I got up early and caught a cab to the train station near my hotel. This train is the commuter train, so it only comes every hour and then the ride into the city is about an hour and 20 minutes. I came prepared with my iPod and got a good seat on the second level of the train so that I could see as much fly by me as possible. Since I have always wanted to visit San Francisco, it was brutal to have to wait over an hour to see the skyline appear... but I did it!! Once off the commuter train, I jumped on a light rail train that took me to The Ferry Building where I was supposed to meet my tour.
I arrived with time to spare and I am so glad!! Every Saturday they have a HUGE Farmer's Market and no matter where I am, those are one of my favorite things to check out. There was your normal market fare like fruits and veggies. However, there were also yummy things like local honey, wine and cheese. I sampled everything I could get my hands on. Then I strolled around the inside of The Ferry Building where there are some really interesting shops. There was an herb place, a pork place, an olive oil place and many other interesting things. I sampled the olive oil and fell in love! YUM! The names of the places were almost as interesting as the shop itself!
Soon my time was up and I headed outside to meet my tour group. The first leg of our tour was to catch the Ferry across the Bay to Sausalito. The Ferry ride is about 20 - 30 minutes long. It was pretty chilly that day but I braved the upper level so I could see the sights. Since we were all tourists up there, we all took turns taking pictures of one another.
It was kind of foggy that day, so the farther away we got, the harder is was to see the city...
(The next picture is Alcatraz with the city behind it...)
We arrived in Sausalito and were given an hour of free time to get lunch and stroll around. Its a unique little town that is home to all sorts of galleries and shops. Not to mention one of the best views of the city (except on foggy days...)
The following picture need some explanation. There was a street artist that did amazing things with some of the rocks along the shoreline. He somehow managed to get them to balance! There are no supports or any kind... it was cool.
I ate lunch in a little deli and soon realized why it is home to the most expensive homes in the San Francisco area... for lunch I had one small piece of quiche, a bowl of clam chowder and a Coke. It was $18!!! So, I just bought a few postcards and called it a day on spending any money in Sausalito! I wondered over to the fountain in the middle of town to meet with my tour group.
Then we drove through The Presidio and then stopped at The Palace of Fine Arts... a beautiful place!!!
Then we got back on the bus and headed to Golden Gate Park. The section we visited is home to the Japanese Tea Garden, the Natural Science Museum and the de Young Museum which is currently home to the traveling King Tut exhibit. (I am planning on going there my last weekend here... so I am sure there will be a blog about it!)
We were given time to explore the area (we didn't go into the museums) and then we got back on the bus and drove through many famous San Francisco neighborhoods like Haight-Ashbury and Nob Hill. Our next stop was "Postcard Row" which was one of the places I had been looking forward to! If you aren't familiar with "Postcard Row" or the "Painted Ladies", you will recognize them...
One of the reasons I chose this particular tour was because they are the only one that actually takes you inside one of the houses (the one on the left end). The owner is a friend of the tour company and he opens his home to weekend tours! He was there and chatted with us about the history of the house and some of the famous tenants that have lived in the row over the years. It was really interesting.
Next our bus took us by Grace Cathedral and then dropped us off in Russian Hill for a stroll. However, it wasn't a leisurely stroll since this area of San Francisco is home to some of the steepest hills! Does this sign give you any indication..?
Our tour guide pointed out this street...
The picture doesn't do it justice but it is a 45 degree angle. One thing he mentioned that I had never thought of... the driver has to practically CLIMB out of the car and the passenger has to hang on to the door as it opens because it will fly open and hit the car next to them. It is door ding central!! So, of course, with all of these crazy hills, where do you think we headed to? That's right- The World's Crookedest Street...Lombard!
It was crazy to see how much that road is actually used.
Then our bus drove us through North Beach (the Italian neighborhood) and we headed towards Chinatown. We were dropped off and we walked through Chinatown. I have now been to FIVE Chinatowns in my life... New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, London and Honolulu. I gotta say... they all look, sound and smell the same!
After our stroll, the tour was over. The bus dropped us off at The Ferry Building where we began. I was hungry so I headed inside to see what was still open. Lo and behold, the only place was Boccalone... the place that boasts "Tasty Salted Pig Parts". I had an AWESOME sandwich! As I was eating a co-worker of mine called me about joining them for drinks. Erica and I actually both work in the Austin office but are here and staying in the same hotel. We have hung out quite a bit and have become pretty good friends. Her family flew in from Texas for the weekend and they were out and about. So, I hopped on the bus and met them at Joe DiMaggio's in North Beach. It was a really fun night and a great end to a busy day!
I was able to catch a ride home with Erica so I didn't have to take the long train ride home. I FELL into bed exhausted! However, I couldn't sleep in late the next morning because I already had plans booked for Sunday. Alcatraz!!
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