the city and the Golden Gate Bridge. Do not forget to stop in the gift shop. There are very interesting books on the history of Alcatraz besides your normal souvenirs. One way you can contribute to Saving the Rocks is by buying of piece of it. An actual piece of the rock is told for about $5.

When visiting San Francisco, a must see attractions is Alcatraz. Please do not miss it.

Muir Woods is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, one of the largest urban parks in the country. Named after the conservationist, John Muir, this is a tree lover’s paradise. Only 20 minutes from downtown San Francisco, across the Golden Gate Bridge, this is a must-see attraction. The park is open from 8:00am till dusk and the entrance fee is only $3 for adults and children 15 years and younger are free.
This park is filled with coastal Red Woods, some of the tallest trees in the world among a number of other plant life.

At the main gate you can purchase tickets and a map of the park. You can spend as little as one hour to all day, depending on how much walking or hiking you plan that day. The main trail, Cathedral Grove, is about a mile long and a very easy walk. This area has some of the tallest Red Woods in California towering over 250 feet and some were wide as 14 feet. We just happened to get there when a free tour was given by a volunteer. It lasted about one hour and it was a leisurely walk along a path and streams pointing out all the plant and tree life and even had a glimpse of salmon. Off of the main trail, the guide suggested taking The Ocean View Trail or the Panoramic Trail and you have magnificent vistas of the Pacific Ocean and the surrounding canyon. Because of a recent storm, we were unable to take the trail because it was closed.

Next we were headed back to highway one to visit Muir Beach. It is only a 10-minute drive from the main gate. This coastal area is what I expected the coastline would look like, very jagged rocks with the Pacific Ocean crashing in them. If you have time, you might want to head up to the next beach town, Stinson Beach but unfortunately for us, highway one was closed and we had to take the long route and did not have enough time. Our day is coming to an end as we head back to San Francisco as the sun sets over the Golden Gate Bridge.

Tips: Weather can change rapidly so dress according, no camping at Muir Woods, there is a snack bar. I would not spend the money to take a tour. This place is very easy to get to and the cost of the entrance fee is only $3.