Exploring the streets of San Francisco

While I have much more to explore, San Francisco is likely to be one of my favourite US cities to visit. It’s rugged landscape, characterful streets and plentiful food outlets make it a great place to visit - barring some rough areas. Back in April 2022, we visited the city after a work visit to Las Vegas - here’s some of my highlights.

During this trip, we stayed initially at The Alton by Kimpton in Fisherman’s Wharf - reviewed here.

The hotel is located close to the action around the Wharf and just five minutes from the main piers.

Before travelling, I hadn’t quite realised how chilly SF would be at the end of April. Combined with strong winds, you needed a jacket and trousers on - thankfully the skies were relatively clear.

We tried chowder while in the city at the popular Boudin’s Bakery which featured these great Teddy Bear loaves.

While it is an interesting place to visit, Fisherman’s Wharf feels inauthentic and quite ‘plastic’ compared to other seaside areas.

When you are visiting, you must see the Sea Lions - which, thanks to their loud noises, are hard to miss. It’s a great place to relax while the animals interact with each other.

No visit to the city is complete without taking the completely touristy cable cars. The vintage cars take you on a short circuit around the city’s hilly streets.

The geography of this city is fascinating and a workout when going up hill.

Nearby, is the excellent Chinatown area that is host to a variety of shops and restaurants - most of which are serving Westernised Chinese food.

An interesting vintage reproduction of Chinese cigarettes…

The giant of San Francisco that features on every article is the Golden Gate Bridge and rightly so. With excellent views, in good weather, across the metropolis, you need to tick this off - and perhaps work in a hike during the process.

It’s worth also taking a boat tour from somewhere like Fisherman’s Wharf to get the bridge from a different perspective.

While we did a lot more in the city, these were certainly my highlights. The weather was almost perfect and each of the days flew by as we walked around soaking in every element of the area.