California
- March 2005 |
San Francisco
Downtown San Francisco
20/03/2005 - After our long journey from Yosemite in appalling weather, we were pleased to check into our hotel for the last four nights of our holiday. Having a rest for while, we set off to the harbour for a meal, walking up the hill in the photo. The harbour was buzzing with people, the main place to be in the evening. We soon found a nice restaurant on one of the piers, accompanied by harbour seals calling from the harbour pontoons. Leaving the harbour, we caught a tram back to the hotel.
Sights in San Francisco
21/03/2005 - Next morning we found a nice 50's diner for breakfast, after a hearty breakfast we caught the tram back to the harbour. We walked around the piers looking around the shops, also exploring the front for trips, boat rides and Alcatraz. Book your tickets from Alcatraz from home, its very popular and we could not get any. We caught the cable car back after stopping to look at the famous zig zag road and got off in Chinatown. Our next area to be explored, and then onto the shops like Macy's and Tiffany's. This was a long day, so we had a meal in the hotel and went to bed early.
Chinatown
Transport in San Francisco
22/03/2005 - This morning we have got another busy day and its back to the harbour for a trolley bus trip around the city, these are very good value as you see most of the tourist sights. We were taken around the streets seeing the old architecture, sights for movies like The Rock, Mrs Doubtfire and Bullitt. Then onto the Golden Gate Bridge for the main part of the tour, stopping long enough to go up on to the bridge and walk across a little way. Back to the harbour on the bus, for another trip on a boat under the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz.
Sights in San Francisco
Golden Gate Bridge
Boat Trip around Alcatraz
23/03/2005 - Today was our last full day in the city, so we decided to take a bus to the Golden Gate Park passing through Castro the gay quarter and Haight-Ashbury the hippy quarter. You can buy a ticket that covers most of the transport in the city at a cheap rate at the main information centre. Reaching the park which is a 1000 acres in size we got off the bus and walked some of the park. The park has a zoo, museum, japanese tea garden and lots of fauna. We walked through the park to Sunset Boulvard, and made our way up the road to find a bus stop. This turned out to be quite a long way, eventually we found the right bus line to take us back, leaving us with a view of the Pacific to cherish our memories.
Alcatraz and Golden Gate Park
24/03/2005 - Up for our last breakfast in the diner, then it was back to the hotel for our shuttle to the airport and our long flight home. Birds seen during our stay were western grebe, clarke's grebe, californian gull, glaucuos-winged gull, bushtit, anna's hummingbird and golden crowned sparrow.
All images are protected by UK and International copyright laws and may not be downloaded, copied, reproduced or used without prior consent.
© Andy Vidler - All rights reserved
Andy Vidler Wildlife Photography
