San Francisco and Yosemite National Park
Published in Woman's Weekly magazine 4th September 2012
Published in Woman's Weekly magazine 4th September 2012
Lose your heart in and around Sunny San Francisco
I’ve always wanted to visit the city of San Francisco on the America’s west coast. I can remember back in 1967 when the only music blaring out of my eldest brothers Dansette record player was either Scott McKenzie or The Flower Pot Men urging us to go to San Francisco and join the gentle people with flowers in their hair. Even my mum got into the act whenever Tony Bennett’s smoochy ballad “I left my heart in San Francisco” came on the radio and she was suddenly transported into a world of love and romance.
San Francisco seemed so exotic, so hip and cool. The most alternative and liberal city in the US yet renowned for it’s notorious maximum-security prison on the island of Alcatraz and the great gold rush of 1849 that transformed San Francisco from a small settlement of about 200 residents into a boomtown.
My opportunity finally came when I joined a small group on a whistle stop tour of San Francisco and the Sierra Nevada mountain range complete with an experienced tour leader/driver/picnic maker and all round good egg called Rebecca.
I had my doubts that a 4-day mini-adventure would do justice to this great destination but these thoughts quickly evaporated as I watched the fog lift over the San Francisco Bay to reveal a glorious panoramic view and I was transfixed.
The day had stated early as we took Rebecca’s advice and headed for Dotties True Blue Café where the breakfasts are reputed to be the best in town. With seating capacity of only 40 diners there’s always a queue to get in but believe me, the wait was worth it as we tucked into a medley of food. A cabinet full of freshly baked muffins, scones, cinnamon rolls, tarts and homemade buttermilk dill bread vied for our attention as we read the menu. I settled on the classic scrambled eggs with bacon but if you are more adventurous, don’t miss the grilled chilli-cheddar cornbread with pepper jelly or look out for the daily specials.
Feeling all was well with the world we headed to the old hippy neighbourhood of Haight Ashbury to see how this centre of the flower power generation was faring. Although I didn’t meet any of the gentle people with flowers in their hair, I can happily report that the spirit of the summer of love is still very much alive and the area’s thriving. It reminded me of the London’s King Road with plenty of exclusive boutiques, high-end vintage-clothing shops and hip restaurants.
The retail therapy continued as we made our way to Union Square in the heart of San Francisco’s shopping district. Home to six major department stores including Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, various upmarket boutiques from the likes of Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Chanel and a host of trendy art galleries, this temple to commercialism is for serious shopaholics only.
With temperatures in the 90’s we decided to hop on a cable car to Fisherman’s Wharf where the cooler coastal breeze offered a welcome respite from the late afternoon summer weather. Unfortunately, every other visitor appeared to have had the same idea and the place was packed with tourists. To be honest, I found it all rather depressing with lots of overpriced tacky souvenir shops and mediocre eateries saved only by the presence of the wonderful basking Sea Lions around Pier 39. To escape the crowds we decided to set sail on a sunset cruise around the San Francisco Bay where the views of the city skyline, Alcatraz Island and of course the Golden Gate Bridge were simply breathtaking and I thoroughly recommend it as a ‘must do’ on any itinerary.
To round off the day we followed in the footsteps of celebrity chief Jamie Oliver and beat poet Jack Kerouac to enjoy a Chinese meal at The House of Nanking and a beer at the Vesuvio saloon on the edges of San Francisco’s Chinatown. Jamie rated The House of Nanking highly on one of his gastronomic tours whilst Vesuvio is the original “beat bar” where Kerouac and his crew drank in the 1950’s.
John Muir, the Scottish naturalist and founding father of the National Parks in America described Yosemite’s natural beauty as “the grandest of all”. Even the passport official at San Francisco airport was envious of our intended trip, describing Yosemite as his favourite National Park. To break up the scenic drive from San Francisco, we decided to stopover beside the mesmerising waters of Lake Tahoe where we tried our hand at kayaking and a little flutter at the casinos. To repair the losses suffered, we retraced the steps of James Marshall who discovered gold at Sutters- Mill that led to the California gold rush in 1848. Unfortunately like thousands of other prospectors, lady luck was not on our side although we did discover the charming town of Placerville that was formally known as “Hangtown” due to the overzealous use of hanging as a means of justice during the “Wild West”.
It’s no wander the legendary American photographer Ansel Adams produced some of his finest work in Yosemite for with fine weather forecast we set off on one of the most spectacular hikes I have ever experienced on what they called The Panorama Trail. Starting at Glacier Point, the hikes mainly downhill but the views all around were memorable and I was forever stopping to capture the vista on camera. I will never forget the shear scale of the scenery as we passed plunging waterfalls and massive cliff faces that dwarfed our group in much the same way as the giant sequoia trees did on our second hike around the Mariposa Grove.
Interesting facts about San Francisco.
• Locals eat a lot of Dungeness crab but they’re not from Kent coast of England.
• Although the invention of Sourdough dates back to ancient Egyptian times, no other foodstuff is more closely associated with the city thanks to the California gold rush, which brought in thousands of “Sourdough Sam” miners who flocked to the local bakeries to eat this cheap and easy to make bread.
• The Fortune Cookie was invented here although not by a Chinaman. In an act typical of San Francisco’s mixing cultures, the Japanese Hagiwara family invented "Chinese" fortune cookies at the Japanese Tea Garden
• There’s no shortage of coffee houses in the city (three hundred and still counting) with the Buena Vista Café responsible for popularising and reinventing the famous mixture of whiskey, coffee, cream and sugar that we all know as Irish Coffee.
• Denim jeans were invented in San Francisco for the Gold Rush miners by Mr Levi Strauss who came to the city in 1866 to open a dry-goods store.
Fact Box
Grand American Adventures’ new San Francisco to Yosemite Mini Adventure <http://www.grandamericanadventures.com/tours/san-francisco-to-yosemite.htm> is ideal for those keen to enjoy a taste of the USA but with limited time to explore. Prices start from £899pp including flights, 3 nights’ camping accommodation on a full board and twin-share basis, in-country transportation, guided walks, entry to Yosemite National Park, a Sunset Cruise on Lake Tahoe, a sightseeing tour of San Francisco plus a professional tour leader. For more information visit www.grandamericanadventures.com <http://www.grandamericanadventures.com> or call 0844 576 1406.
If you prefer to stay in lodges, there is also 16-day trip – the National Park Lodges <http://www.grandamericanadventures.com/tours/usa-national-park-holidays.html> tour from £2969pp incl. flights, accommodation, transport, etc
I’ve always wanted to visit the city of San Francisco on the America’s west coast. I can remember back in 1967 when the only music blaring out of my eldest brothers Dansette record player was either Scott McKenzie or The Flower Pot Men urging us to go to San Francisco and join the gentle people with flowers in their hair. Even my mum got into the act whenever Tony Bennett’s smoochy ballad “I left my heart in San Francisco” came on the radio and she was suddenly transported into a world of love and romance.
San Francisco seemed so exotic, so hip and cool. The most alternative and liberal city in the US yet renowned for it’s notorious maximum-security prison on the island of Alcatraz and the great gold rush of 1849 that transformed San Francisco from a small settlement of about 200 residents into a boomtown.
My opportunity finally came when I joined a small group on a whistle stop tour of San Francisco and the Sierra Nevada mountain range complete with an experienced tour leader/driver/picnic maker and all round good egg called Rebecca.
I had my doubts that a 4-day mini-adventure would do justice to this great destination but these thoughts quickly evaporated as I watched the fog lift over the San Francisco Bay to reveal a glorious panoramic view and I was transfixed.
The day had stated early as we took Rebecca’s advice and headed for Dotties True Blue Café where the breakfasts are reputed to be the best in town. With seating capacity of only 40 diners there’s always a queue to get in but believe me, the wait was worth it as we tucked into a medley of food. A cabinet full of freshly baked muffins, scones, cinnamon rolls, tarts and homemade buttermilk dill bread vied for our attention as we read the menu. I settled on the classic scrambled eggs with bacon but if you are more adventurous, don’t miss the grilled chilli-cheddar cornbread with pepper jelly or look out for the daily specials.
Feeling all was well with the world we headed to the old hippy neighbourhood of Haight Ashbury to see how this centre of the flower power generation was faring. Although I didn’t meet any of the gentle people with flowers in their hair, I can happily report that the spirit of the summer of love is still very much alive and the area’s thriving. It reminded me of the London’s King Road with plenty of exclusive boutiques, high-end vintage-clothing shops and hip restaurants.
The retail therapy continued as we made our way to Union Square in the heart of San Francisco’s shopping district. Home to six major department stores including Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, various upmarket boutiques from the likes of Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Chanel and a host of trendy art galleries, this temple to commercialism is for serious shopaholics only.
With temperatures in the 90’s we decided to hop on a cable car to Fisherman’s Wharf where the cooler coastal breeze offered a welcome respite from the late afternoon summer weather. Unfortunately, every other visitor appeared to have had the same idea and the place was packed with tourists. To be honest, I found it all rather depressing with lots of overpriced tacky souvenir shops and mediocre eateries saved only by the presence of the wonderful basking Sea Lions around Pier 39. To escape the crowds we decided to set sail on a sunset cruise around the San Francisco Bay where the views of the city skyline, Alcatraz Island and of course the Golden Gate Bridge were simply breathtaking and I thoroughly recommend it as a ‘must do’ on any itinerary.
To round off the day we followed in the footsteps of celebrity chief Jamie Oliver and beat poet Jack Kerouac to enjoy a Chinese meal at The House of Nanking and a beer at the Vesuvio saloon on the edges of San Francisco’s Chinatown. Jamie rated The House of Nanking highly on one of his gastronomic tours whilst Vesuvio is the original “beat bar” where Kerouac and his crew drank in the 1950’s.
John Muir, the Scottish naturalist and founding father of the National Parks in America described Yosemite’s natural beauty as “the grandest of all”. Even the passport official at San Francisco airport was envious of our intended trip, describing Yosemite as his favourite National Park. To break up the scenic drive from San Francisco, we decided to stopover beside the mesmerising waters of Lake Tahoe where we tried our hand at kayaking and a little flutter at the casinos. To repair the losses suffered, we retraced the steps of James Marshall who discovered gold at Sutters- Mill that led to the California gold rush in 1848. Unfortunately like thousands of other prospectors, lady luck was not on our side although we did discover the charming town of Placerville that was formally known as “Hangtown” due to the overzealous use of hanging as a means of justice during the “Wild West”.
It’s no wander the legendary American photographer Ansel Adams produced some of his finest work in Yosemite for with fine weather forecast we set off on one of the most spectacular hikes I have ever experienced on what they called The Panorama Trail. Starting at Glacier Point, the hikes mainly downhill but the views all around were memorable and I was forever stopping to capture the vista on camera. I will never forget the shear scale of the scenery as we passed plunging waterfalls and massive cliff faces that dwarfed our group in much the same way as the giant sequoia trees did on our second hike around the Mariposa Grove.
Interesting facts about San Francisco.
• Locals eat a lot of Dungeness crab but they’re not from Kent coast of England.
• Although the invention of Sourdough dates back to ancient Egyptian times, no other foodstuff is more closely associated with the city thanks to the California gold rush, which brought in thousands of “Sourdough Sam” miners who flocked to the local bakeries to eat this cheap and easy to make bread.
• The Fortune Cookie was invented here although not by a Chinaman. In an act typical of San Francisco’s mixing cultures, the Japanese Hagiwara family invented "Chinese" fortune cookies at the Japanese Tea Garden
• There’s no shortage of coffee houses in the city (three hundred and still counting) with the Buena Vista Café responsible for popularising and reinventing the famous mixture of whiskey, coffee, cream and sugar that we all know as Irish Coffee.
• Denim jeans were invented in San Francisco for the Gold Rush miners by Mr Levi Strauss who came to the city in 1866 to open a dry-goods store.
Fact Box
Grand American Adventures’ new San Francisco to Yosemite Mini Adventure <http://www.grandamericanadventures.com/tours/san-francisco-to-yosemite.htm> is ideal for those keen to enjoy a taste of the USA but with limited time to explore. Prices start from £899pp including flights, 3 nights’ camping accommodation on a full board and twin-share basis, in-country transportation, guided walks, entry to Yosemite National Park, a Sunset Cruise on Lake Tahoe, a sightseeing tour of San Francisco plus a professional tour leader. For more information visit www.grandamericanadventures.com <http://www.grandamericanadventures.com> or call 0844 576 1406.
If you prefer to stay in lodges, there is also 16-day trip – the National Park Lodges <http://www.grandamericanadventures.com/tours/usa-national-park-holidays.html> tour from £2969pp incl. flights, accommodation, transport, etc
