The "City by the Bay"

     San Francisco is a wonderful city that draws people from all over the world to come experience the many diversities that San Francisco has to offer. San Francisco has many tourists attractions such as the internationally known Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz or "The Rock', Pier 39, Lombard Street, Fisherman's Wharf, and much more. To fully experience San Francisco one must go there, but if that is not a possibility at the moment then I hope this helps you feel as if you have been there.


The "City by the Bay" is a well desired destination for many people all over the world because it has a little bit of everything for everyone. San Francisco is the largest densely populated city in the state of California and the second largest in the United States, so be ready to be crowded. San Francisco was founded on June 29, 1776, when Spanish colonists came to the San Francisco Peninsula and built a fort. San Francisco grew very quickly but was overcome with disaster in 1906 when a big earthquake and fire destroyed much of the city. Now, obviously, the city has been rebuilt and is a major tourist attraction to those who want to experience life as a San Franciscan.

     One of the most well recognized land marks in San Francisco, the West Coast, and even America is the amazing Golden Gate Bridge. The Golden Gate Bridge is 8,981 feet long (nearly twice the length of any bridge in existence before the Golden Gate Bridge) end to end and the towers on the bridge are 746 feet above the water making the Golden Gate the second largest main span bridge in the United States.  The Golden color of the bridge is actually an orange color that in the sun looks golden at a distance, hence the name the Golden Gate bridge. 

Alcatraz is another popular destination when visiting San Francisco. Alcatraz was home to some of the worst and most popular criminals in history including Al Capone and the "Bird Man". Alcatraz, also known as "The Rock", is located on a rock in the middle of the bay. The island has gone through many changes such as being an army fort, Indian riot location, and of course a prison. If you plan on making a trip to Alcatraz make sure you book tickets at least a year in advance, just a little helpful hint. 

Fisherman's Wharf is also a very big tourist attraction including the famous Pier 39. Here you can get all your San Franciscan gear and treat your self to some good eats right a long the bay. Also make sure to get your world famous sour dough bread from the Boudin bakery and Ghirardelli chocolate from Ghirardelli square. Make sure if your down on the pier at night to go on the outside deck of the pier on the west side to capture the night skyline of San Francisco. 

A place many people may miss when they go to San Francisco is the Golden Gate Park. I personally really enjoy this park because it takes you away from bustling city and helps you settle down and enjoy nature like trees and grass. The Golden Gate Park also includes a Japanese Tea Garden which is very beautiful. 

Although it does cost money to go through this garden I believe it is a memory that will last. Plus there is a very cool bridge as shown below that makes a great photo.

This is a beautiful fountain in the Golden Gate Park where local artist gather to show off their pieces. 

Now what I am about to show you is not something that is on the list of tourist attractions of San Francisco, but it is something I believe is a must do if you are up for some sneaking around. 

The St. Francis hotel in San Francisco is a high end hotel and very fancy. One of the coolest things about this hotel is its glass elevators. Now I must explain to you that this is not something you can just go and pay to do, these elevators are opened only by people who are staying at the hotel because you must use your card key to get into the hotel. So this is what you have to do. 1. wait outside the elevator for someone who has a key to get you into the elevator. 2. make sure they are going to a level higher than 25 in order to get a good view of Union Square and San Francisco in general. 3. Do not get out of the elevator because then you will have to wait for someone to get you back in. 4. Enjoy and act natural. 

This was my view from the 30th floor at night. 

Lombard Street is also a must seem, as it is one of the worlds windiest roads and it is right in the middle of the city. If you take the famous San Francisco cable car up and down the steep streets of San Francisco you will get a great view of Lombard street looking down from the top. 

These are only a few of the many places that San Francisco has to offer but given only a day in San Francisco this would be my to do list that  I would suggest to you. Not only will you get to see the tourist attractions of San Francisco you will also get a scenic look at the city that many people may not get to experience. I hope you enjoyed this small tour of San Francisco and until next time...

Keep on Traveling