July 5, 2015

Last stop San Fran

Chiara Di NORTH AMERICA, TRAVEL Alcatraz, California, Fisherman's Wharf, Napa Valley, San Francisco, Sonoma, Travel, Wanderlust 0 Comments

San Francisco was the last stop of our America trip. We flew in from Miami (six and a half hours later) and stayed downtown near Union Square.

It was a much quieter city and there were definitely prettier spots such as Lombard’s crooked street and the hilly views but I’m definitely a big city girl.

Must dos in San Francisco include:

Alcatraz

This former prison which housed the likes of Al Capone and Robert Stroud (The Birdman) is a 15 minute ferry ride from Pier 33. Visiting Alcatraz Island includes an audio tour on the history of the prison, views of San Francisco and Golden Gate Bridge, and access to the gardens of Alcatraz. Those wanting to visit Alcatraz should book tickets at least two months in advance. We also booked the 8.45am ferry time which was the first ferry of the day and is well worth it as you are the first people on the island and it’s the least number of people that will be on the island the whole day.

Fisherman’s Wharf

Famous for fishing and seafood, Fisherman’s Wharf is full of piers, restaurants, cafes, markets and tourist attractions such as Ripley’s and Ghirardelli chocolate. It also provides nice views of Alcatraz Island and Golden Gate Bridge. We enjoyed a nice clam chowder at the famous Boudin Bakery for lunch (a must!) following our Alcatraz trip.

Ride a cable car

Take in the chilly air as you ride on the side of a San Francisco cable car – so much fun! We bought a day pass ticket for US$17 to get unlimited rides and stop off at key attractions along the way such as Lombard Street’s crooked section and Chinatown. You can also watch how the cable cars turn around at the end of each line.

Visit Lombard Street

Lombard Street’s crooked section is between Hyde and Jones. Whether you walk it or drive it, it’s definitely something that has to be seen and makes for a great photo with all the pretty gardens.

Day tour to Sonoma and Napa Valley

We spent our second day in San Francisco on a day tour to Sonoma and Napa Valley. Our tour included the wineries Nicholson Ranch (Sonoma), Madonna Estate (Napa Valley) and Sutter Home (Napa Valley). We received three tastings at each, which was a lot different to the eight or so on a Yarra Valley tour in Melbourne. We also visited the cute town of Yountville for lunch.

So even though our trip ended in a quieter city of the US, it was still a busy two full days!