One Last Hurrah at the City by the Bay: San Francisco

San Francisco, nicknamed "The City by the Bay", was the last stop of our two-and-a-half-week trip to the US. Unlike its rival city Los Angeles, I do believe San Francisco, despite being a smaller city, certainly has a lot more character. You see all this "character" everywhere, actually--from the numerous, multi-colored victorian houses that line its hilly streets, to the people who simply walk around in different costumes ranging from the mind-boggling to the absurd (or heck, even naked, in certain neighborhoods) without a care in the world. People from other places may accuse many San Franciscans of being weirdos--I mean, why else would some people take part in a marathon event dressed like a giant banana or covered in nothing more than body paint?

I think to use the term "weirdos" to describe San Franciscans may be a bit harsh; let's just say they're, well, expressive. And proud. San Franciscans take great pride in this "freedom" they claim to have, and they would gladly give visitors reasons why they are a great place to go to more than any other city in California (particularly, Los Angeles, which they consider as their "rival".). If they could even pay for your airfare just to take you away from Los Angeles to go to their city instead, they probably would (okay, I may be exaggerating a bit).

For this leg of the trip, we stayed at the Mystic Hotel by Charlie Palmer, located close to Union Square and a few blocks away from the gateway to the San Francisco's famous Chinatown. Charlie Palmer is a celebrity chef who owns a number of high-end restaurants across the United States.

The Mystic Hotel's small, pleasant-smelling lobby.

Our cozy room had a bed, a sofa bed, a large TV, and a decent-sized bathroom.

The Mystic Hotel by Charlie Palmer, quite honestly, was just an okay hotel for me (though bordering on not-so-okay). What I loved about this hotel was the location. Like our hotel in New York, it was just steps away from great shopping and dining options at Union Square. However, despite being owned by a celebrity chef, breakfast at the hotel seems a bit uninspiring and underwhelming, with a small selection of Greek Yogurt, bread, fruits and cereals that takes forever to be refilled (I guess it's best to eat breakfast early). The coffee, too, was awful. The hotel, also only had one old, slow elevator that can only fit a few people (even less if the people have their luggage in tow), so most of the time we had to resort to using the stairs that made creaking noises and seemed rather unsafe. 

Just like in Los Angeles, we boarded one of these open-top double decker buses to take us around the city.

Union Square is a great place where you can just sit and relax. You could go people-watching, catch musical performances, grab a cup of coffee at the cafe located there, or just simply admire the beauty of the architecture surrounding the plaza.

An artist proudly displays his works of art, which are all for sale.

The Dewey Monument stands as a tribute to Commodore George Dewey, who successfully led the US Navy to victory against the Spanish during the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898.

People dancing along to the music of a band playing.

The Dewey Monument stands among modern high-rises

The famous San Francisco Cable Car. It's only tourists who ever ride this one, actually. The long lines and wait times will surely make you late for school or for work if you're a local.

The Senor Sisig Filipino Fusion Food Truck can be found around the Union Square  area. They sell interesting food items such as Sisig Tacos and Sisig Burritos, though I never actually got to try them.

You can also satisfy your sweet tooth cravings by paying a visit to a Ghirardelli Chocolate store, found around the city, most notably at Ghirardelli (pronounced Ghee-rar-del-eeh) Square at the Fisherman's Wharf area. They have a huge selection of chocolates, with interesting flavors such as Sea Salt Caramel and others which are worth a try. Ghirardelli Chocolate stores are mostly found in San Francisco so you shouldn't pass the chance to try one of their chocolates.

Just look at all those chocolate!

While we're also on the topic of dessert, another place to grab some dessert while you're in San Francisco is The Cheesecake Factory located at the top floor of the Macy's building at Union Square. They have the best cheesecakes I've ever tried; however, they have more shops across the United States. Watch out, though--lines to get a table here can be pretty long.

Cheesecakes galore. This is a diabetic's nightmare.

Cafe Zoetrope, located at the Little Italy neighborhood in San Francisco. This cafe, as well as the entire building, is owned by Francis Ford Coppola, famous for being the director of the Godfather films.

The St. Paul's Catholic Church, where the comedy film Sister Act starring Whoopi Goldberg was shot.

Aquarium of the Bay at Pier 39, where various aquatic animals found in the San Francisco Bay are displayed.

Pier 39 is a popular shopping and dining complex located at Fisherman's Wharf.

A San Francisco Street Car (larger version of the Cable Car) seen at Fisherman's Wharf.

Alcatraz Island, as seen from Fisherman's Wharf. This island served as a prison for the country's toughest criminals until it was closed down in the 1960s.

Chowder Hut is one of the many places where you could go for some Clam Chowder, a delicacy which you shouldn't miss while at Fisherman's Wharf.

Clam Chowder served on Sourdough bread.

A row of seafood stalls and restaurants at Fisherman's Wharf.

Crabs, lobsters, shrimp--it's all here!

Small boats all lined up.

Biking is a popular activity here--you can rent a bike and go all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream is amazing. Too bad we don't have a Ben & Jerry's kiosk in the Philippines.

A seagull devours a tiny crab.

The Fisherman's Wharf area is full of many surprises and street performers such as this guy.

Off to see the seals!

Yup, you read that right. Pier 39's K-dock is home to thousands of seals who somehow managed to find their way here shortly after the 1989 earthquake. 

The Palace of Fine Arts, which we passed on the way to the Golden Gate Bridge

The iconic Golden Gate Bridge was opened to traffic in 1937.

The amount of cable on the bridge is enough to circle the globe three times.

A decorated truck at Vista Point, one of the places you could visit to get a good look at the bridge.

The bridge as seen from Vista Point

Vista Point is also a good vantage point to see Alcatraz, the Bay Bridge, and the San Francisco skyline.

Sometimes, love can drive you to do the craziest things--such as vandalizing public property.

One of the things you'll find most striking about San Francisco is the architecture.

Nice-looking houses along Lombard Street, a popular tourist attraction.

This portion of Lombard Street is famous for being the "crookedest street in the world".

A car tries to make its way through the crooked street.

At the top of Lombard Street--what a view! We actually had to walk up all the way here. The climb was definitely worth it.

More information on Lombard Street.

Using clever rhyming to hopefully get the message across to the people (which I highly doubt it--this small sign is located on the ground where there aren't a lot of pedestrians).

 Another way to get a good look at the Golden Gate Bridge is to go on a cruise at the San Francisco Bay. Several companies offer cruise services which takes you from the piers near Fisherman's Wharf to the Golden Gate Bridge, then near Alcatraz Island and then back to the piers. Some cruises actually even take you to Alcatraz Island itself, where you are given 45 minutes to tour the facilities.

You may buy tickets for the cruise here.

A long queue to the boat.

Our ride for the cruise.

A large cruise ship as it departs the pier.

Off we go!

Here's a great view of the picturesque San Francisco skyline. Just imagine what it looks like all lit up at night!

You'll see people windsurfing or kite-surfing near the Golden Gate Bridge. Strong winds here create favorable waves for thrill seekers such as this guy over here.

Passing under the bridge.

The cruise ship prepares to go under the bridge as well. From this angle it looks as if there isn't enough vertical clearance, but the ship made it just fine.

A closer look at Alcatraz Island.

Back in the day, Alcatraz Island was a place you wouldn't want to be in--today, it is a popular tourist attraction.

The Stinking Rose is a restaurant known for including garlic in most items in their menu. They even serve garlic ice cream!

Street art at the Little Italy neighborhood.

The San Francisco Ferry Building and its clock tower at The Embarcadero.

Poverty is also quite evident as you stroll through the streets of San Francisco. In fact, San Francisco and even Los Angeles are known to be the "homelessness capitals of the world". The homeless people in San Francisco are generally harmless, though you might occasionally come across some mentally unstable ones. It's best to just leave them alone.

The gateway to Chinatown.

A row of jewelry shops.

Trying out some Chinese food.

San Francisco's Chinatown is the oldest Chinatown in the United States.

The area around Union Square is a popular shopping district.

The huge Macy's Deaprtment Store just across the street from Union Square. 

The Philippine Consulate near Union Square.

You can rent these vehicles if you want to tour around the city yourself.

The luxury clothing stores around Union Square easily rival New York's Fifth Avenue,

Does this look like a government building to you? This is actually an Emporio Armani store.

Busy shoppers around Union Square make their way from one shop to the next.

This cable car is being turned around manually at the Powell Street terminal in preparation for its next journey to the Fisherman's Wharf area.

Trying out the famous burger of In-N-Out. Was it really that good? Well, it was good, but not as good as I thought it would be. Pwede na, as we would say in Filipino.