My San Francisco Weekend

The Golden Gate Bridge

Since I was in Arizona for 3 weeks, I took advantage of the weekends to visit family residing in the US. On my first weekend, I seized the opportunity to spend it with my parents in the Bay City, San Francisco. After my shift on Friday, I hurried to my hotel, got my weekend bag (which I packed the night before) and went to the airport. It was a quick 1 hour flight from Phoenix to San Francisco and the crisp cool air of the Bay City was a pleasant change from the desert heat of Tempe. My aunt and my dad picked me up and before heading home, we stopped by a Filipino institution, Jollibee! My aunt had to buy me palabok and spaghetti from Jollibee in Daly City as my dinner. She wanted me to taste if there’s a difference in Jollibee in the Philippines and in the US. I stayed at my aunt’s place at Daly City and her house had a spectacular view of the city, being perched on the cliff. You can see the city and the bay which was awesome.

View of the city from my aunt's house

After dinner, my cousin took me for a ride and to see the city at night. Our first stop was the Bay Bridge that was beautifully lit at night. We stopped to take some pictures before heading out to our next stop, the Transamerica pyramid building. The building is famous in the San Francisco skyline because of its pyramid design. Touring the city at night made me more excited about seeing the city during the day.

Bay Bridge at night

Transamerica pyramid at night

The next day, we got up early so that we have ample time to see the sights that the city had to offer. First on the agenda ofcourse was the world famous Golden Gate Bridge. We drove through the bridge first and I was so excited that I took pictures already while inside the car. We parked at the base of the bridge where we got a great view of downtown San Francisco and Alcatraz island. There were only a few people when we got there so it was a great time to take pictures. Around 30 minutes after we arrived, a bus came carrying a lot of tourist so the place got a little crowded. My cousin told me that we can walk to the other side of the bridge and so we did. There were a lot of pedestrians walking at the bridge, even joggers. The fence is high and my cousin said that there are people who try and jump from the bridge that’s why they made the fences high. There’s even a phone that can be used for help or counseling. It was a nice 30 minute leisurely walk going to the other side of the bridge and I didn’t really perspire since it was cold and that breeze kept me cool. Once we got to the other side, we took more pictures and rested. Being on the other end of the bridge, we had to walk back to where we parked at the other side. Whew, what an exercise. 

The Golden Gate bridge

Driving through the bridge

Taking a rest

After seeing the Golden gate, my aunt dropped us at a nearby BART station (Bay Area Rapid Transit) so we can go around the city. 

Waiting for the BART

My trip to San Francisco would never be complete without shopping. We stopped by Union Square which is an open area surrounded by shopping establishments. We went to Westfield Center which is one of the malls there. I dropped by my favorite store which is Guess and got some sandals and jewelry. I even got a discount card but unfortunately, I was advised it will not work outside the US.

Shopping!

Near Westfield mall is Union Square which is another popular area in the city. There you can see huge hearts with coll painting on each corner of the square.

Union Square

After some shopping, it was time to ride the famous San Francisco Cable Car and the one way ticket costs $5. Our trip started at Powell and the destination was Fisherman’s wharf. I think it took us an hour to get a ride at the cable cars since there were a lot of people waiting in line. The cable cars are not only used for tourism purposes but it is actually used by the local residents as a way of commuting in the city.

Me at the cable car

Once we got to Fisherman's wharf, we went to see Pier 39 and to check out the sea lions. You can already hear them bark from afar and it was nice seeing them happily lounging at the dock. Pier 39 is a popular destination so there are lots of things to do and dining options to choose from. It was also a good place to get some souvenirs that I can bring home.

Pier 39

Fisherman's wharf

After a busy day of touring, we capped the day with a visit to my Uncle’s place in South San Francisco. The next day, Sunday, we went to the local Methodist church in the area for Sunday service. After church, my parents took me back to the airport to catch my flight going back to Arizona. It went by so fast. I guess that happens when you're enjoying. It was a great weekend well spent with my family and relatives.