California, USA – April 2014
San Francisco, the city of rolling hills and yellow cable cars, is our first destination on this family road trip to the US. We finally arrive at SFO after a 20-hour journey. The Odyssey included a transatlantic flight from Zurich to Newark, a hectic and not very welcoming experience at the US immigration and another 6-hour flight all the way from the east to the west coast.
We pick up our rental car and my dad gets the first taste of his job for the next three weeks. The twenty-minute drive through the city flies by, and shortly after sunset, we arrive at the Holiday Inn at Fisherman’s Wharf. We check into our family room and head to a Wendy’s around the corner for our first, very US-American dinner. All of us are exhausted and can’t wait to lay down our heads on the soft pillows in our room.
The next day, we kids, fortunately, do not feel any of the jet lag my parents are suffering from. We skip breakfast at our hotel and go straight to Pier 39 at Fisherman’s Wharf to have a look at the seals sunbathing. It’s very smelly there so we don’t stay long and take one of the iconic yellow street cars up Powell Street to Union Square. We wander around the business district for a while, where my siblings and I marvel at the sheer amount of skyscrapers and their height.
When our legs (and necks) finally need a break, my brother convinces my parents to have lunch at McDonald’s. After all, we should try the local cuisine… We don’t get to eat fast food a lot at home, but I am pretty sure the sizes of burger, fries and drinks is a loot bigger in the US! And the free soda refills?! With full stomachs, we continue our stroll and visit Chinatown. From there we walk down all of Colombus Street with only a brief stop when my sister spots a bunch of naked cyclists. Back at our hotel, it’s time for a quick nap before the evening programme starts.
As per my Dad’s wish, we go on a Sunset Cruise with a Catamaran. It leaves from smelly Pier 38 and takes us north past Alcatraz Island before turning west. Now we’re headed straight towards where the famous Golden Gate Bridge is hiding behind a wall of mist. Then the clouds finally lift, and we catch a glimpse of the giant structure and a moment later sail underneath it. On the other side we turn and return to the city, now watching the skyline with the lights slowly coming on. Despite the weather, all of us agree that this is already a highlight of our trip.
The next day we’re headed out of the city, to the national parks north of San Francisco. But first, we stop at the Palace of Fine Arts for a walk and some people watching. It’s popular with locals for running, and there are also groups of people practising Tai Chi and Qigong. From there, we drive across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito. In the quaint seaside town, we buy some snacks for a light lunch and check out the yacht harbour. And then we’re heading for Point Reyes National Seashore.
Along the Shoreline Highway we pass secluded beaches and tiny towns. The street is lined with big, lush trees, and here and there signs announce the various national parks. We decide not to stop at Point Reyes and continue our drive along Tomales Bay. We listen to my brother’s CD he prepared for this trip and watch the birds flying over the lagoon. At Doran Regional Park we park our car and walk to the beach where we have our packed lunch.
From Bodega Bay we head back south on Route 101 to Muir Woods National Monument. We spend at least 2 hours wandering on the trails lined with giant Mammoth trees. Some even have tunnel-like holes in their trunks which you can walk through. After a little argument over how many pictures one is allowed to take, we continue our journey. The last destination for the day is the Marin Headlands with prime views of the Golden Gate Bridge.
We begin our last full day in San Francisco with the typical US breakfast of pancakes and bacon. Ready for the day, we first head up to Golden Gate Park, where we wander through the Botanical and Japanese Gardens. From there our sightseeing tour leads us to Alamo Square with the colourful houses known as the “Painted Ladies”, the viewpoint at the Twin Peaks and finally: Lombard Street, the city’s windiest road. To end our stay in marvellous SF, we follow my law professor’s recommendation for an authentic Italian Restaurant on Columbus Avenue.
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