Busy in Berkeley: First Time in San Francisco!

I love San Francisco!

We went to San Francisco for the first time yesterday and it was amazing! I definitely love it. We took the BART there, which goes underneath the San Francisco Bay, and got out at the Port of San Francisco at Pier 1. Next, we walked to Pier 39, which is a big tourist attraction because of all the shops and restaurants. The view of the Bay was just spectacular and I was dying to be out on one of the sailboats. We could see Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge, but only the very top because it was covered in fog! The fog is so thick and looks like clouds right above the water, and I see a lot of it every day rolling in from the Bay. It’s what makes the San Francisco area so cold; even though it’s California, I’m usually bundled up in a fleece and long pants. By far the best part of the Pier 39 area, and actually the whole day, was the sea lions. Hundreds of them are gathered on top of the floating wooden docks and their behavior is just hilarious! They’re all cuddling together, and then when one enters or exits the water, he or she has to step on top of all of the others, and they all start getting mad and making crazy noises! They were absolutely adorable and all of the visitors were just staring in awe; I would have stayed longer but our group had to be somewhere else! I’m excited to go back and visit the sea lions again.

Next we headed to Fisherman’s Wharf nearby Pier 39. There were a ton of delicious seafood restaurants around and I really wanted to eat some, but I didn’t want to get lost from my group, who instead went to In-N-Out Burger. I had a vegetarian burger, which was just a regular burger but without meat, and it was not as good as I expected it to be from hearing how others describe it. I think only Californians can truly appreciate it. Afterwards I went to Ghirardelli Square to buy some chocolate, and sadly, it wasn’t as awesome as I was hoping. In fact, the Ghirardelli store in Chicago was way bigger and had a wider selection. Someone told me that the San Francisco store didn’t need all the “frills and thrills” like the one in Chicago, but I have a thing for big, gaudy stores, so I was underwhelmed.

After eating we walked, A LOT, up and down hills in various San Francisco neighborhoods to get to Chinatown. The architecture of the houses and how they are all lined up on top of each other on the steep streets is pretty interesting, but I think it would be difficult to walk and drive around everyday! I got a glimpse of Lombard Street- the world’s curviest street- from afar, and this is a spot I’ll definitely have to see up close in the future.

Chinatown was a new experience for me because no one spoke English there at all! All of the signs were in Chinese as well, so I didn’t want to buy anything because I couldn’t tell which items were vegetarian and which weren’t. The food did look amazing though- a lot of street markets with fresh produce and Asian cuisine were available for the tasting.

Finally, we ended up in Union Square, which was my favorite area. It is right in the heart of downtown San Francisco with big buildings and a lot of shopping, much like other big American cities. I liked it so much that I came back today just so I could look around at all of the great stores on my own time. Although the downtown area looks like other cities, the vibe in San Francisco is super different than other places, I imagine. Gay Pride flags fly at street corners, the smell of marijuana is prevalent, trolley cars file up and down the streets, and I’m usually the only blonde person around. Also, a lot of San Francisco’s taxis are hybrid cars, and composting and recycling are really emphasized. So environmentally friendly! I also saw a large number of people doused in metallic spray paint dancing around for change, as well as other street performers. I heard that metal people are San Francisco’s “thing.” I also saw the infamous “Bush Man,” a man who hides behind two leafy branches and scares people, who is also looking for money. And the number of homeless people holding humorous signs was endless. For example, I saw “need money for weed research,” “why lie, I need beer,” and “need money for cat food,” among others. It makes me sad to see so many homeless people, but hopefully they do get enough money to survive.

I’m so glad that I got to see San Francisco and I honestly wish I could go there everyday after work. I really love big cities, and the uniqueness of San Francisco makes it so exciting and interesting. I can’t wait to go back!