Why I love San Francisco!

About a month ago I traveled to Oakland for work and happened to have a day off each week. It was the perfect opportunity to make good on a promise I'd made to go back to San Francisco and make it across the Golden Gate Bridge.

I visited the Valley for the first time two years ago, but with an extremely busy work schedule I could only make it to The Fisherman's Wharf and Alcatraz Island. I'll revisit that trip in a future blog post, but this time, I'd like to focus on my trip to my bike ride across the bridge.

Can I emphasize how beautiful San Francisco is enough? AMAZING CITY!!! Yes, the houses are narrow and extremely expensive. Sure, the streets are more like paved hills than roads and pathways. But these very oddities are a huge part of the city's character. I didn't quite get to explore San Francisco my first time around, so I always wondered what all the fuss was about until I gave it a second go.

With gorgeous views like these, who wouldn't love this city?

What I love about the Golden Gate Bridge is its designated sides for pedestrians and bikers. With my limited time, I didn't want to spend more time walking, so I opted for the bike route. I rented a hybrid bike from Basically Free Bike Rentals, which I found to be quite easy and affordable. For three hours, I paid $24 to pedal across the bridge and its environs. If you're wondering the catch behind the bike shop's name, here it is: You pay $24 for three hours, and upon return, you can use that same value to make a purchase at the Sports Basement store on Mason Drive. Great bargain right?

It'd been about 10 or so months since I last rode a bike. Plus I was more aptly dressed for a social call in the Hampton's than for a sporting event, but being an adventure freak, I was going to make the ride no matter what. And if you're anything like me, I bet you'll enjoy wheezing across the bridge, with the occasional stop for pictures.

Unfortunately the better view happens to be the pedestrian side, which boasts of views of Alcatraz and the city, but then you can ride to Sausalito on the Vista side of the bridge, park your bike and take the underpass across to the pedestrian side. The bridge is only about 1.7 miles, so if you're looking for more of a workout, ride down to the wharf at Sausalito. It was exhilarating speeding down at such fast speed that I felt catapulted into the world of a Tour de France rider (yeah right!). The climb back up, however, was no joke. I couldn't even ride up (cue lack of practice and inappropriate attire excuse as stated above,) settling instead for the slow walkup.

The fishing pier by the bridge

I had plenty of daylight left after returning my bike, which inspired me to drive to the oft-mentioned Twin Peaks, a pair of hills that, at 925 feet, offer a spectacular view of the San Francisco skyline. In my years of traveling, I haven't come across too many views offering a breathtaking view of a city at no cost. The Gellert Hill in Budapest, Hungary, is about the only one that comes to mind right now. So if you have a car and can make it here, you should. Did I mention that it offers a FREE sweeping view of San Francisco? I visited during the day and was still captivated by the view. I can only imagine what it looks like at night. Climb up the actual peaks, but be careful as the steps are uneven and are more like rugged stones etched into the dirt.

The top of Twin Peaks offers sweeping views of San Francisco

Thanks for joining me on my journey. Hope you're inspired to visit!

I also like that it is a quiet, serene site that's void of all the tourist trappings: expensive cafes and street vendors pandering to curious tourists. There are bathrooms if you plan on hanging out there for a while, which is a great idea when you have company. I happened to be alone so I didn't stick around too long, but I'd have loved to sit and watch the sun set with someone. Nevertheless, as I always preach to my family and friends, you don't need to wait for a companion to go out an explore. And after exploring this city, I realized why so many people love San Francisco despite its ultra expensive cost of living. As a tourist though, it's one of the best cities to explore.