by Sunny

Has anyone else out there seen Big Hero Six so many times that you just had to make a trip across the country to get a San Francisco fix?  Anyone? No? Really?

Ok, maybe that’s not the only reason we added San Francisco to our trip, but it’s definitely why we started talking about the city in the first place.  The movie is set in the fictional city of San Fransokyo and since Tokyo seemed a little daunting for a Spring Break trip, we booked a room on San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf instead. Here are the delightful highlights!

Fisherman’s Wharf: For this leg of our trip, we decided to splurge a little more than we usually do and stay right in the middle of the action instead of around the airport.  We were so glad we did.  As soon as we arrived at our hotel, we dropped our bags off and headed right down to Fisherman’s Wharf.  The sunshine, fresh air, and hustle and bustle of the wharf was just what we weary travelers needed.   In fact, we were so busy soaking up the sun and snapping pictures in front of the Fisherman’s Wharf sign that we couldn’t believe our eyes when we turned around and realized Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge were right there in perfect view!  In our minds’ eye, I think we had pictured these icons as far away blurry images from the Wharf.  Not so.  We spent a lovely afternoon, gazing across the bay and taking in the sights…and the sounds!  What was that faint barking in the distance?  If you’re in San Francisco, it must be the sea lions!  You can hear them from all over the Wharf, but it’s worth walking over to the back side of Pier 39 to get a closer look.  We went to see them twice during our trip.  In the afternoon we chuckled at the lazy lions lounging in the sun.  In the morning, we giggled at their silliness, especially when one would playfully push another off of their floating dock.

Pier 39: If you are visiting San Francisco with kids, Pier 39 may very well be their favorite.  There was an arcade, family-friendly restaurants, a carousel,  a giant skill crane, and souvenir shops.  The giant skill crane was fun to try and even more fun to watch kids try to maneuver a crane into grabbing a plush toy as big as they were!  MJ was super impressed by the magic shop.  She’s still trying to figure out how those red foam balls got from the magician’s hand to hers. There’s also a staircase painted to look like piano keys that actually play the notes when you step on the stairs.  We even made one last stop at Trish’s Donuts the morning before we left.  Delish.

Cable Cars: This was MJ’s pick.  When we stopped by Ghirardelli Square the first evening, our plan was to take a cable car ride and then grab dessert.  When we hiked up the hill to the Powell-Hyde stop the line was crazy long.  We decided not to wait in line and return in the morning.  We got an early start and were back at the stop around 8am.  No line – perfect! And since there was no line we had a good five minutes to take all of the pictures we wanted on the cable car without anyone else in the background. We had a prime seat, too.  In fact, when we started up that first hill, we were wishing there were some other passengers to keep our butts from sliding all of the way down to the other end of the bench!  We just rode up a few blocks to Lombard Street and the best conductor and gripman around gave us the ride on the house!

The view from the “bottom” of Lombard Street

Lombard Street: Like most other touristy locations, you will know you are in the right place by the crowds of picture-snapping pedestrians.   The crookedest (my spellcheck does NOT like that word) street in the world is also one of the most beautiful.  Sure, I had heard of Lombard Street, and I am sure I had seen a few pictures, but seeing it in person is different because of its surroundings.  The street itself is meticulously landscaped and painstakingly kept to the highest standards.  We started at the “top” of the street (at the highest elevation) and walked the over 200 steps down and then again back up.  The view from the top doesn’t necessarily afford the best view of the “crookedness,” but the sweeping views of the city are unforgettable.  I felt like we got better pictures of the actual crooked street at the bottom looking back up.

The view from the “top” of Lombard Street

Ghirardelli Square: If you have never been to a Ghirardelli ice cream parlor, you don’t know what you’re missing especially if you are an ice cream addict like myself.  We are lucky enough to have one within a 30 minute drive of our hometown, but just like the original Starbucks, I had to call on the original Ghirardelli. The menu is the same as other Ghirardelli ice cream shops that we’ve visited and equally delicious, but the added bonus is watching the chocolate being made as you are waiting for your sundae.  The four step process was outlined on plaques and you could see the machines working their magic.  Keep in mind that the sundaes are huge (even if you don’t order the $30 shareable “Earthquake”). Consider sharing or go really nuts and have ice cream sundaes for dinner.  Hey, it’s vacation.  Don’t judge:) And even if you aren’t in the mood for a sundae, don’t leave without your free chocolate sample from the retail store!

One more thing: My husband and I were a bit shocked/impressed by the early morning swimmers in the bay! We walked down to get a better look on a small beach area down the hill from Ghirardelli Square.  The little beach was quiet the morning we were there.  A nice place to relax, take a little stroll or even a dip if you don’t mind the chilly water!