Time Spent Traveling: 9-10 hours
Mode of Transportation: Electric Bikes!!
Activity Level: Light, electric bikes make riding effortless, even when going uphill
Tour Operator: None, rented bikes from Blazing Saddles
ITINERARY (times are very approximate and meant to only roughly illustrate the pace)
1.) San Francisco Cable Car (10:15-10:45am)
After meeting Sian at her hotel, which was near Powell Street at Union Square, we caught the Cable Car up to Fisherman's Wharf. Even this early in the morning, the Cable Cars were crowded with tourists and there were lines to get on. One-way fare is also $6 while a singe bus ride on the MUNI is $2 - total tourist trap! If there's room when you get on, you can stand on the side of the Cable Car and hold on to the railings, which seems to be popular with tourists.
Note: There can be very long lines to get on the Cable Car, depending on the time of day and season.
Blazing Saddles has a few offices, we rented from: 2715 Hyde Street San Francisco, CA 94109 (415) 202-8888
There was a bike rental place right by the Cable Car stop, called Blazing Saddles, so we went in because it was the first one we saw. If you're anywhere in Fisherman's Wharf, it shouldn't be difficult to find a bike rental company as it's a heavy tourist area. We decided to try electric bikes, with rental rates over twice as much as normal bikes, but they are DEFINITELY worth it if you have to ride uphill. The ride to the Golden Gate Bridge contains a few steep hills, and it would have been quite strenuous without the extra help from electric power.
Our ride started out in Fisherman's Wharf, where we found the bike path along the water. It was a beautiful ride but the weather was cold and foggy, not uncommon for a morning in San Francisco. Along the way were some nice views of Golden Gate Bridge, with the tips hidden behind fog. Before the uphill ride to get to the bridge is Crissy Field, a marshland that used to be a US Army airfield, and now displays several steel statues.
Piccolo Cafe: 660 Bridgeway Sausalito, CA 94965 (415) 289-1195
Upon arriving we instantly noticed the lack of fog in Sausalito; the sky was blue and there was sun! San Francisco fog generally clears in the afternoon, but Sausalito also gets less fog because it faces the Bay and not the Pacific Ocean, and the Marin Headlands mountains blocks the fog coming in from the Pacific Ocean. There were quite a few bikers and all the bike parks seemed to be full, but we eventually found one with ample space after going further down the road. We went to eat at Il Piccolo Cafe Specialita Italiane (the sign just says Piccolo Cafe), mostly because it had waterfront seating. My pasta dish was good but nothing to rave about - if you're looking for a delicious meal I'd recommend The Spinmaker, which I talk about in another Sausalito trip. The Spinmaker also has waterfront seating but it's inside and through a window. Anyways, Piccolo Cafe is a nice place to get a quick bite and drink and enjoy some beautiful views, but not if you're looking for a nice dining experience. Also, the outside waterfront seating can be extremely windy.
When we rented our bikes at Blazing Saddles, they handed us ferry tickets back to Fisherman's Wharf from Sausalito, since that's a common thing for tourists to do. The ferry tickets are good for any Sausalito-to-Fisherman's Wharf departure on the Blue and Gold Fleet, not to be confused with the Golden Gate Ferry. The ferry ride back is beautiful, with views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Bridge, Angel Island, Alcatraz Island, and Treasure Island. There were several bikers on the ferry and the bikes piled up!
Solve It! Think Out Of The Box: Pier 39 Concourse San Francisco, CA 94133 (415) 262-9924
Trish's Mini Donuts: Pier 39 Concourse San Francisco, CA 94133 (415) 981-4318
Ghirardelli Square: 900 North Point St San Francisco, CA 94109 (415) 775-5500
Before we returned our bikes we took a short walk around Fisherman's Wharf, sine the touristy area with all the shops is Pier 39 and the ferry drops off at nearby Pier 41. Sian introduced me to a shop she'd seen the previous day and wanted to go back to, called Solve It! Think Out Of The Box, which sells 3D wooden puzzles. Besides the unique puzzles, there's also a nice view of a marina out the back window.
From Ghirardelli Square we walked to the super curvy part of Lombard Street, since Sian had only briefly passed by it on a tour bus the day before. It was about 4 blocks of walking uphill, but San Francisco is known for being a hilly city, so I consider it a form of "initiation" for all who visit San Francisco (at least this is what I told Sian to make it not seem so bad). After taking some pictures of Lombard Street, we walked to the nearest Cable Car stop on Hyde Street to go back to Union Square.
Hana Zen: 115 Cyril Magnin St San Francisco, CA 94102 (415) 421-2101
After we got off the Cable Car, we tried to go to this dessert place Sian had seen on TV, but it was closed on Mondays! Therefore, we walked back to Union Square and went to Hana Zen for sushi. Their sake cocktails are amazing; the lychee one I ordered was especially sweet, great for anyone who likes girly drinks. The food was equally delicious, and I highly recommend this place to anyone who wants good Japanese cuisine in a central, downtown location. After dinner, Sian went back to her hotel to pack and I caught the BART train home.