Part 2
San Francisco was a bit overwhelming, but we really enjoyed it. We did most of the things on our list, but as usual, the list grew as we learned of more interesting things to do and see. We spent three days touring the city and could have doubled it. To get there we drove from Petaluma to Larkspur where we caught a ferry that took us to Pier 1 in the heart of San Francisco. From the port, we walked to the things we wanted to see.
Day one…Fisherman’s Warf, Lombard Street, and Ghirardelli Square…
Our first ride on the ferry was glorious. The weather was warm, winds were light, and the visibility was outstanding. We sat at the back of the boat, outside, and took a bunch of pictures. Our first glimpses of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz were quite exciting and the San Francisco skyline became more immense as we neared. After we got off the ferry we walked along the bay to Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Warf. We had an outstanding lunch with a great view and then strolled around the pier that was bustling with stores, restaurants, people and plenty of things to see. The sea lions garnered a lot of attention for good reason…they were pretty entertaining. The backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay made it a very unique seen. From there we walked up the very steep Hyde Street and were envious of the folks taking the easy way up on the trolley. We got to the top of famous Lombard Street and walked down the steps that parallel the crooked road. As we headed back to Fisherman’s Warf and Ghirardelli Square, we found a great spot to pose for a few pictures. We got to Ghirardelli Square and had ice cream sundaes for dinner. With uncomfortably full bellies, we walked through the Fisherman’s Warf again and were treated to a great sunset. We slowly walked back to Pier 1 and hopped the ferry for home.
San Quinton prison Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz
San Francisco sky line from the Larkspur ferry
Arleen on the ferry Big Christmas tree on Pier 39
A great lunch with a great view on Pier 39
Hyde Street trolley
Arleen next to Lombard Street At the bottom of crooked Lombard Street
Coit Tower
Alcatraz
Ghirardelli ice cream sundaes at Christmas time
Day two…Coit Tower for sunset, dinner at Steps of Rome in North Beach, China Town, Financial District
We tried to get tickets for the evening Alcatraz tour but learned it was sold out until the first week of January. More research showed that all Alcatraz tours were sold out…poop! Oh well, we went with plan B: top of Coit Tower at sunset.
During the ferry ride, the woman in front of us overhead our discussion about we what were going to do. She was from Sausalito (just north of San Francisco) and volunteered all kinds of good info. Most importantly, she recommended an Italian restaurant in the North Beach neighborhood. So what do you do when a local who is clearly Italian, recommends a place to eat? Hmmmm….
We walked up the Filbert Steps. The hill was too steep here for a road, so steps go up the cliff and through the forested neighborhood. Finally at the top of the hill, we admired the murals painted all the way around tower in the 1930s. From the top of Coit Tower, the sky slowly turned orange as the suns fell below the horizon. Now that the sun was down and it was dark, we headed to North Beach. The Italian neighborhood is loaded with restaurants, bakeries, and grocery stores. It smelled so good and we had flashbacks of our time spent in Italy. And there it was: “Steps of Rome”, the restaurant that our Italian friend from Sausalito had recommended. Other than us, everyone spoke Italian. At times they were a bit boisterous and communicated as much with their gestures as with their mouths. We had to remind ourselves that we weren’t in Italy! The food was outstanding. With pleasantly full bellies, we walked through China Town. There were so many shops and restaurants, it was overwhelming. The spice shops and tea shops were really interesting and unlike similar shops in the US. This time we had to remind ourselves that we weren’t in China! Next we strolled through the Financial District and admired the enormous buildings and pretty holiday decorations. And so ended another day of sightseeing in San Francisco.
Over 400 steps to the top! Getting close to our goal Crooked Lombard Street
Great Italian food in the North Beach section of San Fran
The entrance to China Town A night scene in China Town
Arleen in a tea shop
Christmas time in the Financial District The ferry terminal at night
Arleen with the big balls
Day three…bike ride across the Golden Gate Bridge
There were all kinds of things we still wanted to see, but riding our bikes across the Golden Gate Bridge was at the top of the list. There were tons of tourists…many more than we expected. Mainly due to other people on bikes, it was a bit freaky riding across the bridge. There was a mix between people riding for exercise and tourists who barely knew how to ride a bike. Oh well, the close calls just added to the excitement! We leisurely made our way to Land’s End and Lincoln Park. The views of the Golden Gate Bridge and high cliffs of the north bay were spectacular. Though our route had a max altitude of 351 feet, we ended up climbing over 1,000 feet with all the ups and downs. San Francisco sure is hilly! Of many highlights from our San Francisco visit, riding across the Golden Gate Bridge was near the top.
Golden Gate National Recreation Area…
We spent two days hiking the Golden Gate National Recreation Area where dogs are allowed on many trails! The first hike was a nearly 6 mile long loop that climbed roughly a 1,000 feet from sea level. Low clouds and fog were lifting and hazy skies limited the visibility. We had a great view, but there wasn’t enough contrast for good pictures. The three of us got a good workout. The second hike was later the next day with nearly perfect weather. Again, the amount of tourists caught us off guard. Every parking area, and pull out was full…there was a long line of cars waiting to get into the Visitor’s Center parking area on the northeast side of the bridge. There were people everywhere! First we tried to walk out to the lighthouse, but the trail was closed for maintenance. Arleen came up with a plan to park by the historic rifle range and hike up the Coastal Trail to the backside of Slacker’s Ridge. This hill tops out at just under 1,000 feet and has a 300 degree view (blocked to the northwest by 3,000 foot Mount Tomalpias and some its lower hills). Amazingly, we had the top all to ourselves! We could see the busy road and packed pullouts below, crawling with little ant-like people. It was very peaceful for us as we admired spectacular view.
There is still so much to see in this area. Maybe we’ll be back someday… But in the meantime, we need to get back to the wilderness. There are a few too many million people in this area.
In the campground, we met Gordon and his family. He recommended things to see in the area and is considering hitting the road full time with his truck and trailer (an Arctic Fox like ours). We shared stories and ideas on how to make our trailers more livable. We continue to meet interesting folks and it’s one of the things we really enjoy while traveling.
Next, we spend a week at Yosemite National Park! There has been very little snow and all of the roads are still open…very rare this time of year. We were expecting to have limited access. If the weather holds, we will get to explore the whole park!
