In August 2013, our California road trip could finally begin. After a long journey, we arrived in San Francisco, one of the main cities in Northern California. I will spare you the customs line that lasted for hours (with an exhausted baby), picking up the rental car, and the GPS scaring us a little, but we finally made it to San Francisco! Fortunately, our little boy was amazing and handled the trip really well.

When we arrived, we had the great surprise of discovering that our hotel was very well located. It was right in the center of San Francisco, on Union Square. The square is beautiful and it is the shopping heart of San Francisco.

Once we were settled in, we decided to start exploring San Francisco. We took a first walk near the hotel, around Union Square, and grabbed something to eat (burgers… we might as well jump straight into the American mood!). Because of the time difference, we quickly fell asleep, but at 5 a.m. we were wide awake and full of energy!

 

On the first day, we drove through the city to visit San Francisco, starting with the famous Golden Gate Bridge. It was foggy that day, which apparently is often the case in San Francisco. Like many people, we posed in front of the bridge even though it was under construction at the time.

We then headed to Alamo Square, where many tourists and San Francisco locals stroll around. From this park, you get a superb view of the very famous Painted Ladies. We then kept driving through the city to discover its Victorian houses and its different neighborhoods, including Chinatown.

To end the day, we tried a very high-calorie snack at the Cheesecake Factory on Union Square. I had heard about this chain several times, and we were not disappointed! You can also eat a full meal there if you want, and the menu looked really nice. 🙂

 

 

The next morning, we got up very early to visit the island and prison of Alcatraz. I had chosen the first tour of the morning, which is recommended in many guidebooks to avoid the crowds. I recommend it too, because there are naturally fewer people and you can really enjoy the visit! So we took the ferry to the island and discovered the famous prison. We visited both the inside and the outside with audio headsets provided for tourists.

Back from Alcatraz, we walked along Fisherman’s Wharf where you can notably see sea lions at Pier 39. It was very crowded because the area is extremely touristy, but it is a San Francisco must. At Fisherman’s Wharf, you will find many fish restaurants and snack spots, old naval ships, plenty of shops, and attractions.

After this walk by the ocean, we got back in the car and drove through San Francisco between modern skyscrapers and Victorian houses.

 

While in San Francisco, we of course drove down Lombard Street. It is made up of eight very tight turns, which earned it the title of the most crooked street in the United States. It is world-famous, and if you are in a car, you will have to wait in line to drive down it! You should also know that the Powell-Hyde cable car line stops right at the top of the street if you want to walk down instead.

 

 

In the evening, we joined Parisian friends who were also vacationing on the West Coast at the Marriot Marquis hotel. There is a bar with a 360° view over San Francisco. In fact, the same concept also exists at the Marriot Marquis in New York, which I had done as well.

We tried to see as many landmarks and attractions as possible in order to visit San Francisco, but with our little one, we had to adapt. Still, we already got a very good idea of what the beautiful city of San Francisco is all about. We loved this city because even though it is a large American city, it is very easy to get around by car, streetcar, or on foot. The city is also very interesting both for its architecture and for its diversity.

San Francisco is also known for being an open-minded city, and that is exactly the atmosphere you feel there. It is probably the most European city in the United States.