After a long day of travel we checked into our motel on Lombard Street and slept soundly (despite the constant noise of traffic). Awoke early and had a hearty breakfast at the Lombard Cafe, went back to motel and changed into jeans and a fleece - its cold in SF, then chilled until our friend Karri arrived, who had kindly offered to be our guide for our first visit to San Francisco. Parking the car we walked to Fishermans Wharf, passing boats offering fishing excursions(including shark!) and general sight seeing tours; eateries selling seafood and the usual tacky tourist trap shops. On the front we got our first real view of Alcatraz and you could just make out the Golden Gate Bridge through the cloud cover. We leisurely strolled along the front taking in more of the sights including the Red & White ferries before reaching Pier 39 to watch the Sealions lazing away the morning and grumbling whenever the wake from a boat disturbed them. Streetcars trundled by as we continued down to the Ferry Building which now operates as a marketplace offering highend produce - wines and cheesies, beautifully coloured fruits and organic meats, it was a mecca for foodies and Jo was in her element. We caught a cable car and headed up one of San Fransiscos famous 'rollercoaster' roads, jumping off near Chinatown we actually headed to Union Square for some window shopping. Retracing our steps we entered Chinatown and wandered down the densely packed and colourful streets, looking down the little alleyways and savouring the hustle and bustle of the area. Leaving the main streets we saw a more authentic Chinatown; glazed ducks hanging in windows, dried foodstores with shelves full of bags of dried shark fins, a fishmongers with tubs of live fish and stalls of colourful and unusual fruits and vegetables. We continued on to North Beach which certainly retains its Italian heritage with its array of bars and restaurants. All this food was making us hungry so we headed back to Fishermans Wharf to eat at one of the food vendors operating there. Lunch was clam chowder and dungeness crab on sourdough bread Mmmmmmmmm (I became addicted to sourdough bread whilst in California, eating it at every opportunity !). The day wasn't getting any warmer so we headed to the Buena Vista Cafe for a couple of their famous irish coffees - they lived up to their reputation ! Back in the car we headed to the Golden Gate Bridge for our first close up viewing, the cold winds limiting the time we chose to spend there. It had been a full day, made all the better by our wonderful guide, parting ways with the view to catching up again in the Turks and Caicos Islands. That evening we headed out for a curry then had an early night.
Is it always cold in San Fransisco ? Wrapping up warmly we headed out. Another day, another Lombard breakfast. We walked back to Fishermans Wharf and down to the ferry which was to take us to Alcatraz. I had been warned that tickets needed to be purchased a few days in advance and was glad i had heeded the advise as the signs stated that the next tickets available for purchase were 3 days away. A short ferry ride and we were on Alcatraz, its certainly a popular tourist attraction with 3000 visitors each day - so you won't get the place to yourself. We watched a video on the history of Alcatraz then wandered around the grounds of the main prison block. Upon entering the prison itself you get a self guided audio tour which works really well, its narrated by previous wardens and inmates and gives a great overview of the place, covering both day to day life and some of the more dramatic events in its history. We spent about 3 hours in total before heading back to SF and grabbing burgers at 'In and Out Burgers'. We then took a hours ride on a Red and White ferry which took us past Alcatraz and under the GG Bridge, a bit blustery but well worth the views, especially those of downtown SF. Back on land we took a tour around the USS Pampanito (US Navy WW2 submarine) before retiring to a bar for a couple of well earned pints of guiness (well i had a couple, Jo had a rather strong irish coffee). We walked back to our motel via the Lombard Street switchback. This section of the street is touted as 'the worlds crookedest street', with 10 turns. For some reason cars queue up to drive down it, all i know is that you certainly get fit walking up all the steep roads.
The last day in SF saw us heading down to 'Blazing Saddles' to rent bicycles for the day. Following the bike path we headed towards the GG Bridge, passing joggers and people out walking their dogs. Stopped for a coffee at a jetty where a few guys were fishing and sharing the spoils with a couple of Pelicans, before continuing onto the bridge. It was cold, windy and misty (surprise, surprise) as we battled over the bridge, looking down the churning waters they certainly didn't look very inviting. Once across the bridge it was as if a switch had been flicked - the sun was out and it was warm for the first time in our 3 days. We freewheeled down Sausalito, a beautiful Seaside town that overlooks the bay and SF itself, ate lunch, then continued onto the seaside town of Tiburon. It was a beautifully scenic ride, traveling over sea flats and down tree lined roads and along the coast. Arriving in Tiburon after 20 miles of cycling we rewarded ourselves with an ice cream before catching the ferry back to SF.
Three days had seemed just the right amount of time to spent in SF, sure there were things we missed, but it was enough time to give us a real favour of the city.
Next stop ...... The Californian road trip.
