San Francisco
Hey Everyone
Quick email before I do the tourist thangs and head to Alcatraz! I landed in San Francisco bright and early on Tuesday at 5:30 AM after a delightful 7-hour bus ride. Spoiler alert: it was not delightful. The bus had the aroma of a questionable perfume, was packed like a can of sardines, and the heat was cranked up. Leanne was not thrilled, let me tell you. By the time we arrived, I was ready to kiss the ground, thankful that the sun was finally shining.
Janine casually mentioned that the hostel was a "quick" walk away. After huffing and puffing for five blocks, I started to question her definition of "quick." Turns out, "quick" means nine blocks up a hill, because who doesn't love a good workout after a night of feeling queasy? I finally staggered into the hostel at 6:30 AM, lugging my backpack and bags like a pack mule.
Checking in? Not happening. The hostel staff seemed to be on island time—Fiji, specifically—with their ultra-chill vibes. So, we had a nap on the lounge couches until someone decided to check us in an hour later. Tried to catch the soccer match, but the Czech backpackers had commandeered the TV for the USA-Czech game. Luckily, my parents were at the game and filled me in on the 3-1 win!
Next door is a Subway, and let me tell you ranch dressing is very welcome in the land of questionable American food. I am pretty happy about some normal food! (sort of) - I also bought some groceries - Chicken and Vegies, and cooked myself dinner, which was also happy about, there’s a lot of average food in the U.S.
Yesterday was another early start at 6 AM for what I thought would be a quick jaunt to Yosemite Park. Surprise! It was a 3.5-hour drive each way, plus an hour through the park itself. We had 14 people on the bus, half of whom were Aussies, including one from Adelaide.
Yosemite was a jaw-dropper. We saw El Capitan (cue Wallace!), which was basically a giant rock with a "wow" factor. Charlotte, you would have snapped a million pics, guaranteed! And the waterfalls were incredible, especially Yosemite Falls. Oh, and there were chipmunks, pretty kool!
Today, we're off to Alcatraz this afternoon. Scored last-minute tickets apparently they aren’t easy to buy. Now, I need to browse IMDb so we can hit up some filming locations from So I Married An Axe Murderer around San Fran. Catch you later!
S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y
Ciao For Now.
Love Leanne.
20 June
Hey all!
I’m currently stationed in San Diego after arriving bright and early yesterday morning. Let’s rewind a bit.
Last I left off, I was prepping for my Alcatraz adventure. Scored myself some tickets to the infamous prison and arrived around noon, where I fuelled up with a SUBWAY sandwich slathered in ranch dressing (oh yeah, that's the good stuff!). After boarding a boat that looked like it had survived a shipwreck, we set sail for ALCATRAZ.
Upon arrival, I was greeted by the delightful aroma of old prison mixed with pigeon poop— I guess this is expected for a historic prison.
The tour was a blast! I had my own headset, so I didn’t have to deal with a tour guide named VICKI (shoutout to all the "So I Married an Axe Murderer" fans out there!). I saw where Al Capone allegedly chilled for a few years, along with some other inmates I’d never heard of. I even got to stroll through the cells (also pretty stinky) and watched a short film about the island.
After the prison fun, I headed back to San Francisco Bay and treated myself to some posh salmon (told you i’d get some Salmon mum!) at a place called CHICS at Pier 39 (closed now). Way too posh for a backpacker like me, but hey, i’ve been savvy with my subway meals.
I celebrated with a GIANT Corona—because why not? Still on the hunt for decent feta cheese, though. Fingers crossed I find some in Europe! Janine went for the classic Ben & Jerry’s, and then it was time to hightail it home to prep for our next mission: the Scottish Pub.
At the pub, the World Cup was blaring, and the beer was flowing. But hold the bagpipes! There was no McEwans Lager, no Scottish bartender, and definitely no kilts! I tried some weird pale ale that tasted like honey, while Janine’s beer tasted like someone’s old ashtray.
After the pub, we headed back to our hostel, and almost right next door we stumbled upon “THE OWL TREE”—yes, a bar with a name that made me nervous because, you know, birds! But the bartender actually understood us, which was a first in the U.S. Most folks either thought we were locals or looked at us like we were speaking Martian. The bar had a cozy vibe, complete with Frank Sinatra and Beatles tunes, and some very interesting decor. https://www.owltreesf.com/
The next day, Janine went on a shopping spree while I limped back to the hostel to nurse my aching knee. Dinner was an Italian feast across the street, where I ordered veal—delicious but a shockingly small portion for the price https://finoristorante.squarespace.com/
The following morning, I packed up and braced myself for more SUBWAY (it’s cheap and oh-so-good with ranch dressing!). I ventured out for what I thought would be a quick walk, but it turned into a three-hour uphill trek! By the time we reached our destination, I had stopped talking altogether—saving my breath for the uphill battle and trying to suppress my rage at misleading distance estimates!
We finally arrived at Alamo Square, the iconic spot from "Full House" where the three houses stand like celebrities. We plopped down in the park, had lunch, and I wrote some postcards. Then we trekked to Golden Gate Park, which was pretty, followed by another walk to a bus stop where we caught a bus (for a whopping three minutes) to the top of the bridge.
Our plan was to walk across the bridge (about a 45-minute stroll) and then take the bus back. I walked it, dodging aggressive cyclists, only to find no buses on the other side. One bus wanted $5 to take us back, which Janine thought was too expensive so we opted to walk back instead. I decided to tough it out and join her, even though it took me way longer than 45 minutes—Janine practically sprinted back while I hobbled along!
The bridge was “awesome” and “narly,” as the locals say! It was surreal to walk across and see the Bay Area on one side and a whole lot of fog on the other. So awesome!
Accommodation Recommendations:
Backpacker:
Family:
https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/broadway-manor-inn.en-gb.html
https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/the-line-san-francisco.en-gb.html
https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/broadway-manor-inn.en-gb.html
https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/redwood-inn.en-gb.html
Luxury / Quirky:
https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/citizenm-san-francisco-union-square.en-gb.html
Attractions: