If you are going to San Francisco
Trip Start
Nov 12, 2007
1
33
40
Trip End
Aug 01, 2008
San Francisco,
California,
United States
Saturday, July 5, 2008
We walked over the Golden Gate Bridge. I know it is only a bridge but it is so familiar it is like being on a film set and the views of the city and bay are excellent. Technically it is "international orange" in colour but from any distance it looks red.
I persuaded Emma to go to a baseball game so we joined 35,000 others to see the SF Giants play the Chicago Cubs. I sort of understood it. It is basically rounders with lots of statistics but it is quite a show. Unfortunately the home team were 9 nil down when we left with one innings to go so the atmosphere was a little flat. Only about 12 pounds for a three hour game too.
On sunday there was a massive Gay Pride march. This is a big thing in this liberal city with apparently a 300,000 turnout. We stumbled on it and it was certainly a spectacle. We also came across a demonstration which included the memorable banner "Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve"
The only thing we prebooked before leaving the UK was a tour of Alcatraz as it gets booked up. Therefore it was inevitable that Emma go down with a bug on the appointed day and so I set off alone. It was a shame beause it is a great trip with views over the bay to the bridge and city and then one of the most interesting audio guides I have heard told by real former prisoners and guards. The prison has been left more or less how it was and is eerie and atmospheric. For the record the birdman never had birds at Alcatraz and the only 3 escapees are thought to have drowned. Al Capone was probably the most fmouse inmate.
We stayed at Fisherman's Wharf right on the front by the various piers with plenty of great reastaurants and shops and bizarrely a lot of sea lions who sunbathe daily by one of the piers.
The city is built on a series of steep hills which makes walking harder but gives good views especially from the Coit Tower built at one of the taller points. It also means cable cars are popular ways of getting around, too popular. There were long queues even though people can hang off the sides. We only used them once but this did enable us to see Lombard Street which was so steep they put in a series of flower adorned hair pin bends. I had not heard of it but looks very familiar as it appears in several movies
