San Francisco is a nice city and we can enjoy the short trip without driving car since the public transportation is effectively spread in the town. I have visited San Francisco in several times in the past, but I have enjoyed weekend trips from LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) to SFO (San Francisco International Airport) for sightseeing by train, cable car and public bus only. Also, I would like to introduce an example of a plan so that you can enjoy short weekend trips. (In the text, the blue part is linked to the information site, and you can refer to commentary etc. by clicking.)
I usually use Southwest Airlines for short range flights such as LAX - SFO. Southwest is the biggest LCC and they have many flights. If you make a reservation earlier, you can build a round trip with lower fare, less than $ 200. Southwest has a favorable feeling for the smart service, its characteristics are not specified by the seat number, and if you check in early online, you will be given a group number so to board early. After boarding, you may seat anywhere as you like. Also, the most convenient point of Southwest Airline is the airline using Terminal 1. Just beside the Terminal 1, there is an inexpensive parking lot called Park N Fly and you will be able to enter the terminal by walking.
Another my favorite airline is Virgin America. This is also LCC. Characteristic is the blue lighting in the cabin. CA is young, often wearing a red pin-heel shoes. The features of the TV attached to the seat in front of passenger are distinctive. You can order food and drinks and movies can be settled with credit card. Also, the broadcast video of the safety guide before takeoff is very pop and cool, and that's quite a hot topic of this airline. You can get the chance to get the lower fare than Southwest, so you should book them after checking in- advance.
On LAX departure at 7:15 am Southwest flight, arriving at SFO 8:35 am. Eat breakfast before boarding. If the flight with no baggage check-in, you have enough time even if you arrive an hour ago. Online check-in has been completed 24 hours ago the day before, the boarding pass has also been sent to your iPhone, the group number is A-xx. If this is the case, you will be boarding firster.
The aircraft is Boeing 737 about 150 passengers capacity. Economy class is 3 seats x 3 seats and the center is a passageway. After funny guidance on evacuation by man’s CA wearing a Southwest polo shirt, the airplane took off safely. It will be a short flight for 1 hour. Once the flight is stable, snacks deliver and can be picked up as much as you want. Soft drinks are handed out from tray as well. He does not use a cart that disturbs the aisle.
When you arrive at SFO, look for the train entrance called BART. BART is a high-speed rail linking SFO and downtown, which is operated every 15-20 minutes, fare is a bit high, and you can go to downtown for $ 8.65, in about 30 minutes.
Please get off at Powell Street station to go to Fisherman's Wharf by the famous cable car. First of all, you need to purchase MUNI 3 day’s Pass which is available for round trip of bus, cable car and tram. Route map of MUNI is also necessities. There is a ticket box near the cable car stop. There is 1 day ticket, 3 days ticket, 7 days ticket, but since there is no 2 days ticket, please buy 3 days ticket. It is 32 dollars per person but you cannot be used for BART unfortunately. MUNI comes from Municipal. Recently the payment function of Muni Mobile is available. It seems to be available for download from the APP store to smartphone. Please check the details by yourself.
Since it is still early in the morning, you should ride the cable car before crowded. Standing at the corner of the cable car, catching the pole, let's go over the slope while feeling the thrill here. The slope is very steep gradient than you imagined, there are curves everywhere, and it will be surprising that the driver is manipulating quite a bit manually. You can get off at the any stop and look around the area, you can also get on the next cable car, but most of the tourists go from the start point to the end point station with crowded on weekends so it may be difficult to get on the way. But it may be interesting to get off at the famous Lombard Street with a sharp jagged downhill and walk down.
Actually there are three routes of cable cars. Powel Hyde (PH) is a lane connecting the north and south, and it reaches Fisherman's Wharf through the west side. Powel Manson (PM) is also a lane in the north - south, but it passes the east side. But PM is ended the lane at quite before Fisherman 's Wharf. Since both of the starting station is Market Street (Powel), you should take PH in your first ride. Although I have never taken a ride yet, there is one more lane passing east-west of California Street.
Arrived at the end point Fisherman's Wharf at PH. Please walk around the pier. It is still early for lunch. but if you are hungry, it may be a good idea to get and share New England clam chowder. There are large quantities sea lions lying in the wharf. We can see them from Pier 39. Also we can see famous Alcatraz Island from here.
We will come again to Fisherman's Wharf this afternoon. So let’s go to Chinatown to take dim sum lunch.
Great Eastern Restaurant is famous for Chinese Dim Sum. Former President Mr. Obama has visited the restaurant and some pictures are displayed in entrance. Ordering is easy. Choose the meals from the dim sum photo menu and write that number and quantity on the order form. The dishes are keep serving soon. Although those are not much better taste than the restaurant in Monterrey Park in Los Angeles, the most of them are quite delicious.
Another candidate for lunch is In-N-Out Burger near Fisherman's Warf. This is located in the west of Fort Mason. In-N-Out Burger is loved from California peoples. This is the simplest and delicious burger, having with fresh French fries.
Tanguito of Argentinian cuisine which opens a store by bus on the road shoulder is interesting in an unusual eating place near In - N – Out burger. It takes time to serve, but big size steaks and huge burger etc. are offered.
Well, let’s go to the Golden Gate Bridge. Heading to Fort Mason by bus number 30. Change to bus number 28. As there is a bus stop where numbers 30 and 28 cross at Fort Mason, get off there. Many passengers get off there and change the bus. It is the western side of Fisherman's Wharf. The 28 bus runs for about 20 minutes and arrive at the Golden Gate Bridge.
It is a huge suspension bridge made of steel built in 1937. The construction period was 4 years only. The rivet structure is very impressed. It is still actively working bridge to get across so many automobiles. I heard over 1,600 peoples jumped off from the bridge to commit suicide.
I took a walk the sidewalk of the bridge thinking why Japan had war with the country that has already built such majestic bridge.
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We will return to Fort Mason by the same route, but make sure that Bus No. 28 going for Fort Mason direction so that it will not go in the opposite direction. If you still have time, take a walk through Pier 39 again, then ride an ultra-historic tram line called F line to go for Embarcadero street along the wharf. When you went back to Market Street, you can walk around the downtown area from Montgomery to Civic Center. This area has a popular Burger shop in San Francisco, Super Duper Burger.
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Well. Where are we lodging this night? When we travelled last time, we did not stay in San Francisco area. We rode the BART on Richmond line, passed through the undersea tunnel, watched the OAKLAND port and went to Berkeley famous at the University of California. We stayed at a MOTEL near UC Berkeley. I would like to say that I wanted to get some power from UC Berkeley who produced a lot of Nobel Prize winners. But also this area is safe and good for security. Remember, you cannot walk downtown San Francisco at night
Just before the entrance to UC Berkeley, turn Shattuck Ave to west for about quarter mile, there is an amazing pizza shop namely Cheese Board Pizza, which has 4,400 of Yelp's review. We have never seen such large number of review before. It always has a long line so it's easy to find. The pizza in this shop is a topping for daily change, just one kind of menu. Because it is cooked quickly, you can get it shortly without long waiting. Slices- $ 2.75, half- $ 11, full- $ 22 can be chosen. There are tables and chairs in the store, but of course it is crowded. Besides, there is even a fine band playing. Students of UC can eat fresh pizza in the green spaces of the separation zones. You can get a green salad and wine if you want. If you come and stay in Berkeley, this pizzeria is inevitable.
Well, we get up early the next morning and go out for a walk around the campus of UC Berkeley. Historical and traditional architecture is not quite a school building. The buildings are like churches and museums in a metropolis. From the symbol tower, you can see the San Francisco Bay far away. I feel the force of the geniuses and I want to absorb the force even a little then I breathe deeply.
I return to downtown again by BART. If there are place where you did not visit yesterday, let's go easy with your MUNI pass. If the return flight is after 20 o'clock, you can enjoy it till early evening. Last time I took a number 21 bus and went to Alamo Square. The view of downtown is good, and there are town houses along the park lining the triangular roof which became the stage of the drama 'Full House’.
Walking down a little further from Alamo Square, take No.5 bus at Fulton Street and head to Golden Gate Park. If you rent a bicycle there, not only the park but also the range of action spread at once.
If you have enough enjoyed San Francisco, please return to downtown by bus number 5 or 31. Then you head to the airport by BART.
As you can see, you can enjoy San Francisco without a car just in 2 days. On the contrary, if you use a car, parking is so troublesome in town and it seems to be an obstacle. If you go by car from Los Angeles taking for seven hours, it will take twice as long if you want to enjoy the same travelling course.
If you have time to spare the other day, I would like to suggest to book rent-a-car at SFO and go round the winery of Napa Valley. Enjoy!!