HEADED TO SAN FRANCISCO? HERE'S WHAT YOU SHOULDN'T MISS!
This beautiful city is popular all over the world due to its cable cars and the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. But there is more to the city than meets the tourist's eye. San Francisco also boasts of a unique mix of seaside views and diverse dining options, thanks to an area known as Fisherman's Wharf. Those who love vintage clothing and vinyl records may head over to Haight Ashbury to get their fill of the oldies but goodies. Hundreds of centuries-old buildings in the Presidio are also available for the history buffs.
In San Francisco you will find some beautiful attractions that you just cannot miss! Places like Golden Gate Bridge, Hike To The Top Of Angel Island, and The Palace Of Fine Arts and many more. Continue reading to know more.
1. Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge spans the Golden Gate, a one-mile-wide (1.6-kilometer) strait between San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The bridge spans the strait between San Francisco, California, and Marin County, transporting both US Route 101 and California State Route 1 across the strait. In 1917, engineer Joseph Strauss created the design. The American Society of Civil Engineers has designated it as one of the Modern World's Wonders.
2. Hike To The Top Of Angel Island
Angel Island is a California State Park and the largest island in the San Francisco Bay. We walked down to Pier 41 and boarded the Blue and Gold Ferry for a 15-minute ride to the island. The route is a 5.9-mile loop with a brief spur to a height of 788 feet. Mt. Livermore is the island's highest point.
3. The Palace Of Fine Arts
The Palace of Fine Arts was built to house art exhibits during the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition. It is one of only a few remaining structures from the Exposition, having been completely reconstructed between 1964 and 1974. The complex's most visible structure, a 162 foot open rotunda, is bordered on one side by a lagoon and on the other by a huge, curving exposition hall.
4. The Ferry Building Marketplace
The historic building is a perfect spot for the local Farmers to sell their high-quality food products. One of the finest food markets in the country, it gathers local farmers, artisan producers, and considered a shopping hub for local restaurants to buy daily ingredients. Not to mention the art and craft fair where artists sell their handmade jewellery, paintings, toys and pottery..
5. Watch The Bay Lights Of The Bay Bridge
What if the San Francisco Bay Bridge was turned into a stunning light canvas? That was the crucial question that led to the development of "The Bay Lights." 25,000 individual white LEDs are installed by light artist Leo Villareal along 1.8 miles (2.9 kilometers) of the cables on the north side of the suspension span of the bridge connecting Yerba Buena Island and San Francisco.
6. Start At The Filbert Steps
The steps begin on Sansome Street, only two blocks from the Embarcadero. These steps are famous because they are a wonderful way to get your heart rate up while visiting one of San Francisco's top attractions. There is also a nice garden on both sides of the path, as well as some fantastic bay views. Continue reading for information on where to get them and other things you can do to prepare for your climb.
7. San Francisco Cable Car System
These beautiful cars have adorned the city's transportation and cultural landscape since 1873. The vehicles are actually pulled by cables buried in the slot between the tracks. The cables are connected to a large motor at a central power station. This marvel of electrical and mechanical engineering allows visitors and locals to marvel at San Francisco's many beautiful attractions. The Powell/Hyde line is a gateway to shopping and dining options. The Powell/Mason cable car, on the other hand, gives you access to the North Beach district and the touristy Fisherman's Wharf. Luxury hotels and nightclubs, meanwhile, are all up for the taking at Nob Hill, which is accessible via the California/Van Ness line.
8. Chinatown
San Francisco's Chinatown, concentrated on Grant Avenue and Stockton Street, is the world's oldest and biggest Chinese community. It is home to the first and biggest Chinatown in North America. As defined by the Oxford Dictionaries, Chinatown is any non-Asian town's district, particularly a city or seaport, where the majority of the people is of Chinese descent.
9. Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park, located in San Francisco, California, is a large urban park with 1,017 acres of public space. It is the third most visited visited city park in the US since it houses a lot of attractions that visitors may be interested in. This includes visiting the De Young Museum where thousands of artifacts and international talents are displayed or strolling around the peaceful Japanese Tea Garden where it is filled with sights of nature, lanterns and statues. There are numerous attractions the Golden Gate offers so be sure to include this park in your must-see destinations.
10. Fisherman's Wharf
Fisherman's Wharf, located on the city's northern shore, is one of the busiest tourist destinations. At every turn, souvenir stores and booths offering crab and clam soup in sourdough bread bowls, as well as postcard vistas of the bay, Golden Gate, and Alcatraz, appear. There's also a sea lion colony to view and antique ships to tour. The renowned old chocolate factory now houses stores and cafes in Ghirardelli Square.
11. Alcatraz Island
The Alcatraz Island, located less than two miles of the coast of San Francisco, is notoriously known to be a federal facility where the most vicious felons were once locked up. Aside from this, the island also houses the first lighthouse in the Pacific Coast where it sits on top of the rocky island since 1854. Tourists would surely love visiting the one of a kind island to see the prison, the oldest lighthouse and the ruins of a military fort.
12. San Francisco Museum Of Modern Art
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) is a non-profit organization and a modern art museum located at the heart of San Francisco, California. As it strives to engage and inspire a wide range of audiences through its innovative program of exhibits, education, publication and collections, the museum is the dynamic center for modern and contemporary arts. It's home to numerous works of avant-garde paintings, sculptures, film and multimedia art that are world renowned which made SFMOMA's collection internationally recognized.The museum also prides itself as the first museum on the West Coast that is solely devoted to 20th century art.
13. Catch A Free Show At Amoeba Music
Amoeba Music is an American independent music store chain with locations in Berkeley, San Francisco, and Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1990 in Berkeley, California and remains in operation, having survived the decline of CD sales in the 2000s. Amoeba Music was founded by former employees of nearby Rasputin Records, and opened on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley in 1990. Cofounders include but are not limited to Marc Weinstein, Dave Prinz, Yvonne Prinz, and Kent Randolph.
14. Lombard Street
Located in San Francisco, California, the one-way block between Hyde and Leavenworth street made this street the most crooked roadway of the world. The picturesque switchbacks were recommended by a local property owner in the 1920s as a way to provide visual appeal while also boosting pedestrian safety.
15. Dare To Tour The Alcatraz At Night!
The Alcatraz Night Tour is an experience that would surely make one's blood run cold as it is an engaging experience where visitors tour the actual cellhouses that most dangerous felons in the States once called home. Before entering the actual prison, visitors are first ferried around the island as night falls and are able to see firsthand hidden spots that were once used for attempted escapes and also various prison structures that are not reachable by foot. Once docked, they are led by a guide to the cell houses, the main attraction of the tour where visitors are able to learn more about the history of the island prison.