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I first visited San Francisco as part of a road trip down the West Coast in around 2003, I immediately fell in love with the place and everything about it. We were only there for 3 days but I knew that if there was ever a place I had to go back to, this would be it.
Then one of my very best friends fell in love with an American boy she met in Buenos Aeries and moved there. If there is a better reason to travel to the other side of the world I don’t know of it so I went back twice. Once as part of a road trip I took with some friends to see her get married, and then again when they settled there for a visit. Although to be fair both earlier visits involved a lot of this…
It is such an incredibly spectacular place however and I want to show it it my kids and to my husband who perhaps more surprisingly has never been. The five main reasons I want to visit with the kids are:
1. To cycle (or even walk) across the Golden Gate Bridge; to see the mountains in the background, the sea and the city all in one view. This is one of the most incredible things for me about this city, just the variety all in one place.
2. To visit the notorious prison island of Alcatraz. We might have to leave the very spooky night tour for now which is recommended for slightly older kids but they would love the trip out on the ferry. If you are thinking of visiting book at least a week before to make sure you get a ticket.
3. To take a ride on San Francisco’s legendary cable car, up and down the steep streets and past some incredible sights. The cable cars would be so fascinating to the kids. The lack of seat belts (we would have to hold on tight) how fast they go, how noisy they are and how frantic they can be would exhilarate them.
4. To spend time down at Fisherman’s Wharf, soaking in the atmosphere and watching the sea lions put on their show. It is noisy and busy with incredible smells of all kinds, but also fabulous ice cream.
5. To take a helicopter tour over the City and see it in all its glory. I can just imagine the kids faces if they could see everything from the air that they had just visited. It would put it in perspective for them in a way that is tricky for them to understand otherwise.
Yes we definitely need to go back, and maybe combine it with a trip to LA to my friends new home.
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You’ve made me want to go back too!!
I spent a fortnight in San Francisco, and wasn’t bored for one minute. I was lucky enough to be there fo Carnaval, which I’d LOVE to take my kids to – the holiday there was before they (or my other half!) came along.
Perfect timing – I’m hoping we’ll get here in the summer… I know my daughter will have ice cream on her wishlist too.
Ahhhh – serious wanderlust! I’ve never been and would LOVE to – a little west coast road trip maybe …!