San Francisco in three days: the main attractions of the city. San Francisco (CA) Visit san francisco

Let's continue talking about the sights of San Francisco, which are usually included in the list of must-see places.

– Painted Ladies, Alamo Square, San Francisco

Introduction to America

San Francisco – Attractions (1)

During walks, I tried to photograph Victorian houses, but one place deserved our evening shooting - which became the hallmark of the park Alamo Square.

To begin with, we will visit one interesting place - a street with eight sharp turns similar to a ski slope, or rather, a small section of this street. The length of its famous curved section is about 400 meters. This part Lombard Street one-sided and curved so as to smooth out a very steep slope. According to safety rules, the speed on it should not exceed 8 km / h.

In the 20s of the XX century, people living on this street wanted to keep up with their neighbors and get cars. But the street was also too steep for vehicles with a 27% gradient. In addition, such inconveniences had a negative impact on the value of houses located along this steep section of the road. As a result, it was decided to reduce the slope to a tolerable 16%, and make the road curved. This solution, in 1922, was proposed by a certain Carl Henry. Thanks to Karl, as well as many gardeners and, of course, funding from the city government, Lombard Street has become not only the most winding street, but also one of the most beautiful.

Tourists will certainly be brought to this attraction if you take a tour. ABOUT Lombard Street it is said to be "the crookedest street in the world".

– Lombard Street

– Lombard Street

Address: Lombard Street between Hyde and Leavenworth Streets, San Francisco, California, USA

And now to the postcard view "Painted Ladies". From the park Alamo Square, which is located on a hill, offers beautiful views, but the view is towards the center San Francisco, on top of the roofs of beautiful Victorian houses the most popular, the most beautiful.

In 1856 the mayor of the city, James Van Ness, allocated 5 hectares of land for development on the top of the hill. Wealthy citizens immediately liked the area and began to quickly build up. Every homeowner wanted his house to be prettier and smarter than the others. Especially famous is a row of six two-story houses, which are called "Painted Ladies". These sparkling multi-colored, and in the evenings and intricately lit, houses look like dollhouses. Some of these houses are inhabited, but inside the interior and things of past centuries are preserved, even gas lamps are used.

During the earthquake of 1906, most of the houses were destroyed or destroyed by fires, but six "Painted Ladies" stood close to each other. These houses are also called "six sisters". The houses were built between 1892 and 1896, and their developer was Matthew Kavanagh who lived next door in a mansion.

Interestingly, the word Alamo means "poplar" in Spanish and in the early 1800s, a lone poplar tree stood on the hill, giving the place its first name, Alamo Hill.

When we photographed these houses close up, a cat was cleaning up in one of the windows, and when her enthusiastic occupation was over, her face was unimaginably surprised at our impudence and arrogance. Now we call such a grimace on the face - "Pussy from San Francisco." 🙂

"Painted Ladies" are located at 710–720 Steiner Street. Tours are given to one of the houses where the old interior has been preserved.

This day fell out of my story, because we devoted it to shopping trips.

Morning, already for San Francisco (San Francisco), traditionally dedicated the Golden Gate Bridge. This object is number 1 for all visiting plans, but I will write more about sunrises and sunsets spent at the bridge later. I’ll make a separate post, otherwise I’m afraid that I’ll get bored if I often show views Bridge "Golden Gate" (Golden Gate Bridge). 🙂

The day was overcast and rainy. In the morning we went to Sports Basement Presidio(610 Old Mason St. The Presidio San Francisco, CA 94129). We went to the store during the day REI(840 Brannan Street, San Francisco, CA 94103) where we had to return unused gas bottles. Then we went to Bay Street Shopping Center(Bay Street-Emeryville 5604 Bay Street, Emeryville, CA 94608) with a store Barnes & Noble. I wanted to buy a nook. Also, already at my insistence, visited japan town(22 Peace Plaza #510, San Francisco, CA 94115).

The five-tiered Peace Pagoda made of concrete is the symbol of this place. Around it is a park with cherry trees. And how many small eateries and restaurants! It seems like the healthiest food in the states is Japanese, made by the Japanese for the Japanese.

Well, some photos from the park with cherry blossoms Peace Pagodas as a tribute to spring.

Art Museum in San Francisco, which houses an extensive collection of works of art dating back to the late XIX-XXI centuries.

The museum opened in 1935 and at the time was the only art museum on the West Coast of the United States dedicated exclusively to 20th-century art. Today in this museum you can see the works of such masters of the brush, sculptors and designers as Henri Matisse, Marcel Duchamp, Ansel Adams, Franz Marc, Theo van Duisburg, Paul Klee, Jackson Pollock, Martin Kippenberger, Klaus von Bruch, Kerry James Marshall, Eero Saarinen - more than 26 thousand works.

Alcatraz prison

Alcatraz prison is located on the island of the same name in the San Francisco Strait, in the United States. Since the 1850s, the island has had a defensive fort, later converted into a military prison. Then Alcatraz turned into a heavily defended prison for repeat offenders and especially dangerous criminals. Prisoners from other prisons were mainly transferred here. Today, the prison has long ceased to function for its intended purpose and has become a museum. It was closed in 1962, and since 1973 the island has become available for visiting.

The prison was famous for the fact that it was impossible to escape from it. In the eastern wing of the prison there were solitary confinement cells without basic amenities, where, moreover, the prisoners were in complete darkness, being in them was considered one of the most severe punishments in this prison. The prisoners in Alcatraz lived according to a strict daily routine that did not change for years. Each of them had the right to food, clothing, medical care and a roof over their heads. Prisoners earned additional privileges by work. The prison sentence was heightened by the proximity of San Francisco. For the prisoners, this was a sophisticated torture: to see, hear and smell freedom, but not be able to get there.

Such well-known criminals as Al Capone, Henry Young, Robert Stroud and others served their sentences here.

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Golden Gate Theater

The Golden Gate Theater was opened in 1922 as a vaudeville theater. In those days, there was a strict dress code - men had to attend the theater in a headdress, and women had to wear evening dresses. Later, in the 60s of the last century, the building was used as a cinema, but at the end of the 70s the theater stage was again restored here to show dramatic productions and musicals.

The theater usually plays the same musicals and shows that have already been shown in theaters on Broadway in New York. The Golden Gate Theater has shown such famous Broadway musicals as "Mama Mia", "Chicago" and "Legally Blonde".

The theater also hosts solo performances by famous performers. For example, in 2011, Diana Ross performed here, and in September 2012, Olivia Newton-John, an Australian country music singer, winner of four Grammy awards.

Coit Tower is a beautiful observation platform located on the top of Telegraph Hill and a unique monument of US history during the Great Depression. It was then, in the thirties of the last century, that the Coit Tower was built. From Telegraph Hill, and even more so from the tower, a wonderful view of the city opens up. The height of the Coit tower together with the hill is one hundred and fifty-five meters.

The original idea of ​​building a tower in memory of the firefighters of San Francisco changed, and the Tower became a kind of mini-art gallery, reflecting a new direction in the art of those years, which was called "New Taste". The entire interior of the tower was decorated by San Francisco artists in the style of socialist realism. The motifs used in the design touch upon the problems of agriculture, education, urban and rural life that were relevant at that time, express social protest and are full of a desire to inspire people to create a new ideal world. So, a man on one of the frescoes holds Marx's Capital in his hands, and on the shelves behind you can see the books of Bukharin and Trotsky.

On the way back from the Tower, you can take a pleasant walk down the picturesque steep steps of Filbert Street.

California Academy of Sciences

A US scientific organization that exists as a major museum of natural history. It was founded in 1853. Now he is engaged in scientific research, exhibitions and education.

In 2008, the Academy moved to a new building in the Golden Gate Park. Its construction lasted more than 10 years and cost the authorities $500 million. It includes not only scientific, office, administrative and museum departments, but also an aquarium, a planetarium, a scientific archive, a library, a botanical garden, a lecture hall, a 3D cinema, two restaurants, a Naturalist Center, a terrace with lawns on the roof (the so-called "Green roof"), aviary, shops.

With its state-of-the-art building, the Academy is one of the most modern museums in the world. Dioramas of African animals, a giant open-mouthed tyrannosaurus rex skeleton and many other exhibits are displayed on a space of 4,000 square meters.

A planetarium with a huge dome looms over the world's deepest simulated living coral reef. Under another dome, there is a real tropical rainforest with 40 different species of birds. In total, more than 10 thousand different creatures live in the museum.

Bay Bridge

The Bay Bridge is one of the most beautiful and longest bridges in the world. It was built in 1936 at a high angle, which made it as vulnerable as possible. Today, almost eighty years after the construction of the bridge began, its deterioration is noticeable to the naked eye. The earthquake that hit San Francisco in 1989 played a big role in this.

Since 1993, a new bridge has been under construction parallel to the Bay Bridge, which in 2013 should completely replace the old Bay Bridge. The reality is that within the next two decades, another earthquake should hit San Francisco, which the old Bay Bridge is unlikely to survive. More than six billion dollars have already been spent on the construction of the new bridge.

City Park "Golden Gate"

San Francisco has a wonderful urban public park called Golden Gate. The park is a marvel of designer landscape and is very popular with both city residents and visiting tourists.

Golden Gate Park stretches from the city center to the ocean. Its area exceeds 400 hectares. There are lakes with islands, valleys, hills, plains, forests and waterfalls. The annual attendance of the park is approximately equal to thirteen million. The park has all the conditions for hiking and cycling, leisure activities, sports and recreation with children.

Golden Gate Park is divided into several main areas: the Academy of Sciences, the Conservatory of Flowers, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Botanical Garden, the Bison Pen, Stowe Lake, the Japanese Tea Garden, the windmills and the music area.

Are you curious to know how well you know the sights of San Francisco? .

Lombard Street

Lombard Street is one of those places that everyone has seen, but did not know what it was called. Popularity came to the famous winding street of San Francisco through participation in many feature films. Nevertheless, the street acquired this form not for the sake of shocking, but in order to smooth out the 27-degree slope of the hill on which it is located.

Lombard Street began to be settled in the twenties of the last century. Of course, many residents wanted to have their own vehicles, but the steepness of the hill did not allow them to even dream of such a luxury. The city administration came to their aid, which convened a special commission to resolve this issue. As a result, it was decided to create the most curved street, which reduced the slope to a tolerable 16 degrees.

The most popular attractions in San Francisco with descriptions and photos for every taste. Choose the best places to visit famous places in San Francisco on our website.

More San Francisco attractions

The hotel I booked for a few nights was located near one of San Francisco's most striking landmarks - Chinatown, and, of course, I spent the evening of my first day in “the most European city in the USA” among the continuously trading, chewing and hurrying somewhere Chinese. I highly recommend tasting the roast duck at one of the many eateries there - before going to San Francisco, I heard that the Chinese there are especially good at this dish, and its taste is not inferior to the duck bought somewhere in Shanghai or Guangzhou. I confirm that the dish is excellent, subsequently I dined exclusively in Chinatown and precisely with duck. The block and the place itself are extremely curious, and it begins with the "Dragon Gate" (Dragon Gate), a gift to the city of San Francisco from the government of Taiwan, made in classic Chinese style and installed at the southern end of the block, near Bush Street.

The image of the dragon will haunt you everywhere in Chinatown - and indeed without it, any place on the globe where the Chinese live compactly is unthinkable, be it the Chinatown of San Francisco, Paris or Bangkok. All Chinese, regardless of where they live, consider themselves descendants of the Dragon - “long tik chuan ren”, and in general, according to legend, the Chinese nation and its culture were formed around the Dragon (“Long”), which is considered the embodiment of power, perfection, greatness and divine favor. Unlike European dragons and their Russian deviations such as the Serpent-Gorynych, which were distinguished by extremely bad habits, the Chinese Dragon is wise and noble, the Chinese revere him very much and build beautiful temples in his honor.

The central artery of Chinatown San Francisco is Grant Avenue, along which most of the local attractions are located, such as St. Mary's Square (St. Mary square - north of the Dragon Gate), St. Mary's Cathedral and Portsmouth Square (Portsmouth square ).

It is Portsmouth Square that is the symbol of "Chinese life" in San Francisco: old people play Chinese chess there, people of all ages do Tai Chi gymnastics. In the center of the park there is a copy of the Goddess of Democracy in memory of the students' protests suppressed by the authorities of communist China on Beijing's Tiananmen Square. A little away from Grant Avenue is the Tin How Temple, it was not so easy to find it, and in the process of searching for it, I encountered an unusual moment for America: people in the USA in general and in San Francisco in particular are very friendly and always ready to help the tourist. Which, unfortunately, I cannot say about the Chinese inhabitants of San Francisco's Chinatown. For a long time I could not find the Tin Hao temple among other picturesque Chinese houses and decided to ask the local people where to look for it. Three times I turned to Chinese passers-by with a request to show me the way, and all three times I was not only not shown, but not even particularly honored with an answer. The natives only screwed up their already narrow eyes contemptuously and ran further on their Chinese affairs, without even turning their heads in my direction and without listening to the end of the question. Everyone looked as if he was at least Confucius, and I was a bucket of garbage - and not local. Perhaps I didn’t formulate the request correctly and it shouldn’t have started with the phrase “excuse me sir, would you help me ...” - they probably decided that I would start begging for money from them. As a result, I did find the temple itself, but the refusal of the local residents not only to show the way, but even simply to answer, was very dissonant with the attitude of other residents of the city of San Francisco - both Euro-Americans, and African-Americans, and especially Latinos (the latter are simply ready to take you by the hand to where you need to go). By the way, regarding the wording of the question: indeed, you shouldn’t say “Would you help me” - in the States, people are really scared of this, they checked it in different cities, it’s better to immediately “Please tell me where ...”

Returning to the Tin Hao Temple - this is the oldest Chinese temple in the United States, it was erected in honor of the safe arrival of the first Chinese immigrants in San Francisco. The temple is really tiny and not easy to find, the western wall is decorated with gilded wood carvings in honor of Ting Hao, God of Heaven. Numerous paper lanterns hang from the ceiling of the temple - it is believed that while the lantern is burning, it brings health and happiness to the person in whose honor it was lit. The exact address of the Tin Hao Temple: Waverly place, 125.

In the north, Chinatown is limited by Broadway Street - unlike its New York namesake, which is filled not with music halls and neon lights, but mostly establishments and characters, to one degree or another related to the semi-legal sex services : porn cinemas, strip clubs and street prostitutes (often being police officers and delivering their unlucky clients not to “numbers”, but directly to the police station). Other San Francisco Broadway establishments include the Hustler Club, founded by the famous Larry Flynt, and the Stinking Rose Restaurant (Stinking Rose, 325 Columbus avenue), which is soaked through with the smell of garlic.

Graffiti in Chinese:

Sights of San Francisco, day two

Russian Hills, Lombard Street, Golden Gate Bridge, West Paris, Fishermans Wharf, Telegraph Hill, Filbert Street.

My second day in San Francisco started with a walk around the area Russian Hills— it was the closest attraction of the city to my hotel. One of the most striking features of the city of San Francisco is its relief, namely the famous steep hills on which the city is built:

In the Russian Hills area, you can see this feature of San Francisco in all its splendor, and not even bothering your legs too much: one of the branches of the legendary San Francisco cable tram, the Powell-Hyde line, passes along Hyde street:

on which you can get to the picturesque Lombard street, known as crookedest street - "the most winding street in the USA":



The street really meanders like a snake crawling along the ground, and along its entire length it is literally immersed in greenery. Absolutely all visitors to San Francisco consider it their duty to walk or drive along this famous street - and I did not violate this rule.

An obligatory shot for all those who came to the city of San Francisco for the first time is “cable tram with Alcatraz Island in the background”:

Going down Lombard Street, I came to the intersection of Columbus avenue and Beach street, where I was tempted to rent a bike and ride it to one of the most recognizable symbols of San Francisco and the USA in general: Bridge Golden Gate (Golden Gate):

San Francisco Landmarks: Golden Gate Bridge

The Golden Gate Bridge was the largest suspension bridge in the world from its construction in 1937 until 1964, its length is 1970 meters, the height of the supports is 230 meters above the water. The first twelve hours after its opening, the Golden Gate Bridge was provided exclusively to pedestrians, and then, at the signal of President Roosevelt, motor vehicles were allowed to enter the bridge.

The six-banded red giant is notable for many things - and, among other things, is known as one of the most popular places on Earth to settle accounts with life. On average, every two weeks, someone decides on such a radical way to get rid of life's problems, and, according to unofficial data (official statistics were stopped in 1995, when the number of suicides reached 1000), over more than 70 years of its existence, the Golden Gate Bridge has become "springboard" to a better world for more than 1300 people.

The fall from the bridge lasts 4 seconds, the body enters the water at a speed of 120 km / h, which causes it to receive multiple injuries, often incompatible with life. According to information for 2006, of all those who jumped from the bridge, only 26 people survived, all of them entered the water feet first. Another curious fact from the “life” of the Golden Gate Bridge: on May 18, 2004, a deer crossed the bridge for the first time, paralyzing traffic on the bridge for twenty minutes with its act.

My bike ride to the Golden Gate Bridge, then along the bridge itself to the opposite bank and back to the rental point took exactly two hours with frequent photographing of the bridge, myself against its background, picturesque surroundings and cost me 16 dollars (hourly bike rental - 8 bucks per hour) .

But it is definitely worth it: firstly, it takes a very long time to walk there, and secondly, it requires a fair amount of physical fitness - the landscape there is green hilly. On the way back from the bridge to the bike rental point, I came across another San Francisco attraction called "Western Paris":

All this pseudo-antique beauty was built in 1915 specifically for the Panama Pacific exhibition, timed to coincide with the opening of the Panama Canal.

After handing over the bike, I walked around the area Fisherman's Wharf, where he completed another mandatory item of the San Francisco visit program: he dined on the pier with the famous Clam chouder soup: this is the famous American thick rich seafood soup. Fisherman's Wharf- This is another attraction of San Francisco; in its western part, it is represented by the so-called Fish Alley, where in numerous fish restaurants you can taste everything that can be prepared from seafood harvested in this part of the world.

On the waterfront east of Fish Alley, you can visit a US Navy transport and a World War II submarine that have been turned into public museums:

and in the building of one of the port facilities there is an exhibition of antique slot machines - many of them are quite playable, although the inscriptions warn to be careful with them, because "most of them are older than you will ever be":

After the slot machines, I reached the "rookery of sea lions" - these animals were given several wooden platforms near one of the piers, and on these platforms they bask in the sun, entertaining the walkers.

There is also a pier nearby, from which ferries depart, including to the famous Alcatraz island (Alcatraz), "America's most famous prison", a place that has been sung more than once in Hollywood films:

To the east of this pier is Fisherman's Wharf Market, famous for its seafood, fruits and vegetables (Pier 39).

Another attraction in the San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf area is the Aquarium, located just west of Pier 41, and consisting of three parts: "Explore the Bay" (Discovery the Bay), "Under the Water" (Under the Bay) and "Touch the Bay" ( Touch the Bay). Its highlight is a huge transparent pipe through which visitors pass, while sea reptiles swim in schools from all sides. The people and the inhabitants of the abyss seem to have changed places there: people in the “aquarium” pipe, while the fish looks at them with pleasure from above, being in relative freedom.

My walk through Fisherman's Wharf went on to storm the steep Telegraph Hill, where we rise another attraction of this part of San Francisco - Coit tower:

The tower was built with money from Lily Coit in 1934. The lady was known for her panic fear that one day a grandiose fire “like in Chicago” could start in San Francisco, and an observation tower was vital for the timely detection of a fire. According to its original purpose, the Coit Tower is no longer used, but the views from it are amazing, which tourists from all over the world willingly use. True, I didn’t climb the tower itself - firstly, it was a pity to spend 12 bucks on it, and secondly, there was a long queue at the entrance. After Telegraph Hill, I decided to look at one attraction in the city of San Francisco - a picturesque Filbert street located nearby:

In fact, this is not quite a street, but rather a string of narrow wooden bridges winding between beautiful old mansions immersed in greenery.

Filbert Street is considered by many to be the most beautiful street in San Francisco. From my point of view, Lombard Street, which I have already mentioned, could well compete with Filbert for the title of “most beautiful” - but, be that as it may, both of them are among the main attractions of San Francisco.

Filbert street leads to Levi Plaza area, which owes its name to the "inventor" of jeans Levi Strauss. The history of jeans and Levi Strauss himself is quite worthy of a brief retelling. It began in 1829 in Bavaria, when a seventh child named Leiba was born in a poor Orthodox Jewish family of immigrants from Western Ukraine. Even as a Strauss, Leiba was not eager to become a musician, but, like any decent Jew, he wanted to become a millionaire. In 1853, the young Leiba moved to San Francisco and shortened his name to Levi - it was this version of him that was destined to become a world famous brand. At the same time, California is in a gold rush, and Levy begins to sew from tent fabric (there was no other handy) durable overalls for prospectors; for his first jumpsuit, Levy was paid $6 in gold dust. According to one version of the origin of the name of his products, Levy ordered material for his pants in Italy, and the bales arrived in the States from Genoa marked "Genes" - for the Americans it sounded like "jeans". Currently, the Jewish Museum in Berlin houses Levi's 501 jeans, revered as one of the most valuable gifts of the Jewish people to the rest of humanity.

One of the most common types of residents of the city of San Francisco:

Sights of San Francisco, day three

Business District (Market Street and Embarcadero), Castro District, Twin Peaks Hills and Trans-American Pyramid.

The morning of my third day in San Francisco was marked by an exciting trip to another attraction of the city, which would be unforgivable to miss - old cable tram:

Before Streets Market I rode hanging on its running board - and not because there was no room inside, but because that is how it is customary to ride streetcars in San Francisco: tourists, and yuppies in office ties, and hippies in picturesque rags. The Negro conductor all the way good-naturedly quarreled with passers-by and, judging by their reaction, they were all his good friends.

Here on this platform the trams are deployed:

Along Market Street - this is essentially the central street that runs through the whole city from the embankment to Castro district- I walked to Embarcadero streets, there went to take a look at Hyatt Regency Hotel, famous for its revolving rooftop restaurant, was impressed by the bourgeois chic and moved on.

In the lobby of the hotel there is a model “Alcatraz prison with a section” - apparently so that the rich hotel guests do not forget that anything can happen in life and, as they say, “from the bag to the prison” ...

I didn’t get into the restaurant on the roof itself - my very worn jeans and worn-out sneakers did not correspond to the general atmosphere there. At the exit from the Hayatt, I was overwhelmed by the desire to go to Alcatraz Island (Alcatraz) - initially, my plans to visit this San Francisco attraction did not appear, I am not a fan of prison romance and have not watched a single Hollywood movie about this legendary American prison. At pier 33 (where the boats leave for Alcatraz), I was predictably expected to announce that the island was closed due to a government shut-down. themselves and failed to pass the budget for the new fiscal year, which began on October 1, and for this reason, almost all federally funded institutions (except those related to national security) were closed and their employees were sent on unpaid leave. In short, the trip to Alcatraz did not come true for me and I decided to look at another famous San Francisco attraction - Twin Peaks hills, and before that, take a walk around the global "mecca" of LGBT characters - the Castro district. But first my legs carried me to Embarcadero Center- a huge multifunctional retail, office, hotel and entertainment complex, consisting of eight buildings with a total area of ​​400 thousand square meters. meters.

Located nearby fountain by Armand Vellancourt Unfortunately, it has been turned off. When turned on, it resembles volumetric graffiti or stylized open square veins from which transparent blood flows:

Further, the path lay to the hills of Twin Peaks, and on the way there was another attraction of San Francisco: the Castro district, known as the place of compact residence of "rainbow" characters and almost the world center of the subculture of sexual minorities. Getting there is quite simple - this is the end station of the MUNI metro lines K, L, M and T.

Personally, Castro didn’t impress me much, the district as a district - in the sense of “LGBT lawlessness”, some places in Amsterdam look more outrageous - only rainbow flags fly over almost every entrance, and one of them proudly flies on a tall flagpole, like a state banner:

The Castro district is also known for its eponymous cinema, where films are shown on hot topics for gays and lesbians, as well as the Asia SF restaurant, where you will be served by transvestite waitresses.

Quite curious, but if you have already visited Pattaya or some specific areas of Bangkok, you are unlikely to be surprised by anything there.

In general, the Castro district makes, oddly enough, a rather solid impression - even sex shops with all sorts of dildos and lubricants look respectable and bourgeois there. However, if you are extremely uncomfortable with the sight of men walking around the floor and flirting men, it is better not to go there.

After walking around the Castro district, I took bus 37 (the stop is located at the corner of Market and 16th streets) and drove it almost to the saddle between the two famous Twin Peaks hills - I don’t recommend going to this San Francisco landmark on foot, you will have to climb long and high , after such a walk, you won’t want anything at all.

Road to Twin Peaks:

By the way, the bus and tram fare in San Francisco costs $2 and the driver does not give change from higher denomination banknotes, which is even written on the bus entrance. But the public transport drivers in San Francisco are quite good-natured people and when I tried to pay with a 10-dollar bill for lack of others, they just drove me for free. And one African-American tram driver was easily satisfied with a handful of change from my pocket in the amount of 1.80 bucks - there was no more, only the same ten ..

View of the city of San Francisco from the hills of Twin Peaks:

The view from the hills is beautiful, but, in addition to the city itself, it is also very clearly visible and smog above it:

On the way back, the story of ticketless travel was repeated: there was simply nowhere to change money on the hills. In principle, the bus driver was not particularly against my ticketless travel, but my conscience had already “tormented” me (it tends to wake up if the drivers and conductors are normal people and do not rest against the horn - they say, “either pay or go on foot”) and I tried to exchange money with one of the passengers - and in the process of this exchange I met a very soulful Mexican, Jose, who helped me with the exchange and also gave me a lot of practical advice.

Having learned about my misadventures with their American government shut-down (in four days I planned to go to several national parks from Las Vegas and really hoped that this political problem of theirs would be successfully resolved by that time and the national parks would reopen), he took out an iPad and all the way I tried to google something encouraging on this topic, but at that time there was no good news. But the very desire to help a stranger was pleasant and very different from the attitude of the inhabitants of Chinatown the day before. In conclusion, Jose took me to some bar to his friends, where the cashier exchanged another ten dollars for me. Then I took the MUNI metro to the Embarcadero station and walked for a couple of hours Financial District of San Francisco- Montgomery Street, Union Square.

In those parts is located Trans American pyramid (Transamerica Pyramid, www.transamerica.com), San Francisco's most unusual skyscraper and one of the city's most recognizable landmarks:

According to legend, John R. Beckett, president of Transamerica, once noticed that the pyramidal treetops in the city park allowed sunlight to penetrate to the ground and did not cast a massive shadow. Wanting to achieve a similar effect, he chose an unconventional pyramidal shape for the building of his company; as a result, the shadow from the resulting skyscraper is really very thin and, like a sundial, it goes around the surrounding neighborhoods like a clock hand.

Oddly enough, but in such a remarkable building there is no observation deck - an unthinkable commercial miscalculation for America, where it is customary to turn absolutely everything into hard cash. However, you can get a bird's eye view of the sights of San Francisco three blocks down Montgomery Street - on the 52nd floor of the Bank of America building there is a restaurant with a panoramic view.

The next day, I was due to take the bus to Los Angeles and, after having dinner on the now traditional duck in Chinatown, I decided to find the Greyhound bus terminal so that I would not have to look for it tomorrow with a backpack. The decision turned out to be very correct: judging by the information on the Internet, the bus terminal was supposed to be located at the corner of Mission and Fremont streets, but in fact there was a large fenced construction site. He was found a couple of blocks southeast - at the corner of Howard and Beale street.

Day Four, Moving from San Francisco to Los Angeles

I checked out of the hotel without incident in the morning and walked to the Greyhound bus terminal in half an hour, refreshing myself with a glass of Starbucks cappuccino along the way. Registration for the bus at the Greyhound is organized as at the airport (only without a personal search). Weigh luggage; if you hand over the suitcase to the luggage compartment, they demand to pay extra - from the aunt, who stood in line for registration in front of me, they demanded to pay 5 bucks extra for the suitcase. I turned my “suitcase on wheels” into a “backpack” again and said that this was my hand luggage, I would not check anything in my luggage. My luggage was incredulously examined, but in the end the feint rolled, and the backpack rode in the bus next to me for free. I bought a bus ticket six months in advance and it cost $36 then. I suppose that directly on the day of departure it would be more expensive.

By the way, while already in the USA, I heard good reviews about the Megabus bus company a couple of times - they say, if you buy tickets for a couple of months, you can leave New York for Washington for almost $ 1. I haven't tested it myself yet, so I can't vouch for the accuracy of this information. It takes about 7 hours to drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles, with stops for 20 minutes in Oakland, then half an hour in Avenal, and a couple of minutes in San Fernando.

How to get to San Francisco from Moscow

Since there is no direct flight Moscow - San Francisco in nature, you can get to San Francisco from the Russian capital with only at least one transfer - most likely in New York, Washington, Atlanta or Los Angeles, Aeroflot airlines or Delta. The cost of a flight to San Francisco from Moscow depends on the season and is approximately $700 one way. The duration of such a flight will be about 20 hours (depending on the duration of the connection at the intermediate airport).

To search for cheap flights to the USA, you can use this search form:

If you have already arrived on the West Coast of the United States, then the most reasonable way to get to San Francisco is by Grayhound bus. Another way to get to San Francisco from any major city in the US is the train of the state-owned rail operator Amtrak. For more information on flights and ticket prices, please visit the websites of the respective companies: www.amtrak.com and www.greyhound.com.

Life hack: how I save on hotels and insurance

In addition to traditional and well-known tools such as Booking or Hotellook, new online services have recently appeared that make life much easier for the traveler and pleasantly protect the thickness of his wallet. One of them - roomguru I use it all the time and recommend it to all my friends and family. This service compares prices for an object in 30 booking systems at once, and offers you the most interesting options. In addition, it tracks discounts and special offers.

As for a good working travel insurance, it was not easy to find it before, but now it has become even more difficult due to the constant fluctuations of the ruble against world currencies. For the past few years, I have been taking out insurance for my travels through an online service - here you can compare the products of different insurers and choose what is best for you:

San Francisco Tours by Locals

You can explore the "most European city" of America both on your own and with an organized Russian-speaking tour. Your guides will be local residents - photographers, journalists, historians - who are in love with their city and know almost everything about it. You can find a list of all available author's excursions in San Francisco in the table below. By default, the window displays the first 3 excursions, sorted by reviews and popularity. To see all available options, click "View All".

At the booking stage, you will need to pay 20% of the cost of the tour - the rest is given to the guide before it starts.

, Google Plus www.google.com/site And In contact with vk.com/site , as well as subscribe to site updates by mail to follow the release of new articles about solo travel around the world.

Unforgettable impressions from the sights of the USA and the city of San Francisco!
Your Roman Mironenko

There are practically no direct flights from Russia to San Francisco. As a rule, everyone arrives in the city from New York or Los Angeles and stays here for only three or four days. In our review - the main places in the city that you need to visit if you decide to spend three days in San Francisco.

San Francisco is a multi-colored city, in terms of color it is not inferior to New York glorified in films and certainly surpasses Los Angeles, where everyone is invariably attracted by the opportunity to touch the stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame with their own hands. Like all of California, San Francisco in its history belonged to both Indians and Mexicans, in the nineteenth century the Gold Rush raged in the city, and in the summer of 1967 the city experienced an invasion of hippies who, not in word, but in deed, propagated the values ​​of free love right in local park "Golden Gate".

BRIDGES OF SAN FRANCISCO

Surprisingly, all the milestones of the colorful history of the city in San Francisco are still felt today, and this despite the fact that the city was almost wiped off the face of the earth twice. The first time was in 1906, then on April 18 the city was shaken by a strong earthquake that caused a fire and at the same time a flood. The second time - in 1989, not so far from us, another earthquake, but this time the city center was practically not affected, most of all the roads and highways, which were subsequently demolished, were hit. Fortunately the bridge Golden Gate, which is considered a symbol of San Francisco, was not damaged during the 1989 earthquake, by the way, it is worth seeing it for all guests of the city in the first place.

Golden Gate or the Golden Gate Bridge, passing through the strait of the same name, is beautiful to the point of obscenity, and therefore it turns out well in any photo. It is almost always shrouded in fog, and the contrast of white clouds, blue waters of the strait and red-painted bridge spans is an absolutely perfect combination of colors.

By the way, from the moment of its opening (it happened in 1936) and until 1964, the Golden Gate was considered the longest suspension bridge in the world. Unfortunately, the Golden Gate is notorious for attracting not only lovers of beautiful views, but also suicides, on average, someone throws themselves off the bridge once every two weeks, and almost always “successfully”. Local authorities have repeatedly thought about how to arrange barriers on the bridge in order to ward off suicides from this place, but so far they have not been able to think of anything like that.

And here is the second bridge of the city - bay bridge- such a gloomy glory is not marked. True, on the other hand, it does not attract crowds of tourists with cameras, apparently because it does not look as catchy as the Golden Gate. Although the Oakland Bay Bridge is also an interesting bridge, it connects San Francisco with Oakland, built in 1936 (that is, a year earlier than the Golden Bridge) and is considered one of the longest suspension bridges in the world.

PIER 39 & OCEAN BEACH

After admiring the bridges, everyone should go to Pier number 39. This pier is also unique in its kind, the fact is that fur seals have chosen it, and in good weather the seals warm their fat carcasses under the rays of the sun right on the wooden decks of the pier.

Fur seals are the sole owners of the pier, people are not allowed here for sunbathing. It is allowed to look at seals, take pictures of resting representatives of the fauna too, but in no case should you disturb Their Majesties with close proximity.

Pictured: Navy SEALs at Pier 39, San Francisco

However, unlike fur seals, people on the beaches near San Francisco will not be able to especially soak up and will not be able to, the climate here is rather cold than warm. There is Ocean Beach within the city, but surfers have chosen it for themselves.

In the photo: coastal rocks and dangerous water in San Francisco Bay

By the way, the place is dangerous even for extreme sportsmen, stormy waves, pitfalls, therefore, unfortunately, accidents in the vicinity of Ocean Beach are not uncommon.

ALCATRAZ

In a word, if you are not a fan of extreme sports, then you should not climb into the water, it is much better to admire Alcatraz Island from the shore, from the ground it looks like a kind of stone ship frozen at the entrance to the bay. But do not be deceived by the cute appearance of the island, it has a sinister history. From 1934 to 1969, there was a federal prison on the island, the escape from which was absolutely unrealistic.

Only the most dangerous criminals were kept in prison, and their stay on the island was supposed to intimidate all those who only plan to break the law. A whole modern mythology has developed around the legendary prison located on the island, moreover, the prisoners of Alcatraz in it appeared as a kind of personification of the struggle for freedom.

In the photo: a frame from the movie "Escape from Alcatraz"

More than 15 books and 24 films are dedicated to Alcatraz, the most famous of which are The Rock with Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage, X-Men: The Last Stand, Escape from Alcatraz, and in 2012, the TV series Alcatraz was released.

Excursions are taken to the island, and lovers of American culture should take one day to visit Alcatraz in order to see the gloomy scenery that inspired American writers and filmmakers, because, in fact, all films and books with the “prison escape” plot that is so popular today in one form or another to a certain extent, allusions to the theme of Alcatraz.

GOLDEN GATE PARK

If you prefer the “rebellious spirit of freedom” to “prison romance”, then you can feed on it in the Golden Gate Park, which is located near Ocean Beach. In 1967 Golden Gate Park became the scene of the so-called "Summer of Love", it was flooded with hippies, who here on the grass indulged in free love and used prohibited substances, in a word, declared their philosophy in all ways available to them.

In the photo: archival frame, summer of love in San Francisco, 1967

The most interesting thing is that hippies still live in one of the parts of the Golden Gate Park, and little has changed in their lives. They also sit on the grass, smoke, hug, in a word, wrinkles have increased, but this did not affect anything. However, Golden Gate Park has many faces, just like the city of San Francisco itself.

In the photo: Japanese tea garden in Golden Gate Park

Hippies at the entrance do not mean anything, inside the park, for example, there are both the California Academy of Sciences and the Conservatory of Flowers - the oldest building in the park, built in 1879, but most importantly - of amazing beauty Japanese tea garden where you can indulge in contemplation and meditation for hours.

CABLE TRAMS

The best way to cheer up after meditation is to ride the San Francisco cable cars, this type of transport is also a local attraction, because the trams run almost vertically through the hills of the city.

In the case of the tram, you need to know the following. The driver of the vehicle does not sit in the cab, he controls the tram using a special structure in the center of the tram. You do not need to buy a ticket for the tram in advance, the ticket attendant will find you and you will buy the ticket while on the move.

But, the main feature! You can ride the tram while inside, but you can stay outside, standing on the footboard of the tram and holding on to the handrail. The second, by the way, is much more fun, especially considering that the trams go up and down the hills. Everyone should try it!

RUSSIAN HILL

By tram, you can go around all the main streets of the city, but you should definitely make a stop on the Russian hill. So-called Russian Hill(Russian Hill) - a high hill, one of the prestigious districts of the city, by the way, it appears in the book by Ilf and Petrov "One-story America".

The hill got its name for the following reason: many years ago, burials with gravestone inscriptions in Cyrillic were discovered here, from which it was concluded that during the Gold Rush there was a Russian cemetery in this area. The area is famous for its long alleys, but the main local attraction is Lombard Street(Lombard Street). One of its sections is a kind of serpentine street, passing between flowering flower beds.

In the photo: the famous section of Lombard Street

The speed on this section of the road is limited to 8 km per hour, but driving along it (as is clear even from the photo) is not a task for unprepared drivers. By the way, every resident of San Francisco perceives overcoming this section of Lombard Street as a personal challenge, perhaps for this reason the busy traffic here does not stop day or night.

In the photo: cable car on Russian Hill

They say that apartments near this section of Lombard Street are very expensive, but no one can live on Lombard Street for a long time, people just get tired of the continuous hum of cars and move to quieter areas of the city. So, if during your stay in San Francisco you become so imbued with the atmosphere of the city that you begin to seriously think about moving, Lombard Street should not be considered as a place for permanent residence, even if this street is located on a Russian hill.

San Francisco is an amazing city like no other. It is replete with attractions of various kinds: historical, architectural, natural, thematic. It’s even amazing how so many unusual and completely different places can be grouped in one city.

When I lived in California, I explored the length and breadth of San Francisco so that nothing escaped me, not a single house, not a single cafe, square, intersection or park. By the way, being here, you should definitely take advantage of the fact that San Francisco is a gastronomically very advanced city, just a real fiefdom for food in California! Try everything here and everywhere.

Now I will tell you more about my favorite attractions in San Francisco, how to get to them, and how to get the most out of the city.

Twin Peaks

I have to say, Twin Peaks impressed me. I heard something about it somewhere, but until I saw it with my own eyes, Twin Peaks seemed to me to be something distant, blurry, obscure. Many times the phrase "Twin Peaks" flashed in films, books, TV shows. And I decided to find out what it is all the same.

There is very little information about the history of this place. It is only known that before the Europeans arrived in America, the place served as an observation point for Indian hunters, from where they tracked game.

So what is Twin Peaks? In fact, these are two low hills called Noe and Eureka, which are located on a hill. They are world famous for their stunning, breathtaking bird's eye views of San Francisco.

First Impressions

I remember the day I first went there. The day was clear and sunny, with a slight breeze. After standing in traffic jams for a while, as usually happens in San Francisco, I finally drove up to the foot of the mountain and began to slowly move up the serpentine. At the very top, I found a spot in a tiny parking lot and got out of the car. I saw two hills very similar to each other, and the parking lot was right between them.

Climbing the hill was not a difficult task, and in a minute I was on top of one of them. Grass and flowers grew there. It was not crowded, only a few tourists from Japan or Korea rested on the mats. An unforgettable view opened from the hill, because the whole feature of Twin Peaks is in its observation deck. San Francisco appeared at a glance. Panorama opened straight to the city and the bay. You could see everything down to the smallest detail: ferries drifting slowly through the harbour, a large anthill of cars, the main street of the city, Market Street, which leads straight to the waterfront.

The main thing is that all this beauty can be observed reclining, comfortably sitting on the grass, and not fending off crowds of tourists. Here you can read a book or have a small picnic.

Night Twin Peaks

I liked this place so much, and I decided that I must definitely come to the hills at night, look at the city flooded with lights. On the same day, having completed all the affairs in the city, at about eleven in the evening I went there again. At night, a completely different picture appeared before me.

A thick fog floated in the darkness, and beyond my hand I could not see anything. That is, the hills were completely immersed in a dark cloud, starting from their very foundation. I heard some voices in the distance, I understood that there were people there, and I could understand this only by the sound. Never before have I seen such a dense, fast-moving fog - all thanks to the unusual climate of San Francisco.

Despite the fact that the setting was like in a horror movie, I liked Twin Peaks at night more because of its exceptional unusualness.

Definitely a place worth visiting!

How to get there

To get to the peaks, you need to drive up the serpentine, which is quite gentle. You can also get to the place by bike or sightseeing bus. For the quickest way to get to the hills, exit 17th Street onto Twin Peaks Blvd, which will take you straight to the peaks.

You can come to Twin Peaks around the clock.

Pier 39

Pier 39 is one of the most popular and beloved tourist spots in San Francisco.

The attraction was first opened to citizens in 1978.

The entire pier has a pleasant wooden deck, which you can walk barefoot on a hot day, and in the depths you will find many shops, coffee houses, a beautiful carousel. The space is organized into two tiers.

From the pier you can see the famous Alcatraz prison island, and the Bay Bridge connecting San Francisco with the neighboring city of Auckland. Also there is the famous shrimp restaurant Bubba Gump.

Iconic Crab House

But the most famous establishment on the pier is the Crab House restaurant, which is already 18 years old.

Here, all the menus are crab dishes, and the design is decorated in a marine style: the walls are hung with nets, huge multi-colored models of crabs hang from the ceiling. The restaurant owner claims it is the oldest full-scale crab restaurant in town.

Here you can try bruschettas and pasta with crab, crab soup and even an omelet with crab meat. But the hallmark of the place, which I can personally recommend, is the huge crabs served whole (you can order half) in a fragrant sauce of butter and garlic.

An interesting fact is that the institution buys only Dungeness crabs. They are found in the waters of the West Coast of America, and you can try them only in these places. Their meat is sweet and tender.

By the way, the restaurant menu in Russian can be viewed on the official website.

Seals

In this amazing place you can observe an interesting, in its own way, unique spectacle. Hundreds of fur seals come to the pier from the west side and bask on the floating platforms in the sun, absolutely not embarrassed by the crowds of tourists who take pictures of them.

The first seals began to swim up to the pier in 1989, and the authorities decided to take them under their care. Despite all the inconvenience that seals create for sailors, they are a national treasure of the pier. Boats mooring in the harbor carefully swim around the seals. The reasons for the appearance of seals at the pier are still unclear, but scientists suggest that this phenomenon is due to the fact that the animals feel safer in the harbor.

You can watch the cats remotely from a webcam.

Aquarium

While on the pier, visit the unique aquarium with twenty thousand species of marine life. Whom you will not meet here: fish of various shapes and colors, sharks, rays, eels, starfish, jellyfish and octopuses. And this is very interesting, since you will not see octopuses in many other aquariums in the world. Some species, such as a stingray or a shark, can be touched.

The aquarium consists of 91 meters of underwater tunnels, in which the underwater life of San Francisco Bay is completely recreated.

How to get there

You can get to the Pier by vintage (F-line) or suspended tram (green line), trolleybus, bus (lines 8x, 8in, 39 and 47, the same for trolleybuses) or car, having reached the intersection of the Embarcadero embankment with Stockton Street .

The tram stop is called Stockton & Embarcadero. You can go to the pier around the clock.

A ticket to the aquarium costs $22.

Fisherman's Wharf

Fisherman's Wharf or Fisherman's Wharf.

This is a whole coastal area with stands with seafood, piers, hotels, souvenir shops.

A bit of history

The area began to develop during the Gold Rush, when not the most successful businessmen of that time flocked to the harbor and, out of desperation, fished and crabs to somehow earn a living. Crab fishing is still very popular in the area, as, indeed, throughout California.

Since then, Fisherman's Wharf has had a famous red crab logo, and the most popular food here is all-season street food. You can taste seafood in soup, sandwich or whole.

Such a menu can be found in any tent.

What to try

A distinctive dish and the national pride of the area, as well as all of San Francisco, is a thick creamy clam chowder soup in a loaf of white crispy bread.

Bread is different in that it is made not with yeast, but with live sourdough, which is why it turns out so fragrant. Not a dish, but a work of art! On the waterfront, you can buy it on every corner, in every stand and tent. This is truly the folk fast food of San Francisco and Bay Airia. This soup will cost $8-15.

Also in the area is one of the most beloved Californians burger In-and-out burger. This is a supergiant chain, founded as far back as 1948, which has grown throughout California, infiltrating gas stations and shopping malls. Branded burgers have moved beyond the state of California, taking root in Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Texas and Oregon.

How often have I heard from my American acquaintances: "Have you already tried the In-and-Out burger?" In general, it is not difficult to understand that it is a matter of honor to go to this burger place. Take a regular classic burger to appreciate the full range of flavors. It costs only $1.95.

What to see

California seafaring

The area is also home to the Marine National Park, which houses the Museum of Historic Ships.

Vessels can be admired from the Hyde Street Pier, while the museum, founded in 1951, provides insight into California's maritime history. It is possible to climb up and walk inside the ships. The famous ship Balclutha is moored at the pier. It was built in 1886 and is the oldest. Also here you can see Eureka of 1895, Alma of 1891 and others.

On the territory of the national park there is the Navigation Development Center, where you can find about one hundred thousand design drawings of ships, six hundred thousand photographs, three thousand maps. Anyone who is interested in ships and navigation at sea will be interested in visiting the center. You can get there only by appointment. It can be carried out no less than 24 hours before the planned visit, from 13 to 16 hours.

Entrance to the territory of the piers with ships costs $10, and you can visit all the ships for free. The pier is open from 9.30 am to 5 pm.

cool chocolate factory

On the territory of Fisherman's Wharf, you can go to the famous Ghirardelli chocolate factory, which is located on the square of the same name. Chocolate Mecca has a very interesting history. It was founded by the talented Italian confectioner Domingo Girardelli, who opened his candy business in Italy. At the age of twenty, in 1837, he emigrated to, where he became the manager of a sweet shop. Then, in search of a better life, Domingo moved to San Francisco and established a full-scale production. The factory has a shop, which is extremely popular among tourists. Stunning aromas of chocolate hover inside.

The Ghirardelli chain is very popular in America. Every September, the Girardelli Square hosts a chocolate festival, and in 2016 it will be the 21st in a row. About thirty chocolate companies exhibit their products on the square on this day. Admission is free, and to try a little bit, you need to pay about $5. All proceeds from the sale go to charity.

You can also sail to the island on your own, simply by buying a ferry ticket at the pier.

Golden Gate Bridge

The Golden Gate Bridge is a true symbol of the entire West Coast. A monumental, bright red-orange structure that stretches for almost five kilometers rises above the coast, connecting Northern and Southern California at Highway #1.

Coming to the city, you will definitely not miss the bridge, because it is visible from many points: parks, embankments, high-rise buildings. You can read more about the attraction, how to get to it and what are the best places to take photos from in my separate article on.

Golden Gate Park

The Golden Gate Park, in fact, has nothing to do with the bridge except for the name. It is located in the northwestern part of the city, occupying a plot of land of 412 hectares. This is 71 hectares more than. San Francisco's main park stretches for as many as 52 streets from east to west - practically from downtown to the east coast.

For the townspeople, the park is an outlet among the gassed metropolis, many people try to escape here after a busy day at work. This is something like Gorky Park for the residents of Moscow, although it is still a little quieter here and there are not so many people.

I remember that on hot June days we often came here, lay down on the grass under the canopy of trees, some with a book, some with a laptop, some just with their eyes closed. And how great it is to be here on a Sunday late in the evening: with friends and a bottle of sparkling wine from the Napa Valley, which is north of San Francisco, with various snacks - it will comfortably sit on the bed! In general, needless to say, this green oasis is a real breath of fresh air for the city. By the way, in addition to lush vegetation in the park, you can see various animals and dozens of different birds.

Construction history

This oldest park in the United States began to be planted in the 19th century. It all started during the construction of the transcontinental highway, when thousands of workers poured into San Francisco. The city was overloaded, and it became clear that people needed somewhere to rest. Then the city authorities first thought about building a central park. For these purposes, a piece of land was allotted, completely covered with sand dunes.

For the first time, the plan for the future park was developed by engineer William Hammond Hall. Scotsman John MacLauren was hired as a landscape designer - at that time, masters from Scotland were considered among the best. Long-term landscaping of the territory has begun. By 1875, about 60,000 trees had already been planted: mainly cedars, eucalyptus and cypress, which grow here to this day. You can easily imagine how clean the air is in the park! After all, these trees absorb all harmful substances from the air. Two years later, the number of trees doubled.

At the beginning of the 20th century, mills were erected in the western part of the park, which supplied the entire park with water. The area around the northern mill was completely planted with colorful tulips. Flower bulbs were presented to the city by the Queen of Holland, Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. Tulips also still grow in the park.

What to see in the park

Japanese Tea Garden

An absolutely stunning phenomenon is a park within a park. Japanese garden recreates the atmosphere of Japanese gardens of the Edo period. In 1894, Japanese immigrant and gardener Makoto Hagiwara took the initiative to develop the park and set to work - his dream was to create a piece of his native Japan in San Francisco.

Under the patronage of Makoto, a thousand cherry blossom trees were brought from Japan, as well as other Japanese plants and even the famous goldfish for the pond. After the death of the gardener, his daughter and grandchildren took over the business and began to take care of the park. Subsequently, they built the famous five-level pagoda there. Now the park is a real cozy Japanese-style public garden, planted with characteristic plants, with many ponds and bridges.

In the park, you can find a tea house, a traditional garden feature in Japan. This is a gazebo where a tea ceremony will be held for you.

Here you can taste six types of Japanese tea. Of particular interest is, of course, matcha - a bright green powder with an amazing taste, obtained from ground tea leaves.

The park can be accessed from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Address: 75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr.

Free admission.

Academy of Sciences

The park is home to the largest national Academy of Sciences. It is one of the four largest academies in the world conducting scientific research in the field of natural sciences. The building has an aquarium, an exhibition of stones and minerals, a hall of the history of paleontology, a cinema, a planetarium. In general, the Academy has more than 26 million exhibits. There is a whole botanical garden on the roof - here you can find almost two million different plants that grow in California.

At the entrance to the museum, you plunge into a special world: butterflies fly in green enclosures, outlandish fish swim in turquoise water, minerals shine under the light of fluorescent lamps, artificially recreated wild jungle beckons with green palm leaves.

Here you can also delve into the problem of global climate change or take an interest in the history of earthquakes.

The museum has a stuffed animal of the famous bear, from which the image of the national California coat of arms was exactly copied.

More information about the Academy of Sciences can be found on the official website.

You can get here daily from 9.30 to 17 hours, and on Sunday from 11 to 17 hours. Address: 55 Music Concourse Drive.

Tickets cost $34.95 for adults, $29.95 for children. They can be purchased on the official website.

Windmills

The two largest operating mills in the park have survived to this day: Dutch and Murphy. One is in the Dutch style.

After the completion of the construction and landscaping of the park, it became clear that there were too many plants and trees, and the area on which the park stands was entirely composed of sand. Irrigation and irrigation problems have become evident. It was decided to build mills to pump water into the park. They still function for the same purpose today.

To find the windmills, move west through the park, they are located near the coast.

Conservatory of Flowers

This is the oldest botanical garden in America, opened in 1878.

By the way, the garden building is older than all other structures in the park. The feature of this place is the concentration of very rare, exotic flowers and plants of the world. What you will not find here: coffee and tea bushes, taro trees, ferns, exotic flowers, orchids, lotuses, predator flowers.

The Botanical Garden is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 am to 10 pm. Tickets cost $8 for adults and $6 for a child.

Address: 100 John F. Kennedy Drive.

Other things to do in the park

The park has many opportunities for outdoor activities. Here you will find tennis courts, segway rentals (organized tours available) and bicycles. You can play baseball and golf, take an interest in the life of bison and buffalo, for which a special paddock is built in the park, ride with the breeze on a colored carousel, play the game Horseshoes or Horseshoes, known among horse lovers.

Barbecue is available at the designated Elk Glen picnic area.

How to get there

The park is bordered by Great Hwy, Lincoln Way, Fulton St and Stanyan St.

You can get here by metro (N-Judah route, stop 19th & Judah. ​​Buses also follow the park, you need to get off at the stop La Playa St & Cabrillo St or 36th Ave & Lincoln Way.

Union Square

Union Square is the central and most famous square in San Francisco.

It is located in the heart of the business part of the city and is a huge transport hub. Here you can find stops of cable and conventional trams, trolleybuses, sightseeing double-decker buses. Business and friendly meetings are scheduled here.

The area around Union Square is flooded with expensive boutiques and shops. The largest American department stores Macy's and Nordstrom are located on the square.

Very often, Union Square hosts outdoor exhibitions, various gastronomic festivals and street concerts. Also in the area around the square are various restaurants and cafes. Dozens of bars, nightclubs and other entertainment venues open in the evening.

What to do in the area, where to eat and what to see in more detail you can find out.

How to get there

The square is located between Geary Street, Stockton Street, Powell Street and Post Street.

You can come here by cable car (Powell-Mason and Powell-Hyde lines), by metro (red, yellow, blue and green lines, Powell Street stop) and by bus (routes 30 and 45), get off at the Sutter & Powell or Post & Powell stop.

cable car

The cable car is a real visiting card of the city, which is used by all tourists without exception. The wagons have the super ability to climb steep inclines with the help of a rope. This is due to the power traction of the mechanisms located on the tops of the hills.

Trams are very fond of tourists and residents of the city because they do not have glazed windows and are completely ventilated, which is very useful on a hot day. You can read more about the hanging tram, how much a ticket for it costs and what routes it travels on.

Painted Ladies or Six Sisters

A rather curious sight is the architectural ensemble "Six Sisters" or "Painted Ladies". These are six pretty Victorian houses painted in pastel colors in the Alamo Square area on Steiner Street.

Victorian style is the time between 1849 and 1901, the heyday of the Victorian era.

Later, during the First World War, the facades began to be repainted in a light gray pale color. So the houses began to look the same, but did not lose their charm. However, the inhabitants of the area still did not like it, and later they began to decorate their houses again. This is how they have survived to this day.

If your friends see photos of you standing in front of these Victorian houses, they will not even understand that you are in San Francisco - this type of building is so unusual for the United States. Although in fact, not only in this place you can admire such architecture: a good part of San Francisco is built up with similar houses. This is the great difference between the city and other American cities.

In the Castro district, for example, you too can enjoy a riot of color: the houses are painted in bright purple and crimson hues. And in the southwestern part of San Francisco, you will move through very hilly terrain, and rows of the same type of Victorian houses will be seen every now and then to the left and right of the road. Beauty!

How to get there

The Painted Ladies is located on Steiner St.

The place can be reached by tram to the Church and Duboce stop.

Pacifica. Paradise by the coast

Pacifica, how much is in this word! Sometimes you just want to escape from the dusty metropolis and go to the coast. Pacifica is a close and easily accessible destination for city dwellers, a favorite haunt of San Francisco residents. Many come here on Saturday or Sunday for the whole day. Pacifica is also quite an interesting place for sophisticated travelers.

This is a small coastal town, formerly a fishing village, which is located in the vicinity of San Francisco.

The village is famous throughout California for its crabs, there is also a huge pier from which locals and tourists are engaged in catching them on the so-called crab fishing or crabbing.

Crabbing. Dinner on the beach

Tackle - special nets, as well as baits can be bought in the nearby town of Half Moon Bay on the shore. It can be reached by moving south along the coast. You can also buy them in Pacifica itself on Palmetto Ave. You will find the desired pier on the shore at the intersection of Beach Blvd and Santa Rosa Ave.

It is so long that it is impossible not to notice it.

If you are not a particular fan of fishing, it will be interesting for you to just come here and stare at the fishermen. The pier is high enough above the water, which makes the spectacle seem even more exciting.

After admiring, you can go to the coastal tent of the neighboring town of Half Moon Bay, where they sell seafood, and buy yourself a "catch of the day" for dinner. There you can take fish, crabs, oysters, mussels and cook at home.

Also in this tent are sold various ready-made fish snacks. It's nice to sit comfortably on a bench at a wooden table on the shore, enjoy the sunset and eat the freshest seafood. The hallmark of the establishment is the famous Fish and Chips.

The location is at Johnson Pier, Half Moon Bay.

Beaches. Atmosphere

The beaches in Pacifica are incredibly beautiful. They have rare black-gray sand.

For the sake of this sand alone, it is worth visiting the local beaches. And in the very center of the town, ordinary life is in full swing. It's nice to just walk among the townhouses of the locals along the coast. Everything is in bloom between the houses, and the Pacific Ocean is raging under the cliff. You can take very beautiful photos.

If you move south along the coast, you can find huge deserted beaches with wide sandbanks - ideal places for walking.

By the way, Pacifica was shown to me by my friends who live there, and the town immediately sunk into my soul. On my own, I probably would not have found this reserved place. I think it's one of the West Coast diamonds. Then we often returned there to lie on the black sand, take pictures against the background of the oceanic abyss or go fishing.

How to get there

The place can be reached from the center of San Francisco by car in 15-20 minutes.

Head south on the beautiful coastline HGWY 1, which takes you directly to Pacifica.

wine valleys. Gastro tourism

Wine

As I said at the beginning of the article, a worthy purpose of a trip to both San Francisco and California in general is gastronomy and wine tasting.

California is a famous supplier of wines, and the most famous wine valleys of Napa and Sonoma, tightly surrounding San Francisco from the north, are known all over the world. Therefore, the valleys are a full-fledged attraction of the San Francisco area.

It is very convenient to take a wine tour for the whole day. If you are driving, you can go to the valleys with an overnight stay. There are many historic manor-hotels that offer lodging and are teeming with vineyards and tasting spots.

There you will be offered several types of wine to sample. The assortment will represent the main and most popular varieties of wine from the Californian valleys. You can order tasting sets or taste the wine separately. All estates for tastings are very cozy dark rooms where drinking wine is a pleasure.

You can go to the valley on your own or book an organized tour, for example or. If you go to Napa or Sonoma by car yourself, the road will take you no more than half an hour. After you enter the valley of the vineyards, you will be able to move freely around the territory, looking for a suitable place for tasting.

Food

The main concept of most restaurants in San Francisco is the use of sustainable products "straight from the farm." Every self-respecting restaurant or ordinary cafe must have its own supplier farmer who independently brings the freshest products to the restaurant: meat, vegetables, cheeses. Be sure to go to such restaurants, the quality of the dishes will surprise you.

When in San Francisco, be sure to try black pig bacon.

In the vicinity, farmers actively breed such piglets, which have very juicy and tender meat. Bacon is beyond praise!

Don't miss the different types of goat cheeses that farmers make themselves from fresh milk. You can buy such cheeses in large grocery supermarkets in the city.

Of course, as I said in the article, while in San Francisco, be sure to try Dungeness crabs.

The best place where you can buy various eco-products, vegetables, meat, seafood is the largest network of healthy food supermarkets throughout America, Whole Foods. I often went for groceries, and sometimes just to stare at the riot of colors of vegetable display cases.

In San Francisco, supermarkets are located at 399 4th St and 1765 California St. Shops are open from 8 am to 10 pm.

That seems to be all about the main places and moments that I wanted to talk about. If you are not traveling by car, you will find detailed information about public transport in the city. San Francisco is a delightful city that amazes with its colors and aromas. Everyone will like it.

I wish you a great trip!