San Francisco was a stop-over for our Alaska cruise trip in June, so we decided to stay a few days to sight-see this vibrant and colourful city. We were not disappointed.
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| Brunch at Home Plate |
There were several eateries around the neighborhood of our motel -- the Coventry Motor Inn at Lombart Street, but we were too jet-lagged to travel far for lunch so we were relieved to find Home Plate -- a nice, cosy eatery within walking distance from our motel. The ambience of the brightly-lit cafe was inviting and homely. We ordered potato pancakes, beef steak sandwich and roasted chicken omelette, and they were all delicious. As an added bonus, they served us plain water in two big glass bottles -- free of charge.
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| Lombart Street |
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| Cable Car |
When in San Francisco, you must take the Cable Car (which is actually a tram but it runs on cables). It was quite a unique experience as the Cable Car travelled up and down the steep streets of San Francisco -- like travelling in an ultra slow motion roller coaster. It's usually packed and seats are limited, so be prepared to stand.
We took the Cable Car to Chinatown, where San Francisco's large Chinese community congregated. There were a lot of shops selling fresh fruits and vegetables, herbs and medicines, as well as cheap souvenirs and T-shirts. If you missed Chinese food, you would be spoilt for choice here. There are more Chinese restaurants here than anywhere else in San Francisco.
Hailing a cab or taking the public transport was not exactly a walk in the park. We had to walk a long distance to get back to our motel. By then, we were so exhausted and just picked a diner nearby to have dinner. Saiwalks served mainly Vietnamese and Asian fare and the food was just decent, not great.
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| Ferry Plaza Farmers Market |
There are several touristy but interesting places in San Francisco that a first-timer must visit. One of them is the Fisherman's Wharf. But first, make a stop-over at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market since they closed in the afternoon. We went on a weekday so it was less crowded than expected -- more tourists than locals. There also seemed to be less stalls open, but there were enough to keep us enthralled with their display of fresh fruits, vegetables and assorted flowers. The strawberries were bright red and huge, and the apricots were so sweet and juicy that we bought a bag to munch along the way.
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| Seals sunbathing at Pier 39 |
Along Fisherman's Wharf, we stopped by at Pier 39 and witnessed a school of seals sunbathing on the decks. It was quite a sight to behold watching the seals lie lazily on the wooden platforms and making loud "orh! orh!" noises, oblivious to the many people watching and photographing them from afar. There are no lack of restaurants and souvenir shops at Fisherman's Wharf. The place is touristy but it is an iconic landmark of San Francisco, so do spend some time here.
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| Golden Gate Bridge |
We ended the day with a nice coastal drive to the Golden Gate Bridge -- another iconic landmark of SFO -- and saw first-hand the famous bridge I have seen countless times in magazines and travel books. We stopped at the fort point and had a picturesque scenic view of the Golden Gate Bridge, with the waves lashing against the rocks below and the beautiful sunset in the horizon. Due to time constraint, we did not go on the bridge but I have no doubt it will be a very different experience looking down from the bridge.
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| Master Yoda Fountain |
If you are a Star Wars fan like us, you would not want to miss the opportunity to stop by the Lucas Film Headquarters located at
The Presidio. Upon entering the sprawling, perfectly manicured grounds of The Presidio, we were greeted by the Yoda Fountain of Master Yoda. Inside the building, there were a few Star Wars character statues including a looming Darth Vader.
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| Queen Tulip Garden |
Next, we drove to the Golden Gate Park to spend a leisure morning strolling through the North Dutch Windmill, Queen Tulip Garden (but we only saw other assorted flowers, no tulips as tulips only grow in spring.) and Rose Garden. There were a myriad colors and varieties of roses with fanciful names like Dreams Come True, Strike It Rich and Honey Perfume.
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| Mission Dolores Chapel |
Another place worth stopping by was the Mission Dolores chapel -- San Francisco's oldest building. We did not enter the white stonewashed chapel but just admired from outside the exterior building. It was magnificent featuring an all-white decor with intricate details.
The four days in San Francisco give us a glimpse into this colourful and vibrant city where the arts meet high-tech, and where picturesque landscape and quaint architecture blend in harmoniously.
Next stop: Alaska Cruise on Celebrity Millenium
