October, 2019
On the end of our Napa trip we decided to spend about half a day in San Francisco. It was a city that had been on my list for a while. We arrived around noon and departed for our hotel around 9 p.m. Even if you are short on time – you can still fit in quite a bit. We parked the car along the Fisherman’s Wharf and headed out to explore.
Of course, stroll the Fisherman’s Wharf where you will experience some fantastic food and some of the best dining. From the outdoor stands selling fresh Dungeness crab, various restaurants selling the freshest of fish from the day’s catch or the Ferry Building Marketplace – how could you possibly go wrong? We set aside time for lunch of mango salsa, mahi mahi fish tacos; really could life be any better?
Ride the cable cars to fully experience all of San Fran’s charm. You might just feel like you are in your favourite movie or television show. I think this moment is what had always drawn me to wanting to visit San Francisco.
Golden Gate Bridge – There are plenty of great spots to grab the post card picture of this bridge. The most ideal place is the Golden Gate Bridge Vista Point, positioned high on a hill overlooking the city. You can structure your drive back from Napa to ensure you take this route into the city to grab the picture, drive across it and get the view of the city you are about to explore.
Lombard Street – Zig and zag your way through this crooked street. Victorian architecture homes line the street with landscape shrubs while flower gardens fill in the space of these switchbacks. It offers a unique view of the bay from the top of the street.
If you are a history buff, check out the floating museum of the USS Pampanito SS-383 (WWII Balao Fleet Submarine) located in the Wharf neighborhood. As our trips always strike a balance, this was more for D than me, but I learned some interesting things along the way.
Pier 39 – Waterfront restaurants, shopping, bay views, attractions, and of course the main reason all the tourists flock there – Sea Lions! Grab an ice cream, because you are on vacation, and tour around the Pier mainly just people and sea lion watching. You had me at ice cream and sea lions. I could have opted to stay here the rest of the afternoon watching them frolic in the sun and water. They are just the most cutest playful creatures!
Finally – could you escape Alcatraz? Sitting on a small, rocky island in the middle of the Bay is the former federal prison which housed some major criminals including Al Capone. We recommend the night tour for an eerie experience, an incredible sunset view of the Golden Gate Bridge and of course, the view back to the Bay from the ‘Rock’, is priceless.
Unfortunately, I will end with the most important thing to know about this city! A common sport here is breaking into vehicles with approximately 70 break-ins per day. As our Marriott hotel was located close to the airport for an early morning flight, we opted to keep our carry-ons in the trunk (out of sight) and just experience part of San Fran for a couple of hours. However, on our way back from our night tour to the open public parking lot ~ approximately a 10 minute walk, our rental car had been broken into with the majority of our stuff gone from the trunk. Lesson learned and I am sharing so you don’t make the same mistake. Next time we will go to the hotel first – even if it means not seeing as much!