A Perfect Getaway to San Francisco, California

A few years ago, we had the opportunity to spend a couple of days in San Francisco. From Chinatown, Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz, to the Golden Gate Bridge, there are plenty of sights to be seen in the city of San Francisco.  Clearly two days is not enough time to see everything that this wonderful city has to offer, but we took full advantage of the time that we had.  It is a friendly city with a wonderful climate that seems to just make you feel relaxed and at home during your time there.

Sea Lions at Pier 39 in Fisherman’s Wharf
Grant Avenue, the Main Street in Chinatown
San Francisco Skyline

No visit to San Francisco would be complete without wandering the streets of Chinatown and exploring the shops and eating authentic Chinese food in one of the many restaurants.  There are other cities with their own Chinatown districts, like New York and Chicago, but Chinatown in San Francisco is the oldest and largest in the United States.  In fact it is the largest anywhere outside of Asia.  Chinatown is a city within a city with its own vibrant culture and crowded and colorful streets.

Entrance to Chinatown
Chinatown Mural
Streets of Chinatown

The city is definitely very walkable, but there are a lot of hills, so you need to be in shape if you are considering that approach.  A better option, however, is hopping on and off of the trolley cars as they are an excellent way to get around as well.  Along with the Golden Gate Bridge, the trolley cars are one of the images that immediately come to mind when people think of San Francisco.  They are also a great way to get to Fisherman’s Wharf, which is famous for its restaurants, boating excursions, sea lions, and family activities.

San Francisco Trolley
Irish Pub
Sea Lions Playing at Pier 39

Pier 39, which is the pier with the most attractions in Fisherman’s Wharf, can be a full day’s worth of activities, with plenty to do during the day as well as at night.  While we were there, we watched the sea lions play on the pier and had clam chowder and drinks at one of the many restaurants.  Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to take one of the tours out to Alcatraz Island, but there was no missing its presence out in the bay.  We had driven over the Golden Gate Bridge on our way into the city, but it was even more impressive seeing it from the pier.  As the day came to an end, the famous fog rolled in and engulfed the bridge.  We were there in January, so as the day came to a close, the temperatures dropped quickly.

Alcatraz
Fisherman’s Wharf
Golden Gate Bridge
Fog Rolling in over the Golden Gate Bridge

There is a carousel in the center of the shops at the pier, which is colorful during the day, but even more so at night when the lights are all lit.  We couldn’t resist the temptation to release our inner child and take a ride on the carousel.  There was also an artist drawing caricatures, so we decided to sit and have one done of the two of us.  We’d had them done of the kids in the past, but this was the first time we decided to do that for ourselves.  There a many restaurants to choose from in Fisherman’s Wharf and we went to a couple, including Scoma’s Restaurant on Pier 47 for dinner.  

Pete and Dona on the Carousel
Our Caricature
Dessert at Scoma’s Restaurant

San Francisco is definitely a destination that should be visited as it is beautiful and has so many things to see and do.  We’ll definitely be back in the future to see more that the city has to offer, but any amount of time is worth spending in this wonderful city.  Clearly, our night at Fisherman’s Wharf was the highlight of our stay, but dining and shopping in Chinatown will forever linger in our memories forever.

Don’t Take Life, or Travel, Too Seriously

Life in general, and especially travel, can be overwhelming, stressful, and exhausting. There is a temptation to get caught up in the minutia of daily activities, the worry about missing out on something special, or just generally feeling like something might go wrong. It isn’t easy, but we all need to lighten up a little bit and let ourselves be childlike in our adventures. If we could all view our lives, our travels, the things that we do and the places that we go with the unabashed wonder of a child who has been let loose on a playground, we would all enjoy them better. How many times have you stood in a line, whether to get on a plane, get into an attraction, or waiting for a popular restaurant and found the people around you angry, pushy, and basically rude? Do they truly believe that if they try and make everyone around them as miserable as they are that somehow their experience will be better? There are times when we see people that are this intense that we want to just mess with them a little.  Tell them that they are in the wrong line, that they don’t have the proper reservation, anything to mess with their minds a little. Perhaps that wouldn’t be nice, but this week’s Daily Post Photo Challenge is Cheeky and maybe a little mischief would wake these people up and let them realize that life is to be enjoyed, not just rushed through. One of the things that we enjoy are seeing whimsical signs or different things that remind us to keep the child inside of us alive as we travel. Here are some photos of signs or other things that remind us to smile and enjoy life. How do you keep your inner-child alive?

Troll Statue Outside of a Store in Reykjavik, Iceland
Family Fun Restaurant in Cochabamba, Bolivia
Dona on a Merry-Go-Round in San Francisco
UFO Crossing Sign in Roswell, New Mexico
Whimsical Creations in the Chocolate Museum in Cologne, Germany

The following are a series of signs outside of restaurant in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Definitely Silly
Perhaps a Little Hokey
Truth in Advertising

 

Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco

We’ve been to several marinas with restaurants, boat tours, and amusement rides over the years. Some that come to mind are the Navy Pier in Chicago, the  marina in Cabo San Lucas, and Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. We had a great time shopping, eating, and watching the sea lions while we were there. It is a wonderful place for the whole family as well as for couples with lots to do. The smell of the salt air, the fresh seafood, the views of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge all make visiting the wharf an amazing experience.

Sea Lions on the Pier
Fisherman’s Wharf

We ate incredible clam chowder for lunch with traditional San Francisco sourdough bread while we were at pier 39. For dinner we went to a very nice restaurant called Scoma’s, which was fairly expensive but well worth the money. There were several dinner cruise options that will take you out into the bay to see Alcatraz close-up, but we chose not to do that on this particular trip back in 2014.

Dessert at Scoma’s

Yes, it can be a little touristy, but we felt that it was still worth visiting. You can easily spend hours just watching the sea lions as they dive off of the docks or chest-butt each other to express their superiority over each other. The carousel and the arcades are certainly a lot of fun and there are plenty of shops to buy some souvenirs. The food, however, is the star of the show as far as we’re concerned. Fisherman’s Wharf is definitely worth visiting if you’re in San Francisco , you won’t be disappointed.

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Sea Lions Playing at Pier 39