This article describes a small excursion from the highway on days 4 and 5 during our trip up the west coast. San Francisco brought us a nice break from the road after three incredible days and over 1,000 miles of west coast. Neither of us had been to San Francisco before, and we found ourselves in the middle of things at Fisherman’s Wharf.

San Francisco is a city that we find to be the midpoint of our journey. Although I had never had a desire to visit San Francisco, I thought it would be a good time to take a break from the road and experience a great American city.

The whole family fell in love with San Francisco. There was so much to see and do, more than we could fit in two days. The people were nice, the weather was schizophrenic, and we felt safe. The heart of Fisherman’s Wharf, where our hotel was, sounded like a good place to stay and allow us to see a lot in no time.

Yes, the room and parking were a bit more expensive, but it was worth it. We couldn’t have been more pleased with the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel. The staff were pleasant and very helpful, and the hotel was within walking distance of many places of interest near the pier.

The highlight of our stay in San Francisco was having 48-hour tickets for the roofless hop-on, hop-off bus tour. Those entrances were the gateway to getting the most out of the city in no time. At $ 35 for an adult ticket and about half that price for a child, you can see a lot of San Francisco while someone else is driving. It was a great bargain.

There were around 22 stops on the tour. We could get off at a stop, explore that area for a while, and then hop on the next bus to continue the tour when we are ready.

The buses came every 20-30 minutes. The open-top feature of the buses was one of the best parts, allowing him to not only see San Francisco, but smell, hear, and feel it. And in feeling it, let me tell you that I didn’t know that it was possible to get sunburned and freeze to death at the same time.

There were certain points of interest throughout the tour that really caught our eye.

1. Of course, Fisherman’s Wharf was our starting point and there was a lot to see there – lots of food, shopping, unique street performers, and action in every way. Ferries to Alcatraz departed from the pier from time to time.

2. Haight-Ashbury area: The hippie scene around here continues to flourish with art, shops, and great posters.

3. Civic Center area: home to Symphony Hall, City Hall, Opera, a library, and more

4. Painted Ladies – These famous townhomes need a paint job if you ask me

5. Union Square – Serious designer shops, restaurants, galleries, and exceptional people watching.

6. Chinatown: food and shops, stores, shops

7. Golden Gate Bridge: we crossed it twice on each route; bring a coat!

8. Golden Gate Park – Huge! The location of a Japanese tea garden, de Young museum, music contest, and botanical gardens

9. Palace of Fine Arts: a theater with a beautiful rotunda

10. Pier 33 – We saw many Alcatraz ferries and other sights on the scenic historic walking route from Pier 33

11. Pier 39: Aquarium of the Bay, sea lions, attractions and shops

12. Alamo Square Park: large park with the city skyline in the distance

13. Little Italy: near the beautiful Church of Saints Peter and Paul, home to many (of course) Italian restaurants

At the end of our two days in San Francisco, we were ready for another visit. It would be worth taking a more in-depth look at the city and the points of interest described above. We also had to save Alcatraz for our next trip because the people on the tour made a mistake with our reservations; apparently i booked them too early and your computer forgot about it. So be sure to confirm reservations if you want to see Alcatraz; you will never see so many people eager to go to jail. We still had a lot to see and do in San Francisco, and we can’t wait to see it again.