The City by the Bay: San Francisco and Monterey
Some vacations are the result of a long time planning to go to a destination you have always been dreaming of visiting. And some vacations come about because you have a short time to spend and just need a quick getaway. In 2018, we had less than a week to spend, and not much time to plan, so we went for a mini vacation to San Francisco and Monterey. It was a short and fairly inexpensive flight from our home, and somewhere new to see.
About San Francisco
San Francisco is a hilly city of about 800,000 people. It is located in northern California, and its coastal location makes it prone to rainy, cooler weather than much of California.
About Monterey
A short drive south along the coastline brings you to the quaint city of Monterey. With a little under 30,000 residents, it has a nice, smaller town feel but with a few great things to see and do.
Where to Stay
We stayed at some lower cost accommodations in both Monterey and in San Francisco on this trip. Both were pleasant and clean and were really just a place to sleep after long days of sightseeing. In Monterey we stayed at the Sea Breeze Inn and Cottages. It was in a very walkable location and we were able to take a short stroll down to the ocean from there. In San Francisco we opted to stay near the airport and take the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) system to get to and from downtown. We stayed at The Millwood which suited our needs perfectly.
What to Do in Monterey
We began our vacation by landing in San Jose and picked up a rental car. With this we were able to get around during the first part of our trip, before we eventually dropped the car off at the San Francisco airport location. Our favourite activities were:
Jelly Belly Factory Tour – we first drove to Fairfield and toured the Jelly Belly factory. It was a self guided tour where there were rows upon rows of so many colours and flavours of candies. The factory also featured amazing artwork all created with Jelly Belly candies. An interesting note is that across the street is the Budweiser brewery where you could also do tours and tastings. As I was traveling with my daughter who was underage at the time, we elected to skip that one. Unfortunately this facility is no longer offering their tours.
Monterey Bay Aquarium – Next we traveled to Monterey and visited their incredible aquarium. It was a large facility with so many different things to see and learn about. We spent quite a few hours there and thoroughly enjoyed it. The aquarium is located on the historic Cannery Row which was originally the site of many former sardine packing plants. Made famous by the John Steinbeck novels, it is now the location of many restaurants and shops.
Horseback Riding on Salinas Beach – This was a true highlight for us. On the day we left Monterey to continue north to San Francisco, we arranged a horseback ride on the beach through the Monterey Bay Equestrian Center. The guide and horses met up with us at the beach. On that particular day we were the only two on the ride and it was a flawless day weather wise with wonderful horses and a knowledgeable guide.
What to Do in San Francisco
Our own walking/bus tour of San Francisco – We did a lot of walking in San Francisco as there were many things we wanted to see. We found the transit system was easy to use and this way we didn’t have to worry about finding parking. Our first stop was Pier 39, a touristy shopping area but the attraction for us were the many, many sea lions on the docks. For unknown reasons they first showed up there shortly after the earthquake in 1989 and now there are hundreds. They’re not quiet, and they tend to have a few “arguments” over who can be where, but it is really something to see. After that we made sure to ride a cable car. We learned that the Powell-Hyde cable car line has much shorter wait times than the busier Powell-Mason line.
Later on, it was off to the 16th Avenue tiled staircase. While this was a little bit out of the way, it was quite amazing to see the themed 163 step staircase that was created as a neighbourhood project. You can find it on Moraga Street between 15th and 16th Avenue. From there we walked to Golden Gate park where we found some buffalo oddly enough, as well as a lake with many model boats. We could have spent more time here but with tired legs and more things to do we found a bus stop and continued on.
You can’t go to San Francisco without at least seeing the Golden Gate bridge. Our original plan had been to walk across it but by that time we had so much walking. It takes 30 to 45 minutes to walk the bridge one way and it can be cool so bundle up if you decide to do this. You should also be aware that the bridge is closed to pedestrians at night. Once we had seen the bridge we had one more stop and that was the winding Lombard Street. Most of San Francisco’s streets are extremely steep. This one is no exception, but it zigzags its way down the hill (the only direction you can drive it) at a mind boggling 27 degree incline.
Next Time in San Francisco and Monterey
We did see and do most of what we had wanted to while we were visiting. Many people take in a tour of Alcatraz or a baseball game. With another trip to the area coming up in the near future, what do you think we have missed?
There Was a “Next Time“
In 2024 we found ourselves back in San Francisco. This time we stayed at the Hotel Caza, in the Fisherman’s Wharf area. This was a very convenient location for walking to a lot of the attractions. On this trip we discovered there was new attraction, the 150 foot tall SkyStar Wheel which gives a view over San Francisco and the harbour. We also enjoyed some Irish Coffee in the historic Buena Vista and some clam chowder at the Franciscan.
