The next place on my list is San Francisco.
Located on the coast of California, the city is home to beautiful architecture, rich history and a variety of cultures. With a plethora of coastal and city activities, what should you do whilst in the city;
1. Go see the Golden Gate Bridge - I think this should be at the top of everyone's to do list in the city. The iconic red of this world famous suspension bridge compliments the scenery of the bay perfectly.
2. Pier 39 - Alongside the bay with views over to Alcatraz, the Pier is home to a variety of shops and restaurants to fill every tourists needs. Not to mention, the rafts around the Pier are home to a local population of sea lions year round.
3. Alcatraz - this is something that I didn't get to do unfortunately, but I feel its important to put on the list as like the Golden Gate Bridge, it is an iconic feature of the city.
4. Muir Woods - Located across the Golden Gate Bridge, this iconic forest of redwoods is named after the Father of the National Parks, John Muir.
5. San Francisco Trams - the city is famous for its tram system. We walked to the top of Lombard Street (famous because of its distinctly steep gradient and bends) and took the tram from there for around $7. This is a must for anyone who wants the full San Francisco experience.
6. The Painted Ladies - Although it can be a bit of a trek to get to, these iconic houses are a beautiful sight to see. Named because they are decorated with three colours, the houses are famous for being featured in the film Mrs Doubtfire.
As well as this top 6 list, there's a lot of other things to enjoy in the city. One particular highlight of my trip to the city was visiting the Musee Mecanique. We purely visited the museum for nostalgic reasons, to embrace the past and enjoy a variety of gaming machines from the last 150 years. In this building you can play most of the games for 25c, making for a cheap and fun way to spend half an hour.
We also followed the bay on a walk from Pier 39 to the Golden Gate Bridge. This is a good way to see some of the city. Iconic San Francisco architecture on one side, and sandy beaches on the other, this walk offers a beautiful view of the bridge and some of the cities wild birds and sea lions.
If you have time whilst on your trip to the city, I also highly recommend that you set aside a couple of days to visit one of America's oldest and most iconic National Parks, Yosemite National Park. The park is located relatively close the city (in American terms), just a 5/6 hour bus ride from the centre. It is well worth the journey, with picture perfect scenes and the potential to see American wildlife like Bears and Coyotes. We booked a 2 days trip with the company Extranomical, which is enough time to get a sense of the place, but I definitely recommend staying longer if you can.
I hope you find these recommendations useful, and that you have an amazing trip to the wonderful city that is San Francisco.