Oh SanFran! I was extremely delighted when the pilot has finally announced the decrease in altitude. I couldn’t keep still. That was my first time on the west coast so different things were running on my mind while the plane was landing especially the extreme road trip that we were excitedly planning together with my cousin’s relatives. From San Francisco down to Los Angeles, then to Arizona’s Grand Canyon, and then northwest to Las Vegas and finally back to San Francisco, all in 6 days. That was the route.
I covered at least 10 cities in 5 states during our 50-day stay in America, with the generous help from some friends and relatives. We had to make it count considering the cost we incurred to get to this country.
My cousin has relatives in San Francisco so that was definitely a blessing to us since they generously opened their home to us for most of our stay. There were 4 of us who came from the Philippines and 2 from Singapore who arrived a few days after us. We likewise reached out to our relatives in Palm Springs for them to drive north to meet us and have our mini reunion after a long time. During our head start, we were introduced to my cousin’s relatives’ friends who live nearby and of course, we were brought to our favorite wholesaler, Costco!
Places Visited
Golden gate bridge
ghirardelli Chocolate
Fisherman’s wharf
Lombard Street
San francisco Zoo
Downtown
GOLDEN GATE PARK
Palace of Fine Arts
Embarcadero
Golden Gate Bridge
Golden Gate Bridge is undoubtedly a must-see in San Francisco. It would be a big mistake to miss this iconic landmark. So when the Singapore and Palm Springs teams arrived, we didn’t waste another day since they also have limited days off from work. Immediately the following day, we drove and braced the slapping cold winds that frequently test the strength of the bridge. We even attempted to cross the bridge but the wind was too strong and cold for us to battle with. We completed just about a quarter of it.
We rested for a while and then headed to the Fisherman’s Wharf through the Ghirardelli Square. Honestly, I had no idea about this brand of chocolate. Zero. Or maybe, I have seen the logo before but didn’t pay attention to it. It was an informative visit as it has a mini factory inside the ice cream shop. Browse through the slideshow below to see some of the steps involved in making this delicious chocolate.
Ghirardelli Chocolate
Since we traveled with 2 cars, we lost half of the team. The other team apparently headed straight to the Fisherman’s Wharf. After a quick taste of the signature ice cream, we continued our walk to the wharf.
Fisherman’s Wharf
The Fisherman’s Wharf is such a busy district in San Francisco – series of shops, tourists, restaurants, and yes, more shops! The place is best visited by walking in the late afternoon from the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park to interesting Pier 39, just in time for sunset. The distance is around 1 kilometer from end to end.
The sunset during this period was actually quarter past 8 PM so it was already late for us, Asians, who are used to the typical 6 or 7 PM sunset. It was time to really call it a day!
And the city tour continued in some of the succeeding days, when everyone had the energy and free time, such as the Lombard Street, a bit of Chinatown, even the Zoo, Pier 39, Embarcadero, and Golden Gate Park among others.
Lombard Street
One of the most interesting places in San Francisco is the super zigzag road called Lombard Street. I also wasn’t so much aware about this place until I got into the city. I was amazed by how sharp the curves of this busy road are.
My uncle parked atop the hill and we enjoyed the zigzag walk down to the bottom of this famous street while looking at the city from the distance. Our timing was also perfect as it was sundown and we could see the marvelous horizon.
We didn’t last for so long because it was sooo cold and windy for our standards. We headed back up to where we parked and went home. We dropped by Chinatown on our way home and saw the San Francisco City Hall brightly lit at night on the way, too.
One place I wasn’t expecting to visit was the San Francisco Zoo. I thought to myself that one amazing zoo (Singapore Zoo) is enough for me. However, it didn’t hurt to visit the local zoo and I’d have to say it showcased animals I’ve never seen before. It was a good idea, in fact.
