I tried really hard not to plot out this trip like I seem to do with everything. So while we didn't have a firm itinerary of activities for the next 3 days (ok, I dont, Chris does) I did want to see Golden Gate Park. So that was our first major destination after breakfast.
The park isnt far from where we're staying but getting there was hell. We have a rental car, so we drove. Mistake. There are a lot of hills in some areas of this town and while I've driven in Washington PA, the hills here are leagues more intimidating to drive up and down than anything I ever drove through in Pennsylvania. By the end of it was was freaked out and I wasn't even driving.
Golden Gate Park is massive. Larger than Central Park. Looking at a map and imagining the scale of it is different than walking through it. It's just amazing. So many different areas and things to see. We got there at a little after 10am and didn't leave till after 4pm. It was a long day.
There are a lot of dogs in San Francisco, and there were a lot of dogs in the park. I'd say a good 50-60% of the dogs I've seen out here so far are without leashes and very well behaved. It's awesome.
The Golden Gate Park has several lakes, gardens, picnic areas, street vendors, museums, and more. There are a bunch of places we could have gone to and walked through, but we mostly just meandered through the park. We did walk through the Japanese Tea Garden and I am eying the California Academy of Sciences as a thing to do one of the days Chris is at his work conference.
There are a lot of nice areas of mini-hikes as well. Though we didn't go across to Strawberry Hill that looked like it might have been an interesting trek.
By the time we left the park it was in full swing. Drum circles and music blaring out in different areas, ice cream trucks parked along the road, steady traffic coming in and out, and lots of families enjoying a Sunday picnic.
In the evening we walked further down through Fisherman's Wharf. I was hoping to get a bite of seafood to eat but I'm always wary and uncomfortable with food stands selling food I've not tried before and all of the restaurants with seating would have cost us $60 easy. So instead we opted to try an In-N-Out Burger. That little joint was amazingly fast, friendly, and efficient given how packed that restaurant was (guess everyone else had the same idea as us). The food wasn't bad either. Not super greasy and their french fries (which we watched them cut in the restaurant) taste pretty good (similar to Wendy's new fries).
We both ended the day with sunburns on our faces and arms. Not terrible, but tender. Tomorrow should be an interesting trip to Union Square and beyond. Still have to figure out what to do for 1/2 the day while Chris is at his conference.
Anyway, here's a slideshow of the shots from Golden Gate Park.
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