San Francisco: See the Top 5 Attractions in 5 Hours

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Today I am sharing one of my favorite all time spots to visit, the city by the Bay- San Francisco. It's a great place for a day trip or an extended vacation. I was there for just a few hours this time, so this post will cover the 5 places I visited in 5 hours. These are the most popular attractions, and well known to most vistiors. Some day I hope to take time to find some of the hidden treasure of the city. I suggest you visit SFO on a weekday, and wait until 9:30 am to hit the road. Start north of the city and work your way south, this seems to work better with the traffic flow. Amazingly, we didn't get stuck sitting in gridlock!

The Golden Gate Bridge

I've been fortunate to visit the bridge several times. However I've never had the chance to walk across it. We walked half way and turned around- the wind was blowing hard! My alma mater is only a 90 min drive from SFO. I did 4 years of college in Stockton, and often students went for weekend trips to the bay area. It's a special place to me, and there is always something new to discover.

The view is spectacular and will take your breath away. Euphoria is the only way to describe what you feel when you first see it. When you visit, dress in layers to stay warm . Don't be silly like me and wear a skirt, the July sun had me fooled! Even though it can be warm in the city, it's always cool by the bridge.

What makes this view so unique? The bridge often appears to be suspended in mid air among the clouds. I think its rare to see the entire bridge in clear view. I've never seen it without clouds present, ha ha!  

The Golden Gate Bridge made it's debut on May 19th 1937. I was reading the history of it a few years ago , and discovered it opened on the very day my dad was born, a special place indeed.

The big rock sitting on the side, is so unique. I'm not sure if anyone has attempted to climb it, I had a fleeting thought about getting a boat and riding out to it...ha! Oh wow, the photo shoot you could get standing on top there!

If you do walk or bike ride across the bridge, hold on tight to all your belongings. My camera almost ended up in the bay, the wind about ripped it out of my hand!

Lombard Street

Your visit is not complete with out a trip to Lombard street. Walking or driving, it's a stupendous view from the most crooked street in the world! This famous street has 8 hairpin turns, and is located in the neighborhood called Russian Hill. I always take the lazy way out and only walk down, not up ha ha! Next time I will have to hike upward, it's good exercise.

The houses are so beautiful and unusual, living here would be the ultimate! For chunk change in the amount of 4 million, one of these gorgeous homes could be yours.

Pier 39- Fisherman's Wharf

This is my favorite destination in San Francisco. I have fond memories of visiting the wharf with my college buddies. Pier 39 has amazing things to do and is very family friendly. If you are a foodie, be prepared to eat eat eat! Whichever type of food you are craving, it's here! The people watching and zany street performers are entertaining to say the least!

Pier 39 also has a variety of unique shops, a video arcade, virtual 3D rides, an aquarium and boat tours galore. On most days you can see the huge sea lions getting their suntan on. The view of Alcatraz from the pier is quite amazing too . 

 As I mentioned earlier I have been to SFO a number of times, but have never taken the tour of the jail bird island. It's been unavailable at times over the years, check the Pier website for the latest updates.

A big hit with the kiddos is the two-story carousel ( and big kids like me!). It's always fun to be like a child again, if only for a few minutes!

Both of my grown kids are left handed, so we always stop at the lefty store. This is a super fun store, so make sure you stop in if you visit the wharf.

The Painted Ladies

This was my first time to visit the world famous Victorian homes sitting high on the hill. The city skyline view in the background was so gorgeous. The popular sitcom "Full House" was filmed here, I'm sure this adds to the popularity factor.

The largest of the painted ladies was the most recent one to sell in 2010. It sits on the corner of Steiner and Grove streets. and has ornate Italian touches.

Cable Car Ride

The cable car ride is the ultimate San Francisco experience! It is manually operated and the last one in the world to be operated this way. Only three of the original routes remain from the 1800's. Wow- it's kind of scary when you are teetering at the top of the big hill. When the card heads downhill; oh my an adrenaline rush big time!

The Union Square route is tops in my book, as it offes the most interesting sights to see . The shopping is wonderful. A huge mall with several stories, awatis you at the end of the cable car line. The cable cars are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The cable car station is located close to Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory. Go grab some chocolate before you get in line, it usually a long wait for the ride.

That's it for my 5 hour tour. For a comprehensive list of things to do in San Francisco visit SFGate, a great resource for planning your trip.

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