Day 3: Independence Day in San Francisco

Happy Independence Day!

I have no idea if this is how you say it, but it sounds pretty cool. Exactly 246 years ago on July 4th, 1776, the American Declaration of Independence was signed, marking the establishment of the American National Holiday. The city of San Francisco did not exist back then, but it's still a good occasion to kick off my trip through the USA.

After a restful night, I went to have a simple but satisfying breakfast at my hotel. There wasn't a wide variety of options, but they had the three basic food groups: croissants, muffins, and coffee.

Afterwards, I took the bus to the coast, where I started my fairly long walk along the water towards the Golden Gate Bridge. Fortunately, the fog that San Francisco is known for held back today and didn't cover the entire bridge. Here are some impressions:

Then I ventured onto the 2.7 km long bridge and walked to the other side to the Vista Point lookout.

From Vista Point, I actually had a short hike to the most famous viewpoint of the Golden Gate Bridge: Battery Spencer. It's an old, rundown and smelly military position that is not worth seeing at all. However, the view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the city of San Francisco behind it is absolutely worth it.

After enjoying the view for as long as possible, I walked back to the other side. I originally planned to take a bus towards downtown from there, but ended up going in the wrong direction for a few kilometers. Since I've come to the logical conclusion that buses should never be trusted, I decided to continue walking. In the end, it turned out to be a stroke of luck, as the path led me through the beautiful Presidio Park. As expected in America, Presidio Park was also a former military base that was reforested with typical California flora and fauna about 150 years ago.

On the outskirts of the park, I finally reached my original destination, the Yoda statue (yes, it really exists). A few minutes' walk further, I also visited The Palace of Fine Arts. It's a temple built in the style of ancient Roman and Greek architecture.

Afterwards, I thought I had earned a burger break at the Super Duper Diner. Burger breaks will be a recurring theme in this travel diary. After enjoying a delicious Super Duper Burger at the Super Duper Diner, I burned off the calories by climbing the ridiculously steep Lombard Street. A section of this street has gained popularity as a popular filming location due to its tight serpentine route.

At this point, I had already walked 20 km. My legs were feeling it, so I reluctantly made peace with the buses and took one back to my hotel to rest for a few hours. At 8 pm, I mustered up the energy to watch the fireworks for Independence Day in the Bay of San Francisco. I made my way to the harbor district Fisherman's Wharf. A large crowd had already gathered there. The fog had cleared up by then, but the fireworks consisted mainly of colored mist and were overall quite disappointing.

Tomorrow, I have a full day in SF. Good night.

Leart