San Francisco, the best memory of my trip on the West Coast

A trip to the American West Coast cannot be considered without a visit to San Francisco. It is a city of many hills and many facets. The City by the Bay, as the locals call it, makes more than one traveler dream. San Francisco is located in the north of the state of California, but does not enjoy the weather of its southern neighbor, Los Angeles. With a temperature almost the same from January to December, around 15°C (yes, even in summer, it can be that temperature!)

San Francisco, a human-sized city

During my trip to the USA, this city is probably the one in the American West that intrigued me the most and made me want to stay. It is a city that, despite its size (about 870,000 inhabitants), did not seem suffocating or stressful to me as some might find other cities. It seemed to me to be a good mix between the cities of New York, Chicago in the American Northeast, and the cities of Los Angeles and Sacramento. It is a sprawling city where you can get around just as well by car as by public transport. Like all American cities, San Francisco is divided into districts that are quite distinct from each other: the downtown skyscraper district or the neighborhoods with its famous sloping houses of all colors.

The most famous dizzying street in Hollywood cinema

Russian Hill San Francisco The steepest street is the famous "Lombard Street". To reduce its grade, the city made sure to lay out a winding road to slow down the descent. Who has never imagined it or at least seen it in a photo or in a movie? The most famous part is at Russian Hill between Hyde Street and Leavenworth Street. The whole road goes down in large curves separated by central medians covered with flowers. The houses have the particularity of also giving the sensation of being tilted. It is probably the most photogenic street in SF, and therefore very popular with tourists.

But among these neighborhoods, the one that impressed me the most is Chinatown. It is the oldest and the second largest Chinatown in the world (just after New York's). I absolutely did not expect to find myself so quickly projected into Asia during my trip to the American West Coast!

Lanterns in Chinatown Visiting it, I did not feel like I was in the United States, but rather on the other side of the Pacific, in China. Everything is made to remind you of this country: the buildings with their very particular architecture, the red and gold hues everywhere, the lanterns hanging above the roads between each building and the typical smells... far from a trip on the West Coast...

The Golden Gate, a true symbol

But San Francisco would not be San Francisco without this architectural element seen so many times in movies and series: the famous Golden Gate Bridge. This bridge, painted red, connects the two sides of the Golden Gate Strait. The construction of the bridge took place in the 1930s and it opened in 1937. For decades, the Golden Gate Bridge has fascinated people. Tourists come to admire and photograph it.

Where to take the best photos of the Golden Gate Bridge?

Baker Beach, located southwest of the Presidio park, north of the city. Easily accessible by public transport, the place will allow you to admire the most "classic" view of the bridge. Go there at sunset, it's just beautiful.

If you want a more original viewpoint, go to the other side of the bridge, at Vista Point. You will have the whole city on the horizon with the bridge in the foreground.

Be careful, because of the bay's climate, the bridge often disappears into the clouds. If you are lucky, you may be able to capture it in its entirety in your lens. Otherwise, let the charm of this structure disappear into the clouds and make you dream a little more.

Alcatraz, the former prison turned paradise... for birdwatchers

Another iconic place in the city, Alcatraz Island, a little over a kilometer from the city in the middle of San Francisco Bay. This island is famous for its history. First a military fortress in the mid-19th century until the early 20th, it then became a military prison before serving as a high-security civilian prison. Its most famous inmate was Al Capone (Scarface).

Alcatraz Then it was occupied by a Native American autonomy movement for 19 months. Since then, the island has been a tourist site managed and protected by the United States National Park Service. The island offers a magnificent view of the city of San Francisco as well as being a remarkable observatory to see the region's birds. A visit to this legendary piece of land allows you to better understand a part of the History of the city.

A ride on the legendary Cable Car

Finally, a must-see in the city: the Cable Car. Small wagons that allow you to get around the city. There are now only three Cable Car lines, but they will allow you to reach certain tourist spots such as Chinatown or Pier 39.

Bird's-eye view of the Golden Gate ?? #quotatrip, #etatsunis #westcoast #voyagesurmesure #sanfrancisco #muni #cablecar #california #sf #sanfran #travel #bestcity

A post shared by Voyage Sur Mesure (@quotatrip) on July 20, 2018 at 3:59 PDT

What remains in my memories of this trip to the West Coast in San Francisco is the diversity of the city, its colorful houses, the Golden Gate Bridge, the exoticism of the Chinatown district and its climate so close to the region where I live in France. A beautiful stopover that I recommend to anyone who wants to take a trip to the western United States and California in particular.