San Francisco - an amzing city (San Francisco)

Member Name: AndrewRH

Product:	San Francisco
Date:	27/02/09 (30 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Huge range of attractions

Disadvantages: None!

I have been to San Francisco twice now and I can't wait to go back. Put simply- this city is amazing and is truly special. Located on a peninsular with the Pacific ocean to the west and San Francisco Bay to the north and east, it's location is breathtaking. One of my favourite things about San Francisco is the hills. The hills are what makes the city so visually spectacular, from almost every corner you get a different vista and this has the added bonus of enabling visitors to get their bearings. The city has so many things to see and do and so many varied areas to just visit and soak up the atmosphere. Although a detailed list of attractions and their reviews are more suited to a large guidebook these are some of my 'must-dos'. For the first time visitor I would recommend hiring a bike a Fisherman's Wharf and riding across the Golden Gate bridge (there is a path!) and then down the headland the other side to the small town of Sausalito. This ride is easy and nearly all down hill and the views are amazing. Once you have spent some time in Sausalito, a lovely little town on the waterfront with quaint shops and nice restaurants you can take your bike back on the ferry across the bay to San Francisco. I would also recommend taking the ferry to Alcatraz, the self-guided audio tour is available in numerous languages and is very interesting. You really get a feel for the history of the place and the desperation the prisoners must have felt. The downtown area of San Francisco has exactly what you would expect of a major city- many shops, bars and restaurants. These are all fairly close together and you will find all the usual brand names. You must also make a visit to China Town and the fortune cookie factory, North Beach with it's Italian restaurants and cafes, the Castro, with it's gay scene and eclectic range of shops. No visit would be complete without a visit to Fisherman's Wharf with its huge tourist-centred range of shops, bars and restaurants and it's resident sealion colony. This area is also home to many fish restaurants and it is here you can sample the world famous clam chowder served in a hollowed sour dough loaf. The chowder washed down with a cool glass of Californian white while overlooking the San Francisco bay has to be (at least) one of my ideas of heaven. A visit to San Francisco will fill you with joy and I have no doubt that once you go, you will want to return.

Summary: One of the most beautiful cities in the world