We took advantage of our traveling time and spent four incredibly exhausting days exploring San Francisco by train, trolley, boat, and foot. The multiple fun modes of transportation gave us the opportunity to; camp at a fairground, ride the BART, traverse the waterfront and hills of the city, escape to Alcatraz, visit Chinatown, and walk about Berkeley. This city on the bay offers so much to see, we were only able to scratch the surface - a return is definitely warranted!
San Francisco, CA
Golden Gate Bridge
Being an incredibly expensive city we were very fortunate to have procured a reasonable camp spot at a fairground about an hour train ride (BART) from San Francisco. Riding the train in and out every day was a blast. The station was just a short drive from the fairground and Steve was awesome at figuring out the system. Lucky for us at the time we were visiting train fares were reduced to half price, hooray!!
Four quiet nights at the Alameda County FairPark. Our very reasonable fee included electric, water, and showers! Riding the BART (San Francisco’s commuter train system) was great after a little bit of learning curve!
Day #1 - San Francisco is chock full of amazing views and places to explore. Our first day into the city was delightfully spent; walking the piers, viewing the California Sea Lions on Pier 39, stepping into the past at the Musee Mécanique, devouring oysters and clam chowder at Capurro’s, sipping original Irish coffees at The Buena Vista Cafe, stopping in at Ghirardelli’s, and hiking up the street of San Francisco to view Lombard Street.
Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco, CA
Steve’s amazing California Sea Lion Photos at Dock 39. It is believed that sea lions have chosen to haul out at PIER 39's K-Dock because there's plenty of food nearby and their natural predators (white sharks and orcas) do not typically feed in the bay. We were captivated by the number of sea lions, their interactions, and the funny sounds they make!
The Musee Mécanique - located on Fisherman’s Wharf - is an interactive museum of 20th century penny arcade games and artifacts.
Capurro’s - Oysters and clam chowder - YUM!
Per my mom’s suggestion - one of her favorite haunts - we stopped at The Buena Vista for their signature Irish coffee. The cafe’s most famous achievement; introducing Irish coffee to America. If you are interested in reading about that history here is the link; https://www.thebuenavista.com/home/irishcoffee.html
Ghirardelli Square - Obviously I was too distracted by the deliciousness of all the chocolate to take any photos of Steve!
Lombard Street with eight tight switchback turns in 600 feet of road. Famous worldwide - around one million cars drive down it every year! We took in the fabulous views on our hike up.
Day #2 - We were so fortunate to have incredible weather during our time in San Francisco and our second day did not disappoint as we took the ferry to explore Alcatraz Island. The island was developed in the mid-19th century with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, and a military prison. In 1934, the island was converted into a federal prison which finally closed sin 1963. Check this out for more Alcatraz information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcatraz_Island
Alcatraz - 2022
Most famous Alcatraz Inmates - They left out just one - see below!
Day #3 - San Francisco’s Chinatown is one of the largest Chinatowns outside of Asia as well as the oldest Chinatown in North America. We decided to climb aboard a trolly to check out this vibrant section of the city.
The world's last manually operated cable car system and an icon of the city of San Francisco.
Day #4 - Our final day we had the BART chauffeur us to Berkeley to check out this historic college town and walk the University of California at Berkeley campus. This meant a lot to me - in 1968 my mom brought me to Berkeley at the age of three as she peacefully protested inside of People’s Park. Compared to the 1960s and 70s Berkeley has become less politically active, however the official university mascot is still Oski the Bear, who debuted in 1941!
Obviously San Francisco needed its own Blog! We are now packing up the Scamp and heading towards the eastern side of California, catch up with you all there!
Coddiwompling “To Travel in a Purposeful Manner Towards a Vague Destination”
“San Francisco has only one drawback – it ’tis hard to leave.” -Rudyard Kipling
“Anyone who doesn’t have a great time in San Francisco is pretty much dead to me.”
- Anthony Bourdain
“You know what it is? (It) is a golden handcuff with the key thrown away.”
-John Steinbeck
Link to Steve’s music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4fW5lsWiZG5TcOlhukK4pu?si=2NngXMjoR7mUJLreexbIAw&utm_source=native-share-menu (Let me know if you are interested in purchasing a CD/$10.)