I didn’t make this American trip recently, but it might be interesting since many people would like to visit the West Coast. America has many beautiful places, and of course, there are quite a few in this region as well!
I traveled from Berlin with a layover in Iceland to San Francisco (and departed from there to go home). I like very active trips (meaning: I’m on the move from morning until evening, not spending much time in one place), so 5 locations were in the plan: San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, and the Grand Canyon. In fact, a „joker place” also worked out: I booked my flight ticket so that on the way home I had half a day to go into Reykjavik. The trip turned out to be 13 days in total, and I packed a lot into these almost two weeks.
The plane landed late Tuesday evening, so that day only checking into the accommodation was on the program.
Wednesday morning I set off to the city. Actually, if you’re not into leisurely strolling, you can go through San Francisco in one day.
A good breakfast at Fisherman’s Wharf is a great start! There are all kinds of food here, but of course seafood is predominant. I’m not crazy about these, so I had an egg omelet.
The main attraction in this area is the sea lions sunbathing at Pier 39. Lots of animals lie on the wooden plank resting places, undisturbed by the many tourists taking photos.
Tours to Alcatraz prison island also depart from here. The ferry ticket includes the entrance fee. Somehow I wasn’t attracted to this excursion, so I left it out of my program.
I walked along the harbor, then hiked up to the downtown viewpoint, the Coit Tower. A wonderful panorama unfolds before us, the city’s grid network is also very clearly visible. And of course, the Golden Gate Bridge can be seen in the distance.
From Coit Tower, I walked to the famous Lombard Street. This is the street where cars roll down the winding road. If you happen to be in the city by car, definitely go here, there’s a beautiful view of the hilly area opposite while rolling down.
San Francisco’s famous cable car, the Cable Car, starts from F. Wharf, the Hyde Street Pier. I definitely recommend starting from the upper part and going down to the bottom terminal. Partly because it’s a great experience how the car „races” down the hill. And of course, feel free to stand on the steps and enjoy the ride while clinging to the handrail!
After this, I went by bus to Golden Gate Park. Despite its name, it’s not directly next to the bridge. It’s a rectangular large park where a botanical garden has also found its place. It was perfect for an afternoon walk.
And the main attraction in San Francisco is the Golden Gate Bridge. I deliberately went there to see it both in daylight and in darkness. It’s a monumental bridge, which stands out when you see the base and pillars from the side.
Fortunately, they thought of pedestrians, so I walked across to the other side, from where there’s a great view of the city and Alcatraz Island.
By the time I returned to the southern starting point, it was already beginning to get dark. I enjoyed the view of the illuminated bridge for a while, then slowly headed to the bus station to travel to Los Angeles by night bus.
The next report is about Los Angeles.