29 Jul San Francisco: A Perfect Destination for Any Tourist
For those that like to travel, there is no place that is too far to reach and there is no such thing as a trip that takes too long. If you consider yourself a true traveler and a “victim” of wanderlust, than I welcome you. In my years of travel, I can say that I have visited many interesting places – from the exotic orient to the old continent. In recent years, I have started to get interested in the “New World” and of course the first destination I wanted to visit was the United States of America. I just wanted to see what all the fuss was about and I can’t say that the US left me hanging.
Of course, depending on your taste and the mood you are in, some locations always leave a better impression on you than others. While I very much liked New York and DC, the city I found suited me best was San Francisco. Some places just grab you immediately and you fall in love with them at first sight. It is just the general atmosphere and the people, the way a city feels, a certain je ne sais quoi if you will.
Alcatraz
One of the more iconic things to see when visiting San Francisco is the old penitentiary on Alcatraz Island, nicknamed “The Rock”. It is the most famous prison in the world and it has been a setting for many different Hollywood movies, cartoons and video games like Call Of Duty: Black Ops, Yu-Gi-Oh and X-Men: The Last Stand. It was also home of one of the greatest and most famous criminals of all times, Al Capone. The tickets are not all that expensive and there is even a discount for families (toddlers can visit for free).
Golden Gate Bridge
This is the greatest landmark of San Francisco and it is an internationally recognized symbol of the city, which is unique on its own. The Golden Gate Bridge is three miles long and connects San Francisco to Marin County, all the way back from 1937. Now I’m not going to tell you stories about the bridge and tell you about the scenery around it, this is something that you are suppose to live through and depending on your preference, you can go for a guided tour or simply go hiking by yourself. Whatever you decide to do, taking a peek at and from the Golden Gate Bridge is the right choice. After all, it doesn’t hold the title of the most photographed bridge in the world for nothing.
Golden Gate Park
If you are looking for a place to just sit down and relax, there is no better place to do it than the Golden Gate Park. It is the fifth most visited park in the US with over 13 million annual visits. In its design, it is very similar to the Central Park in New York but it is a bit bigger.
What else is there?
Loads more! San Francisco is home to unsurpassed nightlife, great dining options and an abundance of cultural events. One of the more unique parts of San Francisco is its Chinatown, which is the oldest in the US. It is like a part of China was just transferred in the middle of the United States and the people that live there are friendly and are used to tourists. It is also the birth place of westernized Chinese cuisine and there is no place better to get some Chinese food than in San Francisco’s Chinatown.
Now, I could tell you about museums, famous spots and great sights you could visit, but something always needs to be left off to chance and whimsy. For me, one of the crucial stops had to be the Halliwell Manor located on 1329 Prescott Street, the home of the Halliwell sisters from the popular nineties and early two thousands show “Charmed”. What can I say, me and my family loved it and it was a dream come true.
