Indulge at San Francisco

Golden Gate Bridge

Golden Gate Bridge (pics 1-2) is by far the most famous landmark of SF. It was built in 1937 to connect San Francisco and Marin County and it is 1.7 miles long (at that year it was the longest suspension bridge in the world) and its located at the opening of the San Francisco bay onto the Pacific ocean. Every one can recognize the bridge because of its red color and elegant design. Some days you may see it covered by fog which is also nice, actually only the towers can be seen then. And it’s almost always windy and cold up there, even in summer. You can walk along the bridge on a pedestrian lane (at specific hours) or use the bike lane.
You may ride the bike path over the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito/Tiburon and return via ferry! Blazing Saddles is a bike rental company that has a kiosk at Pier 39 (pics 3-4). It’s really easy and nice to ride from the pier to the bridge and then use the bike lane, so no hassles before you go downhill into Sausalito. At the end you can catch the ferry back to SF or continue along the Bay to the picturesque town of Tiburon (there’s also a ferry there). The prices depend on the type of the bicycle, a standard mountain costs $28 while a comfort mountain $32. They also have guided tour but they cost more of course and the don’t take you after the bridge (you can keep the bike and continue on your own though) A lot of suicide jumpers seem to prefer this bridge too


Lombard Street
Lombard Street (in the Russian Hill district) is the crookedest street, not only in San Francisco but in the whole of America. This steep street was created in the 1920s with eight sharp curves (or switchbacks) to enable vehicles to travel down the one-way, 40-degree hill. The street, which is paved with bricks, is an amazing sight and seems constantly busy with traffic throughout the day.

Some of the most expensive properties in San Francisco exist on Lombard Street, even with its seemingly endless traffic of tourists. During Spring and Summer, Lombard Street comes alive with colour from all the flowers in bloom.

The best place to photograph Lombard Street is from Leavenworth Street, at the bottom of the hill looking up. You will see cars heading down very slowly, whilst tourists walk up and down the sides.

Chinatown
Chinatown in San Fran is the oldest in North America and has the largest Chinese community outside of Asia. The Chinese community, local San Franciscans and tourists give the area its bustle and charm. Spend a full day roaming its streets and see the lovely architecture and the pagoda roofs, similar to authentic Chinese pagodas, which lend to its appeal. Grant Ave. and Bush Street is where you'll find the famous Dragon Gate. Visit Portsmouth Square, where you'll see many Chinese locals performing Tai Chi or playing Chinese checkers. Take a walk down Stockton Street which isn't frequented as much by tourists. Here it presents a feel reminiscent to Hong Kong with many produce and fish markets. Maybe you'll get lucky on your visit to Chinatown and catch a dragon parade, there are many throughout the year.
The boundaries of Chinatown include Columbus Ave.and the financial district in the east, Union Street and North Beach to the north, Bush Street and Union Square to the south and the San Francisco Bay to the west.
The majority of businesses are shops selling souvenirs and restaurants and many are quite inexpensive. There are also quite a few herbal shops and I even saw a couple of massage parlors.



Golden Gate Park
Looking at backsides from a stroller all day gets old in a hurry so give the wee folk (and yourself) a break at the Koret Children's Quarter. This awesome kid's heaven has been a park fixture since 1887 and is said to be the nation's very first public playground. The equipment is thankfully not original - it's been recently updated with everything a tot could desire: swings, slides, stuff to climb on, jungle gyms, playhouses, sand piles and water-play area. Large parts are also covered with a soft, cushioned surface to reduce skinned knees. Restrooms are nearby - nice for the recently potty-trained set. Most of the activities are geared for kids 3 and up but there's enough to keep the toddlers busy too.

There's a small concession stand for drinks and snacks, and a fabulous carousel; not free but only $1 for kids 6-12, and $2 for a grownup with a little one under 5 and under.

Bring a picnic for lunch on the lawn, bandaids, wet wipes and a dry, clean change of clothes for after enthusiastic play in the puddles. And do keep a sharp eye on them - this is not a secured (fenced) area so make sure they don't wander away or are approached by strangers.