The Streets of San Francisco

We arrived in San Francisco to sunshine!!! We quickly unpacked and headed out to enjoy a walk in the sun. We had our first glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge from Fort Mason – a magnificent sight. We walked along to Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39 – both renovated to include several shops, bars and restaurants and lovely places to wander.

The following day we had an early start – 5am to be precise - as we had booked a trip to Yosemite Park in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, a 400 mile round trip from San Francisco. It was well worth the early start. The good weather of the previous day continued and we reached the Park in brilliant sunshine. We had plenty of opportunities to take some stunning photographs of El Capitan, Half Dome and Bridalveil Falls, before setting off for a walk in the Valley and a visit to the Park Museum.

However, as we set off back to San Francisco we could see the clouds coming into the Valley and as we climbed the mountains (up to 6000 feet) the snow started to fall!! The higher we got the heavier it got until we rounded a corner and were stopped by a Park Ranger. After a brief chat our driver came back to say we had to put snow chains on the minibus – the snow up ahead had settled and the steep, windy roads were dangerous without chains. Our driver duly fitted the chains and we set off very slowly out of the Park – the chains making it sound and feel as if we were in a tank!!

We eventually made it down the mountainside and out of the Park into torrential rain all the way back to San Francisco, arriving after 8pm. A very long day but one full of spectacular views and very much worth the trip.

There was no respite the following morning as we were up for the first ferry over to Alcatraz (this time at the more civilised time of 9.30am!!). The weather had swung again in our favour with bright sunshine and blue skies once again. Alcatraz was an amazing place and the audio tour with background noises and commentaries from ex guards and prisoners made the place come to life.

Once we were back on the mainland we took an open topped bus tour of San Francisco and then the world famous cable car ride. The streets of San Francisco are just how you imagine them from the many films made here – steep up and downs everywhere you look. The cable cars themselves and how they operate is an incredible feat of engineering – clamping onto and off of a continually moving cable.

By this time we were both exhausted so we headed back to the Motel for a well-earned rest. As the sun was still shining Bob then decided to drive to the Golden Gate Bridge to get some close-up shots. We then caught the bus back to Pier 39 for dinner, stopping to listen to the resident seal colony as it settled down for the night!!