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Summary: I decided to become a tourist in San Francisco with Sian, who was visiting from Australia, and this involved biking across the Golden Gate Bridge.  Like most San Francisco residents I've seen the bridge several times, but this was my first time biking it.  We took the San Francisco Cable Car - also a first for me - up to Fisherman's Wharf where we rented bikes.  From there we rode through Crissy Field to get to the Golden Gate Bridge, and crossed it to arrive in Sausalito.  After eating and shopping in Sausalito, we caught the ferry back to Fisherman's Wharf for a little more sightseeing.


 
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Summary:  My dad and I briefly explored the Marin Headlands, a beautiful mountainous area really close to downtown San Francisco.  Many people bike or hike here, but we only briefly explored it by car.  The views of the Golden Gate Bridge were nice, with the top tip hidden in fog but the rest still visible.  After Marin Headlands we ate lunch in Sausalito, a gorgeous sunny suburb situated on the San Francisco Bay.  


 
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Summary:  This day consisted of several reunions for me, as friends I hadn't seen in a while all congregated in San Francisco!  In the morning, I met up with two friends from high school, and in the afternoon, my flatmate who I used to live with in Australia joined us.  We basically drove around and hit some relatively non-touristy sites in San Francisco (keyword - "some" and "relatively"), which included: Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market, The Embarcadero, Lombard Street, Palace of Fine Arts, The Marina, Ocean Beach, Sutro Baths, Moscow & Tbilisi Bakery Store, Dolores Park with Bi-Rite Creamery, and The Painted Ladies.  


 
Related Itinerary:  Sundial Bridge, Shasta and Crater Lakes, July 2013: Day 1Day 2 

If you're looking to do some sightseeing on a short road trip, I think this itinerary is more than sufficient.  However, if your goal is to really explore the outdoors, this itinerary may be a bit scanty.  I'm not qualified to give advice to hardcore outdoorsy people, but here's some stuff I didn't do that others may enjoy.  I also write some general tips about visiting Crater Lake National Park.  

 
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Summary: We drove from Medford, OR to Crater Lake early morning, where we spent the day before driving back to San Francisco - so a pretty long day.  The activity level was light as most sightseeing involved driving from vantage point to vantage point in the national park.  The only strenuous activity was the Watchman's Peak Trail - totally worth the effort.  


 
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Summary: The first day in a two-day 4th of July trip, we drove from San Francisco, CA to accommodation in Medford, OR.  Along the way we saw the Sundial Bridge in Redding, CA and rented a boat on Shasta Lake in Shasta Lake, CA.  Both are along Interstate-5 between San Francisco and Medford.  The Sundial Bridge is literally a sundial and its shadow tells the time of day pretty accurately.  Shasta Lake is the reservoir of Shasta Dam, and offers many water activities amidst gorgeous views.


 
Related Itinerary:  Singapore and Malaysia, June 2013: Singapore – Day 1Day 2Day 3 | Malaysia – Day 4Day 5 

My three days in Singapore and two days in Malaysia were well-organized and well-spent, but there's even more still to do!  Also, I discuss some minor logistical issues that might have made the trip more efficient.  

 
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Summary: I had the morning in Malacca before catching a 1:20pm bus back to Singapore, so decided to explore some less-advertised tourist sites.  Having seen the World Heritage historical sites and downtown area the previous day, I chose to visit the Malacca Strait Mosque and shop at the Dataran Pahlawan Melaka Megamall.


 
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Summary: Malacca (also Melaka) is about 4-5 hours by bus from Singapore - even longer with traffic - and I woke up super early to catch an 8am bus.  It did not pick up from my hotel in Singapore but dropped me off at Hotel Equatorial in Malacca, where I was staying.  After dropping my stuff off it was past noon, and I proceeded to see the UNESCO World Heritage historical sites, explore the downtown area, and take a Melaka River Cruise at night.


 
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Summary: I’m sure anyone who read my Day 1 and Day 2 itineraries will understand why I was a bit tired this morning – two back to back >12 hour days in >80F weather is pretty taxing.  At breakfast I was on a mission to rehydrate from the previous day's hiking, drinking four glasses of water and three glasses of juice (thanks Fullerton Hotel for the delicious juices).  My day didn't start until I caught a cab to Chinatown around 11:30am.  It was a day of religious places – I saw Sri Mariamman Temple and Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Chinatown and Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple in Little India.  They were all beautiful and, in my opinion, enjoyable no matter what your religious beliefs.