After returning our rental car to the airport, we ventured into San Francisco to check into our hotel and start our exploration of the city. We picked up a three-day transit pass (if you want to ride a cable car even once, this pass pays for itself) and headed to the Castro District aboard an historic street car.
The Castro District was full of interesting characters and beautiful architecture. We thoroughly enjoyed the people-watching, but I could have done without seeing two guys in nothing but matching thongs... some things you just can't un-see.
Our next stop on the tour was Lombard street via historic cable car. This is the first trip we've taken since moving back to the US, so we had some fun laughing at ourselves over how easy it was to just walk up to the driver of the bus or cable car and ask, in English, if it was going to take us where we wanted to go. I can't even explain how much mental effort we didn't have to exert on this trip. It was almost like a vacation!
Lombard street was a little crazy, even to walk down. I can't imagine how difficult it would be to drive down, or bike down.
We attempted to catch another cable car down to the Fisherman's Wharf, but every one that came to the stop was full. So, we walked (downhill thankfully) instead, finding a fun little Italian/seafood restaurant to eat at along the way.
The next morning we enjoyed breakfast at my friend Lindsey's favorite coffee shop, Blue Danube Coffee House, before making our way to Alamo Square to see the famous "Painted Ladies".
Our next stop was the Palace of Fine Arts, originally constructed for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition.
We spent the rest of our afternoon at the Exploritorium (originally housed in the Palace of Fine Arts, but recently relocated to Pier 15) acting like kids!
Having explored to our hearts' content, we made a stop at Pier 39 to see the shops and sea lions. This is one part of our trip that I definitely remember from my family's trip here when I was younger.
To round out a wonderful day, Chris and I met up with my friend Amy at a local restaurant. I hadn't seen Amy since the summer after we left California... in 1996! My incredibly patient husband spent the night listening to Amy and I catch each other up on the last 17 years of our lives. What an amazing opportunity... brought to you by the power of Facebook. :)
On our last morning in San Francisco, Chris and I made an early-morning trek up a very long, very steep hill to Coit Tower for a bird's eye view of the city. We were blessed with a beautiful, clear morning and were able to really enjoy the views.
For our grand finale, we wondered through the Port of San Francisco exploring food booths and artists' shops and enjoying a lunch of noodle soup with a view.
Then, we packed up our hotel room and headed for the airport, back to real life.
Check out more pictures in the Pictures tab.
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