City by the Bay

I've been singing a particular Journey song a lot lately:

When the lights go down on the City

And the sun shines on the Bay

Oh I wanna be there in my City. . .

I didn't expect to, but the truth of the matter is - I love San Francisco! The city is so eclectic. It's pretty. It's busy. It's quirky. It's modern. It's old. It's impossible to be bored in. Unfortunately, our visit to Fog City wasn't as long as I would have liked, but we still managed to see a lot:

Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39 with it's resident seals.

No trip to San Francisco is complete without venturing into Chinatown:

You also have to make the eight turns in a city block down the world's Crookest Street, Lombard Street.

San Francisco has the west's version of Central Park in their Golden Gate Park. One of Mom's favorite areas in the part is their famous Rose Garden. Past All-American Roses are on display in a sensory bit of ground covered in glorious roses and wonderful fragrances:

There's so much more - trolley cars, Alcatraz (as seen from Pier 39) and elaborately decorated houses referred to as Painted Ladies:

We drove over the Golden Gate Bridge at twilight time and watched the lights come on in the city. We even did a little walking on the iconic bridge: