The journey:
Singapore-Hong Kong – 3 hours 45 mins and 1 hour refuel stop
Hong Kong-San Francisco – 17 hours 35 mins
Duration: 5 days, 4 night
[1] Good Hotel – Our hotel is located pretty near to Market Street and the shopping district. Good enough 🙂 Cute and very clean room. Apparently, the hotel was designed to inspire the “good in us all”.
[2] Union Square – San Fran Visitor Information Centre (get all the brochures/maps you need and Muni passport (for unlimited bus/train/cable car rides)), Macy’s, Forever 21, Gap etc etc etc etc etc. All those sites I shop from..they are all physically here and I swear I flipped on the first day.
[3] Chinatown
Dim Sum – tried some stuff from a recommended dim sum shop (no idea what’s the name because the boyfriend did the research and I just well, tagged along) and another dim sum place (which offers proper tables & seats). The char siew baos weren’t great but I have to say I love the egg tarts to death. But nothing has beaten the memory of delicious dim sum from Yat Tung Heen – Eaton Hotel, Hong Kong yet.
American Ginseng for the sister from a little shop at Clay Street.
[4] Lombard Street, San Francisco’s Crookedest Street Nothing much but super crowded. Just a place to snap pics..I suppose a touristy spot to fulfill the San Francisco tourist eligibility. The real fun was when me managed to squeeeze (and I really mean squeeze and hang on)Â on to the cable car ride downhill. Super cool. That’s the only time too because the queues for cable cars are always crazy long.
[5] Hyde Street Pier, Pier 39, Fisherman’s Wharf etc
It was really refreshing the first time we got to the piers. However, after 4 days I think we have enough of sea gulls, sea breeze and sunshine. Some highlights were Musee Mecanique (must visit! we love it so much – all those vintage mechanical games), USS Pampanito (submarine museum and memorial), Ghirardelli Square and piping hot clam chowder with oyster crackers.
[6] Stow Lake & Golden Gate Park – My least favourite place. Needless to say, I was never a nature lover. Well, the boyfriend was happy to see trees and sunlight and roses, I have no idea why.
[7] Haight Ashbury – Real hippy place! Wished we had visited earlier as most shops were already closed by the time we got there. Dined at Asqew Grill, total LOVE! slurps.
[8] Alcatraz – I wasn’t too excited about this tour initially but the IHOP breaky was an awesome start to the day. It wasn’t too bad; the audio tour was really good and the place didn’t turn out as spooky as I expected.
[9] Golden Gate Bridge – In awe of the structure and view. I realize I am much more of a building person than a tree person. People in the cars driving past the bridge were spontaneous and funny; waving, cheering and saying hellos.
[10] Japantown – Tried a recommended Japanese curry cafe called On the Bridge Cafe. Simple but quite good.
[11] 4th July Fireworks – Super crowded as expected but we went with the flow. It was a pleasant experience to watch “foreign” fireworks. The weather was cool so even though it was crowded, it was tolerable and people were courteous.
This is a backlog post that I intended to post a month ago. I am not the right person to even write about this. Simply because I was never the planner and have practically zero knowledge of what/where we were going to. I would always admit truthfully that I am nasty travel partner and so itineraries are required to contain 90% non-nature, non-exciting activities. Hence, this ain’t the best of San Fran yet 🙂