Must see places in San Francisco! Part 1

Part 1: Golden Gate Bridge

San Francisco is an amazing place to visit with A LOT to see and do.  This location would best be suited for a longer visit but we only had 4 days so we did the best we could to get a San Francisco experience while also saving room to visit with family.  We rented a car to get around. Parking in the city could be challenging at times but typically after a few circles around the block found a spot. There are some tolls, notably going back into the city crossing the Golden Gate bridge and also entering the city from Oakland (we flew into Oakland to save some monies).

Golden Gate Bridge

An obvious must see and somehow not corny. We took in the site from a few perspectives – Battery Spencer Park, Lands End, and of course, crossing it!

The View from Battery Spencer

Note: Parking is not ideal.  It is packed and on a 2 lane windy road with lots of bicyclist.  We suggest parking at the 3rd or 4th lookout and walking back to the main stop.  This gives you different views, a nice hike, plus it’s less frustrating to park and leave.

Lands End

This is where the land meets the sea… the end of the land.  We went towards the end of the day on the last full day we were there (a Sunday) and had no problem parking and no problem with crowds.  This view is from the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge from Battery Spencer. We enjoyed this spot because it provided a nice and easy hike, that could have been made more challenging and longer, but we didn’t arrive prepared.  It also provided some historical information and a view of a sunken military ship. You could walk along the trail to the main lookout, down to the water to watch the waves crash in, or go further to some natural salt lake pools (we’ll do that next time).

Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge

For some reason this brought us a lot of joy and we took turns driving it.  There are paths from walking/jogging or riding bikes as well as multiple lanes of traffic.  On your way back to the city you do pay a toll but they scan your license plate and either bill you or you can login to pay.  No need to bring cash and traffic keeps flowing!